Inventory replenishment is a critical process for maintaining optimal stock levels in fulfillment areas. Using the Replenishment Minimum, Maximum, and Increment levels on your SKUs allows ShipHero to calculate the quantities displayed on the Replenishment Report and automates the Mobile Replenishment workflow.
Activation Required
Please reach out to ShipHero Support to have the Replenishment Min/Max feature enabled for your account.
Table of Contents
- Replenishment Terms Defined
- How ShipHero Calculates Replenishment Quantities
- Replenishment Optimization Strategies
- How to Edit Replenishment Levels for Products
- Frequently Asked Questions: Replenishment Logic
Replenishment Terms Defined
Using Minimum and Maximum levels creates a clear threshold for inventory health, ensuring fulfillment teams have enough units to pick while inventory teams manage the restock flow.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Replenishment Minimum | The threshold that triggers a replenishment task. (Labeled as Replenishment Level in some UI areas). |
| Replenishment Maximum | The target quantity for pickable locations. If set to 0, the Minimum value is used as the Maximum. |
| Replenishment Increment | The specific unit intervals for restocking (e.g., increments of 10 for case-picks). |
How ShipHero Calculates Replenishment Quantities
ShipHero calculates replenishment needs based on five variables: Minimum Level, Pickable Quantity, Allocated Quantity, Increment Level, and Non-Pickable (Overstock) Quantity.
Important
If no inventory exists in Non-Pickable locations, a replenishment task will not be created, regardless of the Min/Max levels.
Calculation Examples
| Scenario | Logic | Recommended Replenishment Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Min: 10 | Pickable: 15 | Pickable is above Minimum. | No Replenishment |
| Min: 10 | Max: 100 | Pickable: 5 | 10 (Min) - 5 (Pickable) = 5. | Replenish 5 |
| Max: 100 | Pickable: 5 | Allocated: 5 | Min: 10 | Increment: 10 |
10 (Min) - 5 (Pickable) + 5 (Allocated) = 10 10 matches increment of 10 |
Replenish 10 |
Note: These examples assume 'Allow Exceed Max' is turned OFF and there is inventory available in non-pickable locations.
ShipHero suggests what to replenish based on the Allocated and Replenishment Minimum quantities. Users can "over-replenish" up to the Max.
For example: In the third scenario, Min: 10, Max: 100, Allocated: 5, Pickable: 5...ShipHero suggests replenishing 10. However, if the user grabs a case of 50 from overstock, that is acceptable because it is less than the Max of 100. If the user tries to replenish a case of 100, ShipHero will warn them they are exceeding the Max and block it (unless the Exceed Max Replenishment setting is enabled).
Exceed Max Replenishment for Allocated Items Setting
The Exceed Max Replenishment Level for Allocated Items setting determines how the system calculates replenishment quantities relative to a SKU's defined Maximum Replenishment Level (Max).
To enable or disable this setting, go to My Account > Settings > App Settings and toggle the option on or off, then click Save at the bottom of the page.
Pro Tip
Setting this to OFF is ideal for warehouses with rigid physical bin constraints where overstuffing causes operational friction.
| Setting State | System Behavior | UI Navigation |
|---|---|---|
| Allow Exceed Max = OFF | The system strictly adheres to the Max value. It will not suggest any quantity that results in a total exceeding the Maximum Replenishment Level. | |
| Allow Exceed Max = ON | The system prioritizes fulfillment. It may suggest replenishment quantities higher than the Max value to ensure enough stock is available for pending orders. |
Replenishment Optimization Strategies
If your replenishment suggestions are occurring too frequently or resulting in quantities that are too large for your warehouse floor, you can optimize the system behavior by adjusting the replenishment settings.
| Operational Challenge | Adjustment Type | Operational Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Replenishments triggered too frequently. | Lower Min Level | Reduces the frequency of replenishment triggers. The system will wait until stock is lower before suggesting a move. |
| Too many units are replenished to bins; not enough space. | Adjust Max Level | Controls the total volume of stock in a pick location. Lowering this prevents the system from overfilling bins. |
| Review Replenishment Increment Level | Ensures suggestions align with physical handling units. A high increment (e.g., 24 units) will always cause larger moves than a low increment (e.g., 1 unit). | |
| Toggle "Allow Exceed Max" | Disabling this setting ensures the system never suggests a quantity that surpasses your defined Max, even if there is high order demand. |
Pro Tip
Most "over-replenishment" issues are caused by a high Replenishment Increment Level. Always verify that your increment matches the actual quantities within your case SKUs being moved from overstock to picking.
How to Edit Replenishment Levels for Products
You can manage replenishment levels via the Product Details page, the Inventory list, or through a Bulk Edit CSV.
Note for Multi-Warehouse Accounts: Replenishment levels need to be configured for the SKU at each warehouse. This ensures that each of your physical warehouses can adjust as needed for its specific workflows and space constraints.
Option 1: Product Details Page
- Navigate to Inventory > Products and select a SKU.
- Click the Pencil Icon in the Details section.
- Scroll to the replenishment fields and enter the Minimum, Maximum, and Increment values.
- Click Update to save.
Option 2: Inventory Page (Bulk Action)
- Go to the Inventory > Products page.
- Select the checkboxes for the products you need to update.
- Click the Bulk Edit button from the Bulk Manage section in the top left corner.
- Enter the replenishment values in the pop-up module and click Process.
| Bulk Edit Selection | Replenishment Fields |
|---|---|
Option 3: Bulk Edit CSV
- Go to the Inventory > Bulk Edit page.
- Select the Warehouse, choose the file format, and click Download Products.
- In the CSV file, locate the replenishment level columns and enter your data.
- Save the file and upload it back to the Bulk Edit page.
Please visit the following article for more information about using the Bulk Edit CSV Upload.
Frequently Asked Questions: Replenishment Logic
| Question | Reasoning & Logic |
|---|---|
| Why is the system suggesting more than the Min? | The calculation includes Allocations. While the Min serves to protect your buffer stock, Allocations protect live orders. The system combines both values to ensure total demand is met. |
| Why is it suggesting more than the required amount? | This is caused by Increment Rounding. If your inventory increment is set to 6 and the system identifies a need for 5, it must suggest 6 to satisfy the increment rule. |
| Why is it suggesting replenishment when Min is set to 0? | This occurs due to Open Allocations. Even without a configured Min/Max, the system will trigger replenishment to fulfill active demand and ensure orders can be picked. |
| Why was no replenishment suggested? |
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