Warehouse Putaway Task Log and Productivity Worksheet
Putaway is the step between receiving and available stock, and it often goes unmeasured. A few days of task logging shows how long putaway really takes, which operators or equipment are slow, and where locations are poorly placed.
| Date | Operator | Item number | Equipment | From location | To location | Units moved | Minutes | Units per hour | Seconds per unit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4,800 | 0.75 | |||||||||
2,880 | 1.25 | |||||||||
2,000 | 1.8 | |||||||||
1,350 | 2.6667 | |||||||||
1,285.7143 | 2.8 |
Time the full task from pickup at the receiving location to confirmed placement, including travel. Units per hour depends heavily on pallet versus case putaway, so group comparable tasks when comparing operators. Use the overall figure, which weights by units, rather than the simple average of task rates.
Analyse warehouse task data privately
Optional: a short review of using your WMS or ERP timestamps to measure putaway and pick productivity.
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How to use the log
Record each putaway task as it happens or from your scanner timestamps: date, operator, item, equipment, from and to locations, units moved and minutes taken. The sheet calculates units per hour and seconds per unit for every row, and overall totals. Export to Excel to filter by operator, equipment or zone. A week of data is usually enough to see patterns, provided the tasks are representative.
The method
Units per hour equals units moved divided by minutes, multiplied by 60. The overall rate should be calculated from total units and total minutes, not by averaging row rates, because a few very fast small tasks would otherwise inflate it. Seconds per unit is the inverse and is useful for labor standards and for estimating how long a receipt will take to clear.
- Include travel and staging time in the task minutes
- Separate pallet putaway from case or each putaway
- Compare like tasks across operators and equipment
- Re-time after layout or slotting changes
What the numbers tell you
Long minutes with short distances suggest waiting, congested aisles or searching for locations. Large differences between operators doing the same task can show training needs or a different route. If reach truck tasks are consistently slower than forklift tasks, check whether upper levels are being used for fast-moving items. Link findings to receiving dwell time to see the effect on customer service.
Common mistakes
Timing only the best operators, ignoring interruptions, and mixing very different task types give a misleading standard. Another mistake is turning a measurement exercise into a punishment. Share the data, explain the purpose, and use it to remove obstacles such as blocked aisles and poor labeling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good putaway rate?
It varies widely with item size, distance, equipment and system support. A pallet putaway may take several minutes while case putaway is faster per unit. Measure your own baseline and improve against it rather than relying on a generic benchmark.
How long should I log tasks?
A full week across shifts is a sensible minimum for a stable picture. Include a busy day and a quiet one so the average is not distorted by a single unusual day.
Should travel time be included?
Yes, for a realistic labor standard. Putaway from the dock to a distant location takes longer than a nearby one, and the location strategy is one of the biggest drivers you can change.
How do I use this for labor planning?
Use seconds per unit by task type and equipment as the standard, multiply by expected receipts, and add allowances for breaks and delays. The labor hours planning worksheet on this site does that calculation.
If your WMS or ERP already holds task timestamps, we can show how to analyse them privately on your own infrastructure rather than logging by hand.
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