What is a Stock Reserve?
A Reserve is the process of allocating stock — logically or physically — for specific orders or requests. This mechanism ensures that the products needed for a given order are available when the picking operator starts preparation, preventing "false" stockouts and allocation conflicts between competing orders.
Types of Reserve in WMS
Soft Reservation
Stock is marked in the system as "committed" to an order but remains in its original location. Any operator can physically access the product, but the WMS prevents it from being allocated to another order. It is the most common and flexible type.
Hard Reservation
Stock is physically moved or locked in a dedicated location for the specific order. Used in operations with high-value products or when total segregation is required (e.g., pharmaceuticals, priority orders).
Benefits of Automated Reservation
A WMS with automatic reservation eliminates allocation conflicts, reduces order preparation time, ensures delivery SLA compliance and enables priority management between customers or sales channels (e.g., prioritizing urgent orders over replenishment stock).