Zone Class

Understanding Zone Class

In Canary7, Zone Classes define the functional purpose of zones within the warehouse. Each zone is assigned one of three hard-coded Zone Classes, which influence how the system handles inventory, task generation, and operational execution.

The Three Zone Classes in Canary7:

1. Allocation
   Zones used during the inventory allocation process. These are consulted when determining where inventory can be sourced from during order fulfilment.

2. Locating
   Zones that represent where inventory is physically placed on Putaway Job Execution.

3. Work (also referred to as Job Zones)
   Zones that define where operational tasks are performed, such as Picking, Packing, Replenishment, etc. These zones can play a crucial role in job creation, allowing the system to assign and manage different job types based on zone-specific activity.

Best Practice: Global vs Granular Zones

• For Allocation and Locating Zones:
  It is generally best to configure these as global or catch-all zones. This ensures broad inventory availability and simplifies configuration unless your process requires specific zoning (e.g. separating frozen vs ambient goods). This is primarily due to the specificity that can be achieved through Allocating Rules and Locating Rules.

• For Work Zones:
  Be granular. Define distinct Work Zones based on operational functions — e.g. Picking Zone A, Replenishment Zone B, Packing Zone C. This enables:

  • More precise job creation and routing

  • Better resource management

  • Tailored rules for different Job Types (e.g. Pick, Pack, Replenishment)