Quarantine locations

Quarantine locations are used for products that must not be treated as good stock. This is where you keep damaged, suspicious, or blocked goods for checking until you decide whether they return to good stock, remain blocked, or are corrected through a separate process.

Quarantine is not a regular storage area and is not used for order picking. Putaway WMS proposes only eligible storage locations for picking, not quarantine bins.

When To Use Them

Use quarantine when:

• the product was received with the Damaged or Quarantine condition;
• the product must be checked before it can be sold;
• a good product is intentionally moved to quarantine and its condition must be changed;
• a logistics return contains products that must not go directly into good stock;
• inventory or adjustment work shows that the product exists, but must not be treated as saleable stock.

Do not use quarantine for overflow, inventory shortages, or products that simply do not temporarily fit on a shelf.

Before Creating Quarantine Locations

Check the selected warehouse. Quarantine locations are created and displayed only for the current warehouse.

In Warehouse settings, there is a prefix for quarantine zones. The default value is Quarantine.

Change the prefix before creating the first quarantine zone. After at least one quarantine zone exists in the warehouse, the prefix can no longer be changed from settings, so already printed and scanned labels remain valid.

Example:

1. The prefix is Quarantine.
2. You create a zone named Control.
3. Putaway WMS creates the zone Quarantine-Control.
4. A bin in that zone can receive a code such as Quarantine-Control-A01-B01-L01-B01, depending on the prefixes for aisle, bay, level, and bin.

Creating The Quarantine Structure

Open Warehouse -> Locations -> Quarantine.

If no zone exists, the page says that no zones were found. Use Create zone and enter the zone name.

After the zone exists, create the structure in the same order as the physical warehouse:

1. quarantine zone;
2. aisle;
3. bay;
4. level;
5. bin.

Operators scan the bin code, not the zone, aisle, bay, or level name. Create bins before sending operators to move products into quarantine.

Putaway WMS numbers new elements automatically. The user enters only the zone name. For aisles, bays, levels, and bins, the application uses the next available numbers in the correct place.

If deleted elements can be restored, a restore window appears. You can restore the found elements or create new ones.

What You See In The List

Each quarantine zone appears as a card. When you open it, you see the aisles, bays, levels, and bins inside it.

Element	Meaning
Zone	The large quarantine group, for example Quarantine-Control.
Aisle	The physical row or aisle inside that zone.
Bay	The section inside the aisle.
Level	The shelf or level inside the bay.
Bin	The scannable location where the product is placed.
Status	active for available or blocked for blocked.
Print label	Creates the physical label for scanning.
Block / unblock	Changes the availability of the element, if you have permission.
Delete	Removes the element only if the rules allow deletion.

Clicking a bin card copies the location code. For daily work, the printed and scanned label is the recommended method.

Printing Labels

Print the label after creating the bin and place it on the physical location.

You can print:

• one label from the bin card;
• multiple labels from the multiple-print action.

Multiple printing loads all bins from the quarantine section and lets you choose the labels you need.

Location Statuses

Active

An active bin can receive products only if the current operation accepts it.

Active does not automatically mean that any product can be moved there. Putaway WMS also checks the product condition, the operation type, and whether the location is blocked.

Blocked

A blocked bin cannot be used as a source or destination in normal operations.

You can block a zone, an aisle, a bay, a level, or a bin. Blocking applies to the existing bins inside that structure. If the structure does not have bins yet, create the bins before relying on the block.

A reason can be completed when blocking or unblocking. The reason helps the team understand why the location must not be used.

What Products Can Go To Quarantine

In Putaway, a quarantine destination accepts products with the condition:

• Damaged;
• Quarantine.

Products with the Good condition are not accepted directly into a quarantine destination from Putaway. If the product is good, it goes to storage or a cart, depending on the flow.

In Transfer, if you move a good product to a quarantine location, Putaway WMS asks you to choose the new condition: Damaged or Quarantine. The transfer is completed only after this choice.

If you move a product from quarantine to storage, Putaway WMS asks you to confirm the change to Good condition. Do this only after the real product check.

Flows That Use Quarantine

Flow	How quarantine is used
Goods receiving	The operator can mark the product as damaged or quarantine during receiving. After documentation, the product can be moved through Putaway into a quarantine bin.
Putaway	Moves products from receiving to quarantine only for the Damaged and Quarantine conditions.
Transfer	Moves products between active locations. When a good product enters quarantine, the new condition must be chosen. When it leaves for storage, the return to good condition must be confirmed.
Logistics returns	Returned products can be marked as damaged or quarantine. If they must be physically isolated, they are later moved into a quarantine bin.
Inventory	Inventory can include storage locations and quarantine locations. Use it to check the physical quantities that exist.
Adjustments	Adjustments can correct stock and product condition, but they should not replace the physical check or the correct transfer.
Stock and reports	Quarantine stock includes products with the Damaged or Quarantine condition. Do not confuse it with good stock available for sale.
Order picking	Does not use quarantine bins as picking sources.

Deleting A Quarantine Structure

Deletion is a warehouse-map administration action, not a way to correct stock.

Delete from the bottom up:

1. bin;
2. level;
3. bay;
4. aisle;
5. zone.

Putaway WMS refuses deletion if:

• the element is blocked;
• a parent element is blocked;
• the element has active children, for example a zone with aisles or a level with bins;
• the bin contains products;
• you do not have the required permission.

If a quarantine bin has products, move or correct the products through the correct flow before deleting the bin.

Complete Example

1. In warehouse settings, the quarantine prefix is Quarantine.
2. The administrator creates the zone Control.
3. Putaway WMS displays the zone Quarantine-Control.
4. The administrator adds an aisle, a bay, a level, and a bin.
5. The bin label is printed and placed on the physical location.
6. During receiving, the operator marks a product as Quarantine.
7. After documentation, the operator goes to Putaway and scans the quarantine bin as the destination.
8. The product reaches quarantine and is not proposed for order picking.
9. After checking, if the product can be sold, Transfer is used to move it to storage and the change to Good condition is confirmed.

Quick Checks

Situation	What to check
You cannot create the zone	Check the selected warehouse, create permission, and plan limit.
The prefix can no longer be changed	At least one quarantine zone already exists in the warehouse.
The operator cannot scan the destination	Check that the operator scans the bin code, not the zone or level name.
A good product does not enter quarantine from Putaway	Putaway accepts only damaged or quarantined products into quarantine.
Transfer to quarantine asks for the condition	The source product is good and must be changed to damaged or quarantine.
Picking does not propose the product	Products in quarantine are not picking sources.
You cannot delete a bin	Check whether it is blocked, whether a parent is blocked, or whether it has products.
You cannot delete a zone, aisle, bay, or level	Delete the elements inside first, from the bottom up.

Practical Rules

1. Create the complete structure down to the bin before using quarantine in operations.
2. Print labels before physically moving goods.
3. Do not put good products in quarantine without a clear decision.
4. Do not take products out of quarantine without a real check.
5. Do not use quarantine as permanent storage or overflow.
6. Do not delete locations used in operations to hide a stock problem. Correct the stock through the proper flow.