Wave Configuration Overview

Creating a wave in eWAVE involves a series of configuration decisions that determine how the system will manage the entire outbound process for that batch of orders. Once the options are understood, configuring a wave takes only a minute or two — and most operations create standing wave templates so that the same settings can be applied with a single click each time.

The Back Office User navigates to Outbound → Fulfilment Runs → New to begin wave configuration. The form contains the following key sections:

Step-by-Step: Creating and Running a Wave

1. Select order inclusion criteria Use the filter fields to specify which orders to include. Filter by order date range, priority flag, customer, distribution channel, or shipping cutoff time. You can also manually add specific orders by order number. The order count and total line count are displayed dynamically as you adjust filters — useful for sizing the wave to your team's capacity.
2. Choose picking strategy Select the picking mode for this wave: by Order, by Wave, by Carton, or by Location. The selected strategy affects how pick instructions are presented to floor staff and whether carton pre-assignment is needed before picks begin.
3. Configure inventory allocation settings Specify which allocation sequence to use — this determines which move type rules the engine evaluates and in what priority order. For most operations, the default sequence (forward-pick-first, FEFO, then reserve) is correct. Special waves (e.g., a clearance wave drawing from overstock locations only) may use a custom sequence.
4. Enable and configure carton cubing (optional) If using automatic cubing, select the cubing algorithm (FFD, BFD, or 3D) and the carton type to use for this wave. The system will check whether all products have dimensions entered — a pre-cubing validation report identifies any products missing this data before the wave runs.
5. Run allocation Click the "Allocate" action. The allocation engine runs and reserves inventory for all orders in the wave. The system reports how many orders were fully allocated, partially allocated, and unallocatable (due to insufficient stock). Review the allocation report and decide whether to proceed with the partial orders or remove them from the wave.
6. Run cubing (if applicable) Click "Cube". The selected algorithm runs across all fully allocated orders and assigns cartons. The cubing report shows the carton distribution — how many orders go into one carton, two cartons, etc. — and flags any orders where cubing failed due to missing product dimensions.
7. Run routing Click "Route". The Routing Guide evaluates each order against its carrier rules and assigns a Ship Via value to each carton. Review the routing summary to confirm that all cartons have been assigned and that the carrier distribution makes sense for the day's truck schedule.
8. Release to picking Click "Release Wave". The wave advances to In Picking status and pick instructions become visible to floor staff on their mobile devices. From this moment, the allocated inventory is locked for this wave and cannot be allocated to another order.

Wave Templates

For operations that run the same wave configuration daily or per shift, save the settings as a template. A template stores the order filter criteria, picking strategy, cubing algorithm, and allocation sequence. Applying a template fills all these fields with a single click — the Back Office User still runs each step (allocate, cube, route, release) manually, but does not need to re-enter configuration each time. Most operations have 3–5 templates: morning urgent wave, afternoon standard wave, end-of-day late orders wave, and a separate priority-customer wave.

Cubing Algorithms in Detail

Cubing Setup Checklist

Automatic cubing produces reliable results only if the following data is complete and accurate in your system. This is a one-time setup investment — once done, it runs on every wave without further intervention.

Wave Lifecycle

Non-Cubed (Manual) Packing

For operations where automatic cubing is not appropriate — fragile goods, custom packaging requirements, oddly shaped items that defeat geometric algorithms — the system supports manual non-cubed packing. In this mode, the wave still handles inventory allocation and pick coordination; only the carton assignment step is left to the packer's judgment at the packing station.

This preserves all the efficiency benefits of wave processing (optimised pick paths, consolidated allocation, coordinated routing) while maintaining the flexibility needed for difficult-to-cube product types. Non-cubed and cubed orders can even coexist within the same wave — products with complete dimension data are cubed automatically, products without are flagged for manual carton selection.

Troubleshooting Common Wave Issues

• "No eligible location found" for an LPN during allocation: the putaway algorithm found no location meeting the move type rules. Check that the destination zone has available capacity (not all locations at maximum weight or container count) and that a matching move type rule exists for this product/location combination.
• Cubing produces oversized cartons: product dimensions may be entered in the wrong unit (millimetres instead of centimetres, for example). Re-check the unit of measure setting on the product master's Dimensions tab and confirm the carton size internal volume is also in the same unit.
• Wave allocation leaves many orders partially unfilled: the forward-pick face for those products is depleted. Check the replenishment queue — unexecuted replenishment tasks will appear here. Run replenishment first, then re-run wave allocation.
• Routing step leaves orders without a Ship Via: no routing guide rule matched the shipment's characteristics. Review the Routing Guide configuration — check whether the destination zone, ship-from location, and weight/volume are within any rule's matching conditions. Add a default catch-all rule at the bottom if none exists.