Document Lifecycle

How documents flow through the WMS system.

Document Types

Every warehouse document belongs to one of eight types, each associated with either a reception (inbound) or expedition (outbound) operation.

Document Type Operation Description
WAREHOUSE_TRANSFER_IN Reception Goods received from another warehouse within the organization
WAREHOUSE_TRANSFER_OUT Expedition Goods sent to another warehouse within the organization
PURCHASE_ORDER Reception Goods received from a supplier purchase order
CLIENT_RETURN Reception Goods returned by a customer
SUPPLIER_RETURN Expedition Goods returned to a supplier
CLIENT_EXPEDITION Expedition Goods shipped to fulfill a customer sales order
FACTORY_DELIVER Expedition Goods sent to fulfill a production order
PRODUCTION_RETURN Reception Goods returned from production back to the warehouse

Status Flow

Documents follow a simple status progression. Once created, a document is OPEN and can transition to either SATISFIED (fully processed) or CANCELED. 

  OPEN ──────► SATISFIED
    │
    └──────────► CANCELED
Status Meaning
OPEN Document created and pending processing by warehouse operators. Can be updated or cancelled.
SATISFIED All document lines have been fully processed (received or shipped). The document is complete and immutable.
CANCELED Document was cancelled before completion. No further processing is possible.

Reception Lifecycle

Reception documents (PURCHASE_ORDER, CLIENT_RETURN, WAREHOUSE_TRANSFER_IN, PRODUCTION_RETURN) follow this flow:

  1. Create the document via POST /api/external/v1/document. The document is created with status OPEN and appears in the WMS for operators.
  2. Warehouse operators process the reception. Goods arrive physically and operators scan, count, and put away the items using the WMS interface.
  3. Reception is closed. Once all goods are received and put away, the operator closes the reception in the WMS. The document status transitions to SATISFIED.
  4. Close Reception webhook fires. LogisticsWMS sends a POST request to your configured webhook endpoint with the closing details, including actual quantities received per line. See the Webhooks guide.
  5. Query differences (optional). Use GET /api/external/v1/reception/{externalCode}/differences to retrieve any quantity differences between expected and actual received amounts.

Expedition Lifecycle

Expedition documents (CLIENT_EXPEDITION, SUPPLIER_RETURN, WAREHOUSE_TRANSFER_OUT, FACTORY_DELIVER) follow this flow:

  1. Create the document via POST /api/external/v1/document. The document is created with status OPEN and a shipping order is generated in the WMS.
  2. Picking. Warehouse operators pick the items from storage locations according to the document lines.
  3. Packing. Picked items are packed into packages. Each package receives a packing code and weight.
  4. Shipping. Packages are dispatched from the warehouse. The shipping order is closed and the document status transitions to SATISFIED.
  5. Close Shipping Order webhook fires. LogisticsWMS sends a POST request to your configured webhook endpoint with the shipping details, including packing information. See the Webhooks guide.
  6. Query packing (optional). Use GET /api/external/v1/packing to retrieve packing details for the completed shipment, including package codes, weights, and line contents.

Updating Documents

You can update a document using PUT /api/external/v1/document. Only documents with status OPEN can be updated. You can modify observations, add or remove lines, and change quantities. The externalCode identifies which document to update.

Important Documents with status SATISFIED or CANCELED cannot be updated. Attempting to update a non-OPEN document will result in an error.

Cancelling Documents

You can cancel a document using POST /api/external/v1/document/cancel. Only documents with status OPEN can be cancelled. Once cancelled, the document transitions to CANCELED and cannot be reopened or processed.

Ready to create your first document? Follow the Quickstart: Create Document tutorial to create a product and document in under 10 minutes.