Receiving and putaway hardware helps warehouses, stockrooms, retail backrooms, ecommerce operations, manufacturers, and distribution teams verify inbound inventory, print barcode labels, scan products, assign locations, move stock, and update inventory systems accurately. A strong receiving and putaway setup reduces manual entry, prevents misplaced inventory, improves stock visibility, and creates a cleaner foundation for picking, packing, shipping, replenishment, and cycle counting.

Spartan POS helps businesses choose mobile computers, barcode scanners, wireless barcode scanners, label printers, mobile label printers, industrial label printers, barcode labels, thermal labels, thermal transfer ribbons, workstations, and accessories for receiving docks, stockrooms, warehouses, and WMS workflows.

Quick Answer

Receiving and putaway hardware is the equipment used to scan inbound items, verify purchase orders, print labels, identify cartons and pallets, assign warehouse locations, move inventory into storage, and update inventory or WMS software. Most receiving and putaway setups use mobile computers, barcode scanners, label printers, barcode labels, location labels, receiving workstations, and compatible Warehouse Management System or inventory software.

Compatibility depends on your POS software, operating system, connection type, drivers, accessories, and configuration. Confirm compatibility before ordering.

What Are Receiving and Putaway Workflows?

Receiving is the process of accepting inbound inventory from suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, returns, transfers, or production. Putaway is the process of moving that received inventory into the correct storage location, such as a shelf, bin, rack, zone, tote, pallet position, backroom location, or warehouse aisle.

When receiving and putaway are handled manually, mistakes can happen early in the inventory process. Products may be received against the wrong purchase order, mislabeled, counted incorrectly, placed in the wrong bin, or lost before they are available for sale or fulfillment. Barcode-based receiving and putaway hardware helps workers scan, label, verify, and update records at each step.

This guide is part of a larger warehouse and inventory hardware cluster. For broader planning, review the Warehouse Management System Guide, Inventory Management Hardware Guide, Barcoding Guide, and Manufacturing Barcode Hardware Guide.

Who Needs Receiving and Putaway Hardware?

Receiving and putaway hardware is useful for any business that receives physical products, parts, materials, supplies, returns, transfers, cartons, or pallets and needs to know where those items are stored after they arrive.

  • Warehouses receiving cartons, pallets, purchase orders, transfers, and inbound inventory
  • Ecommerce businesses receiving products before picking, packing, and shipping
  • Retail stockrooms receiving store inventory and backroom replenishment stock
  • Manufacturers receiving raw materials, components, packaging, parts, and finished goods
  • Distribution centers receiving supplier shipments and moving items into warehouse locations
  • Healthcare supply rooms receiving clinical supplies, pharmacy items, lab materials, and equipment
  • Field service operations receiving parts, tools, equipment, and customer-site inventory
  • Multi-location businesses transferring stock between stores, warehouses, and service locations
  • Businesses using WMS, ERP, POS, ecommerce, inventory, accounting, or purchasing software

Receiving and Putaway Hardware Categories

Hardware Category Common Receiving or Putaway Use Shop or Learn More
Mobile computers Scan inbound items, receive purchase orders, update quantities, assign locations, and move inventory Shop mobile computers
Barcode scanners Scan supplier labels, item barcodes, cartons, pallets, bin labels, and location labels Shop barcode scanners
Wireless barcode scanners Scan around receiving desks, dock doors, pallets, carts, and putaway areas Shop wireless barcode scanners
2D barcode scanners Scan QR codes, Data Matrix codes, GS1 labels, dense supplier labels, serial labels, and lot labels Shop 2D barcode scanners
Label printers Print receiving labels, item labels, bin labels, carton labels, pallet labels, and relabeling labels Shop label printers
Industrial label printers Print high-volume receiving, warehouse, pallet, location, and durable inventory labels Shop industrial label printers
Mobile label printers Print labels at the dock, pallet, cart, aisle, shelf, or point of putaway Shop mobile label printers
Barcode labels Identify received items, cartons, pallets, bins, shelves, totes, and storage locations Shop barcode labels
Thermal labels and ribbons Support direct thermal and thermal transfer receiving and warehouse labeling Shop thermal labels and thermal transfer ribbons
POS hardware and workstations Support receiving desks, backroom stations, supervisor stations, and inventory terminals Shop POS hardware and workstations

Barcode Receiving

Barcode receiving uses scanners and labels to verify inbound inventory as it arrives. Workers scan products, cartons, supplier labels, purchase orders, serial numbers, lot numbers, or internal item labels and then update inventory software, POS software, ERP, or WMS records.

A barcode receiving workflow may use a fixed workstation with a barcode scanner, a dock cart with a wireless barcode scanner, or a mobile computer that lets workers scan and update records directly from the dock. If supplier barcodes include QR codes, Data Matrix, GS1 labels, or dense 2D symbols, choose 2D barcode scanners.

Putaway Scanning

Putaway scanning helps workers move inventory from the receiving area into the correct storage location. A worker may scan the item, carton, tote, or pallet and then scan the destination bin, shelf, rack, zone, aisle, or pallet location. The software can then update where the item is stored.

Putaway scanning is especially important when multiple workers receive similar items, when products are stored in many bins, or when inventory must be available quickly for picking. Poor putaway creates downstream problems in picking, cycle counting, replenishment, returns, and customer orders.

Mobile Computers for Receiving and Putaway

Mobile computers are often the best hardware choice for receiving and putaway because they combine a scanner, screen, operating system, wireless connection, battery, and software app in one device. Workers can scan inbound inventory, view purchase order lines, enter quantities, capture exceptions, print or request labels, and confirm the final putaway location from the floor.

Use mobile computers when receiving workers need to move around dock doors, pallets, carts, stockrooms, aisles, racks, or warehouse zones. If the workflow only requires scanning into a nearby computer, a handheld barcode scanner may be enough. For a deeper comparison, review the Mobile Computer vs Barcode Scanner guide.

Popular receiving and warehouse mobile computer brands include Zebra, Honeywell, CipherLab, Unitech, and Datalogic. Confirm WMS or inventory software compatibility, operating system support, Wi-Fi coverage, scan engine, rugged rating, battery life, charging cradles, and accessories before ordering.

Barcode Scanners for Receiving Areas

Barcode scanners are useful for receiving desks, backroom counters, dock workstations, packing benches, and inventory terminals. A scanner can read item labels, UPCs, supplier labels, cartons, purchase order labels, and serial-number labels before sending the scanned data to software.

Choose a wireless barcode scanner if receiving workers need to scan cartons, pallets, or shelves away from the workstation. Choose a 2D barcode scanner if your receiving workflow includes QR codes, Data Matrix, GS1 labels, small item labels, lot labels, or high-density supplier labels. For warehouse scanner selection, review the Best Warehouse Barcode Scanners and 1D vs 2D Barcode Scanners guides.

Label Printing for Receiving

Label printers are used in receiving to print internal item labels, barcode labels, carton labels, pallet labels, bin labels, relabeling labels, and exception labels. Label printing is important when supplier labels are missing, damaged, formatted incorrectly, unreadable, or not aligned with your internal inventory system.

A desktop label printer may be enough for a small receiving desk or retail backroom. A busy warehouse or distribution center may need industrial label printers that support higher volume, larger media rolls, thermal transfer printing, and warehouse durability. If workers need to label inventory at the dock, pallet, aisle, or shelf, mobile label printers can reduce walking back and forth to a print station.

Barcode Labels for Receiving and Putaway

Barcode labels make received inventory scannable and traceable. Receiving labels may identify items, cartons, pallets, totes, serial numbers, lots, expiration dates, purchase orders, transfer orders, vendors, or internal SKUs. Putaway labels may identify shelves, bins, racks, zones, aisles, pallet positions, overflow locations, or temporary staging areas.

For short-term receiving labels and carton labels, direct thermal labels may be sufficient. For long-term bin labels, rack labels, pallet labels, asset labels, and durable warehouse labels, thermal transfer printing with thermal transfer ribbons is often a better choice.

Location Labels for Putaway

Putaway accuracy depends on clear location labels. If shelves, bins, racks, aisles, zones, pallet positions, and staging areas are not labeled consistently, workers may scan the right item but place it in the wrong location. Location labels should be durable, readable, scannable from the required distance, and formatted consistently across the facility.

Location labeling may include aisle labels, rack labels, shelf labels, bin labels, floor labels, tote labels, pallet position labels, staging labels, and overflow labels. For long-term warehouse locations, choose label material and print method based on surface, scan distance, lighting, forklift traffic, cleaning exposure, and environmental conditions.

Direct Thermal vs Thermal Transfer for Receiving and Putaway

Print Method Best For Receiving and Putaway Consideration
Direct thermal Short-term receiving labels, carton labels, shipping labels, temporary staging labels, and quick internal labels No ribbon required, but labels may fade or darken with heat, sunlight, abrasion, chemicals, or age
Thermal transfer Bin labels, rack labels, pallet labels, long-term item labels, asset labels, and durable warehouse labels Requires a ribbon, but usually provides better durability for long-term location and inventory tracking

If the label will be used only during receiving or short-term staging, direct thermal may be enough. If the label will identify a storage location, reusable tote, asset, rack, pallet, or product for months or years, thermal transfer is usually safer.

Receiving and Putaway by Workflow

Workflow Recommended Hardware What It Helps Prevent
Purchase order receiving Mobile computers, barcode scanners, receiving workstation, and label printer Wrong item, wrong quantity, missed receipt, and manual entry errors
Supplier label verification 2D scanner, mobile computer, and WMS or inventory software Unrecognized vendor labels, unreadable labels, and mismatched item codes
Lot and serial receiving 2D scanners, mobile computers, barcode labels, and compatible software Missing lot data, serial number mistakes, and poor traceability
Relabeling inbound inventory Label printer, barcode labels, thermal labels, and barcode scanner Inventory entering storage without internal scannable labels
Putaway to bin or shelf Mobile computer, location labels, bin labels, and item labels Misplaced stock, unknown location, and future picking delays
Pallet putaway Mobile computer, pallet labels, rack labels, and warehouse scanner Pallets stored in the wrong rack, zone, or overflow area
Cross-dock receiving Mobile computer, scanners, staging labels, and dock labels Products being stored when they should move directly to outbound processing
Returns receiving Barcode scanner, label printer, workstation, and returns software Unidentified returns, wrong disposition, and poor inventory adjustment records

Receiving Hardware for Retail Stockrooms

Retail receiving often happens in a stockroom, back office, or receiving counter instead of a full warehouse dock. A retail receiving setup may include barcode scanners, label printers, product labels, shelf labels, POS hardware, and inventory software.

Retail stores may use scanners to verify products as they arrive, print product labels or price labels, update stock counts, and move inventory to the selling floor or backroom. If inventory ties into checkout, review the POS Hardware Compatibility Guide and Inventory Management Hardware Guide.

Receiving Hardware for Warehouses

Warehouse receiving usually requires more rugged hardware than a retail backroom. Busy receiving docks may need rugged mobile computers, wireless scanners, industrial label printers, barcode labels, pallet labels, dock workstations, and Wi-Fi coverage.

Warehouse putaway often depends on location labels and WMS-directed tasks. Workers may scan a pallet, then scan a location label to confirm the inventory was placed in the correct bin, rack, aisle, or zone. For broader warehouse planning, review the Warehouse Management System Guide, Best Warehouse Barcode Scanners, and Barcoding Guide.

Receiving Hardware for Manufacturing

Manufacturing receiving may include raw materials, components, packaging, parts, chemicals, tools, replacement parts, work-in-process transfers, and finished goods. A manufacturing receiving setup may require 2D barcode scanners, mobile computers, lot labels, serial labels, durable barcode labels, and industrial label printing.

When incoming materials must support lot tracking, serial tracking, quality checks, or production traceability, receiving hardware must work with the software fields and process. Review the Manufacturing Barcode Hardware Guide if your receiving process feeds production, quality, or finished-goods workflows.

Receiving Hardware for Ecommerce and Shipping Operations

Ecommerce receiving connects directly to product availability, fulfillment accuracy, returns, and shipping speed. If items are not received, labeled, and stored correctly, the picking and packing process becomes slower and less reliable.

An ecommerce receiving setup may include barcode scanners, mobile computers, product labels, shipping label printers, bin labels, packing station hardware, and inventory or order management software. For downstream workflows, review Shipping Station Hardware 101.

Receiving Hardware for Healthcare Supply Rooms

Healthcare receiving may involve clinical supplies, pharmacy items, lab materials, PPE, medical devices, facility supplies, and equipment. Healthcare environments may require healthcare barcode scanners, healthcare labels, mobile computers, and label printers that fit healthcare software and cleaning requirements.

For healthcare-specific inventory and scanning workflows, review the Healthcare Hardware Guide. If received items become trackable assets, also review the Asset Tracking Hardware Guide.

Receiving and Putaway Hardware by Business Size

Business Type Typical Starting Hardware Upgrade Path
Small retail store Barcode scanner, desktop label printer, product labels, and POS or inventory software Add a mobile computer for stockroom receiving, floor counts, and location updates
Growing ecommerce business Receiving scanner, label printer, product labels, bin labels, and packing station hardware Add mobile computers, industrial label printers, and WMS workflows as order volume increases
Warehouse Mobile computers, wireless scanners, industrial label printers, barcode labels, and dock workstations Add wearable scanners, mobile printers, RFID, directed putaway, and advanced WMS workflows
Manufacturer Mobile computers, 2D scanners, industrial label printers, lot labels, serial labels, and durable media Add production scanning, QC scanning, WIP tracking, and manufacturing traceability workflows
Multi-location business Standard scanners, label printers, labels, and receiving procedures across locations Add standardized mobile computers, centralized hardware support, and location-based receiving controls

Choosing Receiving and Putaway Hardware by Brand

Spartan POS offers receiving and putaway hardware from major manufacturers used in retail, warehouse, manufacturing, ecommerce, healthcare, and distribution environments.

  • Zebra for mobile computers, barcode scanners, industrial label printers, RFID printers, labels, ribbons, and warehouse hardware
  • Honeywell for barcode scanners, mobile computers, wireless scanners, and rugged warehouse devices
  • Datalogic for retail, warehouse, and industrial barcode scanning
  • CipherLab for mobile computers and inventory scanning workflows
  • Unitech for handheld terminals, mobile computers, and stockroom data capture
  • TSC for barcode label printers and industrial warehouse label printing
  • Wasp for barcode inventory, asset tracking, scanners, mobile computers, and software workflows
  • Brother Mobile for mobile printing and field inventory workflows

Receiving and Putaway Setup Checklist

Before ordering hardware, map the receiving and putaway process from dock arrival to final storage location. The best hardware depends on item type, label needs, scanning environment, software requirements, and how workers move through the building.

  • Confirm what is being received: eaches, cases, cartons, pallets, raw materials, returns, transfers, or finished goods.
  • Confirm whether receiving is based on purchase orders, transfer orders, production orders, returns, or blind receiving.
  • Decide whether workers need barcode scanners, mobile computers, or both.
  • Confirm whether supplier labels can be scanned or whether internal labels must be printed at receiving.
  • Choose label printers, industrial label printers, or mobile label printers based on print volume and location.
  • Confirm whether labels must support 1D barcodes, 2D barcodes, QR codes, Data Matrix, GS1, lot labels, serial labels, or expiration labels.
  • Label all receiving zones, staging areas, aisles, racks, shelves, bins, totes, and pallet locations consistently.
  • Confirm Wi-Fi coverage, dock workflow, charging stations, scanner range, battery life, and device ruggedness.
  • Confirm compatibility with POS, inventory, ERP, WMS, ecommerce, purchasing, or accounting software.
  • Test the workflow with real inbound shipments, real labels, real users, and real putaway locations before full rollout.

Common Receiving and Putaway Hardware Mistakes

  • Receiving products without applying internal scannable labels when supplier labels are not usable
  • Buying scanners before confirming 1D, 2D, QR, Data Matrix, GS1, lot, or serial barcode requirements
  • Using a workstation scanner when workers really need mobile computers on the dock
  • Using direct thermal labels for long-term bin, rack, pallet, or location labels
  • Printing location labels too small or too low-contrast for the required scan distance
  • Labeling products but not bins, shelves, racks, zones, staging areas, or overflow locations
  • Forgetting charging cradles, spare batteries, scanner stands, mounts, cables, and power supplies
  • Skipping Wi-Fi checks in receiving docks, backrooms, aisles, and putaway zones
  • Receiving inventory into software but failing to confirm the final putaway location
  • Rolling out receiving hardware without testing real shipments and exception workflows

What You May Need to Order

  • Mobile computers for receiving, putaway, location scanning, inventory movement, and WMS workflows
  • Barcode scanners for receiving desks, workstations, cartons, pallets, and item labels
  • Wireless barcode scanners for flexible scanning around dock doors, pallets, carts, and stockrooms
  • 2D barcode scanners for QR codes, Data Matrix, GS1 labels, lot labels, serial labels, and dense supplier labels
  • Label printers for receiving labels, item labels, bin labels, and relabeling workflows
  • Industrial label printers for high-volume warehouse labels, pallet labels, and durable location labels
  • Mobile label printers for printing labels at the dock, pallet, aisle, or point of putaway
  • Barcode labels for items, bins, shelves, cartons, pallets, totes, and locations
  • Thermal labels for short-term receiving, carton, and staging labels
  • Thermal transfer ribbons for durable bin, rack, pallet, and warehouse labels
  • POS hardware or workstations for receiving desks, supervisor stations, and inventory terminals
  • Scanner stands, USB cables, cradles, spare batteries, chargers, mounts, hand straps, cases, power supplies, and replacement print supplies

Related Receiving and Putaway Hardware Categories

Related Warehouse, Inventory, and Barcode Guides

Why Buy Receiving and Putaway Hardware from Spartan POS?

Spartan POS helps businesses choose receiving and putaway hardware for warehouses, stockrooms, ecommerce operations, retail backrooms, healthcare supply rooms, manufacturing receiving, distribution centers, and multi-location inventory workflows. Spartan POS supports the products it sells and can help review scanner types, mobile computer options, label printer models, barcode label needs, ribbon requirements, workstation hardware, accessories, and software compatibility before you order.

Receiving and putaway accuracy depends on more than software. The right mobile computers, barcode scanners, label printers, barcode labels, ribbons, workstations, batteries, cradles, and accessories help workers receive inventory correctly and put it in the right location from the start. For help choosing receiving and putaway hardware, contact a POS hardware expert before ordering.

For more information about Spartan POS sourcing, support, and hardware guidance, see Why Trust Spartan POS.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is receiving hardware?

Receiving hardware is the equipment used to verify inbound inventory, scan items, update purchase orders, print labels, count quantities, and move products into inventory software. Common receiving hardware includes mobile computers, barcode scanners, label printers, barcode labels, workstations, and accessories.

What is putaway hardware?

Putaway hardware is the equipment used to move received inventory into the correct storage location. It often includes mobile computers, barcode scanners, location labels, bin labels, shelf labels, pallet labels, and WMS or inventory software.

Do I need a mobile computer for receiving and putaway?

A mobile computer is useful when workers need to scan items, view receiving tasks, enter quantities, update locations, and confirm putaway from the dock or warehouse floor. A barcode scanner may be enough if receiving happens at a fixed workstation and workers do not need a screen or mobile app.

What barcode scanner is best for receiving?

The best receiving scanner depends on barcode type, scan distance, software, connection type, and environment. A basic scanner may work for 1D item labels, while 2D barcode scanners are needed for QR codes, Data Matrix, GS1 labels, serial labels, or dense supplier labels. Wireless scanners are useful when workers need to move around pallets and dock areas.

What label printer is best for receiving?

A desktop label printer may work for small receiving desks or retail backrooms. Warehouses and distribution centers often need industrial label printers for higher volume and durable labels. Mobile label printers are useful when labels need to be printed directly at the dock, pallet, aisle, or shelf.

Should receiving labels be direct thermal or thermal transfer?

Short-term receiving labels and carton labels may work with direct thermal labels. Long-term bin labels, rack labels, pallet labels, reusable tote labels, and durable warehouse labels usually perform better with thermal transfer labels and compatible thermal transfer ribbons.

Why are location labels important for putaway?

Location labels allow workers to scan shelves, bins, racks, aisles, zones, totes, and pallet positions during putaway. This helps confirm that inventory was placed in the correct location and makes future picking, cycle counting, replenishment, and inventory lookup more reliable.

Can receiving and putaway hardware work with my WMS?

Yes, but compatibility depends on your WMS software, supported operating systems, scanner requirements, printer languages, label formats, drivers, wireless network, and device configuration. Confirm requirements before ordering hardware.

Can Spartan POS help with receiving and putaway hardware?

Yes. Spartan POS can help businesses choose mobile computers, barcode scanners, label printers, barcode labels, thermal transfer ribbons, receiving workstations, charging accessories, and related hardware for receiving and putaway workflows. Final compatibility should be confirmed with your software provider before deployment.

Bottom Line

Receiving and putaway hardware helps businesses scan inbound inventory, verify quantities, print labels, assign locations, and move products into storage accurately. A strong setup usually includes mobile computers, barcode scanners, label printers, barcode labels, location labels, workstations, software, and the right accessories for your receiving and warehouse environment.

Start by mapping your inbound workflow from delivery to final storage location. Then choose hardware based on barcode type, label needs, software compatibility, dock layout, storage locations, wireless coverage, and worker movement. For help choosing receiving and putaway hardware, contact Spartan POS before you buy.