How It Works

From Booking to Completion — Step by Step.

Every movement through your warehouse follows the same 5-stage pipeline. Below is a complete walkthrough of both inbound and outbound flows.

The 5-Stage Pipeline

📋
01
Received
02
Entered
🚛
03
Arrived
📦
04
Stock In/Out
05
Completed

Every stage has an undo button — mistakes can be corrected at any point.

Inbound

Container Arrival Flow

01
Stage 01Received

Book the Container

Create a booking with the container number, expected delivery date, customer, and product lines. Attach the PDF packing list — CM4 auto-scans it to pre-populate product lines.

  • Container number & delivery date
  • Customer and product lines
  • PDF packing list attached & scanned
02
Stage 02Entered

Confirm Product Lines

When the container paperwork is processed, operators confirm each product line — checking quantities, adding batch numbers, and assigning stock locations.

  • Quantities confirmed
  • Batch numbers assigned
  • Stock locations set
03
Stage 03Arrived

Lorry On Site

When the vehicle arrives, operators mark it as Arrived. CM4 timestamps the arrival, and an Arrival Gate Pass is automatically printed with driver, haulier, and vehicle registration.

  • Arrival timestamped
  • Arrival Gate Pass printed
  • Driver & vehicle details captured
04
Stage 04Stock In

Inventory Updated

Stock is moved from the container into the warehouse. CM4 updates live inventory instantly — each product's quantity added to its assigned location.

  • Live stock levels updated
  • Location quantities adjusted
  • Atomic update — no double-counting
05
Stage 05Completed

Movement Finalised

Notes are added, the movement is marked complete, and a customer portal link is generated. The customer receives an email with a secure link to their outturn report — no login needed.

  • Movement notes added
  • Outturn report generated
  • Customer portal link emailed
Outbound

Customer Collection Flow

01
Stage 01Received

Book the Collection

Create a collection booking with the delivery address, product lines, and quantities required. Attach a PDF collection note — CM4 auto-scans it for the delivery address.

  • Delivery address & contact
  • Product lines and quantities
  • PDF collection note attached
02
Stage 02Entered

Pick List Generated

A picking list is generated showing product descriptions, bay locations, quantities, batch numbers, and checkboxes. For multi-drop loads, the lorry loading diagram is included.

  • Picking list generated
  • Bay locations shown
  • Loading order for multi-drop
03
Stage 03Arrived

Collection Vehicle On Site

When the collection vehicle arrives, operators enter the driver, haulier, and vehicle registration details. For multi-drop loads, delivery stops are ordered here.

  • Driver & haulier details entered
  • Delivery order confirmed
  • Multi-drop load plan set
04
Stage 04Stock Out

Stock Deducted

Once picking is complete, stock is atomically deducted from the warehouse. CM4 updates live inventory instantly — quantities removed from their assigned locations.

  • Stock deducted atomically
  • Batch numbers confirmed
  • Live inventory updated
05
Stage 05Completed

Gate Pass & Portal

A Collection Gate Pass is automatically printed for the departing vehicle, including the multi-drop load plan if applicable. The customer receives their collection report via a secure email link.

  • Collection Gate Pass printed
  • Load plan included if multi-drop
  • Customer portal link emailed
Multi-Drop Planning

Load Planning Made Visual

When a lorry carries multiple collections to different delivery stops, CM4 automatically calculates the load order — last delivery loads first at the back — and generates a visual lorry diagram showing exactly how to build the load.

1
Select collections
Pick multiple outbound collections to go on the same lorry.
2
Enter vehicle details
Driver name, haulier company, and vehicle registration number.
3
Set delivery order
Mark each collection as 1st drop, 2nd drop, 3rd drop, etc.
4
Auto-calculate load order
Last delivery = load first at the back. CM4 calculates this automatically.
5
Visual lorry diagram
SVG diagram shows exactly how the lorry should be loaded, from front to back.
6
Printed on picking lists
Load order numbers appear on every picking list for fast, error-free picking.
Visual Load Diagram
LOAD1ST(3rd drop)LOAD2ND(2nd drop)LOAD3RD(1st drop)CAB →← BACK

Last delivery = load first at the back. CM4 calculates this automatically.

Customer Portals

Customers Get Their Reports Automatically

When a container is stocked-in or a collection is completed, CM4 generates a secure portal link and emails it to the customer. No login required.

1

Movement completed

Container stocked-in or collection dispatched

2

Email sent automatically

Customer receives a secure, unique link

3

Portal viewed

Customer sees their outturn or collection report — no login needed

See It In Your Warehouse.

Book a demo and we'll walk you through ContainerMaster 4 with your operations in mind.

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