The staging area is the physical location used to accumulate parts that are needed to produce a product before sending the parts out to the assembly floor. This could be a rack, a shelf or a spot on the floor near the line. The difference between a staging area and a storage location is that on-hand balances are not kept at the staging area. Inventory in a staging area is non-nettable. The best practice is to have only one staging area for each item. This makes it easier to locate material when needed.

The staging area and pick sequence are assigned when the broadcast is generated. They are updated when the rack is scanned. When picking starts, the staging area is  updated again but not the pick sequence.

To access staging areas:

1. Using the Advanced menu, click Item Planning > Facility Layout > Staging Area.

To add a new staging area:

1. Select the MRP Area.
2. Click Add.
3. Enter the Staging Area Name.
4. Enter the Description.
5. Select the Internal Route.
6. Enter the Pick Sequence.
7. Click Create.

To edit the details of a staging area:

1. Select the Staging Area.
2. Update the Staging Area Details.
3. Click Update.

To update multiple staging areas:

1. Select the MRP Area.
2. Update MRP Area, Description, Pick Sequence, and/or Internal Route.
3. Click Update All.