Keep requested and picked quantities separate
The shortage record should show the product, location and confirmed amount. Distinguish a shortage at one address from a shortage across the warehouse.
Stock may be elsewhere, awaiting putaway or excluded from issue by its status. Each situation requires a different next action.
Substitution needs agreement
Similar appearance and naming do not prove interchangeability. Customer requirements, specifications and fulfilment terms matter. A picker should not change the order scope without the relevant authority.
An agreed replacement must also reach the documents and customer-service team. The parcel contents should match the confirmed shipment scope.
Close the exception, not just the pick task
Partial fulfilment leaves decisions about the remaining quantity and stock investigation. Identify who contacts the customer and who investigates the warehouse discrepancy.
For an operations manager, this distinguishes an inventory problem from an order-service problem. WMS should preserve the actual picking outcome. Partial delivery and substitution approval need to be agreed with the sales process rather than improvised at the shelf.