Receipt-to-pickable is the operational clock that starts when a truck backs into the dock and stops when the WMS marks the inventory available for sale. It encompasses receiving, counting, quality check, label application, and putaway to a pickable location. RTP is the metric brands feel most acutely during product launches, since a slow RTP means an out-of-stock product page even while inventory physically sits on the dock.
How it works in practice
A normal RTP at Vertex on a scheduled appointment is under 48 hours from arrival. The flow is: appointment scheduled with ASN, truck arrives within window, receiver counts against ASN, exceptions get flagged, inventory gets case-labeled if needed, putaway team moves it to forward pick or reserve, and the WMS marks it available. Brands that send palletized, ASN-accurate, properly-labeled shipments hit 24-hour RTP routinely. Brands that send loose floor-loaded containers without paperwork can sit at 5-7 day RTP.
Why it matters
Slow RTP directly causes lost revenue. A brand running a flash sale or recovering from a stockout cannot sell what isn’t pickable, and ad spend continues against a sold-out product page. The math is simple: if your average order is $80 and your daily volume is 1,000 orders, every extra day of RTP during stockout is potentially $80,000 in deferred revenue.
Common misconceptions
- RTP is not just receiving speed. Putaway and the final WMS mark are what makes inventory pickable.
- Faster RTP is not free. It usually requires higher receiving labor or better inbound discipline from the brand.