Warehouse work happens beside pallets, shelving and loading bays. Production work happens at machines and work centres. When the corresponding Sage X3 transaction is entered later at an office computer, a gap opens between the physical operation and the system record.
Paper can be misplaced, quantities can be misread and a product can move before its new location is recorded. Sales, purchasing and production planning then make decisions using information that is already behind the actual position.
Sage X3 Mobile Automation brings selected transactions to handheld devices so operators can capture information where the work takes place. Barcode scanning and guided screens help reduce repeated entry and make the transaction easier to complete accurately.
What the handheld application provides
Sage’s Mobile Automation for distribution guide describes a web-based interface designed for mobile working. Tasks use guided steps and display fields according to the product and process settings. For example, an operator handling a product without lot control does not need to complete a lot field.
This is a focused interface for warehouse and shop-floor activity. Finance reporting, purchasing administration and other office processes continue in the wider X3 application. The handheld transactions use the underlying X3 records and controls, giving teams a common operational picture.
The following features are documented by Sage. Availability depends on the release, deployment, permissions and functional setup in use.
Receive goods at the receiving bay
The mobile purchase receipt transaction lets an operator identify a purchase order and product, enter the received quantity and complete the relevant stock details. It also supports direct receipts where the business has enabled them, and receipts associated with inbound shipments.
Scanning the order or product reference reduces typing. Supported GS1 composite barcodes can supply information such as the product identifier, lot, expiry date and serial number, subject to the label format and configuration. Where the prerequisites are met, licence plate numbers can be created during receipt to identify physical handling units.
The benefit is earlier, more accurate recording of what actually arrived. A short delivery can be recorded from the goods in front of the operator, rather than reconstructed from notes after the pallet has been moved.
Receipt still needs to reflect the business’s quality process. Goods physically delivered may require inspection before they become available for customer orders or production.
Put goods away and record their location
Sage documents a mobile putaway transaction alongside stock-change and location-reordering functions. These support the next stage after receiving: placing stock in its storage location and recording warehouse movements.
The practical value is fewer unexplained differences between a location on screen and the location on the shelf. Recording a move as it happens reduces the chance that another operator spends time searching the original bin.
Clear location labels and accurate product data matter as much as the device. Scanning a well-maintained bin label gives the system a reliable reference; an unreadable label or informal location name makes the task harder for everyone who follows.
Guide picking and confirm key details
The handheld pick-ticket transaction shows the product, remaining quantity and unit of measure, with views of work still to do and lines already completed.
For detailed allocations, configured confirmation fields can require the operator to confirm the location, lot or serial number. The process can also record a shortage where the expected quantity cannot be picked. Updating a ticket to deliverable is a separate choice within the documented flow.
These checks help operators identify discrepancies while they still have the stock in front of them. That can reduce wrong-lot or wrong-location picks and the resulting customer returns, repicking and administrative work.
The strongest benefit comes when the scan checks the identity of the physical item or location. Asking somebody to accept a prefilled value without checking it adds much less assurance. Confirmation settings should therefore match the errors the warehouse needs to prevent.
Count stock without retyping paper sheets
The mobile stock-count transaction works with X3 count sessions and lists. Operators enter counted quantities against the relevant lines and can add a line for stock found that was not already recorded.
The process can display the system quantity or operate in blind mode, depending on the setup. Blind counting lets the operator record the physical quantity without seeing the expected balance first.
Capturing results on the device reduces transcription work and makes counts easier to organise. It also helps supervisors investigate differences while the people and stock involved are still available.
Submitting a count does not automatically complete every reconciliation step. Sage’s guide states that count-list validation remains in the X3 Counts function. This preserves the distinction between collecting the physical evidence and approving the resulting adjustment.
Work with pallets and other handling units
Mobile Automation includes licence plate number, or LPN, functions for grouping, linking, splitting and unlinking stock. It also includes enquiries by location, product-site and LPN, plus inter-site and subcontracting transfers.
An LPN identifies a physical logistics unit, such as a pallet. It helps the team track which stock belongs together while retaining the product, lot, serial and location information underneath it.
For a warehouse handling many pallets, this makes the handling unit a useful reference throughout the operation. The business still needs a clear process when a pallet is split, stock is removed or products are regrouped, so the physical contents and X3 records stay aligned. Our container-management article explains the distinction between warehouse handling units and inbound freight containers.
Capture manufacturing activity at the work centre
Sage also documents Mobile Automation for manufacturing. Its transactions cover time tracking, work-order production tracking and material consumption, using handheld scanners or tablets at the work centre.
Recording activity closer to completion gives production managers a more timely view of progress and stock. It can reduce the delay between an operator consuming material or completing production and somebody entering the corresponding information in X3.
For example, a shift supervisor can investigate an unexpected material quantity while the job is still fresh in the operator’s memory. The usefulness of the information depends on agreed reporting points and consistent recording by the team.
Labels, permissions and the right equipment
Stock and production label printing are available in the documented mobile transaction set. Reports, printers and destinations must be configured for the relevant process. Printing a suitable label at the point of work helps preserve identity through subsequent movements.
Access also follows X3’s functional authorisations. Operators see the mobile transactions they have permission to use, as described in Sage’s Mobile Automation prerequisites. Receiving, picking and stock adjustments can therefore have different access requirements.
Sage’s device and services guidance describes Android handheld scanning, browser requirements and tested equipment. Sage does not supply the devices. Check the current guidance against the installed X3 release before choosing hardware; smartphone and dedicated handheld setup can differ.
In practice, screen readability, battery life, glove use, drop resistance and scanning distance should be tested in the actual working environment. Reliable wireless coverage and access to X3 services are also part of the operating design. Offline working should be confirmed explicitly for the chosen solution before it is included in the process.
Where the business benefits appear
The benefits follow from reducing the delay and repetition around each transaction:
- Less administration: operators capture information once at the point of work.
- Better accuracy: scanning and configured confirmations reduce avoidable entry errors.
- More timely visibility: teams see completed receipts, picks and production activity sooner.
- Stronger traceability: product, lot, serial and handling-unit information stays linked to the relevant transaction.
- Easier training: focused screens guide users through the task they need to complete.
- Faster investigation: discrepancies are identified closer to the physical event.
Measure these improvements with operational evidence: time per receipt, pick errors, unrecorded movements, count-entry effort and the delay between completing work and recording it. This makes the case for further rollout clearer than simply counting devices deployed.
Start with a complete warehouse journey
Our recommended approach is to pilot a small but representative process. Follow a receipt through putaway, a movement, a pick and a count. Include partial quantities, mixed units, controlled lots and a shortage, so the team sees how exceptions are handled.
Confirm the release, licensing, services, transaction settings and device compatibility before rollout. If the operation needs additional warehouse orchestration or specialist features, compare native Mobile Automation with an integrated warehouse solution against those specific requirements.
The aim is to make recording the transaction part of doing the work. When the handheld process fits the warehouse or shop floor, X3 becomes a more timely record of what the business has received, moved, picked and produced—and the people making the next decision have better information to use.