In engineering companies, warehouse work is rarely "pick one item, ship one carton."
Commissioning projects are different:
- deliveries are mixed (components, accessories, documentation, spare parts)
- items are large (pumps, motors, skids, frames)
- staging is dynamic (changes, partial readiness, last-minute additions)
- completeness matters: one missing part can stop commissioning
Traditional ERP warehouse processes track inventory well—but often at the wrong level. They focus on individual lines while the warehouse team needs to handle physical units: pallets, crates, skids, racks.
That's exactly what License Plating in BC Engineering solves.
What Is License Plating?
A License Plate is a unique ID assigned to a physical handling unit—for example:
- a pallet
- a crate
- a skid
- a commissioning kit (packed as one unit)
Instead of treating a shipment as "50 lines," License Plating lets you treat it as:
3 pallets with known content, traceability, and status.
The result is simple but powerful:
You handle the pallet as one unit while still retaining full line-level traceability (items, quantities, lots/serials where applicable).
Why Engineering Warehouses Need This
Engineering logistics is not only about shipping—it's about ensuring the right things arrive together, complete, and under control.
Without License Plates, common problems look like this:
- staging areas turn into "project piles"
- a delivery is "almost ready" but nobody knows what's missing
- moving staged material requires dozens of scans and checks
- physical inventory means counting chaotic mixed pallets line-by-line
With License Plating, the warehouse gains a natural structure that matches real life:
- one pallet = one controlled unit
- one ID = one truth
- one scan = many lines handled correctly
How License Plating Works in Daily Operations
1) Build pallets the way you actually work
During receiving, picking, production output, or kitting, the warehouse assigns items to a License Plate. That License Plate becomes the "container" for mixed content—exactly what engineering projects require.
Examples:
- Pallet A: Pump + baseplate + coupling guard
- Pallet B: Accessories + fasteners + instrumentation
- Pallet C: Documentation + commissioning spares
2) Move, stage, and transfer faster—with fewer errors
Once the content is on a License Plate, you can move the whole unit through the warehouse:
- receiving → put-away
- storage → staging
- staging → shipping area
- inter-location transfer
This reduces handling friction dramatically:
- fewer individual movements
- fewer opportunities for "one small line" to get left behind
- clearer responsibility: this pallet is complete and ready (or not)
3) Commissioning becomes simpler and more reliable
Commissioning teams don't want a list of lines—they want pallets they can trust.
License Plating supports a commissioning-friendly approach:
- group materials by system, skid, or site area
- stage and ship as complete bundles
- keep project logistics understandable even with partial deliveries
This is especially valuable when a project is shipped across multiple trucks, weeks, or sites.
Physical Inventory: Count What You See
Engineering warehouses often dread physical inventory because reality doesn't fit clean "bin-by-bin line lists":
- mixed pallets
- project staging zones
- partially assembled kits
- temporary locations
With License Plating, inventory becomes far more practical:
- you can count by plate (what's on this pallet?)
- you can isolate discrepancies faster (which plate is off?)
- you can avoid tearing down staged pallets unless there is a reason
In practice, this supports a more efficient "count-by-exception" mindset:
- verify the plate identity and expected content
- only go deep when something doesn't match
The Business Value
License Plating is not a "nice-to-have warehouse feature." In engineering environments it directly impacts delivery reliability and commissioning success.
Operational benefits
- fewer scans and repetitive tasks
- faster staging and handling
- fewer picking/packing mistakes
Project benefits
- clearer readiness: what's complete, what's missing
- cleaner commissioning logistics and site handling
- better traceability across partial deliveries
Inventory benefits
- simpler physical inventory in real-world staging areas
- easier reconciliation when mixed pallets exist
Built for Engineering Reality
Engineering warehouses need structure—without losing flexibility. License Plating gives you that structure by introducing a layer the warehouse already understands:
The pallet / crate / skid as the primary handling unit.
It's a small concept with a big effect:
- fewer errors
- less chaos
- more confidence when shipping commissioning-critical deliveries
Closing
Commissioning projects don't fail because the ERP didn't know the quantity. They fail because the warehouse couldn't confidently answer:
"Is everything for this system on the pallets—and are those pallets ready?"
With License Plating in BC Engineering, that question finally has a clean, operational answer.