Managing Locations

This page covers creating and maintaining the physical location hierarchy within a warehouse.

The hierarchy

Warehouse → Zone → Aisle → Rack → Shelf → Bin

Every intermediate level is optional. A bin can exist without a shelf, shelf without a rack, and so on. The minimum useful structure is a warehouse with at least one bin.

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Zones

All five location levels are reached from the Locations section of the sidebar (Zones, Aisles, Racks, Shelves, Bins) — they are separate top-level screens, not pages nested inside a warehouse. Each record carries the parent it belongs to as a field on its form.

Creating a zone

1. In the sidebar, open Locations → Zones and click ADD NEW ZONE
2. Pick the warehouse
3. Enter a code (short, unique within the warehouse)
4. Enter a name
5. Select a zone type — this determines the functional role of the zone (stored in lowercase):
   • receiving — inbound goods processing
   • storage — general inventory storage
   • picking — active pick face
   • packing — packing and preparation
   • return — returned goods
   • quarantine — goods on hold
   • staging — temporary holding
6. Optionally set a sort order to control display order
7. Click Save

Deactivating a zone

Zones can be deactivated when they are no longer in use. Deactivated zones are hidden from most views but their bins and stock records are preserved. A zone with stock in its bins should have that stock transferred out before deactivation.

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Aisles

Creating an aisle

1. In the sidebar, open Locations → Aisles and click ADD NEW AISLE
2. Enter a code and name
3. Optionally link it to a zone
4. Add a description if helpful
5. Click Save

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Racks

Creating a rack

1. In the sidebar, open Locations → Racks and click ADD NEW RACK
2. Enter a code and name
3. Link to an aisle if applicable
4. Click Save

Racks can be deactivated independently when out of service.

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Shelves

Creating a shelf

1. In the sidebar, open Locations → Shelves and click ADD NEW SHELF
2. Enter a code and name
3. Set the level number — the vertical position (1 = bottom)
4. Link to a rack
5. Click Save

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Bins

Bins are the smallest addressable location. Every piece of inventory lives in a bin.

Creating a bin

1. In the sidebar, open Locations → Bins and click ADD NEW BIN
2. Enter a name — must be unique within the warehouse
3. Select bin type — for physical storage locations, choose STORAGE
4. Optionally link to a shelf (or leave unlinked for freestanding bins)
5. Click Save

Note

The four virtual bin types (RECEIVING_DOCK, DISPATCH_DOCK, IN_TRANSIT, QUALITY_HOLD) are created automatically by the system when a warehouse is created. Do not create new bins with these types.

Deleting a bin

A bin can only be deleted if it has no current stock (no quants) and is not referenced by any open orders. Move stock out via a transfer order first.

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Naming conventions

Consistent naming makes daily operations faster and reduces picking errors. A common convention:

[Zone code]-[Aisle code]-[Rack number]-[Shelf level]-[Bin position]

Example: ST-A-01-2-03 = Storage zone, Aisle A, Rack 01, Shelf level 2, Bin position 03.

Keep codes short — operators read them under time pressure. Avoid ambiguous characters (0 vs O, 1 vs I).