Location Hierarchy

The system organises physical space into a six-level hierarchy. You only need to use the levels that match your warehouse’s real structure, since the intermediate levels are optional.

The hierarchy

Warehouse
└── Zone
    └── Aisle
        └── Rack
            └── Shelf
                └── Bin

Every bin always belongs directly to a warehouse. The levels in between (zone, aisle, rack, shelf) are optional, so a bin can exist without being assigned to any of them.

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Levels explained

Warehouse

The top-level organisational unit. Most operations are scoped to a warehouse, so orders, stock counts, and item enrollments all belong to a specific warehouse.

A warehouse can be marked as a main warehouse. Sub-warehouses can reference the main warehouse, which is useful when managing a hub-and-spoke network.

Zone

A named area within a warehouse. Zones can be deactivated without deleting them.

Aisle

A named aisle within a zone. Aisles are the main navigation aid for operators on the warehouse floor.

Rack

A physical racking unit within an aisle. Racks can be deactivated independently.

Shelf

A single horizontal level on a rack. The level number gives its vertical position (1 = bottom, higher = further up).

Bin

The smallest addressable storage location. Every piece of stock ultimately lives in a bin.

Bins have a bin type:

Type	Description
STORAGE	A regular physical storage location on a shelf or floor
RECEIVING_DOCK	System-managed virtual bin where inbound goods first land
DISPATCH_DOCK	System-managed virtual bin where outbound goods stage before despatch
IN_TRANSIT	System-managed virtual bin for goods mid-transfer
QUALITY_HOLD	System-managed virtual bin for quarantined stock

The four non-STORAGE types are virtual bins. The system creates them automatically for each warehouse, and they do not correspond to a physical shelf location. You cannot delete or reassign them.

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Practical example

A warehouse storing electronics might be laid out like this:

Warehouse: Main DC
├── Zone: RECEIVING
│   └── Bin: RECV-DOCK (type: receiving_dock, auto-created)
├── Zone: BULK-STORAGE
│   ├── Aisle: A
│   │   ├── Rack: A-01
│   │   │   ├── Shelf: level 1  →  Bin: A-01-01
│   │   │   └── Shelf: level 2  →  Bin: A-01-02
│   │   └── Rack: A-02
│   │       └── Shelf: level 1  →  Bin: A-02-01
│   └── Aisle: B
│       └── Rack: B-01
│           └── Shelf: level 1  →  Bin: B-01-01
└── Zone: DISPATCH
    └── Bin: DISPATCH-DOCK (type: dispatch_dock, auto-created)

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Setting up locations

See Managing Locations for step-by-step instructions on creating zones, aisles, racks, shelves, and bins.