Bins

Use the Bins function to set up IDs and descriptions for the bins you use to store and organize inventory items. Bins are unique to inventory locations; you cannot have duplicate bin number in a single inventory location, duplicate bins must be in different inventory locations.

Bins in Warehouse Management extend the bin concept that is built into the Inventory application. In Inventory, you can specify the bin a certain item is located in when you use the Item Locations function; however, these bins are not set up separately (you simply enter the bin ID in the field) and are used only to locate items for your reference. Bins in Inventory do not figure into the item movement functions in that application.

When you track item movement using the functions on the Daily Work menu, Warehouse Management automatically transfers items to and from the bins you specify. In addition, you can use bins with containers to further refine item locations and aid organization. When you transfer a container from one bin to another, Warehouse Management automatically transfers all the items it contains and updates information as needed for correct accounting.

When you use Warehouse Management in combination with Inventory, the bins you set up in Warehouse Management also appear for their corresponding locations in Inventory so that you can select these bins when you set up items and item locations.

In the Warehouse Management System (WMS), the bin number is always required; the WM 'Bins Required' business rule is set to 'Yes' and cannot be changed.

Once you set up bins using the Bins function, you must define three default bins before you use WMS: a default working bin, default packing bin, and default receiving bin.

You can define the bins at the user level as user default bins or at the location level as location default bins. User default bins have a higher priority than location default bins in functions where a bin number is required.

User Default Bins

Use the SM User Defaults function on the Company Setup menu to define user default bins.

Select a default value for the Packing Bin, Receiving Bin, and Working Bin defaults.

Save your changes.

Location Default Bins

Use the SM User Defaults Admin function on the Company Setup menu to define location default bins.

Make sure you select a Type of 'IN Location' from the drop-down list.

Then select a location from the Location ID drop-down list.

Select default values for the Default Bin, Packing Bin, and Receiving Bin defaults.

Alternately, select default bins for each location on the IN Locations maintenance screen.

Save your changes.

 

Creating a Bin

  1. Select the location of the bin from the Location ID field.
  2. Click the New button, on the toolbar, to open a blank bin record.
  3. Enter an ID for the bin in the Bins field.
  4. Enter a description of the new bin in the Description field.
  5. Select a Zone ID in which you want to locate the bin, if applicable. If you cannot see the column, add it using the Column Chooser.
  6. If you cannot see the Bin Type column, add it using the Column Chooser. For the bin you are creating, select a Bin Type. If the bin is a receiving bin, select 'Receiving'. A receiving bin is any bin in the system where items will be brought in quickly via the Receiving process. Select 'Packing' if the bin will hold items pulled from inventory and will be issued to another process or shipped. Select 'Working' for the default bin the user will pick items into when pulling items from inventory before shipping or packing. Items that are issued to a production order, sales order, service order, etc. are picked from a working bin. A 'Regular' bin is a stocking bin, where an item will reside when in inventory. For more information on bins and bin types, see the Bins in WMS topic.
  7. Click the Save button, on the toolbar, to save the new bin.

If you need to set up a number of bins or containers, or even lot or serial numbers, you can automatically generate identification numbers by clicking the Auto Gen button. This button automatically generates as many numbers as you need based on a starting value and step interval.

  1. Click the Auto Gen button.
  2. Enter the number of values to generate in the Number of Values field.
  3. Enter the starting number to use in the First Value field.
  4. Enter the next value to use in the Next Value field.
    Note: Warehouse Management combines the interval between this value and the first value with the number of values you entered to generate numbers of the remaining quantity.
    You can generate sequential numbers or numbers that use an increment value you specify (for example, using even numbers or using letters). If you want to generate sequential numbers, increment the first value by one and enter the result into the field. If you want to generate numbers using a different increment value, increment the first serial number by the desired value and enter the result in the field.

    Keep in mind that Warehouse Management cannot generate two digit numbers when starting with a one digit number and so on. For example, generate five sequential serial numbers beginning with 6. The system changes the Number of Values to 3 and generates the numbers 7, 8, and 9. The serial numbers 10 and 11 cannot be generated because the beginning serial number is one digit. To generate 10 and 11 in this example, you must begin with 06.
    Warehouse Management also ignores separator characters (hyphens, for example) when it generates numbers. For example, if you generate six sequential serial numbers beginning with 1-5, the system generates 1-6, 1-7, 1-8, 1-9, 2-0 and 2-1. The system reads 1-5 as 15.

    To preserve the first section of a hyphenated number, pad the second section with zeros. For example, starting with A-05 and generating six sequential numbers results in A-06, A-07, A-08, A-09, A-10, and A-11; whereas starting with A-5 results in A-6, A-7, A-8, A-9, B-0, and B-1.

  5. Click Evaluate to generate the required quantity of bin numbers.
    Note: If you do not like the results, enter a different First Value and Next Value and click Evaluate again.
  6. Click Generate to close the dialog window and add the numbers to the function screen.
  7. Edit any fields as necessary.
  8. Click the Save button, on the toolbar, to save any changes made to the bin.

Editing a Bin

  1. Select the location of the bin to edit from the Location ID field.
  2. Select a bin to edit from the Bins field.
  3. Edit the fields as necessary.
  4. Click the Save button, on the toolbar, to save any changes made to the bin.

Deleting a Bin

  1. Select the location of the bin to delete from the Location ID field.
  2. Select a bin to delete from the Bins field.
  3. Click the Delete button, on the toolbar, to delete the selected bin.
  4. Click Yes at the "Are you sure you want to delete selected record(s)?" prompt.