Bin Locations Setup

Overview

Bin locations refer to specific physical locations within a warehouse or fulfillment center where inventory items are stored. Bin locations are used to organize and manage inventory by providing a specific location for each item in the warehouse. This helps you accurately track inventory and reduces the time required to locate a specific product within the area.

Key Terms

• Warehouse – The name of the facility. Inventory must be managed strictly per bin.
• Bin Name – A designated name for an inventory storage location within your warehouse.
• Bin Type – There are several bin location types that can be used, depending on the needs of the warehouse. These location types include picking, receiving, normal (storage), and more.
• Location Region – Physical areas or sections that are designated for specific purposes such as storage, packing, shipping, or receiving. These regions or zones can be differentiated based on various factors such as product type, size, weight, or demand.
• Bin Labels – The labels to be used on your bin location. Bin barcodes can be printed and used to scan bins when adding products and quantities to them.

Create Bin Locations

Streamline your warehouse operations with an intuitive labeling system. By organizing your bin locations into zones such as aisles, bays, and shelves, you’ll create a more efficient picking process. You can update bin locations and inventory counts individually or in bulk.

Here are some naming tips to make your location labels easy to read and understand:

• Keep it concise and avoid spaces in the name. Instead, use dashes (-) or underscores (_).
• Use a combination of numbers and letters for distinction.
• Arrange label names from the biggest to the smallest unit (e.g. Aisle > Bay > Shelf > Bin).

Some examples of bin location names include:

F5-7-3 (Aisle F, bay 5, shelf 7, bin 3) – recommended when using multiple bins on the same shelf.
CD98 (Aisle C, bay D, shelf 9, bin 8) – recommended when using multiple bins on the same shelf.
G2-4 (Aisle G, bay 2, shelf 4) – recommended when using a single bin per shelf.

Individually

To create a bin individually:

1. Navigate to the Skustack Admin portal at https://xx.skustack.com (replace “xx” with your server ID or team name).
2. Enter your login credentials.
3. On the left, select Bins > Manage Warehouse Bins.
4. Click the green + icon in the bottom right corner of the page (Show me where!).
5. Name and complete the bin information as follows:
   1. Bin Is Sellable – Mark the bin as sellable or non-sellable.
   2. Bin Name – Enter the name of the bin.
   3. Warehouse – Select the warehouse to create the bin in.
   4. Location Region – Assign the bin to a specific location region.
   5. Location Type – Should always be set to Known.
   6. Bin Type – Specify the type of the bin.
   7. Primary Bin – Designate the bin as a high-priority location.
   8. Unit Capacity – Specify how many units can fit in this bin.
   9. Dimensions – Enter the bin’s physical dimensions.
6. Click Save Bin.

Bins can also be created from your handheld Skustack device. Learn more about that here.

In Bulk

To create or update bins in bulk:

1. Navigate to the Skustack Admin portal at https://xx.skustack.com (replace “xx” with your server ID or team name).
2. Enter your login credentials.
3. On the left, select Bins > Manage Warehouse Bins.
4. Click the blue menu icon in the bottom right corner of the page (Show me where!).
5. Select Bulk Upload Bins.
6. Choose one of the available options: Create New Bins or Update Existing Bins and click Next.
7. Download the sample template containing all the headers that are needed for the import and a sample row that shows how data should be entered.
8. Upload the Excel file.

Bin Types

Refer to the table below for a definition of each bin type:

Print Location Labels

Printing location labels can be done from either your handheld Skustack device or the Skustack Admin. Each label includes the Bin Name and a barcode. Simply specify the bins you want to print labels for and our system will generate them automatically. Prior to printing labels from your handheld device, make sure your Printer Settings have been configured to the correct printer.

Learn more about that here.

Set Location Priorities

Get your products moving faster by setting location priorities. By designating high-priority locations, you can increase your picking efficiency and reduce wait times. Our system makes it easy to set and adjust location priorities as needed by configuring them as Primary or Non-primary bins (Show me where!). If there isn’t enough inventory in your primary bins, you can create a Restock List to replenish the primary bin quantity with quantity from non-primary bins.

Learn more about that here.

Manage Warehouse Regions

Regions can be designated for specific purposes such as storage, packing, shipping, or receiving. These regions or zones can be differentiated based on various factors such as product type, size, weight, or demand. By dividing the warehouse into distinct regions, you can assign specific bins to that region and improve your operational efficiency. This functionality is especially helpful if you want to assign employees to different sections of the warehouse.

Learn more about that here.

Export Bin Information

Exporting bin data to a spreadsheet lets you effectively analyze your current warehouse layout, optimize space utilization, and identify bins with low inventory. This information can be especially helpful for managing inventory levels and ensuring that the warehouse is properly stocked, as well as maximizing available space.

Learn more about that here.