Location

In this section, you will find settings that apply to stock locations. If you want to use multiple locations, you must also consider all the other settings in this first section that affect stock locations.

Multiple stock locations are used to enter several different locations for each part, usually to physically keep track of the different places that the part is stocked in. The balance for each location is shown. As the system manages balances for each location, you must always enter the "from location" and "to location" information for each transaction (arrival or withdrawal).

One of the procedures that are affected by multiple stock locations is Update Part - Inventory where a button is added (next to the Location field in the General tab) for registration of multiple stock locations. Furthermore, all procedures in which you can make transactions that affect the stock balance such as Unplanned Stock Movement or Physical Inventory in the Inventory module or Delivery Reporting in the Sales module and Arrival Reporting in the Purchase module, are also affected by the multiple stock locations. In those procedures, a special window will open where you select the location for those parts that have multiple stock locations registered.

You can find additional information about how to manage multiple stock locations in the different procedures, such as the procedures in the Inventory module, in the Help chapter for each individual procedure. The way the system manages multiple locations in the Inventory procedure also applies to other procedures that use multiple locations. See below:

Read more under the Location heading in the General tab in the Update part - Inventory procedure.
Read more under the Location heading in the Withdrawal tab and under Location in the Arrival tab in the Unplanned Stock Movement procedure.
Read more under Inventory date, Location and Inventoried quantity in the Physical Inventory procedure.

Multiple locations must be used in order to apply the age analysis feature to the parts in your inventory. The age analysis is activated when you check the setting Use age analysis. This setting is selected by default.

During stock withdrawals using quick reporting, for example in the Delivery Reporting procedure, an age analysis is made for the part using the last arrival date for available locations, so that the withdrawal is made from the location with the oldest arrival date.

During stock arrivals using quick reporting, for example in the Arrival Reporting procedure, the conditions for this age analysis are created by configuring the arrival date to today's date for the location that the arrival is made to, and by the fact that the arrival is always made to the location with the latest arrival date.

You can also separate all the individual part arrivals into batches by automatically creating new stock locations for each part that arrives. In order for this to take place during quick reporting you have to check the Create new location for arrival quick reporting (multiple locations) setting.

When using multiple stock location you can instead of age analysis also choose to prioritize stock locations. By configuring one of the locations as "main location" ("priority 1") all arrivals and withdrawals to and from stock that have not been specified to a certain location, will be made to/from the main location.

All transfers to other locations will then take place via manual transactions in the Move Stock Balance or Physical Inventory procedures in the Inventory module. However, pick lists are still sorted by age between different locations.

The priority of stock locations can be configured under Location in the General tab in the Update Part - Inventory procedure, but also in the stock location window in the Physical Inventory procedure and in the Move Stock Balance procedure.

When using multiple stock location you can also use "pick location". This means that all deliveries and withdrawals of a part are made from a stock location that has been configured as pick location for the part. The pick location will then be refilled from buffer locations which are managed with age analysis or priority of location.

This setting allows you to configure if you want the system to manage multiple stock locations for each part.

Age analysis is used by default when using multiple locations. This means that the system always suggests stock withdrawal from the part's location that has the oldest arrival date and it also suggest arrival for the stock location that has the latest arrival date. If you use age analysis, a date column will be added with the latest arrival date for all stock locations.

If you configure this setting, the same balance check will be made during quick reporting of withdrawals that is made by default when age analysis is applied. This means that the withdrawals will be made from the locations in order of priority, with the highest priority first. This continues until the right withdrawal quantity has been reached.

Check this setting to use random location storage. This means that when the balance of a part in a location reaches zero, that location will be automatically deleted by the system for that part. If the setting is activated the stock location name will be changed to ******** when the balance reaches 0 for the location. The default option is to use random location storage.

If you use the parameter Exclude active location from the random location storage principle?, then the active location is excluded from the random location storage. In this case, it will always remain, even when the balance is zero.

If you use multiple locations with random location storage, but do not apply age analysis, then you can use this setting to exclude the active or "current" stock location from the random location storage principle. The active location will then be able to have a zero balance without disappearing. However, other locations will usually disappear when they have zero balances. This setting is selected by default.

If you use Multiple stock locations, you can choose whether or not a new location should always be created during arrival quick reporting to your stock. The locations will then be named using the *1001*, *1002* format. The purpose is to create separate batches of parts with their own arrival date.

Please Note! In an existing location exists with a zero balance, the arrival balance will automatically be placed on that location.

If you want the location names to refer to a physical stock location, you can later use the Change Stock Location procedure, and let the stock or warehouse staff that actually handles the physical stock storage enter the correct name for each stock location. The default selection is not to create a new location for arrival quick reporting.

Here you can enter whether you want to apply picking or "pick locations" in your warehouse or stock. Pick location can be used together with the setting multiple stock locations and with or without the age analysis. The setting affects the withdrawal management, pick lists and delivery reporting. The parts that are entered without a pick location are not affected.

If you have checked the setting to use pick location you can in the stock location window for a part, select one of the locations as pick location. All withdrawals on that part will then by default be made from that location, in pick lists and during delivery reporting.

Refilling of a pick location is made from the other stock locations that are functioning as buffer locations. The locations that are not pick locations are then managed via age analysis, that is, the refill is suggested to be made from the stock location that at the moment has the oldest "latest arrival date".

When age analysis is not used on the stock, you can instead prioritize locations. The stock location that has been given the highest priority (priority 1) will then be called "main location" and will function as buffer location to the pick location for a part. This stock location is also selected by default when making deliveries and arrivals for the part in question.

In the Refill Pick Location procedure in the Inventory module you register orders (for example from an installer/assembler) that a refill of the pick location is required. In this procedure you also get a report when a refill has been made. It is also possible to print a list here as a basis for refilling.

In the Reorder Point List procedure you can print lists as bases for refilling pick locations where the available balance is below the reorder point.

If you check this setting, you will be able to manually update the revision in the location window in the Update Part - Inventory procedure, when using multiple stock locations.

If you check this setting, you will be able to manually update the batch number in the location window in the Update Part – Inventory procedure, when using multiple stock locations and for those parts with traceability. For instance, if the batch number has not been registered during the arrival, you have the opportunity (via this setting) of entering the correct batch number for the part here, so that the batch number can be linked later on to a withdrawal against a manufacturing order.

Please Note! When you do this, there will be no linked purchase order number nor a supplier to the batch number.

If you activate this setting you can change the location's latest arrival date in the Update Part procedure in the Inventory module. The reason for this is to reset the date to the initial date so that the location will not end up at the end of the age analysis.

If this setting is checked, the system will suggest a new stock location name for each arrival reporting of parts to your inventory. The multiple location window will then always open with a new suggested location. By default the same format for the location name is used as for the setting Create new location for arrival quick reporting using multiple locations, which is for example *1001*, *1002*, etc. We recommend that you also activate that setting together with this one, since the program will act in the same way as when that setting is activated.

The condition for applying new location names during arrival reporting is that you use multiple locations and create new location during arrival quick reporting, and also that the corresponding parts have Traceability.

If you check this setting, Traceability will be selected by default on all new parts created in any of the Update Part procedures in either Purchase, Sales or Inventory, as well as the Preparation procedure in the Manufacturing module.

Here you can choose if the "Last arrival date" of a location should be transferred to the new location when parts are moved between locations using the Move Stock Balance procedure. If you check this setting, the "Last arrival date" of the old location will also be transferred over to the new location.

Warning! If there already is a balance in the new location (if there were parts there already), then the transferred “Last arrival date” will apply to those parts as well. If you apply age analysis to your stock, this will ruin the age analysis of those parts.

Using this setting you activate the function to validate stock locations. For this function you first need to register location names in the Generate Location Name procedure in the Inventory module. This enables the next step; the validation of the selected location at transfer to stock to a registered location name.

When this setting is activated it is possible to enter terms/conditions on a part to be able to direct a certain part to a specific location or to a specific selection of locations. These terms should be configured using the Location settings button under the General tab in the Update Part - Inventory procedure.

If you are about to start using the validation of location, we recommend that the setting is configured as "Yes, warn" until all locations names have been registered in the system. Later on it might be suitable to configure it to "Yes, mandatory".