Bin Management

Overview

Bin Management is a NexWave module that provides advanced warehouse location tracking using bins (storage locations within a warehouse). Stock is tracked at the bin level. Each Stock Ledger Entry records the specific bin a movement affects, so you can answer "where in the warehouse is this item right now?" rather than just "how much do we have in this warehouse."

The module supports regular stock items, batch-tracked items, serial-tracked items, and items with both batch and serial numbers.

Key Features

Bin Locations

• Define bins within warehouses using a hierarchical structure (Zone > Aisle > Rack > Level > Position)

• Bin types: Storage, Picking, Staging, Receiving, Shipping, QC Hold

• Default bin (used as fallback when no rule matches) and staging bin (for receiving) per warehouse

• Per-bin enable/disable flag (a disabled bin is skipped by all selection logic)

Stock by Bin

• Track item quantities per bin through the Warehouse Bin field on each Stock Ledger Entry

• Bin Stock Balance report for real-time bin-level balances

• Filter for unallocated stock (qty in a bin-managed warehouse with no bin assigned)

Batch and Serial Number Support

• Serial Number Tracking: Each serial number tracks its current bin location

• Batch Tracking: Batch quantities tracked at bin level

• Strict Validation: Outbound transactions verify the chosen serial is actually in the selected bin

• Automatic Updates: Serial No bin location is updated automatically on every stock transaction

Picking and Putaway

• Suggested bin for putaway based on configurable rules: Item Code, Item Group, ABC Classification, then warehouse-wide fallback

• Consumption strategies: FIFO, Least Stock, Manual Selection

• ABC classification support (A=Fast, B=Medium, C=Slow) for putaway optimisation

• Pick List rows for Sales Orders can hold Warehouse Bin selections before the Delivery Note is created

• Putaway Unallocated Stock tool for moving legacy unallocated stock into bins post-hoc

Setup

1. Enable Bin Management on Warehouse

Navigate to Stock > Warehouse and open the warehouse you want to enable bin management for.

2. Enable Bin Tracking on Items

Navigate to Stock > Item and enable bin tracking for the items you want to track at bin level.

3. Create Warehouse Bins

Navigate to Stock > Warehouse Bin to create bins for your warehouse.

4. Configure Putaway Rules (Optional)

Navigate to Stock > Bin Putaway Rule to define where items should be stored.

Rules are matched in priority order:

1. Item Code match (most specific)

2. Item Group match

3. ABC Classification match

4. Warehouse-wide rule (no filters, the fallback)

Using Bin Management in Transactions

Purchase Receipt (Inbound)

When receiving stock into a bin-enabled warehouse:

For regular items:

• Bin is auto-assigned based on putaway rules, default bin, or staging bin

• If no bin can be assigned and "Require Bin on Receipt" is enabled, the form throws an error

For batch / serial items:

• Manual bin selection is required on each item row

• The Warehouse Bin field appears when:

  • The warehouse has bin management enabled

  • The item has Use Bins enabled

  • Stock Settings has Use Serial/Batch Fields enabled (for batch / serial items)

On submission:

• Stock Ledger Entry records the Warehouse Bin

• For serial items: each Serial No document is updated with the bin location

Pick List (Sales Order Picking)

When picking Sales Order items from a bin-enabled warehouse, use a Pick List before creating the Delivery Note.

For bin-managed items:

• NexWave suggests Warehouse Bin rows based on available stock and the warehouse's consumption strategy.

• If the quantity is spread across more than one bin, the Pick List may create multiple rows for the same item.

• Open Pick Lists reduce the available bin quantity for new Pick Lists, which helps avoid allocating the same bin stock twice.

• The picker can review or change the Warehouse Bin before submitting the Pick List.

• Picked Qty should match the quantity physically picked from that bin.

On Delivery Note creation:

• The Warehouse Bin selected on the Pick List is copied to the Delivery Note item row.

• The Against Pick List reference is kept so the Delivery Note can be traced back to the pick.

• On Delivery Note submission, the Stock Ledger Entry records the selected Warehouse Bin.

For the step-by-step workflow, see Pick Sales Orders from Warehouse Bins.

Delivery Note (Outbound)

When delivering stock from a bin-enabled warehouse:

For regular items:

• Bin is auto-selected based on the warehouse's consumption strategy (FIFO or Least Stock)

• Manual Selection strategy requires the user to pick the source bin per row

For batch / serial items:

• Manual bin selection is required

• Strict validation: the system verifies each selected serial is actually in the chosen bin

• If a serial is not in the selected bin, the form throws a precise error pointing to the actual bin

On submission:

• Stock Ledger Entry records the Warehouse Bin

• For serial items: Serial No documents are cleared (the serial has left the warehouse)

Stock Entry (Receipts, Issues, Transfers)

Stock Entry supports multiple scenarios:

For transfers with serial items:

• Source bin is validated (serial must actually be in that bin)

• Target bin must be manually selected

• On submission: the Serial No document is updated with the new warehouse and bin

Sales Invoice and Purchase Invoice

If you attempt to submit a Sales Invoice with Update Stock for an item that has batch or serial numbers, has Use Bins enabled, and is being delivered from a bin-enabled warehouse, you'll see this error:

"Item [code] uses batch/serial numbers and has bin management enabled. Sales Invoice with Update Stock cannot be used for bin-controlled batch/serial items. Please create a Delivery Note instead to properly track bin movements."

Workaround: Create the Delivery Note for the stock movement, then create the Sales Invoice without Update Stock.

Serial Number Bin Tracking

When an item has serial numbers and bin management is enabled, each Serial No document maintains its current bin location.

How Serial Bin Location is Updated

Querying Serial Location

You can find which bin a serial is in by:

1. Opening the Serial No document and checking the Warehouse Bin field

2. Filtering the Serial No list by Warehouse Bin

3. Running reports that include the Warehouse Bin column

Reports and Tools

Bin Stock Balance Report

The Bin Stock Balance report shows current stock quantities per bin, filterable by warehouse, item, and bin.

Filters:

Putaway Unallocated Stock Tool

The Putaway button on the Bin Stock Balance report is the sanctioned way to move unallocated (null-bin) stock into a real bin. It appears on a row only when:

1. The bin is null (stock isn't allocated yet)

2. Actual qty is positive

3. The item has Use Bins enabled

4. The warehouse has Enable Bin Management enabled

If any of those conditions fails, the button is hidden. The row is not a Putaway candidate, for example, a non-bin item in a bin-managed warehouse can legitimately have null bin everywhere.

To use the tool:

1. Open the Bin Stock Balance report

2. Optionally tick "Only Unallocated Stock" to see only Putaway candidates

3. Click Putaway on the row you want to allocate

The dialog auto-suggests a target bin based on the putaway rules for that item. The qty defaults to the full unallocated qty but can be reduced to do a partial putaway.

When you click Putaway, the system creates and submits a Stock Entry of purpose Material Transfer with:

• Source warehouse = target warehouse = your warehouse

• Source bin = null (drains the unallocated bucket)

• Target bin = your selected bin

The Stock Entry is fully reversible. Cancel it to restore the stock to the null bucket.

Use Bins Audit Log

Every change to the Use Bins field on Item is logged to the item's timeline.

If the toggle happens on an item that already has Stock Ledger Entries, the change is also written to the Error Log so administrators can investigate any phantom-bin risk.

Stock Ledger Entry

The Stock Ledger Entry now includes the Warehouse Bin field, allowing you to trace all stock movements at the bin level.

Best Practices

1. Use a logical naming convention for bins: for example, Zone-Aisle-Rack-Level (A-01-02-03)

2. Group similar items in nearby bins: use Item Group putaway rules

3. Place fast-moving items in accessible bins: use ABC classification with putaway rules (A-class to Picking bins, C-class to Bulk storage)

4. Use staging bins for receiving: configure a staging bin so received goods land in a known location, then transfer to final location after QC

5. Enable Require Bin on Receipt for warehouses where bin discipline matters: every receipt must be allocated

6. For Sales Order fulfilment, use Pick Lists when the picker needs bin-level control: review the suggested Warehouse Bin rows before creating the Delivery Note

7. For serial items, always use Delivery Note: avoid Sales Invoice with Update Stock to ensure proper bin tracking

8. Do not toggle Use Bins as a workaround: if you cannot allocate stock, use the Putaway Unallocated Stock tool instead. Toggling Use Bins on an item with existing stock can produce phantom bin balances and is now restricted to Stock Manager.

9. Regularly audit bin accuracy: compare physical counts with the Bin Stock Balance report

Troubleshooting

"Source Bin is required for item X in bin-enabled warehouse Y"

Cause: You're trying to issue or transfer stock from a bin-enabled warehouse but haven't selected a source bin on the row.

Solution: Pick a source bin where the stock you want to issue is actually located. If the stock you want to issue is not allocated to any bin yet (legacy stock or stock posted via Sales Invoice or Purchase Invoice with Update Stock), use the Putaway Unallocated Stock tool on the Bin Stock Balance report to assign it to a bin first. Do not toggle Use Bins on the item. That creates phantom bin balances.

"Serial No [X] is in bin [Y], not in selected bin [Z]"

Cause: You're trying to deliver or issue a serial from a bin it isn't currently in.

Solution: Either select the correct bin where the serial is located, or transfer the serial to your desired bin first using a Stock Entry (Material Transfer).

"Sales Invoice with Update Stock cannot be used for bin-controlled batch/serial items"

Cause: You're trying to use a Sales Invoice with Update Stock for an item that has batch or serial numbers and bin management enabled.

Solution: Create a Delivery Note for the stock movement, then create the Sales Invoice without Update Stock.

Bin field not showing on a transaction

Cause: The bin field visibility depends on multiple settings.

Checklist:

• The warehouse has Enable Bin Management enabled

• The item has Use Bins enabled

• For batch / serial items: Stock Settings has Use Serial/Batch Fields enabled

I can't edit the Use Bins field on Item

Cause: As of release 1.27.0, Use Bins is restricted to permission level 1, editable only by Stock Manager and System Manager roles. Other roles can see the current value but not change it.

Solution: Ask a Stock Manager to make the change. The reason for the restriction is that toggling Use Bins on items with existing stock can produce phantom bin balances; the change is also logged to the item's timeline for audit.

A row in the Bin Stock Balance report shows null bin with positive qty, but no Putaway button

Cause: The Putaway button only appears when both the item AND the warehouse have bin tracking enabled. If either flag is off, the row legitimately has null bin everywhere and putaway doesn't apply.

Checklist:

• The item has Use Bins ticked

• The warehouse has Enable Bin Management ticked

If both are set and you still do not see the button, verify your role. Only Stock Manager can use the Putaway tool.

Related Documentation

• Stock: Stock management overview

• Selling: Sales and delivery processes

• Pick Sales Orders from Warehouse Bins: Bin-aware picking and Delivery Note handoff

• Buying: Purchasing and receiving processes