Topic overview
The storage location is the smallest logically possible organizational level within the warehouse organization. A storage location belongs to a warehouse and warehouse zone and is identified within it on the basis of a row and a level. If more than one item of storage unit can be put away in a storage location, then a storage location is further structured into slots.
You must assign a storage location type to each storage location. The assignment gives the storage location its properties. These properties include, for example, the storage location type, the maximum permitted weight and the maximum number of storage units allowed for the storage location.
For storage locations of the storage location types Fixed location without storage unit and Picking location without storage unit, you can define the storage capacity in the Storage locations application by entering items and their maximum inventory levels. For picking locations without storage unit, you can also enter a replenishment definition for automatic replenishment of the picking locations.
This article describes how the Storage locations application is structured. Instructions on how to use the application, e.g. how to enter or edit data for storage locations, can be found in the article Procedures: Storage locations.
Definitions of terms
Inventory owner
The inventory owner is the legal possessor of the specified warehouse inventory. For each storage location, the inventory owner can be specified. The inventory owner is used for many inventory management processes, for example, inventory counts and inventory valuation.
Bulk storage location
A bulk storage location is a storage location in which only full storage units can be put away or withdrawn. Direct access to the storage units stored there is not possible, thus a bulk location cannot be divided into slots. Normally, bulk locations are used together with the inventory organization Block storage where the put-away strategy Bulk storage is used.
Fixed location
A fixed location is a storage location assigned to a specific item. Only item inventories without storage units can be put away in a fixed location.
Picking location
The picking location is a storage location with the Picking utilization and temporarily stores items for shipping. By using picking locations, items are made available for customer deliveries more quickly.
Storage unit
Storage unit is a general term for the storage and packing materials used during storage, transport, and shipping of an item. Storage units are managed as items with material category Storage unit. If storage units are reusable, then they are categorized into containers or empties.
Storage location
A storage location is the exact point in a warehouse where items can be stored. A storage location within a warehouse always lies in a warehouse zone and is determined precisely on the basis of a row, a level, and a storage location number. Each storage location has a storage location category that establishes the use of the storage location. The availability of storage locations is essential for storage location control.
Storage location types
The storage location type is an important characteristic of a storage location. Attributes pertaining to a storage location type include, e.g., storage capacity and presence of storage unit. The ABC classification and maximum permitted weight are also determined by the storage location type.
Warehouses
A warehouse is a logically or physically defined area in which items are stored. If the storage location control is activated in the Customizing application, the warehouse can be further subdivided into warehouse zones and storage locations. The exact structure of the warehouse is defined by the warehouse organization.
Slot
A storage slot is a subunit of a storage location. It is the smallest component of a warehouse. A storage slot can accept exactly one storage unit. The number of storage slots is the maximum number of storage units allowed for the storage location.
Storage location priority
The ABC classification is used to classify items according to their inventory turnover rate. If putaway as per storage location data priorities is activated for the warehouse and the storage location priorities have been assigned to the ABC classifications, the items are put away according to the sequence of priority.
Quanlity assurance status (QS status)
A QA status can be defined for the warehouse and warehouse zone levels – and also for the identifier level. The respective inventories can be specifically evaluated and used according to the possible QA status. If the QA status at warehouse level and the QA status at identifier level coincide, the less favorable QA status applies in each case.
Storage locations
With the help of the Storage locations application, you can enter, change and delete individual storage locations. The application consists of an identification pane and a work pane.
Identification pane
The identification area contains the fields for uniquely identifying a storage location and defining its properties.
Field desciption:
Warehouse – in this field, enter the identification of the storage location to which the warehouse zone whose storage locations you want to edit belongs. The warehouse organization of the storage location must allow the use of storage locations.
Warehouse zone – in this field, enter the identification of the warehouse zone whose storage locations you want to edit. The warehouse organization of the warehouse zone must allow the use of storage locations.
Storage location – enter the identification of the storage location you wish to edit in this field. The identification is derived from the warehouse organization of the warehouse zone with the storage location:
- For the High rack storage area warehouse organization:
The warehouse zone is structured in rows, levels, and locations. The storage location identification is divided into three parts (row-level-location). - For the Bulk storage warehouse organization:
The warehouse zone is structured in rows and locations. The storage location identification is divided into two parts accordingly (row-locations). - For the Locations only warehouse organization:
The warehouse zone is only structured in locations. The storage location identification is correspondingly one-part (location).
To uniquely identify the storage location, enter the structural elements used in the warehouse organization separated by hyphens. The following examples are syntactically correct identifications of storage locations:
- 101
- 08-001
- 007-10-021
- 12-B-03A
You can use the Storage locations application, you can also enter individual storage locations. To do this, enter a unique, unused identification for the storage location. The structural elements of the warehouse organization consist of a maximum of three numbers, letters, or a combination of numbers and letters. The length of the level element is limited to two characters. Once the storage location has been saved for the first time, the identification can no longer be changed.
Type – the storage location type is displayed in this field. You can only change the storage location type if the following conditions are met:
- The storage location has neither an inventory nor a reservation.
- The inventory management server responsible for the storage location has successfully processed all inventory postings for the storage location.
Check digit – the check digit of the storage location is displayed in this field. The check digit is generated when the storage location is entered. The check digit is a one-digit number and can be a letter between “A” (ASCII value 65) and “Z” (ASCII value 90). It is formed from the identification of the storage location using the following formula:
90 – ((row*3 + level + location*3) mod 26)
Usable (checkbox) – use this function to determine whether the storage location can be used. If the function is deactivated, the storage location cannot be used. In this case, it is not taken into account for automatic put-away or automatic withdraawal.
Inventory owner origin – in this field, you specify how the origin of the inventory owner is to be determined. Choose between the following entries:
- As per storage location data
- As per warehouse zone data
- Dynamic
If storage location data is created using the Generate storage locations application, the As per warehouse zone data entry is used for the inventory owner origin. This means that these new storage locations are assigned to the inventory owner that is defined for the corresponding warehouse zone. Alternatively, enter an inventory owner for the individual storage location (as per storage location data). If you have selected the Dynamic setting, no inventory owner is defined at the time of generation. The inventory owner is determined dynamically for the storage location from the inventory or open put-away stored in it.
Owne of inventory – the inventory owner of the storage location is displayed in this field. Inventory owners can either be companies in your own group of companies or external companies (e.g., external customers) that do not belong to your own group of companies. Inventory postings can only be generated for the storage location if the inventory owner of the inventory posting is identical to the inventory owner of the storage location.
If the entry Dynamic is specified in the Inventory owner origin field, the inventory owner is determined on the basis of the current inventory or according to a receipt reservation.
This also applies to an empty storage location with an open reservation. You can subsequently change the inventory owner of individual storage locations if the following conditions are met:
- One of these entries is defined in the Inventory owner origin field:
- As per storage location data
- Dynamic
- The storage location is empty and not reserved
- The inventory management server responsible for the storage location has successfully processed all inventory postings for the storage location.
Priority origin – in this field, you specify where the priority is to be determined from. Selectable options:
- According to storage location type – the priority is determined from the storage location type used and displayed in the Priority field
- As per storage location data – select this option if you want to enter the priority for the open storage location. The Priority field becomes editable.
Priority – the priority of the storage location is displayed in this field if it is to be determined according to the storage location type, or can be entered if the option As per storage location data is selected in the Priority origin field. If the field is editable, a capital letter or a number must be entered. The field may only be empty if the following applies:
- The option According to storage location type is selected for the priority origin
- No storage location priority is defined for the corresponding storage location type
- Put-away as per storage location data priorities is not used at the warehouse
If put-away as per storage location data priorities is activated for the warehouse, the ABC item priorities are put away according to the sequence of the storage location priorities.
QS status – specify the quality assurance status (QA status) for the storage location in this field. Please note that only those storage locations with the QA status Released are taken into account for automatic put-away and delivery.
An availability rule is used to determine whether inventory in an unreleased storage location is considered available.
Selectable values are:
- Released
- In quarantine
- Blocked
Material category – a material category is defined in the item master data for items of the item category Material. In this field, you define which material category may be put away in the storage location. Selectable values are:
- Inventory item
- Equipment
Inventory check cycle – enter a period after which an inventory should be repeated for this storage location. A storage location-related inventory check list can be generated specifically for this repetition, which only contains those storage locations for which an inventory check cycle has been defined. If you enter the number 0, the storage location is not taken into account for the repeated inventory check. The default value comes from the associated storage location type.
Quantity transaction posting threshold – if required, enter a number of inventory postings as a threshold value in order to carry out an inventory check for this storage location. The system counts each inventory posting with a posting key for which the Quantity transaction function is activated. A storage location-related inventory count list can be generated specifically for repeated inventory check, which only contains those storage locations for which a threshold value for quantity transaction postings has been defined. If the threshold value is exceeded, the storage location is listed in a corresponding inventory count list. If the number of postings is lower, it is excluded. If you enter the number 0, this threshold value is not evaluated. The default value comes from the associated storage location type.
Work pane
In the work pane, you can define the storage capacity in a table for storage locations of the storage location types Fixed location without storage unit and Picking location without storage unit by entering items and their maximum inventory levels. For picking locations without storage unit, you can also enter a replenishment definition for automatic replenishment of the picking locations. For all other storage location types, the addition of items in the work area is excluded.
Available columns:
Item – in this column, you define one or more items that may be put away in the storage location for storage locations of the storage location types Fixed location without storage unit and Picking location without storage unit. The work pane is blocked for all other storage location types.
Deleting the item assignment is not permitted as long as the storage location has inventory or a reservation.
An item can be assigned to any number of fixed locations or picking locations in the same warehouse zone. The storage capacity of the storage location is determined in the inventory data for each item. When the inventory data record is created, the storage capacity is determined using the maximum inventory of the associated maximum inventory or replenishment definition. If you change the maximum inventory in the maximum inventory or replenishment definition, the storage capacity is updated in the inventory data via the inventory management server.
Inventory orders for replenishment are automatically generated for picking locations if the current inventory falls below the reorder level. You must therefore delete the replenishment definition of an item in stock before you can use the picking location for another item. Otherwise, the reservations generated by the inventory orders for the replenishment will prevent the other item from being put away. To prevent further replenishment orders from being generated for this item, you can reduce the replenishment lot size to 0.
Further information on creating replenishment orders can be found in the article Inventory orders.
Slot – in this column, you can assign the identification of a storage location for storage locations of the storage location types Fixed location without storage unit and Picking location without storage unit. The storage location is an additional structure level of the storage location. The identification consists of a maximum of three numbers, letters, or a combination of numbers and letters.
Maximum inventory level – in this column, you enter a maximum inventory level for the assigned item for storage locations of the storage location types Fixed location without storage unit and Picking location without storage unit. The maximum inventory level is the inventory level that may never be exceeded in an inventory order generated by the system. The maximum inventory level has no significance when entering inventory postings manually. The information is given in the 1st item unit of the item. If the item is managed in further item units, the information is given in the first commercial item unit. You cannot change the displayed unit.
Reorder level – in this column, you enter a reorder level for the assigned item for storage locations of the storage location type Picking location without storage unit. Every time inventory changes in the storage location, the new inventory is compared with the reorder level. If the new inventory is less than the reorder level, an inventory order for replenishment is generated automatically. The information is given in the 1st item unit of the item. If the item is managed in further item units, the information is given in the first commercial item unit. You cannot change the displayed unit.
Target inventory level – in this column, you enter a target inventory level for the assigned item for storage locations of the storage location type Picking location without storage unit. When creating inventory orders for replenishment, a quantity is determined that leads to the target inventory level being reached. The information is given in the 1st item unit of the item. If the item is managed in further item units, the information is given in the first commercial item unit. You cannot change the displayed unit.
Replenishment lot size – in this column, you enter a replenishment lot size for the assigned item for storage locations of the storage location type Picking location without storage unit. When creating inventory orders for replenishment, a quantity is determined that is a multiple of the replenishment lot size. The information must be given in a unit that can be converted into the 1st item unit of the item. If the item is managed in other item units, it must be possible to convert the unit into the first commercial item unit.
Replenishment zone – in this column, you can assign a warehouse zone for replenishment for storage locations of the storage location type Picking location without storage unit. When creating inventory orders for replenishment, only this one warehouse zone is taken into account. If you do not specify a warehouse zone, the warehouse zones are determined and taken into account based on the sequence of the withdrawal restriction stored at the storage location. If no withdrawal restriction is used, the warehouse zones are taken into account according to their priorities.
Customizing
The following setting is relevant for the Storage locations application in the Customizing application:
The Storage location control function must be active. The application Storage location types is only visible if the function is active. Storage location types are required to be able to create or enter storage locations.
Business entity
For the Storage locations application, the following business entity is relevant, which you use, for example, to
- assign authorizations,
- set up activity definitions or
- import or export data.
Storage location: com.cisag.app.inventory.obj.StorageLocation
The business entity is part of the following business entity group:
Inventory master data: com.cisag.app.inventory.MasterData
Authorizations
Authorizations can be assigned by means of authorization roles as well as by assigning an organization. The authorization concept is described in the article Authorizations.
Special capabilities
The Storage locations application has no special capabilities.
Organizational assignments
Organizational structures are used to specify which data can be viewed, used or edited. The Content-based authorizations function must be activated in the Customizing application for this purpose.
To ensure that a person can see the Storage locations application, the user must be assigned to an organization in the partner master data that is connected to at least one of the following organization structures:
- Inventory management
Further information on content-related authorizations can be found in the article: Content-related authorizations.
Special features
There are no special features for the Storage locations application.
Authorizations for business partners
The Storage locations application is not released for business partners