Create many locations at once

In short

On Warehouses › Locations, select Batch Generate, choose the warehouse and zone, and describe the layout with layout rules. Check the Generation Plan, then select Create Locations.

Before you start

You need to be an Admin or a Warehouse Manager. If you don't see Batch Generate, ask an Admin.

The zone must exist first: see add its zones. Have to hand how many aisles, racks, shelves and locations per shelf the zone has, and the size of one location. One batch saves adding lots of locations one by one.

Decide first

• The Code Style. Short gives codes such as A1A1: aisle letter, rack number, shelf letter, location number. Custom sets each level's prefix, letters or numbers and padding, and a separator, for codes such as A-01-B-2. The codes go on the labels, so changing them later means relabelling. For a first set-up, Short works well.
• One batch per zone and type. Every location in a batch gets the same Location Type, Mixing Policy and size. Run one batch for the pallet racking and another for the pick faces.

Steps

Choose the target

1. Go to Warehouses › Locations and select Batch Generate.
2. Choose the Warehouse and the Zone.
3. Choose the Code style. For Custom, set each level's Prefix, Codes and Padding, and the Separator.
4. Under Location Specifications, choose the Location Type and Mixing Policy every location gets.
5. Under Capacity & Dimensions, enter Width (mm), Height (mm), Depth (mm) and Max Weight (kg).
6. Select Next.

Describe the layout

1. Under Layout rules, check the 4 rules, one for each level. Short starts with aisles A to E, racks 1 to 10, shelves A to D and locations 1 to 3.
2. For each rule, choose Range and enter the Start and End. Or choose List and enter the Codes, such as A, B, D.
3. To give some racks or shelves different codes, select Add layout rule and name them in Applies to. A rule that names a parent wins over one for every parent.
4. Check the total under the rules, such as 600 of 5,000 Locations. One batch makes 5,000 locations at most.
5. Select Next.

Set the pick path

1. Leave Apply Serpentine (S-Curve) Pick Path on, so pickers walk every second aisle's racks in reverse.
2. Leave Starting Sequence Number empty to carry on after the zone's highest Pick Sequence.
3. To draw the batch on the floorplan, set where it starts under Spatial Grid Configuration.
4. Select Next.

Check and create

1. Check the Generation Plan. Each location shows New, Skipped (already exists) or Conflict, with its Full Location Code and Pick Sequence.
2. Select Create Locations. Stockist shows Batch Generation Completed, with how many locations, aisles, racks and shelves it made.

What happens next

The new locations show in Warehouses › Locations, each with its code as its barcode. The batch also made any aisles, racks and shelves it needed, and reused those already there.

Every location of the batch shares a Batch ID, so you can print its labels in one go. Running a batch again skips the locations that already exist, so you can add racks to a zone later.

If Batch Generate shows a problem or won't create the locations, see Batch Generate won't create the locations.