How to work with the fields in the Location Card in Business Central?
This is a walkthrough of the fields on the Location Card.
This is what happens in the video
The Location Card in Business Central controls where you store inventory and how the warehouse processes items at each location. You can define as many locations as you need. Each location holds its own settings for receiving, shipping, put-away, picking, bins, and warehouse handling time.
If you check Directed Put-away and Pick, you activate the full warehouse functionality. This locks all the other warehouse settings, and you cannot change them individually. For simpler setups, leave it unchecked so you can select each option separately.
Use the in-transit location for Transfer Orders. When you ship a Transfer Order from one location, the inventory has to be held somewhere until you receive it at the other location. The transit location acts as a buffer for this.
Set Bin Mandatory if you want to control items per bin and store the same item in several places in your warehouse. When Bin Mandatory is checked, you must enter a bin code every time you handle an item.
Inbound and outbound warehouse handling time work as a time buffer. If you set an inbound handling time of 2 days on a purchase order, the planned receipt date moves 2 days before the expected receipt date. This gives the warehouse people time to get the item in or out of stock.
Use cross-docking when you want to move an item directly from the inbound ramp to the outbound ramp instead of putting it into the warehouse first.
Basic Fields on the Location Card
The first fields define the unique key for the location and the name. The address is self-explaining, and the contact field is for a primary contact in charge of the specific location.
The Use-as-in-transit check mark marks the location as a transit location for Transfer Orders. When you ship a Transfer Order, the goods have to be held somewhere in the system until you receive them at the destination location. A transit location works like a buffer location for this purpose.
Warehouse Settings and Document Requirements
On the Warehouse tab you find several selections that decide how documents are handled. The most important one is Directed Put-away and Pick. If you check it, all the other options are checked automatically and locked, because you are then using the full warehouse functionality.
If you leave Directed Put-away and Pick unchecked, you can combine the other options freely. This is useful for a simpler warehouse setup:
- Require Receive means you create a receipt document on the inbound side.
- Require Shipment means you create a shipment document on the outbound side.
- Require Put-away means you create a put-away document after receiving items on the ramp, so the warehouse staff can move them into inventory.
- Require Pick means you create pick documents on the outbound side to pick items before shipping them.
There is also a setting for whether the put-away worksheet is mandatory. When it is, the put-away document is not created automatically when you post the receipt. Instead it is created in a worksheet. You can only check this if you have already checked the put-away fields above and Require Receive, because they relate to each other.
Bin Mandatory and Data Capture
The Bin Mandatory field means you must enter bin codes every time you handle an item. Use this if you want to control items per bin and store the same item in many places in your warehouse.
ADCS stands for Automatic Data Capture System and comes out of the box with Business Central. The market also offers many other solutions for capturing data with scanner devices.
Default Bin Selection states whether you want a fixed bin to be the default bin, or whether you want the system to suggest the last used bin.
Warehouse Handling Time and Calendars
Inbound and outbound warehouse handling time control the time calculated on the inbound and outbound documents. For example, on a purchase order with an expected receipt date, if your inbound warehouse handling time is 2 days, entered as a date formula, the planned receipt date is set 2 days earlier. This reflects that the warehouse needs two days to handle the item before it is available in stock. It works as a time buffer that creates a slot for the warehouse people to get the item in or out of stock.
The base calendar code calculates with days availability for the warehouse. The customized calendar applies to your base calendar code so you can make deviations. For specific dates you are not working, you can mark them here.
Cross-Docking
You can select Use Cross-Docking if you use both shipments and put-aways. Cross-docking means that instead of putting an item into your warehouse, the item is taken directly from the inbound ramp to the outbound ramp. You do not handle it in the warehouse but can select it directly.
The Cross-Dock Due Date Calculation controls how far ahead the system looks when checking for cross-docking items.
Bin Codes on the Location Card
On the bin tab you find many bin fields you can use if you have checked Bin Mandatory.
- Receipt Bin Code is where the receipt goes when you post it on the inbound side.
- Shipment Bin Code is the equivalent on the outbound side.
For production, there are several bins:
- Open Shop Floor Bin Code is a general shop floor bin where you can place the item.
- To-Production Bin Code is the consumption bin. If you pick from the warehouse for the production people to consume, this is the default bin where you place the item.
- From-Production Bin Code is where the item is placed when it is output, so the warehouse people can pick it.
The same logic applies on the assembly side with the two Assembly Bin Codes. The Assembly-to-Order Shipment Bin Code is on the Sales Order. If you use Assembly-to-Order, you need a bin to pick your assembly item into, so the order can pick it from there.
The Cross-Dock Bin Code is used if you run cross-docking. The Adjustment Bin Code is used for inventory adjustments, and you need a bin code for both positive and negative warehouse adjustments.
Bin Policies for Directed Put-away and Pick
The Bin Policies apply when you have checked Directed Put-away and Pick, so they belong to the advanced location.
The Special Equipment code can be set to come from the bin or from the item.
The Bin Capacity Policy sets a maximum capacity on a bin. You decide whether to allow or prohibit exceeding the capacity.
You can also decide whether to allow Breakbulk, which splits from one unit-of-measure code to another. For example, if somebody wants to pick pieces but you only store in boxes, Breakbulk lets the system break a box for you.
Put-away and Pick Templates
The Put-away Template Code is used if you run put-aways. You can define whether to always create put-away lines, even when there is nothing to put away.
The same applies on the pick side. You can decide whether to always create pick lines, even if the item is not available in stock. You might use this if you expect the item to be in stock when you create the pick documents, and you want a line ready for it. Normally we suggest not setting this check mark.
Picking According to FEFO
The Pick According to FEFO field stands for First Expired First Out. If items have expiration dates, this controls whether the item that expires first is picked first rather than simply the oldest item.
Q&A
What does the Use-as-in-transit field do on a location?
It marks the location as a transit location for Transfer Orders. When you ship a Transfer Order from one location, the goods are held in the transit location until you receive them at the destination. The transit location works as a buffer.
What happens when I check Directed Put-away and Pick?
All the other warehouse settings are checked automatically and locked, because you are then using the full warehouse functionality. If you want to combine the warehouse options freely, leave this unchecked.
When can I require a put-away worksheet?
You can only require a put-away worksheet if you have already checked the put-away fields and Require Receive, because they relate to each other. When the worksheet is required, the put-away document is created in a worksheet instead of automatically when you post the receipt.
What does Bin Mandatory do?
It forces you to enter a bin code every time you handle an item. Use it when you want to control items per bin and store the same item in several places in the warehouse.
How does inbound warehouse handling time affect dates?
It moves the planned receipt date earlier than the expected receipt date by the time you set. For example, a 2-day inbound handling time sets the planned receipt date 2 days before the expected receipt date, giving the warehouse time to handle the item before it is available in stock.
What is cross-docking in Business Central?
Cross-docking moves an item directly from the inbound ramp to the outbound ramp instead of putting it into the warehouse. You can use it if you work with both shipments and put-aways. The Cross-Dock Due Date Calculation controls how far ahead the system looks for cross-docking items.
What does Pick According to FEFO mean?
FEFO stands for First Expired First Out. When items have expiration dates, this setting makes the system pick the item that expires first rather than simply the oldest item.
What is Breakbulk?
Breakbulk allows the system to split from one unit-of-measure code to another. For example, if you only store items in boxes but someone wants to pick pieces, Breakbulk lets the system break a box.
Should I always create pick lines even when the item is not in stock?
Normally we suggest not setting this check mark. You might enable it only if you expect the item to be in stock when you create the pick documents and want a line ready for it.