Assign Bins

What is Assign Bins?

Assign Bins is a bulk editing tool that allows you to assign bins to products during the receiving and replenishment process. From this view, you can assign bins to multiple products from a replenishment request at once, update product weights, and manage inventory assignment efficiently.

This functionality is especially useful when you receive large quantities of inventory and need to assign bins quickly without having to process each product individually.

Access from Receiving

Assign Bins is available from the Receiving Details view. Access it from a specific replenishment request using the RequestID parameter.

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Why Use Assign Bins?

Bulk Bin Assignment

Assign bins to multiple products at once. Select several products and assign bins with volume in a single operation.

Weight Management

Update or insert product weights in bulk. Keep weight information updated for accurate shipping calculations.

Existing Bins View

View all existing bins for each product with their volumes. Understand where each product is stored before assigning new bins.

Automatic Validation

The system automatically validates bin format and ensures assigned bins are valid before saving.

Search and Filter

Search products by SKU, UPC, or description. Filter the list to quickly find the products you need to process.

Data Export

Export the product list to CSV for external analysis or receiving process documentation.

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How to Access Assign Bins

1. Open a Replenishment Request

   Navigate to Receiving and open a specific replenishment request you want to process.

2. Access Assign Bins

   From the Receiving Details view, look for the option to access “Edit in bulk” or navigate directly to /AssignBinlist.php?RequestID=[ID] where [ID] is the replenishment request ID.

3. Verify your permissions

   Make sure you have AssignBin level permissions with listing capability (CanList). If you don’t have permissions, you’ll be redirected to login.

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How to Use Assign Bins

View the Product List

The page automatically displays all products from the selected replenishment request in a table with the following columns:

• SKU: Product SKU code
• Upc: Product UPC code
• Description: Product description, including lot information and expiration date if applicable
• Supplier: Product supplier
• Bin: List of existing bins for the product with their volumes (format: BIN[v: volume])
• Weight: Current product weight
• Checkbox to assign bins: To select products for bin assignment
• Checkbox to insert weights: To select products without weight to insert weight

Search Products

1. Use the search field

   At the top of the page, you’ll find a basic search field.

2. Enter your search term

   Type the SKU, UPC, or product description you’re looking for. The search looks for partial matches.

3. Select the search type

   Choose between:

   • Exact phrase: Searches for the exact phrase
   • All words: Searches for products containing all words
   • Any word: Searches for products containing any of the words

4. Click Search

   The list will automatically filter showing only products that match your search.

5. Clear search

   Click “Show all” to view all products again.

Assign Bins in Bulk

1. Select products

   Check the boxes for products you want to assign bins to. You can select multiple products.

2. Select all (optional)

   Use the “Select All” checkbox in the bin assignment column to select all visible products on the current page.

3. Click Assign new BIN

   Click the “Assign new BIN” button located at the top of the table.

4. Enter the initial bin

   A dialog box will open asking for the “Initial BIN: format”. Enter the name of the first bin you want to assign. The system will validate the bin format.

5. Enter the volume

   Another dialog box will open asking for the bin volume. Enter a numeric value greater than or equal to 0.2.

6. Confirm the assignment

   The system will process the assignment:

   • If the bin doesn’t exist, it will be created and assigned to the first selected product
   • For subsequent products, the system will automatically increment the bin number (if applicable)
   • If the bin exists but is empty, it will be assigned to the product
   • If the bin exists and has the same product with same lot, UOM, and expiration, quantity will be added

7. Verify results

   You’ll see a confirmation message indicating the assignment result. Assigned bins will appear in the “Bin” column of each product.

Automatic Bin Increment

If you use a bin format that allows increment (for example, A-001, A-002), the system will automatically increment the number for each selected product. If the increment exceeds the limit (999), you’ll see a message indicating you should repeat the process with another bin series.

Update Product Weights

1. Select products

   Check the boxes for products whose weight you want to update. You can select multiple products.

2. Select all (optional)

   Use the “Select All” checkbox in the bin assignment column to select all visible products.

3. Click Update Weights

   Click the “Update Weights” button located at the top of the table.

4. Enter the new weight

   A dialog box will open asking for the weight. Enter a numeric value greater than or equal to 0.2.

5. Confirm the update

   The system will update the weight of all selected products in both the products and requestdetail tables.

6. Verify changes

   You’ll see a confirmation message and updated weights will appear in the “Weight” column of each product.

Insert Weights for Products Without Weight

1. Identify products without weight

   Look for products where the “Weight” column is empty or shows 0 or 0.00. These products will show an additional checkbox in the “Insert Weights” column.

2. Select products

   Check the boxes in the “Insert Weights” column for products that don’t have weight.

3. Select all (optional)

   Use the “Select All” checkbox in the “Insert Weights” column to select all visible products without weight.

4. Click Insert Weights

   Click the “Insert Weights” button located at the top of the table.

5. Enter the weight

   A dialog box will open asking for the weight. Enter a numeric value greater than or equal to 0.

6. Confirm the insertion

   The system will insert the weight for all selected products in both the products and requestdetail tables.

7. Verify changes

   You’ll see a confirmation message and weights will appear in the “Weight” column of each product.

View Existing Bins

The “Bin” column automatically displays all existing bins for each product that have:

• The same ProductID
• The same lot (lot)
• The same expiration date (expir)
• The same UOM (UOM)

Each bin is displayed in the format: BIN[v: volume] where BIN is the bin name and volume is its configured volume.

This information helps you to:

• See where the product is currently stored
• Avoid assigning duplicate bins unnecessarily
• Understand inventory distribution before assigning new bins

Export to CSV

1. Navigate to export option

   Look for the “Download” link or access directly to /AssignBinlist.php?export=csv&RequestID=[ID].

2. Download the file

   The system will generate a CSV file with all products from the replenishment request and their current data.

3. Use the file

   Open the CSV in Excel or another tool for analysis, documentation, or external processing.

Return to Replenishment Request

1. Click Back to replenishment

   At the top of the page, you’ll find a “Back to replenishment” link.

2. Return to details view

   You’ll be redirected to the Receiving Details view of the replenishment request you came from.

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Functionality Details

Bin Validation

The system validates that the entered bin meets the correct format before assigning it. Validation includes:

• Valid bin format according to system rules
• The bin can be a direct bin name or a location
• If it’s a location, the system searches for a free bin in that location

Bin Assignment

When you assign a bin, the system:

1. Checks if the bin exists:

   • If it doesn’t exist, creates a new bin with the specified product, lot, expiration, UOM, and volume
   • If it exists but is empty (QtyProductID = 0 and QtyHold = 0), assigns it to the product
   • If it exists and has the same product with same lot, UOM, and expiration, adds quantity to the existing bin

2. Updates the replenishment:

   • Updates QtyRecive in requestdetail
   • Records the movement in bin history
   • Synchronizes product information

Automatic Bin Increment

If you use a bin format that allows increment (for example, A-001), the system:

• Automatically increments the number for each selected product
• Validates that each incremented bin is valid
• Stops if the increment exceeds 999 and displays a message

Weight Management

The system handles weights in two ways:

• Update Weights: Updates weight for products that already have weight configured
• Insert Weights: Inserts weight for products that don’t have weight (0, 0.00, or empty)

Both operations update both the products and requestdetail tables to maintain consistency.

Lot and Expiration Information

If a product has lot or expiration date configured, this information is displayed in the “Description” column with special format:

• Lot: Displayed in blue as “Lot# [number]”
• Expiration date: Displayed in blue as “Expiration Date: [date]”

This information is important because bins are grouped by lot, expiration, and UOM.

Required Permissions

To use Assign Bins you need:

• Level permission: AssignBin
• Listing capability: CanList() - To view the list
• Edit capability: Implicit for assigning bins and updating weights

If you don’t have these permissions, you’ll see messages indicating you don’t have the necessary rights.

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💡 Best Practices

Assign Bins Before Receiving

Assign bins before marking products as received. This keeps inventory organized from the start of the process.

Use Consistent Bin Formats

Use consistent bin formats to facilitate automatic increment. For example, A-001, A-002, A-003.

Update Weights During Receiving

Update or insert weights while processing receiving. This ensures information is complete from the start.

Review Existing Bins

Before assigning new bins, review the “Bin” column to see if the product already has bins assigned. It may be more efficient to add quantity to existing bins.

Process by Lots

If you receive products with different lots or expiration dates, process each lot separately to maintain organization.

Validate Before Saving

Review information before clicking assignment buttons. Changes are saved immediately and may require manual corrections if there are errors.

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Troubleshooting

I can’t see the product list

Problem: The page is empty or shows “No records found”.

Solutions:

1. Verify that the RequestID in the URL is valid
2. Verify that the replenishment request has associated products
3. If you used search, click “Show all” to clear filters
4. Verify you have AssignBin level permissions with listing capability
5. Contact the administrator if the problem persists

I can’t assign bins

Problem: The “Assign new BIN” button doesn’t work or a format error appears.

Solutions:

1. Verify you’ve selected at least one product (check the boxes)
2. Make sure you enter a valid bin format according to system rules
3. Verify that the volume is a valid number greater than or equal to 0.2
4. Review specific error messages in dialog boxes
5. Try assigning bins one by one instead of in bulk

Automatic increment doesn’t work

Problem: The system doesn’t increment bins automatically or stops prematurely.

Solutions:

1. Verify that the bin format allows increment (must have a number at the end)
2. If increment exceeds 999, the system stops - use another bin series
3. Verify that each incremented bin is valid according to system rules
4. Try assigning bins manually one by one if automatic increment fails

I can’t update weights

Problem: The “Update Weights” button doesn’t work or changes aren’t saved.

Solutions:

1. Verify you’ve selected at least one product (check the boxes)
2. Make sure you enter a valid weight (number greater than or equal to 0.2)
3. Verify that selected products have current weight (don’t use “Insert Weights” for products with weight)
4. Review specific error messages
5. Reload the page and try again

I can’t insert weights

Problem: The “Insert Weights” button doesn’t appear or doesn’t work.

Solutions:

1. Verify that selected products don’t have weight (should show 0, 0.00, or be empty)
2. Only products without weight show the additional checkbox for “Insert Weights”
3. If a product has weight, use “Update Weights” instead
4. Verify you’ve selected at least one product without weight
5. Make sure you enter a valid weight (number greater than or equal to 0)

Bins don’t appear in the Bin column

Problem: The “Bin” column is empty for products I know have bins.

Solutions:

1. Bins are only shown if they match exactly in ProductID, lot, expiration, and UOM
2. Verify that lot, expiration date, and UOM match exactly
3. If the product has bins with different lots or UOM, only matching ones will be shown
4. Empty bins (QtyProductID = 0) are also shown if they match the criteria

Bin format is incorrect

Problem: The system rejects the bin format I enter.

Solutions:

1. Verify bin format rules in your system (may vary by configuration)
2. Try using a different format (for example, A-001 instead of A001)
3. If you use locations, make sure they exist in the system
4. Contact the administrator to verify bin format rules in your installation

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Related Links

Next Steps:

• Receiving - Complete receiving and replenishment process
• Assign Pre-Bins - Assign pre-configured bins before receiving
• Bin Overview - Complete bin inventory view
• Bin Lists - Manage bin volumes
• Warehouse Overview - Warehouse overview
• Inventory Control - General inventory control