Bin Refill

What is Bin Refill?

Bin Refill is a specialized report that shows all flow bins that are below their configured minimum level and need replenishment. The report, called “ROLL: Refill Order Line List”, provides detailed information about which source bins can be used to replenish each flow bin and the suggested quantities to move.

This tool helps you plan and execute the replenishment of multiple flow bins efficiently, ensuring that priority bins maintain optimal inventory levels.

Activation Requirement

Bin Refill is only available if Bin Flow is enabled in warehouse preferences (preferences_wh.bin_flow = 'true'). If you don’t see this functionality, contact the administrator to enable it.

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Why Use Bin Refill?

Complete Needs Overview

See all flow bins that need refill in a single report. Quickly identify which bins require immediate attention.

Recommended Source Bins

The system automatically identifies the most suitable source bins for each refill, considering lot, UOM, expiration date, and location.

Suggested Quantities

The report automatically calculates suggested quantities to move based on configured minimum and maximum levels.

Efficient Planning

Plan refill for multiple bins at once. See all the information needed to execute movements in an organized manner.

Detailed Information

Each report line includes SKU, description, locations, lots, expiration dates, UOM, and current and suggested quantities.

Printing and Documentation

Print the complete report to use as a physical guide during the refill process in the warehouse.

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How to Access Bin Refill

1. Verify that Bin Flow is enabled

   Bin Refill is only available if Bin Flow is enabled in warehouse preferences. If you don’t see the option, contact the administrator.

2. Navigate to Bin Refill

   Access /bin_flow_refill.php directly from your browser or from the system menu if available.

3. Review the report

   The page will automatically display the “ROLL: Refill Order Line List” report with all flow bins that need refill.

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How to Use Bin Refill

View the Refill Report

When you access Bin Refill, you’ll automatically see a report in table format showing all flow bins that are below their minimum level. The report includes the following columns:

• Sku/UPC: Product SKU and its UPC code
• Description: Complete product description, including:
  • Product description
  • Lot (LOT)
  • Expiration date (EXPIR)
  • Unit of Measure (UOM)
  • Account name (Account)
• Source LOC/BIN: Recommended source location and bin with available quantity in parentheses
• Target Flow bin: The flow bin that needs refill, showing:
  • Bin name
  • Current quantity in parentheses
  • Configured minimum and maximum levels
• Qty Move: Suggested quantity to move (displayed in large size for easy reading)

Understanding the Report

1. Identify bins that need refill

   The report only shows flow bins where the current quantity (QtyProductID) is less than the configured minimum level (qty_min).

2. Review product information

   Each row shows complete product information including SKU, UPC, description, lot, expiration date, and UOM. This information is important to ensure you move the correct product.

3. Identify the source bin

   The “Source LOC/BIN” column shows the recommended location and bin from which to move inventory. The system selects source bins that have:

   • The same product
   • The same lot
   • The same UOM
   • The same expiration date
   • Allowed bin category (2, 0, 4 - not blocked)

4. Review the suggested quantity

   The “Qty Move” column shows the calculated quantity needed to move to bring the flow bin to maximum level. This is a suggestion based on the difference between maximum and current quantity.

5. Verify the target flow bin

   The “Target Flow bin” column shows the bin that will receive the inventory, its current quantity, and the configured minimum and maximum levels.

Processing the Refill

The Bin Refill report is primarily informational and for planning purposes. To execute refill movements, you have two options:

Option 1: Individual Refill from Bin Flow

1. Open Bin Flow

   Navigate to /bin_flow.php to see the complete list of flow bins.

2. Identify the bin that needs refill

   Find the flow bin that appears in the Bin Refill report.

3. Click Refill

   Click the “Refill” button in the flow bin row.

4. Follow the refill process

   Complete the individual refill process as described in the Bin Flow documentation.

Option 2: Manual Movement from Inventory Control

1. Use the report as a guide

   Print or keep the Bin Refill report open as a reference.

2. Open Inventory Control

   Navigate to Inventory > Corrections or use the Inventory Control application.

3. Create manual movements

   For each report line, create a manual movement from the source bin to the target flow bin with the suggested quantity.

4. Verify the details

   Make sure the movement matches the lot, UOM, and expiration date shown in the report.

Printing the Report

1. Click Print ROLL

   At the top of the page, you’ll find a “Print ROLL” button.

2. Review the format

   The report will open in a print-optimized window with all information formatted.

3. Print or save

   Use your browser options to print the report or save it as PDF for future reference.

4. Use the report in the warehouse

   Take the printed report to the warehouse to guide the physical refill process.

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Functionality Details

Criteria to Appear in the Report

A flow bin appears in the Bin Refill report only if it meets all these conditions:

• Bin Flow enabled: preferences_wh.bin_flow = 'true'
• It’s a flow bin: bincategory_id = 5
• Has minimum configured: qty_min > 0
• Below minimum: QtyProductID < qty_min
• Active product: DistributionCenter = '1'

Source Bin Selection

The system selects source bins for each flow bin based on these criteria:

1. Same product: Same ProductID
2. Same lot: Same lot
3. Same UOM: Same UOM
4. Same expiration date: Same expir
5. Allowed category: bincategory_id in (2, 0, 4) - not blocked (1, 3)
6. Available quantity: QtyProductID > 0
7. Not the flow bin: Not the same bin that needs refill
8. Not in use: Not in the list of bins already used for other refills

Suggested Quantity Calculation

The suggested quantity to move is calculated considering:

• Flow bin maximum level: qty_max
• Flow bin current quantity: QtyProductID
• Source bin available quantity: Source bin QtyProductID minus quantity in processing

The system attempts to fill the flow bin to maximum, but respects the restrictions of available quantity in source bins.

Report Sorting

The report sorts bins by bin name (BIN) in ascending order, facilitating physical location in the warehouse.

Account Information

Each report line includes the account name (CompanyName) associated with the flow bin, which is useful when managing multiple accounts in the same warehouse.

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💡 Best Practices

Review the Report Regularly

Review the Bin Refill report daily or according to your picking frequency to keep flow bins stocked.

Prioritize Critical Bins

Identify which flow bins are most critical for your operation and refill them first. Use the report to plan work order.

Verify Source Bin Availability

Before executing a refill, physically verify that the source bin has the available quantity shown in the report.

Print the Report for Reference

Print the report and use it as a physical guide in the warehouse. Mark completed lines to avoid duplicating work.

Coordinate with the Team

If multiple people execute refills, coordinate who handles which bins to avoid conflicts and duplicate efforts.

Document Changes

If you adjust suggested quantities or use different source bins, document the reason for future reference and analysis.

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Troubleshooting

I don’t see the report or it’s empty

Problem: The report doesn’t show any bins or the page is blank.

Solutions:

1. Verify that Bin Flow is enabled in warehouse preferences
2. Verify that flow bins exist configured with bincategory_id = 5
3. Make sure at least one flow bin has QtyProductID < qty_min
4. Verify that flow bins have qty_min > 0 configured
5. Contact the administrator if the problem persists

The report shows bins without source bins

Problem: Some flow bins appear in the report but don’t have recommended source bins.

Solutions:

1. Verify that other bins exist with the same product, lot, UOM, and expiration date
2. Make sure source bins have available quantity (greater than 0)
3. Verify that source bins are in allowed categories (not blocked)
4. If no source bins are available, you’ll need to receive more inventory before you can refill

Suggested quantities seem incorrect

Problem: The quantities in “Qty Move” don’t seem correct.

Solutions:

1. Quantities are calculated based on qty_max - QtyProductID of the flow bin
2. Verify that minimum and maximum levels are configured correctly in Bin Flow
3. Verify that the flow bin’s current quantity is correct
4. Quantities may be adjusted based on source bin availability

I can’t print the report

Problem: The print button doesn’t work or the format is incorrect.

Solutions:

1. Verify that JavaScript is enabled in your browser
2. Try using a different printer or saving as PDF
3. Verify that printing libraries are loaded correctly
4. Try printing from another page and then return to Bin Refill

The report shows outdated information

Problem: The report shows information that doesn’t match warehouse reality.

Solutions:

1. Reload the page to get updated data
2. Verify that there are no recent changes in bins that haven’t been saved
3. If the problem persists, verify data synchronization between the system and physical warehouse
4. Contact the administrator if there are significant discrepancies

Some flow bins don’t appear in the report

Problem: I know there are flow bins below minimum but they don’t appear in the report.

Solutions:

1. Verify that the bin has bincategory_id = 5 (flow bin)
2. Verify that it has qty_min > 0 configured
3. Verify that it’s actually below minimum (QtyProductID < qty_min)
4. Verify that the product has DistributionCenter = '1'
5. If it meets all criteria and doesn’t appear, contact the administrator

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Related Links

Next Steps:

• Bin Flow - Configure and manage minimum and maximum levels of flow bins
• Bin Lists - Manage bin volumes
• Bin Overview - Complete view of bin inventory
• Assign Bins - Assign and manage bins
• Warehouse Overview - Warehouse general overview
• Inventory Control - General inventory control and corrections