Locations

Location master data contains all the essential information about your warehouse layout and storage areas in the WMS system. This is a comprehensive location management system specifically designed for 3PL warehouse operations.

In this article

• Locations
  • In this article
  • Getting Started with Locations
    • Import Locations
    • Location Hierarchy
  • Location Setup and Configuration
    • Buildings
    • Location Types, Capacity, and Restrictions
    • Location Groups
    • Zones and Picking

Getting Started with Locations

Import Locations

The best way to import your location into Business Central is to use the import master data functionality.

Location Hierarchy

Setting up a clear location hierarchy is essential for effective warehouse management. The hierarchy is used for capacity calculations, applying restrictions, optimizing routing, and even for invoicing. It also enables you to implement shelf locations and manage your warehouse layout efficiently.

A typical warehouse location hierarchy looks like this: Building → Hall → Aisle → Rack → Shelf → Bin (Location)

Note

The hierarchy you define will be used by the system to:

• Calculate storage capacity at every level (e.g., per hall, aisle, or shelf)
• Apply restrictions and rules (such as which items can be stored where)
• Optimize picking and put-away routes
• Support correct invoicing based on storage location

After importing your locations, always use the Update View function. This updates the system so it recognizes the correct structure and can calculate paths and capacities for each location.

[!EXAMPLE] Example: Warehouse Location Hierarchy

• Location (Bin): 01A01
  • Shelf: RACK1A
    • Rack: RACK1
      • Aisle: AISLE1
        • Hall: HALL1
          • Building: EDE

In this example, 01A01 is a bin (location) on shelf RACK1A, which is part of rack RACK1, located in aisle AISLE1, inside hall HALL1, within building EDE. On the location card for HALL1, the parent location number is set to EDE.

By following this structure, you ensure your warehouse is ready for advanced features and efficient daily operations.

Location Setup and Configuration

Buildings

When setting up your warehouse, you can create separate "buildings" to represent different warehouses or halls. This is helpful if your sites operate independently, as it allows you to keep their operations and inventory separate.

Scan users can log in to a specific building, so they will only see the inbound and outbound tasks for their assigned building. This makes it easier for users to focus on their own area and avoid confusion.

However, keep in mind that if a scan user needs to work in multiple buildings at the same time, switching between them can be less convenient. Before deciding to use multiple buildings, consider whether your users will need to work across sites.

Each building has its own standard inbound and outbound locations, making it easy to manage the flow of goods for each site.

Important for warehouse operations - Configure buildings for different warehouses or halls. See WMS Buildings for detailed configuration.

Note

When you create a new building, you must also add warehouse employees to that building. See Warehouse Employee for setup instructions.

Location Types, Capacity, and Restrictions

Location types help you organize and group your warehouse locations based on shared characteristics, such as size or height. For example, you might assign a different location type code to each group of locations with a specific height or storage capacity.

Important for warehouse operations - Set up location types, capacity calculations, and restrictions. This is crucial for proper warehouse management. See Location Types, Capacity, and Restrictions for detailed configuration.

Location Groups

Important for restriction management - Group locations for bulk restrictions and handling unit type management. See Location Groups for detailed setup.

Zones and Picking

Important for warehouse operations - Configure zones for different location purposes and set up picking strategies. See Zones and Picking for detailed configuration.

The role of a location is determined by the zones and the field in the Warehouse tab on the location card. You can create zones yourself if you search for the Zone list. The Boolean values indicate for which the location is available.

Tip

If you assign a zone code to a location but leave the zone type empty (not set to "Bulk" or "Pick"), the system will not include any inventory in that location when picking or allocating stock. This can lead to confusion if you expect items to be available but they are not shown for allocation or picking tasks.

Always check that each zone has the correct zone type assigned so your inventory is available when you need it. However, if you want to intentionally keep certain inventory out of the allocation process—such as items on docks or in staging areas—leaving the zone type empty is a simple way to do this. The system will automatically exclude those locations from allocation and picking.