mcp-wms-wiki/wiki/concepts/location.md

title, type, sources, related, last_compiled

title	type	sources	related	last_compiled
Location	concept	areas/layout/index.md areas/layout/organization.md areas/layout/site.md areas/layout/location_types/location_types.md areas/inventory_management/locations/locations.md areas/inventory_management/locations/location_lock_types.md areas/inventory_management/locations/locations_features.md areas/inventory_management/locations/reports/Locations_errors_traceability.md sources/archives/30_Reapprovisionnement_2_sous_entrepots_zone_intermediaire.md	concepts/container.md concepts/stock.md concepts/putaway.md concepts/replenishment.md concepts/count.md concepts/defragmentation.md concepts/task.md concepts/crossdocking.md concepts/stations.md	2026-04-17

Location

Overview

A location is any physical or virtual space capable of storing loose stock and/or containers within the warehouse. Locations are the fundamental spatial unit of Easy WMS: every piece of stock must have a location, every container must be placed in a location, and every movement task has a source and destination location.

Locations sit within a hierarchical spatial model: Organization → Warehouse (Site) → Zone → Aisle → Side → Column/Row. This hierarchy determines how putaway strategies are applied, how routes are calculated, and how work zones restrict equipment access. The configuration of each location - its type, storage mode, capacity, and logics - determines which processes can use it and how the system manages stock within it.

Locations are created and configured by implementers using the EasyS or Easy Assistant configuration tools. End users cannot create or delete physical locations; they can only manage stock within them and perform administrative operations such as locking, relabeling, or changing work zones.

Types

Virtual locations

Virtual locations are automatically created by the WMS configurators and cannot be modified or deleted. They have infinite capacity and no physical constraints. Virtual locations are exclusively used with containers (never loose stock in standard processes).

Virtual location	Purpose
ASN	Pre-notified containers awaiting physical receipt. When ERP sends an ASN message, the container is placed here until it arrives at the dock.
Lost_Found	Containers that are physically lost or whose system location mismatches the physical reality. Operators or the system can send containers here manually.
Mov	Containers currently in transit through an automatic warehouse (moving on conveyors or AS/RS).

Physical location types

Physical locations have concrete capacity, dimension, and storage logic constraints. The type determines the storage strategy and what the system controls.

Location type	Stores	System controls	Behavior
Conventional rack (uncontrolled)	Containers + loose stock	Height, weight, capacity	Direct unit access; no position tracking within location
Conventional rack	Containers	Height, weight, capacity, position (X/Y)	Direct unit access; full position tracking; supports depth management (automatic warehouses)
Compact mono (Drive-In)	Containers	Height, weight, capacity, depth	LIFO; one item type per channel; high-density storage
Compact multi (Drive-In)	Containers	Height, weight, capacity, depth	LIFO; different items per height; used with Pallet Shuttle systems
APS (Automatic Pallet Shuttle)	Containers	Height, weight, capacity, depth	LIFO only; exclusive to automatic warehouses; satellite cart on AS/RS
APSFIFO	Containers	Height, weight, capacity, depth	FIFO by default (load one side, unload other); can be closed to LIFO; exclusive to automatic warehouses
Dynamic (gravity)	Containers	Height, weight, capacity, depth	FIFO; rollers on inclined rails; one item per height; separate load/unload aisles
Pushback	Containers	Height, weight, capacity, depth	LIFO; containers push back when loaded, fall forward on extract
Cantilever	Containers + loose stock	Weight, capacity	For long/irregular loads (pipes, profiles, sheets)
Buffer	Containers + loose stock	Capacity	Intermediate staging; not for final storage; floor-level
Dock	Containers + loose stock	Capacity	Receipt/shipping docks (3 subtypes: receipt, shipping, or both)
Equipment	Containers + loose stock	Capacity	On-board or handheld locations (forklifts, carts); includes picking slots for multi-order preparation
Conveyor	Containers + loose stock	Capacity	E-Commerce module only; transports stock from receive point to carrier dock

Compact sub-types: Pallet Shuttle and APS

The Pallet Shuttle is a semi-autonomous cart introduced into a compact channel. It moves containers to the first free position using LIFO or FIFO (configurable when empty). Controlled via WiFi.

The APS is a satellite cart integral to the AS/RS stacker crane. It is fully automated, managed by Easy WMS, and exclusively LIFO (or FIFO for APSFIFO).

Conventional rack: putaway and extraction errors

In conventional rack and APS locations, if a container physically cannot be deposited or extracted, the system marks a putaway error or extraction error at the specific position. Affected positions are excluded from future location searches. Errors are cleared manually from the Locations view.

Transit buffer between sub-warehouses

When two sub-warehouses cannot share equipment (e.g., only high-reach forklift accesses a mezzanine, but it is barred from the ground-floor picking area), an intermediate Buffer location lets two different equipment types hand stock off to each other.

Pattern - Sub-warehouse B reserve → Transit buffer → Sub-warehouse A picking:

• EasyS element of type "Transport" with aisles configured.
• Its sub-location (double-click the transport element) is the actual buffer location. EasyS creates it as type Automatic - it must be changed manually to type Buffer, otherwise the RFT rejects the container scan with "le support n'existe pas".
• The transport sub-warehouse must be reachable by both equipment groups.

Routing:

Route from	Route to
Transport element	Sub-warehouse A (picking)
Both equipment groups	Transport element
Equipment group PICKING	Both sub-warehouses
Equipment group RESERVE	Sub-warehouse B only

Routes default to transport type Galileo - manually flip them to RF for a manual warehouse.

Flow at runtime:

1. Replenishment task created from reserve (B) to picking location (A).
2. RESERVE equipment (e.g., CACES06) takes the task → drops container on the transit Buffer.
3. PICKING equipment (e.g., PIK01) picks the task in Tâches → Tâches de réapprovisionnement → drops stock at the picking destination.

See concepts/replenishment.md for the matching replenishment flow.

Location coding

Physical locations are coded as: A (Aisle) S (Side) X (Column) Y (Row).

Example: 3izq0205 = Aisle 3, left side, column 02, row 05.

Labeling formats depend on rack type:

• Upright labels: for compact, cantilever, dynamic, pushback; placed on uprights showing all heights for a column
• Beam labels: for conventional, dynamic, pushback; placed on beam at level 1 showing all heights
• Location labels: for rack and picking locations; one label per cell

Labels are printed in A4 format from the "Locations" screen or the RF terminal Utilities menu.

Storage modes

Each physical location has a storage mode defining what it can hold:

Mode	Containers	Loose stock
Container	Yes	No
Stock	No	Yes
Container and stock	Yes	Yes (simultaneously)
Container or stock	Yes	Yes (but not simultaneously)

Mode changes are restricted by location type: Rack, APS, and Drive-In locations have fixed modes.

Storage logics (per location)

Location behavior is governed by logics configured on each location. These control which processes can use the location:

Logic	Effect
Allow putaway	Location is valid for putaway location search
Allow replenishment (target)	Valid as destination for replenishment
Allow replenishment source	Valid as source stock for automatic replenishment
Allow replenishment origin (tense flow)	Valid as replenishment source for tense flow buffer
Allow shipping	Stock here is eligible for stock assignment for outbound orders
Allow count	Stock here is valid for automatic count processes
Allow assignment of item to location	Can be configured as a picking dedicated location (PDL)
Allow mixing of container types	Multiple container types can coexist in this location
Allow empty containers	Empty containers can be stored here
Is crossdocking location	Used to store stock expected to ship soon; included in XD location search
Delete empty containers	On/Off/Ask: controls whether empty containers are auto-deleted after extraction

Location attributes

Key attributes visible in the "Locations" view:

Attribute	Description
Storage mode	Container / Stock / Container and stock / Container or stock
Type	Location type (conventional, compact, buffer, dock, etc.)
Rack type	Rack configuration for rack-type locations
Work zone	Restricts which equipment can access this location
Storage zone	Groups locations for putaway strategy targeting
Control digit	Short code for location confirmation (voice/RF terminals)
Station	Station this location belongs to (if any)
Sub-warehouse	Sub-warehouse this location belongs to
Coordinates	Aisle, side, X, Y, depth, stackability
Maximum weight	kg capacity
Height	m - used for container height compatibility checks
Last count date	When this location was last physically counted
Full (manually marked)	Location excluded from putaway search; cleared when stock is added manually
Crossdocking location	Flag for crossdocking eligibility
Picking dedicated location	Flag indicating item assignment (PDL)
Compact location data	Behavior (LIFO/FIFO), loading sequence, initial FIFO flag
Allowed containers quantity	Per-container-type limits (APS locations only)
Errors traceability	Link to putaway/extraction error history (rack + APS only)

Business rules

• The system will not propose a location that is marked as full for automatic putaway.
• Putaway errors and extraction errors on rack/APS locations exclude those positions from the location search until manually cleared.
• Locking a location propagates immediately to active reserves, assignments, and tasks, potentially canceling or re-releasing them depending on lock type.
• In compact mono locations, all containers in the channel must have the same item and logistic attributes.
• In APS locations, capacity changes require the location and all sibling locations to be empty.
• FIFO/LIFO behavior of pallet shuttle locations can only be changed when the location is empty.
• Container compaction on FIFO shuttle locations moves containers toward the unload aisle, freeing space on the load side.
• Stock in a location with an extraction error may not be assignable for shipping; the system will search for alternative stock if a picking task fails.

Configuration

Location locks

Lock types are created in Masters > Lock types. Each lock type defines which operations remain allowed:

Lock operation	Effect when disallowed
Allow picking	Picking tasks cannot be created for stock here
Allow shipping	Stock is excluded from assignment for outbound orders
Allow putaway	Location excluded from putaway search
Allow counting	Location excluded from count processes
Allow moving	No movement tasks for this location
Allow replenishment	Replenishment assignments cancelled; picking tasks adjusted
Allow reserving	Existing reserves recalculated (priority to highest-priority orders)
Allow internal consumption	Manufacturing consumption blocked

Lock types can be exclusive (only one lock at a time) or cumulative (multiple locks allowed). A lock end date is optional; locks can be cleared manually via the Unlock action.

Storage logic changes

From the "Locations" view, users can modify (PC only):

• Change shipping logic (allow shipping, allow count, allow putaway, picking dedicated, crossdocking flags)
• Change container behavior (allow empty, allow mix types, delete empty)
• Change storage mode (with constraints based on type and current stock)
• Change work zone / storage zone
• Change rack type (requires empty location)
• Change allowed containers quantity (APS only, when empty)

Interface

UI path: "Locations" view in the "Warehouse" menu (PC)

RF terminal: Label printing via "Utilities" menu

Operations available in the Locations view

Operation	Hardware	Notes
Label printing	PC + printer	Range selection; format by label position (beam/upright/location)
Container creation	PC	Manually register a physically present container not in WMS
Loose stock creation	PC	Creates stock line; treated as stock adjustment
Lock / Unlock	PC	Select lock type, optional end date and comment
Work zone / Storage zone change	PC	Expands/restricts equipment access
Send to Lost & Found	PC	System shows containers in location; physical is empty
Extract to PK conveyor	PC	Move containers to picking conveyor
Extract to PS (outbound conveyor)	PC	Move containers to outbound conveyor
Relocation	PC	Automatic / to aisle / to specific location
Mark full / Unmark full	PC	Manual full flag (non-rack locations only)
Correct deposit/extraction error	PC	Rack/APS locations only
Change FIFO/LIFO behavior	PC or RFT	Empty compact locations with FIFO config only
Compacting	PC or RFT	FIFO compact locations with containers stored
Item-to-location assignment	PC	Set PDL for a specific item (manual warehouse)
Location errors trace	PC	Report of putaway/extraction errors by date range

Common errors

Symptom	Cause	Solution
Location not offered in putaway	Location is full, locked for putaway, wrong storage zone, or type/capacity mismatch	Check full flag, lock types, storage zone configuration, and container type compatibility
Extraction error persists	Container could not be extracted (obstruction); system stops offering this position	Physically resolve obstruction, then use "Correct extraction error" in Locations view
Stock shows in WMS but location is physically empty	Container was moved without system update	Use "Send to Lost & Found" to reconcile; investigate transaction history
Cannot change FIFO/LIFO	Location is not empty	Empty the location completely first
Lock not recalculating reserves	Lock type has "Allow reserving" enabled	Only locks with "Allow reserving" disabled trigger reserve recalculation
Cannot change storage mode to Stock	Location has container tasks pending	Cancel or complete tasks first

Related

• container - stored in locations; location type determines container compatibility and position tracking
• stock - stock records are always linked to a location; location logics determine stock eligibility for picking/shipping/replenishment
• putaway - putaway strategies target specific locations via zone/type/logic filters
• replenishment - PDLs are locations with item assignment; replenishment source/target logics control eligibility
• count - count processes filter on "Allow count" logic; count partition assignments link items to location positions
• defragmentation - defragmentation moves stock between locations to consolidate and optimize space
• task - all movement tasks have source/destination locations; location type determines coordinate reporting
• crossdocking - crossdocking locations flagged with "Is crossdocking" are reserved for near-term outbound stock
• stations - stations group locations into functional zones for routing and process assignment