Zones

Zone Detailed Overview

A warehouse zone is a physically or logically segregated area within a warehouse defined by the product handling type (e.g., by LPN or by product) or by type of material (e.g., hazardous material, temperature requirements, etc.)

A zone enables defining constraints for putaway, retrieval, and picking of SKUs in the warehouse.

This warehouse zone system allows you always to store the items in the exact locations so that employees can know where the items are stored.

Create New Zone

To create a new zone for existing warehouse navigate to Setup > Warehouse > Warehouses and choose a warehouse from the 'Code' column.

Next click 'New' button in the top right corner of the 'Zones' section as shown below.

In the following window fill as much information as possible, then click 'Submit' in the bottom right corner to continue.

There are two Product Handling types: By Product or by LPN. Chose the desire handling type for each zone according to the zone requirements.

Notice: 'Zone code' and 'Product handling' fields are mandatory for creation of the new zone. These and other information fields can be edited later.

Zone Setup/Editing

To finalize new zone setup or to edit existing zones navigate to Setup > Warehouse > Zones and click the link of the chosen zone from 'Code' column.

Following window presents a full variety of zone configurations that are available in P4W system.

Zone Details

  • Zone code: Name of the current zone.

  • Mask: Zone Mask is an especially important feature that is best managed by the implementation team. In a brief overview zone mask will assist user in creating sufficient amount of bin locations to accommodate physical layout of your warehouse.

Zone masking all depends on the physical warehouse layout, use this feature with care as you can accidently create hundreds of thousands of bin locations.

Mask Structure: Mask segments are inside of { } each segment is numbered. Below are a couple samples with the results.

  1. A-{0:00}-(1:000} = A-01-001

    • This format is Zone, Aisle, Level

  2. B-{0:00}-{1:00} = B-01-01

    • This format is Zone, Aisle, Level

  • Warehouse: shows which warehouse this zone belongs to.

  • Product handling: from the dropdown menu select how this zone will store warehouse goods. For a picking zone - 'By Product'. For overstock storage - 'By Lpn'.

  • Printer: from the dropdown menu select printer to assign to the current zone.

  • Allowed categories: users can list product categories that are permitted in current zone. By default, the field is empty and all product categories are permitted for storage. This setting is useful when setting up Refrigerated Zones, Frozen Zones, Hazardous Materials Zones, etc.

  • Quarantine zone: is for broken, damaged or expired product, this inventory does not show as available to pick for sales orders.

  • Production area: is for manufacturing products, a production zone typically is a series of Production Lines. Raw goods or parts are delivered to the production area, finished good are removed from the production area.

  • Allow multiple products per bin: this settings allows to mix different products in one bin. Potentially, can cause slow-downs in the warehouse operations.

  • One bin per product: limits the number of products per bin. Reduce storage flexibility and can cause space issues for smaller warehouses.

  • Dedicated product bins: creates a dedicated bin for select product. Prevent another product storage even if the bin is currently empty. Best use case is a POS (point of sale) within the warehouse.

  • Allow multiple client products per bin: allows mixing products from different warehouse clients in one bin. Can be used when identical product belongs to two different customers within the warehouse.

  • Packsize handling: from the dropdown menu choose how zone will handle products within it. Available packsize options depends on your product settings.

While 'Prevent Eaches' and 'Prevent Packs' options simply would not allow product storage in these packsizes, 'Convert Packs To Eaches' will allow storage of packs of goods but will automatically convert them into eaches.

  • Allow multiple packsizes per bin: allows different packsizes to be stored in one bin except for LPNs. Overstock storage requires dedicated warehouse zone.

  • Allow multiple Lots per bin: allows bin to contain the same product from different batches to be stored together.

  • Allow multiple expiries per bin: allows mixing of different expiry dates in the same bin. This feature is best used with implementation of inventory management methods (e.g., FIFO, LIFO).

Dimensions

In the following window users can setup bin dimensions within the the zone. By default, all the bins created in this zone will inherit current settings

Notice: Cubic measurements of the bin is calculated automatically when length, width, and height fields are filled.

Client Assignment

If the zone is used for 3PL operations it can be assigned to specific client in order to prevent warehouse operations not related to the zone client. Select desired client from 'Client assignment' section. Only one client can be assign to the zone.

To save your progress click 'Update' button on top of the page. Changes do not save automatically.

Zone Monitoring Feature

To access full history of zone editing click 'Changes...' link in the top left corner of the zone page.

This changes log starts with zone creation date and finishes with latest updated entry. Unsaved changes are not reflected in the 'Events' list.

Deleting Zone

Choose the zone from the list and click 'Delete' button from the 'Action' column. Before deleting the zone make sure there is no active products within it.

Notice: If there are any products currently in the zone, P4W system will prevent zone deletion process.

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