Bin Location Management in 1C Bins, Pick Routes and a Scanner
Every item gets its own place in the warehouse, pickers follow a list in bin order, and storekeepers see the location right on the invoice or on a phone. We build it as a configuration extension, so standard 1C stays on vendor support.
- Warehouse bins and a location for every item
- Location import from your own Excel file
- Pick lists sorted by walking route
- Barcode scanning on a phone or a data collection terminal
Bin location management in 1C starts at 350,000 tenge. Bins and location import take one to two weeks, a route-sorted pick list a few days, and a phone scanner from three weeks.
When a warehouse needs bin locations
If only one storekeeper knows where things are, the warehouse depends on one person.
While a warehouse holds a couple of hundred items and has one experienced storekeeper, goods are found from memory. Problems start when the range grows, new staff arrive and a second warehouse opens. Pickers walk in circles, a newcomer spends a week learning where everything is, and shipments slow down whenever the key storekeeper is on leave.
Bin location management in 1C solves this simply: every item has a location, and every location has a clear name, such as rack, shelf and position. The location is shown on the item card, on the invoice and on the pick list. A new employee can pick an order on day one, because there is nothing to remember.
The second sign is mixed-up stock and lost balances. The item is in 1C, but nobody can find it, and the sales manager tells the customer it is out of stock. When every item has a location, such cases surface quickly during a bin-by-bin stock count.
The route is defined by bin order, not by the alphabet. If your warehouse is laid out as a snake or the aisle runs from the far racks to the dispatch area, we set the walking order to match the real layout, and the list prints in exactly that order.
What warehouse bin setup in 1C includes
We start with the standard configuration features and write code only where they fall short.
Many standard configurations already have a catalog of bins or storage places. We start with it to avoid unnecessary objects. If there is no standard mechanism or it does not fit your warehouse, we add our own in an extension.
- Warehouse structure. Zones, racks, shelves and positions in a numbering your storekeepers understand.
- Item location. A main bin for each item and, if needed, several places for one product.
- Location on documents. The bin appears on the lines of sales invoices, orders and transfers.
- Checks. A warning if an item on a document has no location.
- Permissions. Who can change locations and who can only view them.
We also think through how a location looks for different roles. A sales manager only needs to see whether the item is in stock and where, a storekeeper needs the exact bin and the quantity in it, and the warehouse manager needs a rack occupancy report. So the same information is shown differently in the item list, on the document, on the printed form and on the phone screen.
If you have several warehouses, locations are kept separately for each one. This matters for companies with a main warehouse and a stockroom next to a shop or showroom: an item may sit in two places, and the system must show both locations with their balances.
Importing locations from Excel
Most warehouses already have a table of storage places. There is no need to retype it.
We build an import tool that reads your file and matches rows to items by article number, barcode or code. Before writing anything, it shows what matched unambiguously, what was not found and where there are duplicates. Errors are fixed in the file and the import is run again.
This import is needed more than once. Warehouses get rearranged, racks are added, the layout changes with the season. So the tool stays with you, and the storekeeper can update locations without a developer.
If the item catalog has duplicates, bin locations will reveal them quickly. We recommend cleaning the catalog before the import; there is a separate article about it on our blog.
Route-sorted pick list
The picker walks the warehouse in one pass instead of returning to the same rack three times.
A standard invoice prints lines in the order the sales manager added them. That is inconvenient for a picker: the first item is at the far end of the warehouse, the second by the entrance, the third back at the end. We build a pick list print form with lines sorted by bin location.
You can add what your warehouse needs: a column marking pickup or delivery, a vehicle number, a manager's comment, an invoice barcode for scanning. The form opens from the invoice with one button.
If the warehouse has several zones, the list is split by zone and each picker gets their own part of the order. This is especially useful for large shipments.
Barcode scanner and the storekeeper's phone
Location and stock are visible where the person stands, not only at a computer.
The next step after locations is mobile access. A storekeeper scans a barcode with a phone camera or a data collection terminal and sees the name, balance, bin and price. When issuing goods against an invoice, the app shows which bin to take each line from.
For this we build an HTTP service in a 1C extension and connect an iPhone and Android app to it. Data comes from the live database in real time, with no intermediate tables. We explain how to open 1C data to an app on our page about API for 1C.
If items have no barcodes, we start with label printing straight from 1C. A label with the name, article number, barcode and bin location goes on the shelf and on the item, and after that scanning works without errors.
Case study: NOVA PLAST, 1C:Small Business Management (UNF)
A trading company in Kazakhstan with a warehouse, a showroom and delivery.
Before the project, not a single item had a warehouse location, pickers searched for goods from memory, and the showroom manager could not check stock from a phone. We set up bin locations on standard UNF objects and imported locations from the client's Excel file: all 209 of 209 article numbers matched unambiguously.
Then we built a route-sorted pick list with pickup and delivery marks, three reports on shipments and payments, and a scanner app for iPhone and Android. The project took about 250 hours of team work. Details are in the case study on our 1C customization page (in Russian).
Why an extension rather than editing the standard configuration
The warehouse works every day, and 1C updates should not stop it.
We make all changes in a configuration extension. The standard configuration stays on vendor support, and updates with new reporting forms install normally. After an update we check the extension on a copy of the database and only then move it to the live one.
If your database has already been customized by editing the standard configuration, we start with an audit and tell you what can be moved into an extension. More about our approach on the 1C customization page.
How bin location management is rolled out
The warehouse keeps working, and changes are switched on in stages.
- Warehouse and database review. We look at the layout, the numbering, how orders are picked now and what the configuration already has.
- Location scheme. We agree on the address format and rules: one bin per item or several.
- Development on a database copy. Bins, import, location on documents, pick list.
- Location import. We sort out mismatches in the file together with the storekeeper.
- Trial picking. We run in parallel for a few days and fix the details.
- Scanner. We connect the mobile app if it is part of the job.
Price and timeline
We quote after reviewing the warehouse and the database, in writing and before work starts.
| Work | Timeline | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Bins, item locations, Excel import | 1-2 weeks | from 350,000 ₸ |
| Route-sorted pick list | 3-5 days | from 150,000 ₸ |
| Bin reports and stock counts by location | 1-2 weeks | per estimate |
| Mobile scanner on a 1C HTTP service | from 3 weeks | per estimate |
The final amount depends on the configuration, the number of warehouses and whether work with data collection terminals is needed.
Most often the work is split into two stages. First come bins, location import and the pick list: this gives a quick result, and the warehouse starts picking by route within a couple of weeks. Then, once locations have taken hold, we connect the scanner and bin reports. This way you do not pay for everything at once and can see the effect of the first stage.
Configurations we work with
Standard 1C:Enterprise 8.3 configurations for Kazakhstan.
Most often we build bin locations in 1C:Small Business Management (UNF) and 1C:Trade Management. We also work with 1C:Integrated Automation and ERP, where warehouse features are richer, and with 1C:Retail for shops with a stockroom next to the sales floor.
If you have an industry-specific or heavily customized configuration, we look at the database first and tell you the best way to add locations.
For 1C:Accounting for Kazakhstan we usually do not build full bin location management: the configuration is designed for accounting, not for running a warehouse. If your warehouse is kept in Accounting, we suggest discussing a move to UNF or Trade Management.
Common mistakes when launching bin locations
What we see in databases where locations were set up without preparation.
Locations exist, but nobody uses them. Bins are in the catalog but do not appear on the invoice or the pick list. The storekeeper still searches from memory, and the catalog gradually goes out of date. The location must be where people look: on the print form, on the scanner screen, on the document line.
Numbering only the author understands. Codes like A1-15-3 work if everyone knows the first digit is the row and the last one is the shelf. We agree on the format with the storekeepers and label racks exactly the way the location looks in 1C.
Locations loaded once and forgotten. A warehouse is alive: new goods arrive, seasons change, racks free up. If only a developer can update locations, the catalog falls behind reality within a couple of months. That is why the import tool and a simple location change form stay with the warehouse.
Duplicate items. The same product is entered twice, one card has a location and the other does not, and the balance is split between them. It is worth cleaning the catalog before launch, otherwise accounting errors will look like warehouse errors.
No control at dispatch. The pick list is printed by route, but the picker can still take the wrong item. The next level is barcode scanning during picking: the system checks that exactly the item on the invoice was taken, in the right quantity.
Too complex a scheme at the start. Sometimes there is a wish to build storage zones, putaway rules, batch tracking in bins and automatic place selection all at once. We advise starting simpler: a location for every item, a pick list and a scanner. Once the warehouse is used to working by location, it is much easier to add complexity, and it becomes clear what is really needed.
Returns and mix-ups forgotten. Returned goods get put wherever there is space, and a month later half of the returns are not in their places. We add a putaway step to the returns process: the system shows where to put the item and prints a label if needed.
Frequently asked questions about bin locations in 1C
About bins, location import and the scanner.
How much does bin location management in 1C cost?
Bins, item locations and Excel import start at 350,000 ₸ for 1-2 weeks. A route-sorted pick list starts at 150,000 ₸. A phone scanner is estimated separately.
Does UNF have bin locations?
UNF has standard warehouse bins. We use them and add what is missing: location import, location on documents and a pick list.
Can we import locations from our own table?
Yes. We build an Excel import with checks: what matched, what did not and where there are duplicates. The tool stays with you for future rearrangements.
Will bin locations break after a 1C update?
No. The customization is an extension, and the standard configuration stays on vendor support. After an update we check the extension on a copy of the database.
Do we need data collection terminals?
Not necessarily. The app works on an ordinary phone with a camera. We connect terminals if you already have them or need them for high volume.
Can one item have several bins?
Yes, if your warehouse works that way. We discuss it at the location scheme stage, because the pick list logic depends on it.
Do you work remotely?
Yes. We connect to the server remotely and work on a copy of the database. The warehouse layout is agreed from photos and a floor plan.
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