Limit what a location can hold

To enable storage categories, go to Inventory app › Configuration › Settings. Then, in the Warehouse section, ensure the Storage Locations and Multi-Step Routes features are enabled.

To set capacities by package type, also make sure Packages is enabled in the Operations section. Click Save.

Set up storage locations to work with the storage category. A parent location must be set up, with child locations (or sublocations) assigned to it. This is because the putaway rule's Store to location will be set to the parent location, and the storage category will be set to the child location.

Go to Inventory app › Configuration › Locations.

First, set up a parent location. This can be as simple as the default WH/Stock location. Alternatively, create a new parent location by clicking the New button on the Locations page. On this parent location form, specify a Location Name and Parent Location. Select Internal as the Location Type.

Then, create sublocations of this parent location by clicking the New button. On the location form, specify a Location Name, and set the Parent Location to the parent location that was just created.

Before a storage category is applied to locations, it must be configured with specific limitations in order to decide the optimal storage location. Capacity can be limited by weight, product, and package type.

To create a storage category, go to Inventory app › Configuration › Storage Categories, and click New.

On the storage category form, type a name for the category in the Storage Category field.

The Allow New Product field defines when the location is considered available to store a product:

• If location is empty: a product can be added there only if the location is empty.
• If products are the same: a product can be added there only if the same product is already there.
• Allow mixed products: several different products can be stored in this location at the same time.

Limit capacity by weight

A maximum product weight can be set in the Max Weight field. This limit applies to each location assigned this storage category. If a product weight is defined, the value must be set to greater than 0.

Limit capacity by product

In the Capacity by Product tab, click Add a Line to enter a product, and set the maximum capacity that should be stored at each location in the Quantity field.

Limit capacity by package type

Limiting capacity by package makes it possible to enforce real-time storage capacity checks based on package type (e.g., crates, bins, boxes, etc.).

Click Add a line to add a package type to the storage category. Alternatively, create a new package type on the Inventory tab of the product form (in the Packaging section), or from the Product Packagings page.

After the storage category is created, it can be assigned to the sublocations. Go to Inventory app › Configuration › Locations, and open the desired sublocation. Then, select the created category in the Storage Category field.

Repeat this step for all sublocations to which the storage category should apply.

With the storage category and locations set up, create the putaway rule by navigating to Inventory app › Configuration › Putaway Rules.

Click the New button to create the putaway rule. Specify a location in the Store to field.

Use the Sublocation field to specify that you want to use a storage category on the sublocations of the Store to field:

• Last Used: The last location that had a move associated with it for that product or product category is used. If there is no last location used, the destination is whatever is specified in the Store to field.
• Closest Location: The locations specified as part of the storage category are used. A storage category is mandatory in the Having Category field. The locations in the storage category must be sublocations of the location in the Store to field. If the closest locations in the storage category are full, the Store to location is used.