To manage inventory effectively, FieldEx uses a structured three-level hierarchy: Location → Zone → Bin. This structure helps organize warehouses, support accurate inventory movement, and ensure your technicians are always equipped.
While Location and Zone provide structure, the Bin is the point where stock physically exists and where all inventory actions such as transfers, assignments, or consumption occur. Understanding how to configure this hierarchy properly is key to real-time visibility and operational control.
Description: |
Location – The Building or Site
A Location refers to a physical building or major storage facility. This might be a warehouse, depot, or a permanent onsite store.
Examples:
Equipment Warehouse
Regional Spare Parts Store
Operations Depot
Maintenance Hub
Locations group Zones and Bins and act as the top-level container in the inventory structure.
Zone – The Section or Floor
A Zone represents a subdivision within a location. It could be a floor, room, aisle, or process-specific area (e.g., Dispatch or Receiving).
Examples:
Receiving Area
Dispatch Zone
Floor 1 – Electrical Components
Level 2 – Field Kit Prep
Zones help organize your physical layout and improve navigation, but they do not hold stock themselves.
Bin – The Actual Storage Point
A Bin is the lowest level and the only level where inventory is physically stored and moved. It can represent anything from a warehouse shelf to a technician’s van or even a technician themselves.
Examples:
Rack A1 – Filters
Shelf B2 – Toolkits
BIN-VAN-MICHAEL (a van as a mobile storage unit)
KIT-PM-GENERATOR (a prepacked service kit)
BIN-USER-LISA (a technician’s personal stock bin)
Bins are where FieldEx tracks all part quantities, movements, and job usage. Every transfer, deduction, or stocking action happens at the bin level.
Technician = Bin? Yes!
When a user is marked as a Bin User in their access profile, FieldEx automatically creates a personal bin tied to that user:
This bin is called
BIN-USER-[Name]It can receive transfers, store spare parts, and track usage by that individual
Ideal for accountability, return tracking, or cost control
Reminder: A van is also modeled as a bin but it’s shared and tied to the vehicle, not the person. A user bin is individual and automatically created. |
Why This Structure Matters
Level | Purpose | Example |
Location | Physical site (e.g., building) | Northern Warehouse |
Zone | Sub-area within the location | Floor 1 – Electrical |
Bin | Actual inventory holder and tracking unit | Rack B3, BIN-VAN-JOHN, BIN-USER-LISA |
Examples Across Business Types
Use Case | Location | Zone | Bin |
Stocking electrical parts | Main Warehouse | Ground Floor – Parts | Rack A3 – Fuses |
Issuing a technician toolkit | Central Store | Dispatch Zone | BIN-VAN-LISA |
Managing repair returns | Service Depot | Inspection Area | BIN-RETURN-FAULTY-TOOLS |
Preparing prebuilt maintenance kits | Spare Parts Store | Kit Assembly Section | KIT-MAINTENANCE-TRUCK-FLEET |
Assigning parts to a technician | Regional Warehouse | User Inventory Zone | BIN-USER-MATT |
Best Practices
Always define bins as the final inventory point: rack, shelf, van, technician, or kit.
Use zones to group bins logically (by workflow, level, or responsibility).
Only create locations for fixed physical buildings.
Do not use vans or mobile setups as locations model them correctly as bins under a mobile dispatch zone.
Mark each technician as a bin user if you want personal inventory tracking.
Summary
Location = building or warehouse
Zone = internal section (floor, function, or area)
Bin = actual stock point (rack, shelf, van, user, kit)
By setting up your inventory hierarchy correctly in FieldEx, you gain full visibility over where each part is, who has it, and how it's moving leading to better stock control, faster field operations, and reduced waste.