Using "Stock Location" Bin / Aisle / Rack fields

[Magic Parts]

Hi - I would like in use the "Stock Location" Bin / Aisle / Rack fields in product layout, but they are not available. Why not ? I cannot see any logical reason why these fields can't be using.

Am using Enterprise v11.0.0

[Steve G Griggs]

I think I understand what you are wanting to do, if it's to just use these to help find stock then you could add your own variables to the site, and go from there. Theres a lot of customisation you can do like this. You can display the new variables on the website or not as you choose.
When you set them up you can have them show up on whatever tab you want.
Hope I understood what you want to do, and that this helps.

[cbarling]

I think that Jeremy is referring to the inbuilt fields for bin location etc.

As I recall, these are only available in the Enterprise edition currently.

Chris

[Magic Parts]

Hi Chris - yes I am referring to the in-built fields. As I mentioned, I am using Enterprise, but the fields are not available (as far as I can see) for use in layouts. I can find no variable names for these fields. I don't want to go to the hassle of creating new custom-variables when I have spent a lot of time populating the in-built fields.

Any ideas on this ?

[Steve G Griggs]

Sorry not being familliar with enterprise I misunderstood. I will leave this to the experts.

[Krithika]

Hello Jeremy

These fields are mainly used by the picking list to indicate stock location. To display something to this effect online, you would need to create custom variables as Steve has suggested above.
Additionally, for more information on the Picking List (in case you havent explored this yet), is available in the main help.

Regards

[Magic Parts]

Hi thanks for that. I know what the fields are for, but I would like to use them to display the stock location on-screen.

I fail to see why these fields have been made un-available for use in layouts. Why have these fields been disabled for general use like any other field ?

I have populated these fields with my data and you are saying I now have to create custom fields to hold the same information ??????

Surely this is a bug.

[Duncan Rounding]

Sometimes some fields are not exposed for design (for whatever reason).

Two options...

1. (Hardest) It should however be possible to extract the relevant data from the database using php and then use the data in product layouts. This link will give an indication how this can be achieved but uses different fields:
http://actinic-tips-n-tricks.postero...abase-in-actin
You would need to know the database relationship between the product and the fields, unfortunately I don't have Enterprise to help but if you are OK with SQL you could work it out.

2. (Simplest) You can create new custom varaibles to hold the same data, export the catalog, then using Excel copy over the already entered data into the new custom variables and then import the changes. You can then use the custom variables in the design.

[brucet]

You seem to be saying that you want your customers to be able to see the physical locations of your stock - is that correct? It's quite an unusual request. It would be helpful if you could explain a bit more about what you are trying to achieve.

[Magic Parts]

Thanks Duncan for those notes - I will check them out.

Bruce - yes I am experiementing with this, for logged in account holders (eg. our trade customers). It maybe an unusual request but I cannot see the benefit of crippling a field for no reason.

At the end of the day the fields could be used for ANYTHING, so why not allow them to be displayed ?

[Magic Parts]

Just a few other thoughts, it is perfectly possible to display information in a discreet way - for example we have lots of trade catalog books that display Dealer Buy Price right next to the RRP - but you would never know that unless you were savvy to it - this is useful when you are with a customer looking at the same directory. My point is that the Bin Location could be displayed without a customer even knowing that.

Another point is that we do not STOCK everything that we sell, so it would be nice to be able to test the Bin location field in some way, and display something based on the Bin location field.

Another point is that you might test the field like this: IF BINLOCATION = "Lincoln" then display "In Stock at our Lincoln Branch

I think the fields should be made available so they can be used for more than just the Picking List.

[Mike Hughes]

Hi Jeremy,

I think we can all see alternative uses that the parts bin field could be used for but that's not what was intended when they were defined.

The best way to do what you want is to use a custom variable which is what they're there for. This can be done now although it will entail a bit of work for you to re-enter the data. You can speed this up and make it easier by exporting and re-importing the data. (or you might find someone who can help you copy the data across in access).

The change to the standard fields you've requested is unlikely to happen anytime soon as it would have to go on the wish list, be prioritised, implemented, tested and released.

Your best bet really is to bite the bullet and use custom variables.

Mike

[brucet]

WHS - that's really not what the fields are for. They are intended to help a member of staff who is packing orders to locate stock in the warehouse. That's why they have names like 'Aisle' and 'Bin', and why they are not made available for display on the web site.

What you want can easily be achieved using custom fields. See the chapter 'How do I add a new text field into SellerDeck? in the SellerDeck main help.

I hope this helps

[Magic Parts]

Hmm. I really cannot believe that duplicating data is an agreeable solution.

I know HOW to create custom fields. What I am complaining about is WHY should I have to, when I have populated the correct field with the correct data, but just because some programmer somewhere has decided to either TICK or NOT TICK a box that has dis-allowed the field to be used in design layous means the fields are not usable like other fields are.

So far no good reason for why these fields are not allowed in design layouts has been put forward. Surely if I WANT to display them surely that is up to me.

This is a BUG that needs to be fixed. Duplicating data means double the disk space and double the work in maintaining.

All I am asking is that I have full access to the data that I have entered.

I will submit it to the wish list.

[brucet]

We've added your request to the wish list. Unfortunately it's not as simple as ticking a box, though.There are different types of variable for different contexts within the application.