Which Multi-Bin is right for you?

By Nicole Ronchetti

Often times here at DSD, we hear from resellers or Sage 100 & Sage 100cloud users:

“I’m looking at the DSD / ScanForce Multi-Bin Products and I don’t know which one to choose?”

Great Question!

But let’s put that on pause for a moment and talk about  DSD / ScanForce Multi-Bin in general.

Who can benefit from a Multi-Bin system?

Just about any business who carries inventory. Now you might think that’s crazy but hear me out. Maybe you’ll say to me, “Nicole, that’s ridiculous. I don’t have that much inventory and I know where everything is. It’s all in one spot and my inventory counts are 100% perfect. No one ever has trouble finding where products are. As soon as inventory is received its immediately put away, it doesn’t sit on the dock and it always goes to the exact same location every single time.”

If that is true for you – that’s great!

I can guarantee you though, that most people who work with inventory read the above and thought, “I wish.”

And here is where DSD / ScanForce Multi-Bin can help. Allowing multiple locations in Sage 100 gives you the ability to see all the locations where an item resides. BUT – you can use it for even more than that.

Use Multi-Bin for “Staging” or “Holding” locations.

Here’s a scenario, let’s say that you want to get your receiving entered and posted so the newly received inventory is reflected in the system but your receiving clerk doesn’t have time to put it all away yet in the designated picking location. With Multi-Bin you can create a “RECEIVING” location to show that those items have been received but aren’t in the regular bin location yet.  When the items are put away – do a quick transfer in Sage 100 and move the items to new destination.

What about QA? Do items go to a quality or inspection area before being put away? Create a “QUALITY” bin to show that the items are being inspected. Do you want to prevent shippers from pulling products from the “QUALITY” bin? Multi-Bin gives you the controls to do this too (even with Basic).

Now that we’ve established that most people with inventory can benefit from Multi-Bin how do you decide which one is the right one to choose? Multi-Bin Basic or Advanced?

DSD / ScanForce Multi-Bin Basic and Multi-Bin Advanced have many of the same core features. Both Multi-Bin Basic and Advanced allow you to enable Multi-Bin Inventory by Warehouse, Product Line or Bin. They both allow you to set different restrictions on bin locations such as only allowing certain transaction types or certain item codes in bin. Both even allow you to set up create “Quick Transfers” allowing you to easily move items from one location to another without having to go through an entry and posting process.

There are two big differentiating factors between Basic and Advanced: Auto-Allocations and Replenishments.

Now these two things may sound like small additional features but they allow you to do so much.

  • With Auto-Allocations you can set allocation rules based on different data entry tasks in Sage 100. So, for example, if every time I enter in a receipt of goods I want all the items to go to my “RECEIVING” location, this rule can be set up. This speeds up the data entry time immensely. Instead of a user having to enter or select that bin for each line on the receipt of goods, the selection is done for them automatically. Saving you time and money. Want to have sales orders automatically allocate the inventory when you print a picking sheet? This way you know if you have enough on the shelf and which bin the picker needs to pull the items from. Again, saving you time and money by preventing your pickers from walking around the warehouse trying to figure out which bins are full and which bins are empty.
  • With Replenishment, you can automate the task of filling bin locations. Let’s say that in addition to your warehouse you also have a showroom with stocking levels. By using Replenishment Selection and Entry within Multi-Bin Advanced, you can define Minimum and Maximum levels for a location and use the replenishment features to suggest which items and how many items need to move from their locations to the showroom. You can also use Replenishment to automatically move items from an Overstock to their designated picking locations and much more.

Again, just about everyone who has inventory can benefit from Multi-Bin – whether its Basic or Advanced. Advanced builds on the same features as basic with automation tools to save you time.

Still unsure as to which one you need?

Install and start using the basic version first. If you find you still need more, you can simply and easily move to the Advanced version. Still need more automation? Is Barcode scanning in your future? Multi-Bin Advanced comes included as part of the ScanForce Premium bundle, which includes even more WMS features along with their amazing handheld scanning software.

If you’re still not convinced, remember that DSD / ScanForce Multi-Bin Basic is FREE to Sage 100cloud users and is Sage’s chosen solution.

And when we say “free”, it’s actually free. There are no hidden fees, and the module is simple and easy enough for just about anyone to set up on their own. AND there are no ongoing maintenance costs because everything is included in your Sage 100cloud subscription plan.

So with all that being said, instead of asking, “which should I use?” or “should I use it?” – maybe you should be asking yourself “Why aren’t we using it already?”!

For more information regarding DSD / ScanForce Multi-Bin, visit the Multi-Bin Basic and Advanced Product Pages below or contact DSD at enhancements@dsdinc.com Please note that the free online training videos, which cover the installation and setup of Multi-Bin, are located on both the Basic and Advanced pages below.

Resources:

DSD / ScanForce Multi-Bin Product Page

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