{"id":17594,"date":"2026-01-29T12:01:45","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T12:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tenthplanet.in\/idempiere\/?p=17594"},"modified":"2026-01-29T12:01:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T12:01:47","slug":"how-locators-work-in-idempiere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tenthplanet.in\/idempiere\/how-locators-work-in-idempiere\/","title":{"rendered":"How Locators Work in iDempiere"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Locator<\/strong> defines the exact physical location of stock inside a warehouse. Once active, iDempiere automatically applies locators<\/strong> during receipts, issues, transfers, and reservations based on priority and availability, ensuring accurate inventory tracking without manual selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Locators Fit in the Warehouse Workflow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A locator is always created inside a warehouse<\/strong> and works together with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Warehouse definition<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Storage records<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Material policies (FIFO \/ LIFO)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Replenishment rules<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Accounting postings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    This makes the locator the foundation for real inventory control<\/strong>, not just a reference field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Creating a Locator in a Warehouse<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    When creating a locator, the user is defining how iDempiere should store and pick products<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To create a working locator:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Select the w<\/strong>arehouse<\/strong> where inventory will be stored (mandatory<\/strong>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Enter a search Key<\/strong> to uniquely identify the location<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Keep the locator a<\/strong>ctive<\/strong> so it can be used in transactions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Mark it as d<\/strong>efault<\/strong> if this should be the primary storage location<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Once saved, the locator becomes immediately available for material receipts and issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Defining Physical Storage Structure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Locators support both simple<\/strong> and structured<\/strong> warehouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Aisle (X), Bin (Y), and Level (Z) define the physical position<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Leaving these as 0<\/code> creates a simple warehouse layout<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Using values enables rack-based or zone-based storage<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Locator Priority and Default Behavior<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        The Relative Priority<\/strong> controls which locator iDempiere prefers when multiple locations exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Higher priority locators are selected first<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Default locators are automatically used during receipts and picking<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Users are not required to manually choose locators in daily operations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          This ensures smooth operations while maintaining precise control behind the scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Understanding the Storage Tab<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          The Storage tab<\/strong> shows live inventory data for the locator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Here users can see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • Products currently stored<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • On-hand quantity<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Reserved quantity<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Ordered quantity<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Last material policy date<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            This confirms that the locator is actively used and fully operational<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            How Locators Are Used in Daily Operations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            Once created, locators work automatically in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • Material Receipts<\/strong> \u2013 stock is placed into the locator<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Material Issues<\/strong> \u2013 stock is removed from the locator<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Reservations<\/strong> \u2013 quantities are blocked at locator level<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Inventory Counts<\/strong> \u2013 adjustments are applied per locator<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Replenishment<\/strong> \u2013 minimum and maximum rules apply by location<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              Users do not need to manage locators manually\u2014iDempiere applies them intelligently<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Outcome<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              With locators correctly configured, inventory is tracked at the precise physical location level<\/strong>, making every stock movement controlled<\/strong>, fully auditable<\/strong>, and transparent. Warehouse operations remain consistent<\/strong> and predictable<\/strong>, as the system always knows exactly where stock is placed or picked. Errors from misplaced or hidden stock are effectively eliminated. Ultimately, locators transform a warehouse from a simple storage space<\/strong> into a fully managed inventory system<\/strong> that supports accurate, efficient, and reliable daily operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              A Locator defines the exact physical location of stock inside a warehouse. Once active, iDempiere automatically applies locators during receipts, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-master"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tenthplanet.in\/idempiere\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tenthplanet.in\/idempiere\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tenthplanet.in\/idempiere\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tenthplanet.in\/idempiere\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tenthplanet.in\/idempiere\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17594"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tenthplanet.in\/idempiere\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17594\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tenthplanet.in\/idempiere\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tenthplanet.in\/idempiere\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tenthplanet.in\/idempiere\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}