[Blog]()Inventory # Warehouse locations: find goods and record every movement A correct total does not mean goods are on the shelf shown by the system. **[Jonathan Perez]()**Co-founder · Design, product and sales October 8, 2026 · 8 min read **Short answer** Identify each location within its warehouse and record source, destination, product, quantity and status for every movement. Separate receiving, inspection and storage so pending goods do not appear available for picking. Test partial putaway, wrong-bin scans and retries; moving between shelves must not change the site total. ## Receiving, bin and picking route tests Ten checks cover identity, partial putaway, held zones and bin replenishment. [Download CSV worksheet]() In this guide - [What should identify a location?]() - [When does a receipt reach the shelf?]() - [Worked example: sixty pieces in receiving and two bins]() - [What should happen when the wrong bin is scanned?]() - [How do you test a route in your warehouse?]() ## What should identify a location? Use a short visible code whose identity includes the warehouse, even if the local label simply says A-01. Define aisle, shelf and position only to the detail your team can maintain. Two buildings may each have A-01; the system must not confuse them. Also identify each zone’s purpose: receiving, inspection, storage or preparation. A location existing on screen without a legible physical sign is difficult to verify on the floor. Microsoft documents coordinates, location types and entry or exit holds in its Inventory Management module, explicitly distinguishing it from WMS. Confirm which module you are evaluating before requesting the same screen. [Location reference](). The operational rule is which movements each zone allows and how people physically identify it. ## When does a receipt reach the shelf? A confirmed receipt does not prove goods are already put away. Record the move from receiving to the shelf using the quantity actually moved. If a case remains behind, it should remain in receiving. If inspection is required, preserve its hold even when the location changes. Do not let a person close an entire task after moving only part: the remainder needs a quantity and intended destination rather than just a “completed” checkbox. ## Worked example: sixty pieces in receiving and two bins **Synthetic UB-A data** One site receives 60 pieces. RCV is receiving; A-01 and B-02 are storage. The ten pieces remaining in RCV need review and are unavailable for picking. These are not customer data. | Event |RCV |A-01 |B-02 |Physical total | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | R60 receipt |60 |0 |0 |60 | | L30: put 30 in A-01 |30 |30 |0 |60 | | L20: put 20 in B-02 |10 |30 |20 |60 | | S12: issue 12 from A-01 |10 |18 |20 |48 | | L08: move 8 from B-02 to A-01 |10 |26 |12 |48 | | Repeat L08 |10 |26 |12 |48 | After S12 there are 48 physical pieces, but only 38 in available storage bins; the ten in RCV remain held. L08 changes two balances while preserving the total. Request A-01 and B-02 history, not only an aggregate report. Odoo 19 describes a report separating quantities by location and providing movement history. [Locations report](). Seeing a location in a report does not prove someone correctly confirmed putaway. ## What should happen when the wrong bin is scanned? While preparing S12, scan B-02 when the task expects A-01. Require a clear rejection or an explicit authorized change retaining the new source. Do not accept an A-01 issue when goods were physically taken from B-02: the total might remain correct while both bin balances become wrong. Repeat the check with another warehouse’s label and a location temporarily closed for repair, retaining the observed response in each case. - Normal: L30 and L20 preserve the ten pending pieces in RCV and show who confirmed each destination. - Exception: picking from RCV or a closed zone respects the agreed hold without changing the balance. - Retry: after losing L08’s response, query the same reference; repeating it must not move another eight pieces. - Correction: reverse or correct wrong putaway with source, destination, reason and original link; do not fix it by deleting the earlier movement. ## How do you test a route in your warehouse? Walk a real route using the [location and movement worksheet](): receiving, two bins and an issue. Note unreadable labels or tasks that allow confirmation away from the correct location. Review [cycle counting]() to verify zone balances and [interwarehouse transfers]() when goods leave a site. The scope of [distribution management software]() should agree this route before adding more detail than your team can record. ## Bring a route where goods become misplaced In a free consultation we can review location detail and the points where movement confirmation is missing. - A layout and receiving/two-bin labels. - An actual receipt, partial putaway and issue. - Inspection policy and a wrong-location incident. [Book a free consultation]()[Ask on WhatsApp]() Related - [Inventory management system]() - [Distribution management software]() ## Frequently asked questions ### Must every warehouse slot have an identifier? Only if operations can maintain that detail. Start with useful zones and bins; precision that nobody confirms creates false locations. ### Does moving goods to another shelf increase inventory? Not in this exercise: source decreases and destination increases by the same quantity. Check the total and both balances before and after. ### Is everything received available for picking? Not necessarily. Putaway, inspection and acceptance may remain pending. Define which status permits reservation or issue. ### What should happen with a damaged label? Use controlled alternative identification, verify the location and record the exception. Reprint or correct the label rather than selecting another bin just to continue. ## Sources 1. [Inventory locations]()Microsoft Learn 2. [Locations report in Odoo 19]()Odoo Last updated: October 8, 2026 ## Keep reading [InventoryOct 8, 2026 ### Cycle counting while the warehouse operates: cutoff and adjustments]()[InventoryOct 5, 2026 ### Inventory between warehouses: transfers, reservations and transit]()[InventoryOct 8, 2026 ### Barcode receiving: test labels, lots and duplicate events]() --- Canonical: https://nightlysoftware.com/en/blog/warehouse-bin-locations Updated: 2026-10-08 Description: Test receiving, putaway, picking and bin replenishment. Reconcile shelf balances and held areas with an example and a downloadable worksheet.