Sorting Items in Advanced Storage Locations

The sort and bin concepts are similar to sorting in standard storage locations. It determines where in the location the items are stored and their location on the shelf. For example, you want to sort the vodkas and rums. You decide vodkas are in one column (or sort) and the rums are in another column (or sort), and that all liquors are organized by top shelf, premium, and flavored liquors. Then, you assign numbers to items based on their placement in the sort and bin.

Table 12-2 Example of Liquors Sorted in an Advanced Storage Location

Bin Number	Vodka (Sort 1)	Rum (Sort 1)
Bin 1	Top shelf: Belvedere Finlandia Grey Goose	Top shelf: Flor de Cana Bacardi 151 Mt. Gay Rum Sugar Cane
Bin 2	Premium: Absolut Ketel One Smirnoff	Premium: Captain Morgan’s Spiced Bacardi Mt. Gay Rum Eclipse
Bin 3	Flavored: Absolut Citron Smirnoff Vanilla Twist Stolichnaya Blueberry	Flavored: Captain Morgan’s Parrot Bay Bacardi O (Orange) Cruzan Mango Rum

In the above example, Grey Goose is identified by sort 1 bin 1. Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum is sort 2 bin 2. Smirnoff Vanilla Twist is sort 1 bin 3. Now, when doing inventory, employees know exactly where to go and where to look to find the items.

These numbers categorize the items together. When the inventory count sheet is printed out, all of the vodkas print together in alphabetical order. All of the rums print next and also in alphabetical order.

Use of these numbers to organize your items is completely optional. If you choose not to use identifying numbers, your items appear alphabetically. The organization and cost center decide to group items by numbers or not.