Examples of containers using tote boxes (left) and pallets (right)
What are containers?
Containers in PVX are moveable objects in the warehouse that contain inventory items. Containers can be pallets, roll cages, tote boxes or other kinds of objects used to move inventory around the warehouse. For example, consider a pallet that holds 5 boxes each containing 4 items, so there are 20 items on the pallet in total. The pallet can be set up as a container and assigned a unique barcode identifier in PVX.
Items within a container move as the container moves around the warehouse. Using the web app, you can quickly view reports on the current inventory as well as the item and movement history of each container.
Containers provide standard size inventory holdings and make it easy to visually identify an exact quantity of inventory items. They also enable easy and rapid physical movement of large numbers of items around the warehouse. This can be especially useful in pallet-based operations with bulk storage of inventory.
Properties of containers
Containers in PVX have specific properties within the warehouse management system:
A container is always stored in a location. PVX stores information about the items held in each container and the containers stored in each location.
Items can be moved between containers.
Containers can be moved between locations.
It is possible to store multiple containers in one location.
PVX identifies individual containers through a unique code with the prefix CON. The code can be printed onto a barcode label and applied to the container.
Inventory items held within a container at a location cannot be removed directly from the location; they must be removed from the container first, registered to the location, and then removed from there.
Setting up containers
Containers must be set up in the web app before they can be used to manage inventory.
Each container is based on a unit, an enclosure for inventory items defined in PVX (these are also used for defining units of measure). Before you create your containers, you should set up the required units in the web app.
To create a new unit:
Go to the Units tab in the Setup module of the web app.
Click Add new.
Enter the name, code and abbreviation for the new unit. The abbreviation must be no longer than three characters.
Click Save. The new unit will be displayed in the tab, and can be selected when setting up your containers.
You cannot edit a unit once it is created, but you can remove it from PVX by selecting the unit and clicking Delete.
To set up new containers:
Go to the Containers tab in the Warehouse module of the web app.
Click Add new. The Add new container dialog is displayed.
Enter the number of new containers you want to set up.
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Select the Type of container from the drop-down list. This list contains the units set up on your account using the Units tab in the Setup module.
You can click Add in the Add new container dialog to create a new type of unit, but you won't be able to assign a barcode or abbreviation to it, so we recommend using the Units tab to create new unit types.
Click the Holder box. Another dialog opens which displays the location hierarchy of your warehouse.
Select the initial location for the container(s) from the diagram of location groups on the left, and click OK.
Optionally, enter a reference for the container (this is not the barcode, which is generated automatically).
Click Save. The container is displayed in the tab with its associated barcode, and it will appear in its designated location in the list of locations shown in the mobile app. You can now put items into the container using either the Receive or Move functions; see the user's guide for more information on these operations.
You can delete an empty container from the system by clicking Delete in the Containers tab. If there are inventory items in the container then these must be moved to another location before you can delete the container. You can find more information on managing containers in the user's guide.