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Understanding Warehouses and Locations

What This Guide Covers​

This guide explains the warehouse and location settings in Endless Commerce, helping you understand how to configure where your products are stored and how different warehouse options work.

What Are Warehouses?​

A warehouse in Endless Commerce represents any place where your inventory is stored and orders can be fulfilled from. This could be a building you own and operate yourself, or it could be a third-party logistics provider (3PL) that stores and ships products on your behalf.

Each warehouse has its own settings that control how it operates within your fulfillment network. You can have multiple warehouses working together, each serving different purposes or geographic regions.

Managed vs External Warehouses​

When setting up a warehouse, one of the most important decisions is whether it's "managed" or "external."

Managed warehouses are facilities with a direct connection to Endless. This typically includes warehouses you own and operate, or warehouses managed by a 3pl that have an direct integration configured.

External warehouses are facilities managed by systems that are not directly connected to Endless. External warehouses are often created in Endless by upstream integrations like Shopify. If a location is created in an external system and then imported into Endless, it will be imported as an external warehouse by default.

Warehouse Priority and Routing​

Each warehouse can be assigned a priority number that determines the order in which it's considered for fulfilling orders. Lower numbers mean higher priority, so a warehouse with priority 1 will be considered before one with priority 5.

This priority system helps you control your fulfillment strategy. For example, you might set your main warehouse as priority 1 for fastest fulfillment, an overflow warehouse as priority 2 for when the main warehouse is out of stock, and a 3PL partner as priority 3 for backup fulfillment.

You can also designate one warehouse as the "default" for a brand, which serves as the primary fulfillment location unless inventory isn't available there.

What Are Locations?​

Locations are specific storage areas within a warehouse. Think of them as the exact spots where products are physically stored - like a particular shelf, bin, or pallet position.

Each location has a unique name that helps warehouse staff know exactly where to find or store products. Common naming conventions include alphanumeric codes like "A1-B2" for aisle and shelf positions, or descriptive names like "Receiving-Dock-3" for functional areas.

Location Types​

Locations are categorized by the type of storage they represent. Bins are small containers perfect for individual items, similar to shoeboxes on a shelf. Shelves represent rack-based storage for medium quantities of products. Pallets are large platforms used for bulk storage of high-volume items.

Cartons represent box-level storage units, while Carts are mobile storage containers that can be moved around the warehouse as needed. User locations are temporary assignments to specific workers, typically used during picking or packing operations.

Warehouse Zones​

Zones help organize different functional areas within a warehouse. The Receiving zone is where new inventory arrives and gets checked into the system. Bulk Storage areas hold large quantities of products in their primary storage locations.

The Picking zone contains areas optimized for order fulfillment, where warehouse staff grab items to complete customer orders. Shipping zones are where completed orders get packaged and prepared for delivery.

Returns zones handle returned merchandise that needs processing, while Quarantine areas are used for items requiring inspection or quality control. Kitting zones are designated for assembly operations where multiple items are bundled together into sets or packages.

Location Settings and Behavior​

Each location has several settings that control how it can be used. The pickable setting determines whether warehouse staff can select items from this location to fulfill orders. Locations marked as not pickable are typically used for bulk storage or receiving areas where items need to be moved elsewhere before they can be shipped.

The mixing setting controls whether different products can be stored in the same location. Some warehouses prefer to keep each product type in its own dedicated space, while others allow mixing to maximize space utilization.

You can also designate a location as the default pick location, which means the system will prefer this spot when multiple locations have the same product available for order fulfillment.

Connecting to External Systems​

When working with external warehouses, Endless Commerce can integrate directly with their management systems. These integrations automatically sync warehouse locations, inventory levels, and order status, eliminating the need for manual data entry.

Fulfillment Services​

Fulfillment services are integrations that handle the actual shipping and fulfillment of orders. In order for a warehouse to fulfill orders, it must have a fulfillment service.

Setting Up Warehouses and Locations​

When creating a new warehouse, start with the basic information: name, physical address, and whether it's managed internally or externally. Choose whether this warehouse should be the default for your brand, and set its priority level relative to other warehouses.

For locations within the warehouse, use naming conventions that make sense to your staff. Consider the physical layout and operational flow when assigning zone types. Mark locations as pickable only if they're accessible for order fulfillment, and configure mixing rules based on your storage strategy.

Best Practices for Warehouse Configuration​

Start with a simple setup and add complexity as needed. Use consistent naming conventions that your warehouse staff can easily understand and remember. Group related products in appropriate zones to optimize picking efficiency.

Regularly review your warehouse and location settings as your business grows. Inactive locations should be cleaned up periodically, and priority settings may need adjustment as you add new facilities or change fulfillment strategies.

Consider the operational flow when setting up zones and location types. Receiving areas should be separate from shipping areas, and picking locations should be easily accessible from main storage areas. The goal is to create a logical organization that supports efficient warehouse operations.