The quick answer
Check that the Enable bin reporting and blocking WMS system rule is active and create a WMS Reason for Blocking Bins record. On SCM Mobile single order picking, enter what you picked, choose Bin Empty and pick a reason in the Block Bin dialog. NetSuite blocks that bin for that item, so it drops out of the bin choices and the recommendations. A manager reviews the block in Manage Blocked Bins, checks Unblock and chooses Submit once the stock question is settled.
The screenshots show sample data. Person and operating-company names are fictional. Use your own records and values when following the steps.
Before you start
The account needs NetSuite WMS and the SCM Mobile app, a warehouse that uses bins, a released sales order with a pick task, a picker who can open the warehouse and the single order picking process, and a manager role that can open the WMS configuration records and Manage Blocked Bins. The Enable bin reporting and blocking rule has to apply to the warehouse and the picking process you test. The rule label, the menu paths and the columns on these pages vary by role and release, so match each page by its title.
The block applies to one bin and one item. It does not itself create an inventory adjustment or a count. Some accounts also set up notification recipients for blocked bins. That is not needed to block a bin and this walkthrough does not cover it. The walkthrough ends at the unblock and does not pick the rest of the order.
01. Confirm that bin reporting and blocking is on
In the WMS Warehouse Manager center, go to WMS Configuration > Configure Warehouse > System Rules and open Enable bin reporting and blocking. In a test account an administrator can also reach the same list from Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Record Types, then WMS System Rules and List. Confirm that Active is selected and the rule value is Y.
The description says the rule lets a picker report a bin to block it per item, with a reason, and that NetSuite then excludes the blocked bin for entry and selection in the mobile process. Everything below depends on this rule.
02. Create the reason a picker will choose
Go to WMS Configuration > Configure Warehouse > Reasons for Blocking Bins. The list shows the reasons that already exist, with Reason Code, Reason Description and Include Bin in Counts. Choose New WMS Reason for Blocking Bins.
Type Bin_Empty as the reason code and Bin is physically empty as the reason description. The description is the text the picker reads on the device. The code is the value that appears in reports and on Manage Blocked Bins. An older form also had a Name field, so fill it if yours does.
Leave Include Bin in Counts cleared. Its field help says it controls whether inventory counts include bins blocked for this reason, which only matters if you use Smart Count and want a blocked bin counted. Clearing it keeps this reason from enlisting the bin in Smart Count spot counts. It does not stop other count processes from including the inventory. Select Save.
03. Pick part of the task and choose the bin
Pickers normally open SCM Mobile on their device. In an account that offers it, Setup > Custom > Mobile - App opens the same app in the browser. Choose WMS, the warehouse Lakeshore Depot, then Picking > Single Order Picking > Released Orders > Sales Order. Select SO-62118, then its pick task for 12 Each of GSK-330.
On Enter Bin, the recommended bin is FWD-02. Turn on Show all bins to see the bins available to this flow and their quantities: FWD-02 holds 3, C3-07-B holds 48, C3-05-A holds 56 and D1-02-A holds 71. Select C3-07-B from the list, or scan or type it. Scan/Enter Bin starts empty, so choosing the recommended bin is a separate action.
On Enter Item, select GSK-330. On Enter Quantity, Quantity Remaining shows 12 Each(1) and Available Quantity shows 48. Type 5 and choose Enter Quantity. Quantity Remaining now shows 7 Each(1) and Available Quantity shows 43. The footer offers Enter Quantity, Bin Empty, Complete Picking and Next Pick Task. Taking part of the quantity first is what makes the discovery realistic. NetSuite shows 48 in C3-07-B, but the shelf ran out after the 5 the picker took, so the stock record and the shelf disagree. The buttons you see depend on the item, the process and the release.
04. Report the bin empty with a reason
Choose Bin Empty. The Block Bin dialog says to select a reason to block bin C3-07-B for order picking for item GSK-330. Reason is required, and its list shows the reason descriptions. Choose Bin is physically empty and then Submit.
The device returns to Select Pick Task, where the task still needs 7 Each(1). The 5 you entered stay recorded as picked. The block does not create an inventory adjustment. It records that the bin cannot supply the item, and it does not reconcile the physical stock.
05. Check that the blocked bin is gone
Select the pick task again. On Enter Bin, turn on Show all bins. In this flow FWD-02, C3-05-A and D1-02-A are still listed and C3-07-B no longer appears. NetSuite excludes the bin and item pair from bin selection and from the recommendations, including for other orders, although how the exclusion is displayed can vary by release. A wave or pick task that was already released may keep its earlier recommendation until you use Match on it. From here the picker would select the task again and take the remaining 7 from another eligible bin, or stage or close the partial pick under the account's partial-picking rules. This walkthrough stops here. Complete Picking does not pick the remaining quantity.
06. Review the blocked bin and unblock it
In the WMS Warehouse Manager center, go to WMS Outbound > Outbound Maintenance > Unblock Bins. Manage Blocked Bins opens with an empty Location field. Other roles may not have this menu, so confirm access in your account. Choose Lakeshore Depot.
Blocked Bins per Item lists C3-07-B for GSK-330 (Flange gasket kit) with the reason code Bin_Empty and the reason Bin is physically empty. In this release the row also carries the transaction type, the person who submitted the block and when, and Smart Count Id and Count Status, which can stay blank when the reason does not include the bin in counts. Check those columns in your account.
Before you unblock, look at Smart Count Id and Count Status. A bin that belongs to a Smart Count in progress may not be unblockable until that count is resolved. Then check Unblock on the row, or use Mark All, and choose Submit.
A Confirmation message says the bins were unblocked, and Blocked Bins per Item no longer returns the row. The wording can differ by release, and other blocked bins at the location would stay listed.
Check the result
- After the report, Show all bins no longer listed C3-07-B and the other bins were still there.
- Manage Blocked Bins listed C3-07-B for GSK-330 with its reason until you submitted.
- After Submit, a Confirmation appeared and the row was gone. Here the list showed No records to show because nothing else was blocked.
Treat this as the end of the exception, not a stock fix. The block is lifted for C3-07-B and GSK-330 only. Verify the physical stock, count or adjust it if needed, and use Match on a wave or pick task that was already released if its recommendations should reflect the unblocked bin. A bin that belongs to a Smart Count in progress may not be unblockable until that count is resolved.
Common questions
Does Bin Empty change the on-hand quantity?
No. Reporting the bin does not create an inventory adjustment. Any quantity already entered remains part of the pick. Availability and balances still follow the normal pick, staging and fulfillment steps, so verify the physical stock and count or adjust the bin separately if the inventory record is wrong.
Is the whole bin blocked, or one item?
One bin and one item together. Other items stored in the same bin can still be picked. The block applies across the item's inventory statuses in that bin and to other orders, not only the open pick task.
What does the picker do with the rest of the quantity?
Select the task again and pick the remainder from another eligible bin, or stage or close the partial pick according to the account's partial-picking rules. Complete Picking does not pick the remaining quantity for you.
What is Include Bin in Counts?
A setting on the reason record. When it is checked, a bin and item blocked for that reason can be included in Smart Count spot counts, and approving that count can remove the block. A bin that belongs to a count in progress usually cannot be unblocked by hand until the count is resolved. Clearing it keeps that reason from enlisting the bin in a spot count, and other count processes can still include the inventory.
Where do I unblock a bin, and who can?
In Manage Blocked Bins, under WMS Outbound, Outbound Maintenance and Unblock Bins. This walkthrough uses the WMS Warehouse Manager role. Custom roles and permissions can have a different menu, a restricted list of locations, or no access, so confirm what your role can open.
Does unblocking put the bin back on an open pick task?
Not by itself. Unblocking removes the block for that bin and item. For a wave or pick task that was already released, use Match on it when its recommendation has to be recalculated to include the unblocked bin, and confirm the physical stock first.
Is this the same as blocking a bin from wave picking?
No. A bin setting such as Block Bin From Wave Order Picking removes a bin from wave picking through the bin's configuration, and labels vary by release. This block is reported by a picker for one bin and item combination, with a reason, and a manager removes it in Manage Blocked Bins.