How to set WMS replenishment levels on a preferred bin in NetSuite

The quick answer

For a preferred-bin replenishment plan, the levels live on the bin record, not on the item. Make the bin the item's preferred bin, open it from Lists > Supply Chain > Bins, enter WMS REPLEN MIN QUANTITY, WMS REPLEN QUANTITY, WMS REPLEN MAX QUANTITY and WMS REPLEN ROUND QUANTITY, and save. When the quantity in that bin drops below the minimum, WMS works out the maximum minus the bin's current quantity, rounds it down to the round quantity and splits it into tasks the size of the replenishment quantity. In the example an empty bin with a minimum of 100, a replenishment quantity of 50, a maximum of 130 and a round quantity of 10 produces tasks of 50, 50 and 30. Generate & Release on the Generate Replenishment page creates them. It does not move any stock.

The screenshots show sample data. Person, company, item and bin values are fictional.

Before you start

WMS has to be enabled for the location, and the location has to use bins. The item needs Use Bins checked, and the bin you set up has to be the item's preferred bin at that location, marked Preferred (Per Location) on the item's Bin Numbers list. A bin that is only associated with the item is not enough. Another bin has to hold available, eligible stock to supply the refill. On hand is not the same as available, because committed stock, an unavailable inventory status or a lot or serial rule can keep a quantity from being used. Your role needs to view items, edit bins and generate replenishment, and the mobile operator needs the WMS app. In the example one role does all of it. Where those permissions are split, another role with the access, an administrator for example, can set the bin while a warehouse manager generates the tasks.

The levels are stored on the bin, so every item whose preferred bin it is shares them. Items with different stocking policies usually need different preferred bins. The item's own Reorder Point, Preferred Stock Level and Replenishment Method fields are separate, and they do not drive WMS bin replenishment.

Menu names, field labels and grid columns depend on your release, role and enabled WMS features. Check the actual task quantities in your own queue.

01. Check the item and its bins

On the Lists menu, point to Accounting and choose Items, then open BK-310 Hex Bolt Kit. On Purchasing/Inventory, under Inventory Management, Use Bins is checked.

The Inventory Management section of the item with the Use Bins box checked. — Use Bins is checked on the item.

Below the item fields, open Bin Numbers. PICK-14 at Tacoma DC is marked Preferred (Per Location) and holds 0, while RES-08 holds 240 and RES-09 holds 60, both on hand and available. The refill goes to the preferred bin, so confirm it is the right one before you change any levels.

Bin Numbers list showing PICK-14 at zero on hand and reserve bins RES-08 and RES-09 at 240 and 60. — PICK-14 is empty; the reserve bins hold 240 and 60.

Preferred (Per Location) column with Yes on the first row, corresponding to PICK-14 in the preceding crop. — The same first row is marked Yes under Preferred (Per Location).

02. Set the levels on the preferred bin

On the Lists menu, point to Supply Chain and choose Bins, then choose Edit beside PICK-14.

The Bins list with Edit and View links beside each bin, including PICK-14. — Choose Edit on the PICK-14 row.

Enter 100 in WMS REPLEN MIN QUANTITY, 50 in WMS REPLEN QUANTITY, 130 in WMS REPLEN MAX QUANTITY and 10 in WMS REPLEN ROUND QUANTITY. The Location is fixed on a saved bin. The form in the screenshot also marks WMS Zone as required. That field belongs to putaway setup and does not trigger replenishment, and which fields your form requires depends on your setup.

Bin edit fields showing round quantity 10 and minimum quantity 100. — Set the round quantity to 10 and the minimum to 100.

Bin edit fields showing maximum quantity 130 and replenishment quantity 50. — Set the maximum to 130 and each replenishment task to 50.

Click Save. The Bin record shows PICK-14 with the four values. They apply to any item whose preferred bin is PICK-14.

Saved Bin fields showing round quantity 10 and minimum quantity 100. — The saved bin retains round quantity 10 and minimum 100.

Saved Bin fields showing maximum quantity 130 and replenishment quantity 50. — The same saved bin retains maximum 130 and replenishment quantity 50.

03. Generate and release the replenishment

On the WMS Inventory menu, point to Bin Replenishment and choose Generate Bin Replenishment Tasks, which opens the Generate Replenishment page. If your role has no WMS Inventory menu, switch to the warehouse manager role. Select Tacoma DC as the Location, enter BK-310 in Item and click Display.

The grid shows one line for BK-310 in PICK-14 with Minimum Quantity 100, Maximum Quantity 130, Replenishment Quantity 50, Round Quantity 10 and Bin Quantity On Hand 0.0. Open Replenishment Quantity is 0.0, so no earlier tasks already cover the need. It does not show a source bin or the individual tasks. The bin appears because 0 is below its minimum of 100. At exactly 100 it would not.

Generate Replenishment grid with minimum 100, maximum 130 and replenishment quantity 50. — The generated line reads the saved minimum, maximum and replenishment quantity.

Generated replenishment line identifying BK-310 Hex Bolt Kit, Tacoma DC and PICK-14. — These values belong to BK-310 at PICK-14 in Tacoma DC.

Generate Replenishment grid showing round quantity 10 and bin quantity on hand and available both 0.0. — The same line has round quantity 10 and no stock in the bin.

Open Replenishment Quantity column showing 0.0. — Open Replenishment Quantity is also 0.0.

Mark the line in the Generate column and click Generate & Release. A confirmation says the replenishment tasks were generated successfully for the selected items. No stock has moved yet. If a reserve bin had no available stock, generation could fail even though the line was listed.

The Replenishment page with a Confirmation that replenishment tasks were generated successfully for the selected items. — The release is confirmed on the Replenishment page.

04. Read the tasks on the mobile app

On the Mobile Emulator menu, open Mobile Screen, choose WMS and the Tacoma DC warehouse, then open Inventory and Replenishment. The Replenishment Tasks list shows three BK-310 tasks to PICK-14, of 50, 50 and 30 Each. The bin needs 130 to reach its maximum, each task is the replenishment quantity of 50, and the last is the 30 that remains.

Quantity and To Bin columns showing three tasks of 50, 50 and 30 Each to PICK-14. — Three tasks to PICK-14: 50, 50 and 30.

Check the result

The Bin record for PICK-14 shows the minimum, replenishment quantity, maximum and round quantity you entered.
Display listed PICK-14 only after its levels were saved, with 0 on hand below the minimum of 100.
The mobile list holds tasks of 50, 50 and 30, which add up to the 130 needed to reach the maximum.
No stock moved. Each task still has to be completed on the device.

With the bin at 4 instead of 0, the need would be 126, rounded down to 120, and the tasks would be 50, 50 and 20. Selecting a task starts its From Bin, Item, Quantity and To Bin prompts, and the stock only moves when an operator finishes them. Open tasks, changed quantities, units, inventory status or assignment can change what appears in your queue.

Common questions

Where do I set the replenishment levels for WMS?

For a preferred-bin replenishment plan, on the bin record, under Lists > Supply Chain > Bins. They are the WMS REPLEN MIN QUANTITY, WMS REPLEN QUANTITY, WMS REPLEN MAX QUANTITY and WMS REPLEN ROUND QUANTITY fields. They are not item fields, and they are used when the bin is an item's preferred bin at its location.

When does a bin qualify for replenishment?

When the quantity of the item in its preferred bin is below WMS REPLEN MIN QUANTITY. A bin at exactly the minimum does not qualify. Set the minimum before you expect the bin to appear. Treat a blank minimum as incomplete setup and check what your account does with it.

What do the maximum, replenishment quantity and round quantity do?

The maximum is the target. The amount to replenish starts as the maximum minus the bin's current quantity, then the round quantity rounds that amount down to a multiple of itself. The replenishment quantity is the size of each task, so the amount is split into tasks of that size and the last one is whatever remains.

Why is the last replenishment task smaller?

Because the replenishment quantity is the size of a normal task, not the total. With a need of 130 and a replenishment quantity of 50, the tasks are 50, 50 and 30. The round quantity rounds the total down and does not make every task a multiple of itself. Depending on the quantities, the last task can also come out the same size as the others.

Are the levels set per item or per bin?

Per bin. Every item that uses that bin as its preferred bin shares the same minimum, maximum, replenishment quantity and round quantity. Items that need different levels usually need different preferred bins.

Does Generate & Release move the stock?

No. It creates the movement tasks and makes them available to operators. The stock moves when an operator completes each task on the mobile device. The source bin is chosen then, with a recommendation from the task, and not on the Generate Replenishment page.

Why does a bin not appear on the Generate Replenishment page?

It may not be listed because a Location or Item filter excludes it, the item does not use bins, the bin is not the item's preferred bin at that location, the quantity is at or above the minimum, or the levels are blank or incomplete.

Why is a bin listed but no tasks are generated?

Usually because no other bin has enough available, eligible stock. Inventory status, lot or serial rules, committed quantities or tasks that already cover the need can all stop generation, so check the Open Replenishment Quantity column and the reserve bins' available quantities.

Is the item's reorder point the same as the bin's minimum?

No. Reorder Point and Preferred Stock Level are item-level planning fields. The bin's WMS REPLEN fields drive replenishment from reserve bins to the preferred bin inside the warehouse.