Multiple Location Management Overview

Track inventory within multiple stores, warehouses, or service vehicles.

The Multiple Location module of EBMS is an optional inventory enhancement feature that allows a single inventory item to be purchased, stored, and sold from multiple locations. This inventory feature allows a company to track inventory counts within multiple stores, warehouses, or service vehicles. The module records sales and purchase history for each location and displays stock levels for convenient identification of available inventory. The Multiple Location option includes a convenient way to transfer inventory items from one location to another. Combining this module with the EBMS Profit Center option creates a powerful tool to manage inventory items within multiple locations, sales locations, or company divisions.

The multiple locations must operate within the same company in order to use the Multiple Location module of EBMS.   An alternative Product Catalog Sync tool is recommended to manage inventory catalogs within multiple data sets.   Review Product Catalog Sync > Synchronizing the Product Catalogs between EBMS Companies for details on multiple location inventory with separate company data sets.

The Multiple Location module is an optional feature that can be added to the standard or deluxe versions of Eagle Business Management System.

The following types of companies benefit from this feature:

1. Retail stores with multiple sales locations.

2. Distributors or wholesalers with warehouses in different locations.

3. Service companies with multiple service trucks that carry inventory on the vehicle.

A warehouse is often associated with a department or profit center. This relationship can be set up as one of the following options:

1. Each warehouse is directly related to a single department. For example:

1. Warehouse A is associated with department 010;

2. Warehouse B is associated with department 020;

3. Warehouse C is associated with department 030.
   This option allows both the warehouse and department to be set within an invoice using a single entry. The revenue from a sale of an inventory item would be posted to department 010 if the item were sold from warehouse A, but would be posted to department 020 if the same item was sold from warehouse B. This method is useful if a department identifies a store location or company division. Review the Creating New Locations > Associating each Warehouse with a single Company Division or Department section for setup details.

2. This option should be used if a warehouse affects the department setting, but many departments exist within a warehouse.  For example, a hardware store with multiple locations contains multiple departments within each location:

1. Store 1 = Warehouse A

1. Department 110 – Hardware Department

2. Department 120 – Paint Department

3. Department 130 – Electrical Department

2. Store 2 = Warehouse B

1. Department 210 – Hardware Department

2. Department 220 – Paint Department

3. Department 230 – Electrical Department

4. Department 240 – Plumbing supplies Department

3. Store 3 = Warehouse C

1. Department 310 – Hardware Department

2. Department 320 – Paint Department

3. Department 340 - Plumbing supplies Department
   Departments are identified based on a combination of the warehouse or location and the inventory item. Review the Creating New Locations > Associating Multiple Departments to Each Inventory Item section below for setup details.

3. This option applies when the department is associated with the inventory item or product and is not affected by the warehouse at all. Since the warehouse has no affect on the department, the department is set within the advanced tab of each inventory item. It is recommended that this option should be used if EBMS is set up with no departments or profit centers.

1. Location 1 = Warehouse A

1. Department 010 – Hardware Department

2. Department 020 – Paint Department

3. Department 030 – Electrical Department

2. Location 2 = Warehouse B

1. Department 010 – Hardware Department

2. Department 020 – Paint Department

3. Department 030 – Electrical Department

4. Department 040 – Plumbing supplies Department

3. Location 3 = Warehouse C

1. Department 010 – Hardware Department

2. Department 020 – Paint Department

3. Department 040 – Plumbing supplies Department

Notice that the departments are the same no matter where the inventory item is located. This method is also the most popular when warehouse settings identify service trucks or other smaller inventory locations. Review the Creating New Locations > Associating a Single Department to an Inventory Item section for setup details.

Review the Creating New Locations > Create Warehouses section for instructions on adding warehouses.

Common use cases

Track Inventory in Multiple Locations