For: Admins and anyone who manages stock · Permission: Inventory management · Time: ~5 minutes
Quick summary
- Go to Parts & Inventory › Inventory Locations, then click + New Location.
- Choose the Type: Warehouse or Service vehicle.
- Enter a Name. For a warehouse, pick the Address from the list. For a service vehicle, pick the Vehicle.
- For a warehouse, choose the Service Area it belongs to, or leave it at None.
- Click Save, then receive stock into the location.
Before you start
- You'll need: inventory-management access. Locations live under Parts & Inventory › Inventory Locations.
- Warehouse: the street address of the building, such as a warehouse or a shop parts room.
- Service vehicle: an active service vehicle that doesn't have a location yet. Check vehicles under Parts & Inventory › Service Vehicles.
- Service areas (optional): set them up under Platform Settings › Service Locations first. Until then, the Service Area list shows only None.
Open Inventory Locations
Go to Parts & Inventory › Inventory Locations. The header counts your locations by type. Use the filter tabs to show All, Warehouses, Service vehicles, or Consignment. Use the search box to find a location by name.
The header and filter tabs. Each location is one row in the list below.
Click + New Location
The New Inventory Location window opens. Every location needs a Type and a Name. The other fields depend on the type you choose.
A warehouse with its name, address and service area filled in.
Pick the Type
Choose Warehouse for a building, such as a warehouse or a shop parts room. Choose Service vehicle for a truck that carries parts to jobs. A Consignment location uses the same Address and Service Area fields as a warehouse. This article covers warehouses and service vehicles.
For a service vehicle, the Vehicle field replaces the Address and Service Area fields.
Name the location
Type a clear Name that your team will recognize, such as Pacific Crest Main Warehouse or Truck 12. For a service vehicle, the Name fills in with the vehicle's name when you pick the vehicle. Change it if you want.
Add the address and service area for a warehouse
Click the Address field and start typing. Pick the matching address from the suggestion list. The address is required for a warehouse. Then open the Service Area dropdown and choose the area the warehouse serves, or leave it at None.
Pick the address from the list. The suggestion gives the location a real, mappable address. When you save, MetaFleet turns that address into a pin on the map. When you source a part for a job, MetaFleet ranks stocked locations by distance, so the nearest stock shows first.
Pick the vehicle for a service vehicle
Open the Vehicle dropdown and choose the truck. The dropdown lists only active service vehicles that don't have a location yet. If the truck isn't listed, check its status under Parts & Inventory › Service Vehicles.
Click Save
The location appears in the list with no stock. Click its name to open it, then receive stock into it.
A new location starts with zero SKUs, zero on hand and $0.00 value.
Open the location
Click the location's name. The page header shows a badge for the location's type, its stock status and its service area. A warehouse shows the badge Fixed, not Warehouse.
The location page header. A new location shows No Stock until you receive parts.
Check the Settings tab
Open the Settings tab on the location page. The sidebar lists these sections:
- Thresholds & reorder: set minimum and maximum stock levels per part. This section needs parts in the location first.
- Bins & organization: lay out racks, shelves and bins. It shows for warehouse and consignment locations, not service vehicles.
- Auto-deduct routing: greyed out with a Soon tag. You can't open it yet.
- General: edit the location's details.
- Deactivate: turns the location off. Deactivating doesn't delete it.
Set up the shelves later. Once a warehouse is set up, open Bins & organization to lay out its racks, shelves and bins.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The Vehicle dropdown is empty | Every active service vehicle already has a location, or the vehicle is inactive | Check the vehicle under Parts & Inventory › Service Vehicles. Activate it or make a new one, then reopen the form. |
| The Service Area list shows only None | No service areas are set up yet | Create them under Platform Settings › Service Locations, then edit the location to choose one. |
| The address doesn't save | The address was typed but not picked from the list | Click the Address field, start typing, and pick the match from the suggestion list. |
| I can't find a location | A filter tab is hiding it | Click All, or search by name. |
| A new location has no stock | New locations start empty | Open the location and receive stock into it. |
FAQs
What's the difference between a Warehouse and a Service vehicle location?
A warehouse is a building with an address, such as a warehouse or a shop parts room. A service vehicle is a truck that carries parts to jobs. It's linked to a vehicle record instead of an address, and the vehicle shows who it's assigned to.
Why attach a Service Area to a location?
The Service Area says which region the location serves. Set it so the right stock is counted for the right area.
Can I change the type after I save?
No. The Type is locked after you save, so create a new location if you picked the wrong type.
What does the star next to a location name mean?
A star (★) marks your default location. The location's page also shows a Default badge.