CRMown Docs
Docs › Enterprise

Bins & QR Scanning

Bins are physical storage locations — a shelf, a bay, an aisle slot. Each bin has a name (free-text) and an auto-generated QR code printed on a label. When you receive stock or hunt down an item, scan the bin QR with your phone to jump straight to its contents. Lives at Inventory > Bins.

Open in CRMown →

Steps

  1. Go to Inventory > Bins. Click "+ Add bin" — give it a descriptive name ("A-04-2", "Cold Room — Shelf 3"), optional notes. Hit save.
  2. Open the bin to see its QR code (rendered as SVG, embedded in the list response so no per-row fetch). Click "Print label" — opens a print-friendly view with the QR + bin name.
  3. Stick the label on the shelf, bin, or rack.
  4. On the mobile app, open Inventory > Scan bin. Point the camera at the label — the bin detail screen opens with current contents, last received date, and a "Receive into this bin" shortcut.
  5. During PO receiving, you can pass a binId per line item to pin received stock to a specific bin. Last-receive wins (single-bin model for Phase 1).

Good to know

  • QR codes are stable — re-printing produces the same code for the same bin. Don't re-create bins to "get a new code"; just re-print the label.
  • Free-text bin names are allowed alongside the bin model. Items have both a bin (free-text legacy field) and binId (the FK). Both are populated during transitions; binId is the source of truth.
  • Mobile scan uses expo-camera. It works through the front-facing camera too in a pinch, though the rear camera is much faster.
Example: A warehouse uses a grid system: aisle letter, bay number, shelf height. Each shelf slot gets a 2x2 inch QR sticker. New receivers don't need to memorize the layout — they scan the bin, then scan the item, then enter quantity. A receive that used to take 4 minutes per pallet now takes 90 seconds.

Troubleshooting

Mobile camera permission denied
The first time you open the scan screen, the OS prompts for camera access. If you tapped "Don't allow" the prompt won't fire again.
Fix: iOS: Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera > CRMown → on. Android: Settings > Apps > CRMown > Permissions > Camera → allow.
QR scan jumps to wrong bin
You scanned a QR from a different system (carrier label, product UPC, etc.) — bin QRs encode an internal id, not a URL.
Fix: Bin labels say "BIN" above the QR. If you scanned the wrong code, the scan endpoint returns 404 and the screen shows "No bin found for that code."
Bin shows 0 items but inventory says it should have stock
Items have a binId only when stock was last received with a binId param. Items added through the Items panel without a bin assignment won't appear in any bin's contents.
Fix: Edit the item and set its Bin field, or receive its stock through a PO with a binId. Either path populates the FK.

Plans

Enterprise suite required.

Related

  • Inventory & Fulfillment — Overview
  • Purchase Orders & Receiving
  • Mobile app (iOS & Android)

View as Markdown