Locator control in Oracle Inventory allows restricting items to specific storage locations called locators. This document outlines the steps to implement locator control at the organization, subinventory, and item levels including: 1) defining the stock locators flexfield, 2) setting locator control parameters, 3) defining locators, subinventories and assigning items, and 4) restricting items to specific locators and subinventories. Locator control provides accurate tracking of inventory locations for reporting and transactions.

1. LOCATOR CONTROL IN
ORACLE INVENTORY Oracle Inventory
Author: Bunny McGovern • Material Transactions: Enter the
Contributor: Clyde Butt locator name for locator controlled
Oracle Corporation inventory items that you issue,
receive, transfer, reserve, and store
in your organization.
Introduction
• Locator Restrictions: Restrict items
The purpose of this paper is to explain to specific locators.
how the locator control feature is used in
Oracle Applications and to explain the • Locator Defaults: Specify default
steps of how to implement locator shipping locators and default
control. Examples are included of how to receiving locators for
setup locator control that is controlled at item/subinventory combinations.
the subinventory level and prespecified.
Subinventory level locator control • Inventory Accuracy: Enter locator
requires more setup then other control information for locator controlled
levels since a prespecified list of locators items when you enter physical
must be created. inventory counts and cycle counts.
Prior to implementing the Oracle • Inquiries and Reports: Oracle
Inventory Application, you must consider Inventory inquiry windows and
whether or not you will implement reports provide locator information
locator control. The locator control for all locator controlled items.
feature is designed to allow some of your
subinventories and items to have locator Oracle Purchasing
control while others do not.
Even if you do not use this feature, you • Receipt Transactions: Enter locator
must still compile the Stock Locators information for locator controlled
Flexfield (see the note in step 1 later in items that you receive from a supplier
this paper). or from another internal organization.
If you implement prespecified locator • Default Receiving Locator: When
control in your whole organization or in you deliver items to an inventory
a particular subinventory, you must location, if the source document does
define stock locators. Locators identify not have subinventory/locator
physical areas within subinventories, such information, Oracle Purchasing uses
as aisle/row/bin locations. the default receiving subinventory
and locator that you specify in Oracle
Inventory.
How Locator Control Is Used in
Oracle Products
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2. Oracle Order Entry Note: Locator control at the
organization level overrides locator
• Pick Release: If you disable control at the subinventory level, and
reservations for your system, Oracle locator control at the subinventory
Order Entry uses the default shipping level overrides locator control at the
subinventory and locator in the pick item level.
release process.
5. Define Locators.
• Pick Release: If you enable
reservations, Oracle Order Entry uses 6. Assign items to Subinventories and
the locator picking order you specify Locators to Items.
in the Pick Release process.
7. Restrict Items to Subinventories and
• Shipment Transactions: Enter locator Locators.
information for locator controlled
items that you ship to a customer or STEP 1: Define Stock Locators
to another internal organization. Flexfield
Oracle Work in Process To define the Stock Locators Flexfield:
• Issues and Returns: Use locators for 1. Navigate to Inventory > Setup >
issues from inventory to work in Flexfield > Key Segments
process and for returns from work in (see figure 1)
process to inventory.
2. Query on the following:
• Completions: As you complete to Application: Oracle Inventory
inventory or assembly from a job or Flexfield Title: Stock Locators
schedule, enter locator information
for locator controlled assemblies. 3. Check the Allow Dynamic Inserts
checkbox if you want to use dynamic
• Replenishments: You can replenish locator control.
supply to subinventories and locators.
4. Choose the Segments button. The
Steps to Implement Locator Control Segments Summary window will
appear.
1. Define the Stock Locators Flexfield.
5. Enter the segment information for the
2. Set Locator Control at the stock locators you plan to use.
Organization level, or see step 3. (See example in figure 2)
3. Set Locator Control at the Note: This step is not required if you
Subinventory level, or see step 4. do not plan to use the locator control
feature.
4. Set Locator Control at the Item level.
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3. Navigation: Inventory > Setup > Flexfield > Key Segments
(Figure 1)
Navigation: Inventory > Setup > Flexfield > Key Segments > Segments
(Figure 2)
NOTE: If you do not have Oracle Inventory installed or none of your items are locator
controlled, it is not necessary to set up this flexfield, but it must be compiled (see figure 1,
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4. Compile button). This Key Flexfield supports only one structure. Check that the Stock
Locator Flexfield has been compiled if you get an application error that includes the
following text:
app=401 structure=101 code=MTLL
Stock Locators Flexfield Details:
FLEXFIELD CODE: MTLL
TABLE NAME: MTL_ITEM_LOCATIONS
NUMBER OF COLUMNS: 20
WIDTH OF COLUMNS; 40
DYNAMIC INSERTS POSSIBLE: YES
UNIQUE ID COLUMN: INVENTORY_LOCATION_ID
OWNER: Oracle Inventory
STRUCTURE COLUMN: ORGANIZATION_ID
STEP 2: Setting Locator Control at Prespecified only: locators are
the Organization level selected from a list that you set up.
To set Locator Control at the Dynamic entry allowed: you can
Organization level: define locators at the time of
transaction.
1. Navigate to Inventory > Setup >
Organization > Parameters Determined at subinventory level:
(see figure 3) control will be based on what you
define at the subinventory level.
2. Select a locator control option: (See figure 3).
None: no locator control.
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5. Navigation: Inventory > Setup > Organization > Parameters
(Figure 3)
STEP 3: Setting Locator Control at the
Subinventory level
To set Locator Control at the subinventory level:
1. Navigate to Inventory Setup > Organization > Subinventory
(See figure 4)
2. Query on the subinventory you want to be locator controlled.
3. Select a locator control option:
None: no locator control.
Prespecified: locators are selected from a list that you set up.
(See example in figure 4).
Dynamic entry: you can define locators at the time of transaction.
Item level: allows you to define locator control at the item level.
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6. The example in figure 4 below shows Subinventory Name: Bunny-Pre
with Locator Control: Prespecified.
Navigate to Inventory Setup > Organization > Subinventory
(Figure 4)
STEP 4: Setting Locator Control at the Item level
Setting Locator Control at the item level involves the setup of Item Attribute
Controls at the master or organization level and setting the Locator Control
Inventory Attribute when defining or updating items.
For details, see Oracle Inventory User’s Guide, Chapter 3, Item Setup and Control
and Chapter 4, Items.
STEP 5: Define Locators
To define Locators:
1. Navigate to Inventory Setup > Organization > Subinventory
2. Query on the subinventory you want to define a locator for.
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7. 3. Choose the Locators button (see figure 4 above). The Stock Locators
window appears.
4. Enter the Stock Locator information in the Stock Locator window.
(See figure 5).
Navigate: Inventory > Setup > Organization > Subinventory > Locators
(Figure 5)
STEP 6: Assign Items to Subinventories and Locators to Items
To assign items to subinventories:
1. Navigate to Inventory Setup > Organization > Subinventory
(See figure 4)
2. Query on the subinventory you want to assign an item to.
3. Choose the Item/Subinventory button. The Item Subinventories
window appears.
4. Enter an item to assign to the subinventory. (See figure 6).
Note: You restrict an item to the subinventories you assign here by
setting the Restrict Subinventories attribute when you define the item.
5. Enter a locator to assign to the item in the subinventory.
(See figure 6, Locators for this Item Subinventory zone).
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8. Note: You restrict an item to the list of locators you define here by setting
the Restrict Locators attribute when you define the item. This will allow the
locator assigned to the item to be the default locator when you perform a
miscellaneous receipt, for example. If you assign more then one locator to
an item, a list of values of the locators will appear for you to choose from.
Navigation: Inventory Setup > Organization > Subinventory > Item/Subinventory
(Figure 6)
STEP 7: Restrict Items to Subinventories and Locators
To restrict items to subinventories and locators:
1. Navigate to Inventory > Items > Master Items
2. Choose Inventory Alternative Region. The Master Item, Inventory window
will appear.
3. At the bottom of the window, check the checkboxes for; Restrict Subinventories
and Restrict Locators. (See figure 7).
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9. Navigation: Inventory > Items > Master Items
(Figure 7)
Forms and Tables Used in Locator Setup:
FNDFFMIS - Key Flexfield Segments.
• Used to setup and compile the Stock Locator Flexfield.
INVSDOIO - Organization Parameters.
• Used to set locator control at the organization level
• Base Table: MTL_PARAMETERS
To determine the setting of locator control:
1. Check the column value of:
MTL_PARAMETERS.STOCK_LOCATOR_CONTROL_CODE
2. Check the column value of:
MFG_LOOKUPS.MTL_LOCATION_CONTROL
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10. The QuickCodes type MTL_LOCATION_CONTROL has the following
lookup codes:
Code Meaning _
1 No locator control
2 Prespecified locator control
3 Dynamic entry locator control
4 Locator control determined at subinventory level
5 Locator control determined at item level
INVSDSUB - Subinventories
• Used to define subinventories and locators
• Used to set locator control at the subinventory level
• Used to assign items to subinventories
• Used to assign locators to items
• Base Table: MTL_SECONDARY_INVENTORIES
INVIDITM - Master Items
• Used to set locator control at the item level
• Used to restrict subinventories and locators
About the Author
Bunny McGovern is a Senior Technical Analyst
with Oracle Support Services in Orlando, Florida.
Credits
• Oracle Applications Flexfields Guide - Release 10
• Oracle Inventory Application - 10SC
• Oracle Inventory Reference Manual
• Oracle Inventory Release 10SC
• Oracle Inventory Technical Reference Manual
• Oracle Inventory User’s Guide Release 10SC
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