How many are in that bin? It is one of the most common questions in any warehouse, and workers should not have to walk back to a desk to answer it. Warehouse Insight for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central answers it on the handheld through item inquiry.
What item inquiry shows
Item inquiry lets a worker look up an item by searching for it or by scanning its barcode. The device then shows the details for that item, including where it can be found in the warehouse and how many pieces are in each bin. If you choose to display it, the item picture appears as well, which helps workers confirm they are looking at the right product.
Item inquiry is not just a read-only screen. Workers can print labels and take other actions from it, depending on how you configure the application.
Lot and serial number detail
For items tracked by lot or serial number, you can make those fields visible in item inquiry. That gives workers a list of the serial numbers in a specific bin, or the lots on hand in a location, directly on the device. It is useful when a customer asks for a specific lot, when a recall requires locating affected stock, or when a worker needs to confirm which serials are physically on a shelf.
Available from almost anywhere
Item inquiry is available from almost every application in Warehouse Insight. A worker in the middle of a receipt or a pick can jump into item inquiry for the item on the current line, check its other locations and quantities, and return to the task. On devices with a physical keypad, F4 opens item inquiry by default, so the worker does not need to touch the screen or open a menu.
That matters for speed. The more a worker can do from the keypad and scanner without tapping through menus, the faster the work moves. Warehouse Insight includes standard hotkeys for actions throughout the applications for this reason.
Adding context with fact boxes
If workers routinely need extra information on a screen, fact boxes can display it. A fact box can show item images, pick instructions, or other details on the side or bottom of any screen. Combined with item inquiry, that gives workers what they need to make decisions at the shelf.
Different locations, same tool
Item inquiry works at advanced warehouse locations with bins and at simpler locations such as retail stores, where staff might use it for price checks and stock lookups.
Bottom line
Warehouse Insight item inquiry shows workers where an item is stored and how many pieces are in each bin, with optional lot and serial number detail and item pictures. It is available from almost any application with a single hotkey, so workers can check stock without leaving their task or their aisle.