Containers

A container is a physical box, case, crate, pallet or other packaging that holds inventory items, other containers, or both. Because a container has its own label and ID, scanning that one label identifies everything inside. That's why containers are also called licence plates.

Containers let you:

• receive a pallet of boxes and store it as one unit, while still knowing exactly what is in each box;
• move a full pallet or case with one scan instead of moving each unit;
• pick a whole case for an order in one go;
• use a container as the parcel you ship.

Identification and labels

Every container has an ID. Its name is shown as # followed by the first eight characters of that ID, for example #D4AE48AE. You can type or scan that short name anywhere a container is asked for. Labels for containers are printed through papers (see Papers). Printed papers are listed on the Papers tab of the container.

Packing materials and container levels

Every container is made of a packing material, such as a box, carton or pallet, set up under Admin › Warehousing › Packing materials (see Packing materials). Each packing material has a level, which decides what fits inside what:

A container fits inside another container only if its packing material level is lower than the level of the outer container.

For example, with Box at level 1 and Pallet at level 2, boxes can go on a pallet, but a pallet can't go in a box, and a box can't go in another level-1 box. A packing material's level can't be changed once containers or inventory use it.

If your operation doesn't need this rule, turn on Inventory › Ignore container levels for the location.

Container hierarchy

Containers can be nested: a pallet can hold boxes, and each box holds units. Rules for the hierarchy:

• A container and everything in it are always at the same location and bin location. If you put a container in a parent, it takes over the parent's bin location. If you move the parent, everything inside moves with it.
• Only the top-level container can be moved. To move a box that is on a pallet, take it off the pallet first (see Take), or move just its units.
• State changes of a container (picked, packed, on hold, and so on) are passed on to its sub-containers.

The container page shows two tabs under Contents: Inventory Items (units directly in this container) and Containers (sub-containers). The description at the top summarises everything, including sub-containers, for example "2 container(s) and 24 item(s)".

One or more products per container

By default a container may hold different products. If Inventory › Multiple products per container is turned off for a location, a container may only hold units of one product with one lot and one expiry date. Boxture then refuses any put, adjustment, merge or edit that would mix them.

Container required

If Inventory › Container required is on for a location, all inventory there must be in a container:

• Adjustments must name a container.
• Move inventory only moves whole containers.
• Take only takes sub-containers out of a container, not loose units.

Container states

State	Meaning
Available	In storage. You can put, take, merge, split and move.
Picked	The whole container was picked for an order and is in a tote.
Packed	The container is used as a parcel (or packed in one), not yet shipped.
Picked and packed	A picked container that was then packed.
Expected	Shipped to another of your locations and on its way.
Hold	Blocked. See Holds and releases.
Retired	No longer in use. Retired containers are hidden from the container list unless you filter on state.

Transitions:

• Available → Picked when the whole container is picked. Picked → Available when that pick is undone.
• Available → Packed or Picked → Picked and packed when the container is packed.
• Packed → Retired when an empty container is unpacked. Picked and packed → Picked when it is unpacked.
• Packed / Picked and packed → Expected when it is shipped to another location. Expected → Available when it is received there.
• any → Retired when you retire it. This only works for an empty container that isn't on hold.

Open and closed

Besides its state, a container is open or closed. This reflects whether the box has been opened. It matters because Boxture prefers units that are loose or in open containers, so pickers don't break open a sealed case while an opened one is still there.

Boxture opens and closes containers automatically:

• Taking units out of a closed container opens it. Opening a sub-container also opens its parent.
• Splitting a closed container opens it. The new container from a split is open.
• Moving units out of a container with Move inventory opens it if units remain, and closes it once it is empty.
• Retiring a unit that is in a closed container opens that container.

You can also use Open and Close on the container page.

Working with containers

Open Containers in the sidebar to see the containers at your current location. The list shows Name, Account, Product Accounts, Location, Bin Location, Type (packing material), In Container, Items, Containers, Products, State, Open and Created at. Items and Products include the contents of sub-containers.

The container page menu offers these actions. Which ones you see depends on the container's state: Put, Take, Merge, Split and Move only appear when the container is Available, and a container on hold has no actions at all.

Create

1. Go to Containers and click Create.
2. Choose the Packing material.
3. Choose the Bin location.
4. Optionally choose In container to place it inside an existing container. Level rules apply.
5. Add Notes or metadata if you need to, and save.

Usually you don't need to do this first: when receiving, you can choose a packing material and Boxture creates the container for you. Creating containers in advance helps with more complex receipts. For example, for a pallet of 12 boxes you create the pallet, then 12 boxes in that pallet, and then receive the products into each box. See Receiving.

Put

Put places something into this container.

• Sub container: put another container inside this one. It must be at the same bin location, not already be in another container, not be retired, and have a lower packing material level (unless levels are ignored).
• Or enter Product, Quantity and, where applicable, Serial number, Status, Lot and Expires on to put loose units into the container. The units must be Available, loose (not already in a container), and on the same bin location as the container.

Take

Take removes something from this container. What you take stays on the container's bin location.

• Sub container: the sub-container becomes a top-level container.
• Or enter product details to take units out. They become loose units on the bin location.

When Container required is on, you can only take sub-containers.

Split

Split creates a new container next to this one and moves part of the contents into it.

1. Choose the Packing material for the new container.
2. Choose a Sub container to move, or enter product details for units to move.
3. Click Split.

The new container is open, on the same bin location, and in the same parent container (if any).

Merge

Merge combines another container into the one you are looking at.

1. Open the container that should receive the contents.
2. Click Merge and choose the other container.
3. Click Merge.

All units and sub-containers of the chosen container move into this one, and the chosen container is retired. Both containers must be Available, at the same location and bin location, and in the same parent container. If multiple products per container aren't allowed, the result must still have only one product, one lot and one expiry date.

Move

Move on the container page relocates the container (with everything in it) to another location. You choose the Location and a Bin location, which must have the purpose Receiving. A container can't be moved this way if it has allocated units, if it is picked or packed, or if it sits in a parent container at a different location.

To move a container to another bin location within the same warehouse, use Moving inventory.

Moving many containers at once

Containers › Move opens an import. Each row has a Container (short name such as D4AE48AE, or the full ID), a Location (name or ID) and a Bin Location (name or ID, purpose Receiving). See Imports.

Hold

Hold blocks the container and the units directly in it, and creates a ticket to release it. It is only offered when all units directly in the container are Available. See Holds and releases.

Open and Close

These set the container's open or closed flag (see above). They aren't available for a container on hold.

Retire

Retire marks a container as no longer in use. It is only offered for an empty, top-level container that isn't on hold.

Containers in picking and packing

• When a picker scans a container that holds no more than the quantity to pick, and its packing material is set as pickable, the whole container can be picked in one go. It then goes into the tote as it is, and the container becomes Picked. Otherwise the picker takes the needed units out of the container.
• Turn on Picking › Auto retire containers to retire containers automatically once picking empties them.
• At packing, a picked container can be used as the parcel itself, or be packed into another container.

See Pick lists, Picking on mobile and Packing.

Who can do what

Users with any role other than Account owner or Shopify account owner can see containers and use the actions above. Account owners don't see the Containers menu item.