I'm getting started with backstock, where do I begin?

Backstock Basics

With ResaleAI's backstock system, each bin will be permanently labeled with a number. When you fill a new bin, you'll enter the bin number and current contents to record that bin in ResaleAI.

When the bin is empty, you'll "empty" the bin in ResaleAI and can later re-use that bin number when it is filled with something else. 

You'll be able to view the exact number of bins you have for every category, see how old your product is, and know where bins are located. 

We recommend grouping bins in your back room by bin number to make them easier to find. You no longer have to physically group bins by category, since you find that information in ResaleAI (which will also handle First In - First Out rotation for you). 

Check out this webinar for a more in-depth review of the backstock system.

Initial Setup

Before you can log in your existing bins, first set up your categories and locations and load an initial batch of bin numbers. 

Go into Settings in ResaleAI, and go to the "Backstock" page in settings. You should see Categories and Locations tabs there.

Categories

• Click "Add category" to create all categories you'd like to use
• OUAC stores: We can load in standard categories for you. These can be any combination of Gender, Season and Size (ex: Boys 0-3 FW  or  0-3 Boys FW). Reach out to our team!
• In addition to categories for clothing, you can also create categories for things like Supplies, Decorations, etc. - whatever you'd like!

Locations

• By default, there are locations for "Back room" and "Floor."  You can add additional locations if desired.
• If you have offsite storage, you will need to add a "Storage" location. You may want to add extra locations to use as planning stages, like "Bring from Storage" and "Take to Storage" 
• After you create all your locations, you can set a "Next Location" to tell RAI where a bin should move next. (Ex: Location A moves next to Location B. There will be a "quick action" button to easily move bins from A to B)

Bin numbers

• You can add bins now In settings!
• If you have multiple stores,  you can add a letter to the bin (ex: p0001) so bins between stores never get mixed up.
• We can easily add more bin numbers at any time, so a rough estimate is fine. But make sure you have enough for empty bins too, so you have bins ready to fill with new product

Bin labels

• After you add your bin numbers, it will send you a PDF template. It has all the numbers, and you can print them onto any 2 in x 4 in labels
• We recommend these Avery Weatherproof labels as they are durable, but any that size will work: Amazon Link
• If you have a laser printer, you can print them yourself. Otherwise, you can take the PDF file and the labels to a place like Office Depot to be printed

Getting Started

Organizing your bins

• We recommend keeping your bins in rough number order. An easy way is dividing your shelves to have sections for certain bins (ex: zones for bins 0-50, 51-100, 101-150). This way when you need a bin, the number tells you where to look in the back room.
• You no longer need to physically group bins by category, because you can see everything within ResaleAI. Review any category in ResaleAI to see which bins you need, then find those numbers in the back room

Filling new bins

• Grab an empty bin (can be any number) and start filling it with product. When the bin is full, you will log it in to ResaleAI
• On the main Backstock page in ResaleAI, click the blue plus sign and input the bin number, category, and current location

Emptying bins

• When you put a bin out to the sales floor, find the bin in ResaleAI and move it to the "Floor" location
• This will remove the bin from backstock, so it can later be re-used. When the empty bin is filled with new product later, you can log it in again

Managing bins

• To know which bin to put out next, filter to view a particular category. It will sort by age automatically to show you the oldest bins first. Note the bins you need, then find them in the back room
• Review the Aging Backstock Bins report under the Reports tab to get a visual feel for how many bins you have of each category and their age
• There is a summary on the main page in RAI of "Bins Pulled Today" so you can see how your team is replenishing the sales floor

Logging in your existing bins

• When adding your existing bins, edit the date of the bin to reflect the age of the product so your bins are accurate (the default date will be today)
• When you initially stick on labels, we recommend you shuffle the numbers. That way new bins won't all be sequential numbers, which is easier to fit on your shelves
• You can log in to ResaleAI at team.resaleai.com and go to the Backstock page to add bins from your phone or any device. Schedule a few extra people to help log in bins one day, and you can knock it out pretty quickly!