Linking a customer to storage

This article explains how to link a customer to storage. This is the core flow for storage management in Bas. Everything revolves around the case file.


Two ways to manage storage

There are two scenarios for storage management in Bas:

Scenario 1 - Storage via a case file

You link storage to a case file when a removal is planned or needed. The storage is then part of the removal.

  • You create a case file for the customer

  • You link storage units to this case file

  • Invoicing runs via the case file

Scenario 2 - Storage via WMS only (without a case file)

You use this for customers who already had storage with you before you started with Bas, or for pure storage customers without a removal.

  • You link the customer directly to storage in the WMS (Warehouse Management System)

  • There's (not yet) a case file needed

  • You can still link this to a case file afterwards if a removal comes up

Tip: For new customers with a removal, always use Scenario 1 (via case file). For existing customers you're taking over, or pure storage customers without a removal, use Scenario 2 (WMS only).


Step 1 - Understanding the storage structure

Storage in Bas works with three levels. You don't need to use all the levels.

Level 1 - Warehouse: The physical storage location. A building, a hall, a depot. If you have multiple locations (for example Zwolle and Oldenzaal), you create multiple warehouses.

Level 2 - Location (optional): A section within a warehouse. Think of a row, a bay, a floor or an aisle. This level is optional. You only need it if you want to know within a warehouse which row or floor a crate is on.

Level 3 - Unit: The individual storage unit. A container, a crate or a rack space. This is the level at which you link customers and invoice.

Tip: Start simple. You can always add locations later. If you start with a structure that's too complex and you don't actually need it, you're just making things unnecessarily difficult for yourself.


Step 2 - Creating a case file

Just like with a removal, you start with a case file. This case file is the central point for everything: the removal, the storage and the invoicing.

Create a customer (or look up the existing customer). Create a new case file. Choose the correct package (for example a storage package).

The case file is now ready to have storage units linked to it.


Step 3 - Linking storage units

From the case file, you link one or more storage units to the customer.

Open the case file. Go to the storage tab. Search by container number to find the correct unit. Select which container(s) or crate(s) belong to this customer and link them to the case file.

You can link multiple units to a customer. Each unit gets its own rate and invoicing frequency.

Note: NEVER use the warehouse address as the loading address in the case file. The warehouse address is the location of your storage facility, not the customer's address. If you enter the warehouse address as the loading address, the removal planning won't be correct.


Step 4 - Filling in details per unit

Fill in the following details per unit:

Field

What you enter

Example

In-storage date

When the belongings go in

15-03-2026

Rate

Price per unit per period

EUR 75.00 per month

Invoicing frequency

How often you invoice

Monthly

Revenue group

For accounting purposes

Storage residential

Note: ALWAYS enter the rate per container or crate. Never put the total rate on one container and leave the rest at EUR 0. Suppose you take exactly that container with the rate out of storage, then the others are left at zero and zero doesn't generate an invoice.


Step 5 - Choosing the invoicing frequency

You choose the frequency per case file.

Period

When to choose it

Daily

Very short-term storage

Weekly

Short duration, a few weeks

Monthly

Default choice for most customers

Quarterly

Regular storage customers

Annually

Annual contracts

Monthly is the most common choice.


Step 6 - Saving and checking

Save the link. In the case file you'll now see which units are linked to the customer, with the rate and invoicing frequency.

Check that all the details are correct: - Are the correct units linked? - Is the rate per unit correct? - Is the invoicing frequency correct? - Is the revenue group correct?

If everything checks out, the customer has been successfully linked to storage.


Inventory list for storage

You don't need to draw up a separate inventory list for storage. The survey serves as the inventory list. If you've carried out a survey for the customer, it's automatically linked to the crate(s) in the case file.

This gives you an overview of what's in which crate at all times, without extra admin.


Special situations

Multiple customers sharing a container

Sometimes two customers share a container. The solution: split the container with a letter suffix.

Container 22A = customer Jansen (half 1). Container 22B = customer De Vries (half 2).

Each half is linked separately to the relevant customer's case file and invoiced separately. You simply create two units with the same location but a different name.

Distributed storage

Distributed storage is for situations where a customer's belongings aren't in a defined container or crate, but spread throughout your warehouse.

This occurs with pallets on a rack, loose cabinets standing in a corner, or items you're temporarily storing for a customer.

In Bas, you create a distributed storage case file for this. Instead of a container number, you record per item what's being stored and where it's located. You enter the location per item (for example "Desk - Row A, Bay 12" or "Pallet of boxes - Rack 3, Shelf 2").

Each item is given a QR code. This means you can use your phone or scanner to immediately see which item belongs to which customer and where it should be. This prevents searching around the warehouse.


Tips

  • Start with a simple structure (warehouse and units, no locations)

  • Always check that the rate per unit has been entered

  • Choose the invoicing frequency that suits the customer (usually monthly)

  • Use the revenue group "Storage residential" or "Storage business" for your accounting


Please note

  • ALWAYS enter the rate per container, never put everything on one container and the rest at zero

  • The in-storage date is the moment the belongings go into storage

  • The invoicing frequency determines when the system generates draft invoices

  • For multiple units for one customer: enter each rate separately


Next article: Setting up and managing storage invoicing

Did this answer your question?