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You model the line-side bin as a real location, stock it with real inventory, and deploy the Auto-consumption of line-side inventory ION automation so running a step at that work center deducts the consumed parts automatically. A work cell typically runs both: a kit cart with the discrete kitted parts for the next run, and line-side bins of the consumables that flow into every run the station executes.

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When to use line-side vs kitting

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The location hierarchy

Auto-consumption keys off the location hierarchy around the work center:
  • Workstation: the location attached to the run step.
  • Child: a tote or rack whose parent is the workstation, pulled from directly.
  • Parent: a work area or cell that contains one or more workstations.
  • Sibling: a line-side rack that shares the same parent as the workstation. Multiple workstations under one parent can pull from the same sibling rack, the most common pattern for shared consumables.
For how to model the hierarchy, see Locations and work centers.
Assign the line-side rack to the correct parent location. A rack under the wrong parent is never consumed from.

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How automatic consumption works

Automatic consumption is set up through the Auto-consumption of line-side inventory ION automation, deployed from the ION Marketplace like any other prebuilt automation. You configure which run step triggers it and which locations it pulls from. When it runs, it reads the run’s mBOM, finds available line-side inventory in the configured locations, deducts the required quantity, and records the installs onto the run’s aBOM. Configure it to match how your line operates, and confirm its behavior in your environment before you rely on it.

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Replenishment

Refill line-side inventory before it runs out, using one of these patterns:
  • Reorder points: set a reorder min and max on the part. When on-hand drops below the min, the part surfaces in Autoplan as demand.
  • Supplier-managed: build a flow in the Workflow Builder, or subscribe to ION webhooks from your own service, that watches a location’s inventory level and triggers an outbound action such as a message to the supplier or a draft PO line. Reaching an external system is the Workflow Builder’s job; an ION Action only allows, blocks, or warns on a change to ION data.
  • Manual refill: move quantity from the master stock location to the line-side bin with the standard inventory-move action, ideally on a fixed cadence.

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Truly untracked items

For materials you don’t track at all, such as masking tape or shop towels, you have two options:
  • Create the part as untracked, stock the line-side bin with a high quantity, and let auto-consumption deduct against it. When the physical bin runs out, reset the quantity with an inventory adjustment rather than a receipt.
  • Leave the part off the mBOM entirely, and treat it as shop overhead rather than a part.
Model the item as a part when it appears on a drawing or contributes to traceability. Otherwise leave it off. When you stock a high arbitrary quantity, the on-hand number drifts from physical reality over time, so reconcile it periodically.