Partner Knowledge hub How Many Bin Dividers Are Needed?

How Many Bin Dividers Are Needed?

NOTE: The information in this article is intended for internal partner training purposes only.

For external use, please refer to the approved materials provided to you — including our live, always up-to-date website, official sales collateral, or reach out to our BDM team for additional resources and demo support.

What Are Bin Dividers?

Bin dividers are adjustable inserts designed to split a single bin into multiple compartments, with up to 16 sections per bin. Since Pio ensures inventory accuracy by limiting to one SKU per compartment, dividers make it possible to store multiple SKUs in the same bin while keeping everything clearly separated and easy to access.

Dividers allow you to use space more intelligently, especially for smaller items or slow-moving inventory. The result is a system that combines high storage density with day-to-day flexibility.

In practice, bin dividers help you:

Maximize available storage space
Store a wider variety of SKUs within the same footprint
Keep inventory structured and easy to pick
Adapt quickly as product mixes change

Understanding the Pio Bin

To understand how many dividers you need, it helps to start with the bin itself.
Pio bins are designed to hold inventory within the grid, stacked vertically to create one of the densest storage solutions available. Combined with precise and gentle robot handling, this setup ensures both high efficiency and long-term durability.

Inside dimensions:

Width: 15.9 in (403 mm)
Length: 23.7 in (603 mm)
Height: 12.3 in (312 mm)

Each bin can be divided into multiple compartments, and each compartment holds one SKU. Bin dividers are made of cardboard, allowing for a lightweight and flexible setup that can be easily adapted over time.

This makes bins highly versatile. They can store anything from bulk items to very small products, depending on how they are configured.

A few practical benchmarks:

A single bin can hold up to 70 T-shirts, 200 iPhones, or 5 shoe boxes
The size is suitable for roughly 85% of goods sold on Amazon
Made from durable HDPE plastic, bins are built to last, with systems installed as far back as 2005 still in use today

Are Bin Dividers Included in Pio Pricing?

Yes, every Pio system comes with a standard set of bin dividers included. This ensures customers can start organizing their inventory from day one without needing additional components. The included mix is designed to support a wide range of use cases and product types.

That said, every operation is different. If a customer has:

A large number of very small items
A need for higher storage density
Specific organizational preferences

Then the divider configuration can be adjusted. Additional divider kits can be supplied and priced based on the customer's needs.

How Many Bin Dividers Should Be Supplied?

The number of bin dividers supplied is based on the number of bins your customer will receive. The suggested distribution is:

Full bins (no dividers): 66%
Best for larger items or fast-moving SKUs where quick access is important.
2-way split: 10%
A simple way to increase storage capacity for medium-sized items.
4-way split (parallel): 4%
Well suited for longer or narrow items that benefit from side-by-side placement.
4-way split (square): 10%
A flexible option for evenly sized small items.
8-way split: 4%
Ideal for smaller SKUs where increased density is needed.
16-way split: 6%
sed for very small or slow-moving items where maximizing space is the priority.

That said, this is not a target. We encourage customers to split more bins and store items in the smallest compartment possible, which in practice often means dividing significantly more than 35% of the bins. The configuration can then be adjusted over time as their inventory needs become clearer.

How to Think About Adjustments

This distribution is not a fixed formula. In real-world projects, the ideal setup depends on how the customer's inventory behaves and how large or small their products are. When planning or refining a configuration, it is useful to consider:

SKU size and variation: a wide range of product sizes typically requires a broader mix of divider types.
Order frequency: fast-moving items should still be stored in the smallest compartment possible, but consider having multiple bins available with the same item to keep up with demand.
Inventory profile: businesses with many small or slow-moving SKUs benefit more from higher split configurations.
Operational simplicity: keeping the setup intuitive for pickers is just as important as maximizing density.

A practical approach is to start with the suggested distribution, observe usage, and adjust over time as real data becomes available.

What to Keep in Mind

Bin dividers play an important role in how a Pio system performs. They make it possible to combine high storage density with the flexibility needed to handle different types of inventory.

There is no single perfect setup. The right mix depends on the customer's products, order patterns, and how their operation evolves over time.

Starting with a balanced divider configuration gives a strong foundation and saves time during bin insert. From there, the setup can be adjusted as real usage becomes clearer, ensuring the system continues to support both efficiency and ease of use.