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Inventory Operations

Inventory operations record and review stock movement, stock position, reservations, valuation, reorder activity, landed costs, production execution, and physical counts.

Open Inventory -> Operations.

Workspace Reference

WorkspaceOpen FromMain ActionMain Record
Stock BalancesInventory -> Operations -> Stock BalancesReview balances and movementsCurrent stock position by item, warehouse, tracking reference, availability, and value.
Stock MovementsInventory -> Operations -> Stock MovementsNew MovementControlled receipt, issue, transfer, adjustment, write-down, reversal, or reservation.
Stock ReservationsInventory -> Operations -> Stock ReservationsReview or manage reservationsStock held for downstream sales, dispatch, production, POS, or agriculture flows.
Stock TakeInventory -> Operations -> Stock TakeNew Stock TakePhysical count session and variance review.
Reorder SuggestionsInventory -> Operations -> Reorder SuggestionsReview, acknowledge, dismiss, or resolveSuggested replenishment action.
Landed CostsInventory -> Operations -> Landed CostsReview landed cost vouchersAdditional acquisition costs allocated into stock value.
Production OrdersInventory -> Operations -> Production OrdersNew Production Order where enabledProduction execution record for output, material issue, operations, QC, and costing.

Service workflows such as Production, POS, and Agriculture can originate stock events, but the authoritative balance, movement, reservation, and valuation ledger remains Inventory. If an agriculture produce delivery, grading decision, or dispatch affects stock, users should verify the resulting receipt, quarantine, issue, or transfer here rather than expecting a separate agriculture stock ledger.

Stock Balances

Stock balances show the current inventory position.

Use this view to answer:

  • how much stock is on hand
  • how much is available
  • how much is reserved
  • where stock is held
  • which lots, batches, serials, or expiry dates exist
  • what the current value is where valuation is shown
  • whether stock is usable, quarantined, damaged, expired, or otherwise restricted

Balance Types

Balance TypeMeaning
On handQuantity physically or system-recorded in stock.
AvailableQuantity not reserved or otherwise restricted.
ReservedQuantity held for another workflow.
In transitQuantity moving between locations where applicable.
Quarantine or blockedQuantity not available for sale or consumption.
Valued balanceQuantity with associated inventory value.

Users should not rely only on on-hand quantity. Available quantity is what normally matters for new sales, issues, or production.

Stock Movements

Stock movements are the audit trail of inventory changes.

Click New Movement when a manual stock movement is truly required.

Common movement actions include:

MovementWhen To Use It
ReceiptStock arrives from purchase, production, return, opening balance, or another approved source.
IssueStock leaves inventory for sale, consumption, production, dispatch, or write-off.
TransferStock moves from one warehouse or location to another.
AdjustmentCorrects approved stock differences when no better source workflow exists.
Write-downReduces stock value because of damage, expiry, obsolescence, or market value change.
ReversalReverses a previous movement through a controlled correction path.
ReservationHolds stock for a downstream workflow without issuing it yet.

Use the business-specific source flow when available. For example, a POS sale should issue stock through POS, and a production order should consume materials through production.

If the stock increase is an implementation opening balance, use the migration import flow instead of a casual manual receipt. For the controlled onboarding path, see Opening Stock Migration.

The same principle applies to agriculture produce. A produce delivery or quality decision may create or block stock impact through the shared source workflow, but any accepted, quarantined, downgraded, or rejected stock position must still reconcile through Inventory.

Important stock-movement fields:

FieldMeaning
Movement typeReceipt, issue, transfer, adjustment, write-down, reversal, reservation, or other controlled movement.
Stock itemItem being moved.
Quantity and UOMStock quantity and unit being moved.
Source warehouseLocation stock leaves from where applicable.
Destination warehouseLocation stock enters where applicable.
Lot, batch, serial, or expiryTracking reference required by the item policy.
Unit cost or new valueCost value used where valuation is affected.
Reason or notesExplanation for manual movements, adjustments, write-downs, or corrections.

Choosing The Right Movement

SituationPreferred Action
Supplier stock arrivedReceipt workflow.
Customer sale completedPOS or sales issue workflow.
Materials consumed in productionProduction material issue.
Produce accepted after QCApproved produce-intake handoff into stock.
Stock moved to another storeTransfer.
Physical count differs from systemStock take variance, not casual adjustment.
Damaged stock lost valueWrite-down or damage workflow.
Wrong movement postedReversal or correction workflow.

Avoid using manual adjustments to hide operational errors.

Stock Reservations

Reservations hold inventory for a downstream process while the process is still in progress.

Examples:

  • sales order allocation
  • POS pending sale where policy supports it
  • production material planning
  • dispatch preparation
  • production cutting or production planning
  • agriculture delivery allocation

Reservations are also useful where accepted produce is being held for grading outcome, buyer allocation, dispatch planning, or controlled settlement release.

Review reservations when stock appears unavailable even though on-hand quantity looks sufficient.

Important reservation fields:

FieldMeaning
Stock itemItem being reserved.
WarehouseLocation where stock is being held.
Quantity and UOMReserved quantity.
Source document or processSales order, production order, dispatch, POS sale, agriculture flow, or other reason for the hold.
StatusWhether the reservation is open, fulfilled, cancelled, or released.

Reorder Suggestions

Reorder suggestions help users identify stock shortages or replenishment needs.

Review suggestions by:

  • item
  • warehouse
  • available quantity
  • reorder level
  • shortage severity
  • preferred supplier or source where available
  • status

A suggestion should be acknowledged, dismissed, or resolved according to procurement policy.

Do not treat a reorder suggestion as a purchase order. It is a planning signal that should lead to procurement or another replenishment decision where policy requires it.

Landed Costs

Landed costs distribute extra acquisition costs into inventory value.

Examples:

  • freight
  • duty
  • clearing fees
  • insurance
  • handling charges
  • inspection or import-related costs where policy allows

Allocate landed costs only when the cost relates to stock receipts or valuation layers that should carry the added value.

Before allocating landed cost:

  • confirm the receipt or stock layer is correct
  • confirm the cost type
  • confirm amount and currency
  • confirm allocation basis
  • confirm the valuation period is still open or approved for adjustment
  • review accounting impact

Do not allocate landed costs after finance has closed or relied on the valuation period without review.

Important landed-cost fields:

FieldMeaning
Cost typeFreight, duty, clearing, insurance, handling, inspection, or other acquisition cost.
Amount and currencyValue to allocate into stock.
Receipt or stock layerStock receipt or valuation layer receiving the extra cost.
Allocation basisHow the cost is distributed, such as quantity, value, weight, volume, or manual basis.
NotesExplanation and supporting reference for finance review.

Production Orders

Production orders convert planned production into execution.

Click New Production Order where the workspace allows direct production-order creation.

Typical lifecycle:

  1. Create or receive demand.
  2. Select output item and quantity.
  3. Resolve BOM and routing.
  4. Release the order.
  5. Reserve or issue materials.
  6. Start and complete operations.
  7. Record quality checks or rework where applicable.
  8. Receive completed output.
  9. Review cost absorption and variance where configured.
  10. Close the order.

Do not close production orders before materials, operations, output, quality, and cost are reviewed.

Important production-order fields:

FieldMeaning
Output itemStock item being produced.
Planned quantity and UOMExpected production output.
BOM and routingMaterial recipe and production route.
Warehouse or production locationLocation used for material issue, execution, or output receipt.
Expected start and completion datesPlanning dates for execution and follow-up.
Material issue linesComponents consumed by production.
Operation linesExecution steps such as cutting, assembly, processing, packing, or inspection.
Output completionFinished quantity received from production.

Stock Take

Stock take compares physical count with system quantity.

Click New Stock Take.

Typical flow:

  1. Create stock take session.
  2. Select warehouse and items.
  3. Freeze or control movement where required by policy.
  4. Record counted quantities.
  5. Review variances.
  6. Investigate large differences.
  7. Submit or approve the stock take.
  8. Post approved variance adjustments.

High stock-take variances should be investigated before posting.

Valuation Review

Inventory valuation can be affected by:

  • purchase cost
  • opening cost
  • landed cost
  • production cost
  • write-downs
  • reversals
  • returns
  • valuation method
  • currency and exchange-rate treatment where applicable

When valuation looks wrong, review movement history before changing item setup.

Troubleshooting

IssueWhat To Check
Stock unavailableAvailable balance, reservations, warehouse, lot, expiry, or blocked status.
Item missing in POS or productionOperational item, stock item, alias, active status, price, and warehouse scope.
Transfer failsSource and destination locations, available stock, tracking requirements.
Valuation looks wrongReceipt cost, landed cost, write-downs, reversals, valuation layers.
Production cannot releaseBOM, routing, material availability, UOM conversion, output item.
Stock take variance is highRecent receipts, issues, transfers, returns, and manual adjustments.
Reorder suggestion seems wrongReorder level, available balance, reservations, warehouse scope, demand assumptions.

Common Mistakes

MistakeBetter Practice
Using manual adjustment instead of receipt, issue, return, or reversal.Use the workflow that matches the business event.
Treating agriculture intake as a separate stock register.Reconcile accepted, held, rejected, and dispatched stock through Inventory.
Ignoring reservations.Review reserved stock before concluding stock is missing.
Posting stock take without investigating large variances.Investigate and document material differences.
Allocating landed cost to the wrong receipt.Match costs to the correct stock receipt or layer.
Closing production with unreviewed materials or output.Review materials, operations, quality, and cost first.

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