Managing stock levels

Accurate stock tracking prevents stockouts, reduces waste, and keeps your operations running smoothly. This guide covers monitoring stock levels, setting alerts, performing stocktakes, and reviewing movement history in EQUOS.

Understanding stock quantities

EQUOS tracks multiple quantity types to give you complete visibility into inventory:

Key concepts

• On Hand is the actual physical count in your warehouses.
• Available is what you can sell or use right now.
• Reserved stock is committed but not yet dispatched.
• On Order shows future stock arriving from suppliers.

Example:

• On Hand: 100 units
• Reserved: 30 units (allocated to pending orders)
• Available: 70 units (100 - 30)
• On Order: 50 units (expected from supplier next week)

Viewing stock levels

In the Inventory module

1. Navigate to Inventory from the main menu.
2. The item list shows Available quantity for each product.
3. Click any item to open the detail view with a full stock summary.

The detail view displays four cards showing On Hand, Available, Reserved, and On Order quantities.

In the Warehouse module

View stock by location:

1. Navigate to Warehouse → Stock Management from the main menu.
2. Browse stock by warehouse location and bin.
3. Click any SKU or bin to drill into holdings.

This view helps warehouse staff locate products physically and see bin-level quantities.

Setting stock warning levels

Configure alerts to trigger before you run out of stock. Warning levels help you reorder at the right time.

Configuring thresholds

1. Open the Inventory module.
2. Click an item to open the detail view.
3. Click Edit to modify the item.
4. Scroll to Stock Warning Levels.

Set these thresholds:

How thresholds work

The system compares Available quantity to your thresholds:

• Available ≥ Warning Level → Status: In Stock (green)
• Critical < Available < Warning → Status: Low Stock (amber)
• 0 < Available ≤ Critical → Status: Critical (red)
• Available = 0 → Status: Out of Stock (grey)

Setting smart thresholds

Base warning levels on:

• Lead time: How long your supplier takes to deliver
• Sales velocity: How quickly you sell the item
• Order minimums: Supplier minimum order quantities
• Safety buffer: Extra stock to handle demand spikes

Example calculation:

• Average sales: 5 units/day
• Supplier lead time: 10 days
• Safety buffer: 5 days
• Warning Level: (5 units/day × 15 days) = 75 units
• Critical Level: (5 units/day × 10 days) = 50 units

Monitoring low stock items

EQUOS provides multiple ways to stay on top of stock levels.

Low Stock tab

1. Open the Inventory module.
2. Click the Low Stock tab at the top.
3. View all items below their warning threshold.

Items in the Critical range appear at the top of the list.

Dashboard widget (optional)

If enabled, the Low Stock widget shows a summary on your dashboard:

• Count of items in Low Stock status
• Count of items in Critical status
• Count of Out of Stock items

Click the widget to navigate to the filtered inventory list.

Stock status badges

Each inventory item displays a color-coded badge:

• Green (In Stock): Adequate inventory
• Amber (Low Stock): Below warning level
• Red (Critical): Below critical level
• Grey (Out of Stock): Zero available

Performing a stocktake

Stocktakes (also called cycle counts) verify physical inventory matches your system records. Regular stocktakes keep data accurate and highlight discrepancies early.

When to perform stocktakes

• Periodic counts: Monthly or quarterly full warehouse counts
• Cycle counts: Ongoing counts of high-value or fast-moving items
• Before audits: Annual financial year-end counts
• After discrepancies: Investigate and correct stock issues

Step 1: Create a stocktake session

1. Navigate to Warehouse → Stocktake from the main menu.
2. Click New Session in the sidebar.
3. Enter a session name (e.g., “2026-01 Monthly Count” or “Aisle A Cycle Count”).
4. Select the warehouse location to count.
5. Click Create Session.

The session opens in Draft status.

Step 2: Select bins to count (optional)

For partial counts, select specific bins:

1. Open the session.
2. Click Select Bins to choose storage locations.
3. Pick individual bins or entire aisles.
4. Click Confirm Selection.

Leave empty to count the entire warehouse.

Step 3: Start counting

1. Click Start Session to change status to In Progress.
2. Use the barcode scanner or item selector to record counts.
3. For each item:
   • Scan or select the SKU
   • Select the bin location
   • Enter the physical count

The system displays the expected (system) quantity alongside your counted quantity.

Step 4: Record discrepancies

When physical count doesn’t match system records:

• Over: Physical count is higher than system quantity (potential unrecorded receipts)
• Under: Physical count is lower than system quantity (potential unrecorded dispatches or shrinkage)
• Match: Physical count matches system quantity (no action needed)

Record all items, even if quantities match. This confirms you physically verified the stock.

Step 5: Complete the count

1. Once all items are counted, click Complete Session.
2. The session moves to Completed status.
3. Review the reconciliation summary showing all discrepancies.

Step 6: Reconcile discrepancies

1. Open the Reconciliation tab in the session.
2. Review items with discrepancies:
   • Use filter tabs: All, Overstock, Understock, Missing, Discovered
3. For each discrepancy, choose an action:
   • Accept: Update system quantity to match physical count
   • Transfer: Move stock to another bin (if miscounted location)
   • Investigate: Mark for review before adjusting

Step 7: Finalize the session

1. After reconciling discrepancies, click Finalize Session.
2. The system applies all accepted adjustments to inventory.
3. Stock quantities update across all locations.
4. Movement history logs the stocktake adjustments.

Finalized sessions cannot be edited. Review carefully before finalizing.

Stock adjustments and corrections

Outside of stocktakes, you can manually adjust stock for corrections or special scenarios.

When to use manual adjustments

• Damaged goods: Write off damaged or expired stock
• Shrinkage: Record theft or loss
• Found stock: Add stock discovered during operations (not via receiving)
• Data corrections: Fix data entry errors

Creating an adjustment

1. Navigate to Warehouse → Stock Management → Audit.
2. Click Adjust Stock (if available) or record via stocktake.
3. Select the SKU and location.
4. Enter the adjustment quantity (positive for increase, negative for decrease).
5. Add a reason code and notes.
6. Click Save to apply the adjustment.

Adjustments immediately update stock levels and log to movement history.

Stock movement history

Every stock change is recorded in movement history, providing a complete audit trail.

Viewing movement history

For a specific item:

1. Open the Inventory module.
2. Click an item to open the detail view.
3. Select the History tab.
4. View a timeline chart and detailed movement log.

For a warehouse location:

1. Open the Warehouse → Stock Management → Audit.
2. Filter by date range, SKU, or bin location.
3. Review all stock movements for the selected criteria.

Movement types

Movement details

Each log entry includes:

• Date and time of the movement
• Movement type (inbound, outbound, etc.)
• Quantity changed (positive or negative)
• Location (warehouse and bin)
• Reference (order number or adjustment reason)
• User who triggered the movement

Use this data to investigate discrepancies or analyze demand patterns.

Reporting on inventory levels

Generate reports to analyze stock across your business.

Inventory Report (Summary)

1. Open Inventory from the main menu.
2. In the sidebar, click Inventory Report (Summary).
3. A PDF generates grouped by category with totals.

Use this for high-level overviews and management reporting.

Inventory Report (Detailed)

1. Open Inventory from the main menu.
2. In the sidebar, click Inventory Report (Detailed).
3. A PDF generates with all SKUs and quantities.

Use this for detailed analysis and audits.

Export CSV

1. Open Inventory from the main menu.
2. In the sidebar, click Export CSV.
3. Download a spreadsheet with full inventory data.

Use this for custom analysis in Excel or integration with other systems.

Best practices for stock management

1. Set warning levels early: Configure thresholds as you add products to catch issues early.
2. Review low stock daily: Make it a routine to check the Low Stock tab each morning.
3. Perform regular stocktakes: Monthly cycle counts for high-value items, quarterly full counts for all stock.
4. Investigate discrepancies: Don’t just adjust—understand why counts are wrong and fix root causes.
5. Use movement history: Review logs when customers report incorrect shipments or stock goes missing.
6. Train warehouse staff: Ensure everyone understands how to record receipts, dispatches, and adjustments correctly.
7. Audit adjustments: Regularly review manual adjustments to prevent data integrity issues.

Troubleshooting common issues

Stock shows negative available

Cause: Reserved quantity exceeds on-hand quantity (orders allocated before stock arrived).

Solution:

1. Review reserved quantity in the item detail view.
2. Check pending orders and cancel or adjust as needed.
3. Receive expected stock to bring on-hand above reserved.

Stocktake discrepancy: system higher than physical

Cause: Stock dispatched but not recorded, theft, or damage.

Solution:

1. Review recent movement history for the item.
2. Check for unrecorded dispatch orders.
3. Accept the physical count to update system records.
4. Investigate root cause to prevent future discrepancies.

Stocktake discrepancy: physical higher than system

Cause: Stock received but not recorded, or miscounted bin location.

Solution:

1. Review recent receive orders for missing receipts.
2. Check if stock is recorded in the wrong bin (use Transfer in reconciliation).
3. Accept the physical count to update system records.

Item not appearing in Low Stock tab

Cause: Warning level not configured or set to zero.

Solution:

1. Open the item in edit mode.
2. Scroll to Stock Warning Levels.
3. Set Warning Level and Critical Level thresholds.
4. Save the item.

Related documentation

• Setting up your product catalog — Add products and configure units of measure
• Inventory module — Module overview and features
• Warehouse module — Bin management and fulfillment operations
• Order Manager module — Create orders that affect stock levels