Your inventory is constantly changing as products are sold to customers, arrive from suppliers, or change outlets. Inventory tracking and replenishment methods allow you to keep track of what products you have, and control reorder recommendations.
Adding important information for inventory tracking
To make the most of inventory tracking, you need to fill out some key information for your products. You can do this when creating a new product or you can edit products after you’ve added them. To edit a product, navigate to Catalog > Products and click the pencil icon beside the product. You can also edit your products in bulk using a spreadsheet.
- On the Edit product page, scroll down to the Inventory section.
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Retail POS will automatically generate a unique SKU code for a new product. If you already have an existing SKU/barcode for the product, you can enter it manually or use a Custom code.
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In the Supplier dropdown, select an existing supplier from the list or add a new one by entering the supplier name in the search box and clicking + Add as a new supplier.
- If the supplier requires a code to identify the product, enter it in the Supplier code box.
- In the Supplier price box, enter the price you pay for each unit. This is important for generating reports once you start selling.
Enabling inventory tracking
In the Inventory levels section, the Track inventory for this product checkbox is enabled by default, allowing you to input and maintain inventory levels for your products.
If this setting is disabled, the product will display an infinite stock level and can be sold regardless of stock availability. This is usually only done for non-inventoried products like service charges and fees.
Configuring replenishment method
Min and max quantity
This feature is in beta and may not be available in your account.
The Min and max quantity replenishment method allows you to set a minimum number of a product to keep in stock. When your inventory drops to this level, the system will calculate the reorder quantity for purchase orders needed to reach the max amount.
For example, if you set a min quantity of 10 and a max of 20 and your stock reaches 5, the system will recommend you order 15 units.
You can also add or edit Min and max quantity in bulk on the Products page.
Reorder point and reorder quantity
The Reorder point and reorder quantity replenishment method allows you to set a number of a product that when stock drops to this level, the system will recommend ordering the reorder quantity.
For example, if you set the reorder point to 10 and the reorder quantity to 10, if your stock reaches 5 the system will recommend you order 10 units.
It’s recommended to leave the Available to sell column blank when adding or editing a product, as inventory should be added through purchase orders for accurate reporting.
Integrating inventory tracking with eCommerce
Inventory is synced between all eCommerce integrations (eCom (E-Series), Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce) and inventory tracking is maintained within Retail POS.
You can learn more about integration-specific settings by clicking the integration you're currently using below:
Reporting and inventory tracking
Using Retail POS inventory reports will help you answer the most important questions about your products: what you have, what you need, and what products offer the best return.
Navigate to Reporting > Inventory reports. If you have advanced reporting, you can access three different reports:
- Summary report: Overview of the inventory you have available to sell.
- Replenishment report: For products you reorder regularly, helping you make quick decisions about what to order and how much you need.
- Performance report: Dig deeper into your products, categories, and outlets to understand what's performing well and how to improve profitability.