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Inventory Overview

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Inventory Overview

Inventory management is the core of supply chain operations. This guide helps you navigate inventory features based on your role and daily tasks.

Don't Hide Menu Items: All users see the same menu structure. This guide explains recommended starting points for each role, but you can access any feature you have permissions for.

Operations (Warehouse/Inventory)

Start here:

  1. Viewing Inventory - Check current stock levels by location and bin
  2. Cycle Counts - Perform physical inventory counts
  3. Adjustments - Correct inventory discrepancies
  4. Shipments - Manage outbound shipments

Daily workflow:

  • Morning: Review inventory alerts and low stock items
  • During day: Process shipments, receive inventory, perform cycle counts
  • End of day: Review adjustments and reconcile discrepancies

Planner (Forecasting + Replenishment)

Start here:

  1. Viewing Inventory - Understand current inventory position
  2. Channel-Location Inventory - Analyze inventory by channel
  3. Transfers - Execute transfer recommendations
  4. Stock Requests - Review and approve stock requests

Daily workflow:

  • Review forecast vs actual inventory levels
  • Execute transfer recommendations
  • Monitor channel inventory allocations
  • Review stock requests and approve replenishment

Finance (COGS, Holding Cost, Cost-to-Serve)

Start here:

  1. Viewing Inventory - View inventory valuation
  2. Inventory Reports - Generate inventory valuation reports
  3. On-Order Reports - Track committed inventory costs
  4. Dashboards - Monitor inventory KPIs

Daily workflow:

  • Review inventory valuation and holding costs
  • Analyze cost-to-serve by channel
  • Monitor on-order commitments
  • Review inventory aging and slow-moving stock

Executive (Summary Dashboards)

Start here:

  1. Dashboards - High-level inventory overview
  2. KPIs - Key performance indicators
  3. Service Levels - Customer service metrics
  4. Inventory Reports - Executive summaries

Daily workflow:

  • Review dashboard summaries
  • Monitor key metrics and trends
  • Review service level performance
  • Analyze inventory health indicators

Key Inventory Concepts

Inventory Levels

Inventory is tracked at multiple levels:

  • Location Level: Total inventory at a physical location
  • Channel Level: Inventory allocated to specific sales channels
  • Bin Level: Inventory in specific storage bins (if bin tracking enabled)
  • Lot Level: Inventory by lot number (if lot tracking enabled)
  • Expiry Level: Inventory by expiry date (if expiry tracking enabled)

Channel Inventory

The same physical product can be allocated to different channels:

  • DTC Channel: Direct-to-consumer inventory
  • Marketplace Channel: Amazon, eBay, etc.
  • Retail Channel: Physical store inventory
  • Wholesale Channel: B2B inventory

Each channel has its own:

  • Inventory allocation
  • ATP (Available to Promise) calculation
  • Replenishment rules
  • Alert thresholds

Inventory Status

Inventory can have different statuses:

  • Available: Available for sale/fulfillment
  • Reserved: Reserved for specific orders
  • Allocated: Allocated to channels
  • On Hold: Temporarily unavailable (damage, quality check, etc.)
  • Quarantine: Isolated for inspection

Common Tasks

eyeView Inventory

Browse inventory by location, bin, lot, expiry, and channel

clipboard-checkCycle Counts

Perform physical inventory counts and reconciliation

editAdjustments

Make inventory adjustments and corrections

truckShipments

Create and manage outbound shipments

arrow-right-leftTransfers

Execute manual transfers between locations

clipboard-listStock Requests

Create and manage stock requests

What Success Looks Like

Operations Success

  • ✅ Inventory levels match physical counts (within tolerance)
  • ✅ Cycle counts completed on schedule
  • ✅ Adjustments documented with proper reason codes
  • ✅ Shipments processed accurately and on time
  • ✅ No unexplained inventory discrepancies

Planner Success

  • ✅ Inventory levels aligned with forecasts
  • ✅ Transfer recommendations executed promptly
  • ✅ Channel inventory properly allocated
  • ✅ Stock requests approved and fulfilled efficiently
  • ✅ Safety stock levels maintained

Finance Success

  • ✅ Accurate inventory valuation
  • ✅ Holding costs tracked and minimized
  • ✅ Cost-to-serve metrics available by channel
  • ✅ On-order commitments properly tracked
  • ✅ Slow-moving inventory identified and addressed

Executive Success

  • ✅ Dashboard shows clear inventory health
  • ✅ Service levels meet targets
  • ✅ Inventory turnover within targets
  • ✅ No critical stockouts
  • ✅ Inventory investment optimized

Common Pitfalls

1. Not Understanding Channel Allocation

Problem: Assuming all inventory is available for all channels.

Solution: Understand that inventory is allocated to channels. Check channel-specific inventory levels, not just location totals.

How to avoid: Always check channel inventory when planning fulfillment.

2. Ignoring Lot/Expiry Tracking

Problem: Not considering lot numbers or expiry dates when viewing inventory.

Solution: Use lot/expiry filters when browsing inventory, especially for:

  • Healthcare (lot tracking required)
  • Food & Beverage (expiry tracking required)
  • Products with recalls

How to avoid: Enable lot/expiry filters in inventory views.

3. Making Adjustments Without Reason Codes

Problem: Creating adjustments without proper reason codes makes it hard to analyze trends.

Solution: Always select appropriate reason codes when making adjustments. This enables:

  • Trend analysis
  • Compliance reporting
  • Root cause analysis

How to avoid: Make reason codes required in your workflow.

4. Not Reviewing Channel Policies

Problem: Not understanding how channel policies affect inventory availability.

Solution: Review channel policies to understand:

  • ATP calculations
  • Safety stock levels
  • Replenishment rules
  • Alert thresholds

How to avoid: Familiarize yourself with channel policy configuration.

Troubleshooting

Inventory Levels Don't Match Physical Count

Symptoms: System shows different quantity than physical inventory.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Perform a cycle count for the location/product
  2. Review recent transactions (shipments, receipts, adjustments)
  3. Check for pending transactions (in-progress shipments, etc.)
  4. Verify lot/expiry filters aren't hiding inventory
  5. Create adjustment with appropriate reason code

Prevention: Regular cycle counts and proper transaction documentation.

Can't See Inventory for a Channel

Symptoms: Inventory shows at location but not available for a channel.

Possible causes:

  1. Inventory not allocated to that channel
  2. Channel policy restricts availability
  3. Inventory on hold or in quarantine
  4. Filters hiding inventory

Steps to resolve:

  1. Check channel-location inventory view
  2. Review channel policies
  3. Check inventory status (available vs. on hold)
  4. Remove filters and check again

Transfer Recommendations Not Showing

Symptoms: Expected transfer recommendations don't appear.

Possible causes:

  1. Forecasts not generated or published
  2. Transfer policies not configured
  3. Insufficient inventory at source location
  4. Recommendations already executed

Steps to resolve:

  1. Verify forecasts are generated and published
  2. Check transfer policy configuration
  3. Verify source location has sufficient inventory
  4. Check if recommendations were already executed

Permissions & Roles

Basic inventory viewing requires standard user permissions. Making adjustments, creating shipments, and executing transfers may require additional permissions. Contact your organization administrator for details.