Inventory

Order from suppliers when stock runs low, and record what each delivery brings.

Each supplier has a list of the items it sells, in its packs and at its prices. Draft orders, on Running low, starts an order for each supplier from what is below its minimum, and you email it or record how it was sent. Receiving a delivery adds it to stock, and anything short, refused or charged at another price is listed under Differences until it is settled.

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Suppliers and their lists

A supplier's page keeps the order email, your account number, the days they deliver, the time to order by, the days to deliver, the minimum order, the delivery charge and payment terms. A supplier can be linked to a contact in Contacts.

Items on the list
Each item is listed in the pack the supplier sells it in, such as a Case of 24, with the price per pack and the supplier's product code. Items are added from the supplier's page or the item's page.
Usual supplier
When several suppliers list an item, one is its Usual supplier, and Running low orders from it.
Price changes
A new price, typed in or charged on a delivery, becomes the supplier's price for that pack, and the list shows what it was before.

Ordering what is running low

Running low lists each item whose usable stock in a pool is below its minimum, counting what is already on open orders, with the number of its usual supplier's packs that brings it up to its order-up-to level. Tick the items and choose Draft orders, and a draft will be started for each supplier and pool. An item on no supplier's list is shown without an order.

New order starts an order by hand, for a supplier and the pool the delivery goes to. Lines come from the supplier's list, or Add an item not on the list orders any other item. The number of packs and the price can be changed on each line, and the expected date is set from the supplier's days to deliver.

Approving and sending an order

  1. Approve

    Approve order marks an order ready to send. A team admin can set a total under Orders that need approval; another member's order at or above it shows Ask for approval instead, and a team admin approves it or sends it back with a note.

  2. Send

    Sending an order emails it to the supplier's order email, or marks it sent by phone, on the supplier's website, in person or another way. The email lists each line in the supplier's packs with its product code, the date needed, your account number and the notes for the supplier, and replies go to the person who sent it.

  3. Confirm

    Mark as confirmed records that the supplier accepted the order.

  4. Change or cancel

    Lines change only while an order is a draft, and Change the lines returns an order waiting for approval or approved to draft. Cancel order needs a reason once the supplier has the order.

Receiving a delivery

Receive, on an order, lists each line with what is still to come. A delivery can record the invoice or delivery note number, and Deliveries lists every one received, with each line as expected, arrived and refused.

  1. What arrived

    Enter what arrived, and anything refused with the reason: damaged, wrong temperature, expired or short-dated, wrong item, poor quality or another reason.

  2. Price, lot and expiry

    Enter the price charged per pack, and the lot and expiry date when the item tracks them. What arrived will be added to the order's pool, and its price will move the item's average cost.

  3. The rest of the order

    Tick More of this order is still coming to keep the order open. Otherwise the order is complete, and lines still short will be recorded as differences; Close order does the same for a partly received order.

  4. Without an order

    Receive a delivery records stock from any supplier, or none: the pool, then each item, quantity, unit and total cost.

Supplier differences

Differences lists what arrived differently from the order: short, more than ordered, refused, or at a different price, with the quantity and its value. Each supplier's page lists its own differences to follow up.

When a difference is settled with the supplier, such as with a credit note or a redelivery, enter how and choose Mark settled. Settled differences are kept under Settled, and Mark to follow up returns one to the list. Differences do not change stock: the delivery has already recorded what arrived.

Who orders, and who sees prices

Members of a team whose members can edit add suppliers, draft, send and receive orders, and settle differences. Team admins, and you in Personal, also approve orders and set the total that needs approval.

Prices, order totals, minimum orders, delivery charges and the value of differences are shown to people who can change Inventory. Members who can only view see suppliers, orders and deliveries without them. Every price is in the currency a team admin chooses for Inventory.

Add your first supplier.

Create a Magpie account, open Inventory, then add a supplier and the items on its list.

Create account