Stock levels

What a stock level is

A stock level is the detailed quantity record for an item in a warehouse. It can also carry a bin location, lot number, expiry date, reserved quantity, reorder settings, and unit cost. If the item page is the catalog entry, the stock level is the operational truth: it tells staff what is actually available in a specific place.

Stock levels are usually created by posting receipts, receiving transfers, or recording opening stock. Staff do not normally create them by hand. This protects traceability because each quantity change should have a reason and a transaction history.

Workspace scope

In the company workspace, Stock Levels includes stock from every warehouse in the company and shows the Branch column and branch-aware warehouse filters. In a branch workspace, the table, tabs, warehouse filter, opening-stock action, adjustments, alerts, and totals are restricted to warehouses operated by the current branch. A sibling branch warehouse cannot be selected or opened by changing a URL or submitted form value.

Branch opening stock must use an existing company catalogue item. Authorized company users can create a new catalogue item as part of opening-stock setup. For normal supplier deliveries, use a receipt instead of opening stock.

Columns explained

The stock level table shows item, warehouse, branch, on-hand quantity, reserved quantity, available quantity, lot number, expiry date, and unit cost. On Hand is the physical quantity recorded in the warehouse. Reserved is stock already set aside for an approved transfer or another controlled workflow. Available is calculated as on hand minus reserved.

The expiry date column highlights expired stock in danger color. Lot number and bin location help staff find the exact material during picking, count correction, or incident review. Unit cost supports valuation and helps owners see where inventory value is stored.

Available and reserved stock

Available stock is what staff can safely use or move. Reserved stock is still physically present, but it should not be promised for another task. When a transfer is approved, Fohosat reserves stock from a source stock level. When the transfer is dispatched, the reserved quantity is deducted from the source. When it is received, accepted stock is added to the destination.

If staff ignore reserved quantities, they may accidentally use material that another branch is already waiting for. Always look at available quantity before approving a transfer or promising that a branch can run a test batch.

Lots, expiry, and bin location

Lot number and expiry date are critical for reagents and kits. When vendor stock is received, enter the lot number and expiry date from the package. Fohosat uses these values to create or update matching stock levels. The stock service matches item, warehouse, lot, expiry date, bin location, and unit cost when it decides whether to add to an existing level or create a new one.

Bin location is optional but valuable in busy stores. Use it for shelf, drawer, fridge rack, or box position. If staff cannot physically find a stock level, the quantity may be correct in the system but useless during a rush.

Filters and alerts

Use the All Stock, Low Stock, Out of Stock, Expiring Soon, and Expired tabs for the fastest daily review. Low stock compares available quantity—on hand minus reserved—with the applicable reorder threshold. Use the warehouse filter to focus on one permitted storage location.

Low-stock and expiry filters should be part of the daily routine. Low stock tells you what to order or transfer. Expiry risk tells you what to use first, move to a higher-volume branch, or remove from use if it has already expired.

Adjusting stock

The Adjust action is available only to users with stock adjustment permission. It asks for a new quantity and notes. Notes are required because manual adjustments are audit-sensitive. Use adjustments for documented physical counts, damaged materials, expired stock removal, or correction after a verified mistake.

Do not use adjustment as a shortcut for receiving vendor stock or moving stock between branches. Receipts and transfers create better history because they identify supplier, warehouse, lot, expiry, sender, receiver, and status.

Troubleshooting

If the item total is different from what staff expect, check each stock level first. The total on the item page is a sum across stock levels. A quantity may be in a different warehouse, reserved for transfer, separated by lot, or held in a bin that staff did not check.

If a transfer cannot be approved, confirm that one stock level in the source warehouse has enough available quantity. The service looks for available stock and prefers earlier expiry dates. If all quantities are split across lots and no single level can cover the requested quantity, review the transfer line and the physical stock process before forcing an adjustment.

Checklist

• The item and warehouse match the physical material being counted.
• Available quantity, not only on-hand quantity, is checked before promises or transfers.
• Lot number and expiry date match the package.
• Bin location is clear enough for another staff member to find the material.
• Low-stock and expiry filters are reviewed regularly.
• Manual adjustments are used only with a clear note and a real-world reason.