14. Stock Level Maintenance

Overview

This STEP is INSTRUCTIONAL - You may proceed to the next step. This may be done at a later time.

Inventory and warehouse management of your inventory stock levels can be managed and maintained by both the web browser and the FInale Inventory mobile barcode scanner. The following is a brief discussion about using the Web Browser to help maintain your inventory. For more information on using the Finale Data Collector mobile barcode solution, check out our how-to videos on the Video Tour page and scroll down to the Barcoding Section.

Stock Changes

• Stock Changes – From the web browser - A quick stock change modifies the count of a stock item. There are four main variants of the quick stock change:

  • Add / subtract items
  • Set item quantity
  • Add / subtract cases
  • Set case quantity

There is also the specialized operation break apart cases described below.

• Each stock change operates on a stock item. A stock item is specified by selecting a product, a magazine, a lot identifier (if lot identifiers are enabled for the company), and a packing (if case packing is being used by the company). The best way to select the stock item is to first pick the product. Once the product is selected, the current stock items for the product are displayed immediately below the product selector. The stock items are blue links, and when click updated the remaining fields on the form to modify that stock item. When working with cases, it is important to specify the correct packing. Finale tracks each packing independently (so, for example, you can have cases of a particular product packed both 48/1 and 54/1 and keep track of how many of each are on hand). The easiest way to specify the correct packing is to always select existing stock items by clicking the blue link below the product selector.
  • Add/subtract vs set - For the add/subtract items and add/subtract cases variants, the user enters a number (positive or negative) representing how much to change the quantity of the stock item. The system displays both the old quantity and the new quantity after the number has been applied. For the set item quantity and set case quantity variants, the user enters a number representing the new quantity of the stock item. The system displays both the old quantity and the calculated quantity change to be applied.
  • Break apart cases - The break apart case operation replaces the case quantity of a stock item with the equivalent open stock quantity. The product, magazine, and lot identifier (if used) remain the same. Like the other quick stock change operations relating to cases, it is important to specify the correct packing (which is easiest to do by clicking the blue link below the product specifier). The quantity change number should be negative if you are breaking apart cases since the number of cases of the stock item is being decreased.

Stock Takes

• Stock Takes – From the web browser - A stock take represents an actual physical count of items on hand at a particular magazine. For each stock item, the user can enter the count of that item in the magazine. The system calculates the variance, if any, from the count that is calculated based on previous transactions affecting that stock item. When the stock take is committed, the system records the variance and applies that as a transaction against the stock item effective the date of the stock take. Count of zero vs. unspecified count Recording a count of zero for a stock item has a different effect than leaving the count unspecified (blank) for a stock item. If the count is specified as zero, then when the stock take is committed a variance will be entered to reduce the count on hand to zero. If the count is unspecified, then no variance will be applied for that stock item when the stock take is committed. Comparison to batch stock change, the important difference between a stock take and a batch stock change is that a stocktake records the actual count on hand while the batch stock change only records the variance. A stocktake keeps a record of the actual physical count even if there is no change from the count calculated based on previous transactions. A batch stock change only keeps a record of which stock items have changed.

A stocktake has a similar user interface to a batch stock change, and when committed both results in a transaction being applied to increase or decrease the count of a stock item. The stocktake has the user enter the current count of the stock item, while the batch stock change has the user enter the difference whether positive or negative.

Stock Transfers

• Stock Transfers – From the web browser - A quick stock transfer moves a quantity of a single stock item to another magazine. A stock item is specified by selecting a product, a quantity which includes the packing, and a transfer from which includes both the origin magazine and a lot identifier (if lot identifiers are enabled for the company). The best way to select the stock item which you are transferring from is to first pick the product. Once the product is selected, the current stock items for the product are displayed immediately below the product selector. The stock items are blue links, and when click updated the remaining fields on the form to modify that stock item. When working with cases, it is important to specify the correct packing. Finale tracks each packing independently (so, for example, you can have cases of a particular product packed both 48/1 and 54/1 and keep track of how many of each are on hand). The easiest way to specify the correct packing is to always select existing stock items by clicking the blue link below the product selector. Although it possible to transfer manually enter the packing, magazine, and lot identifier, it is not recommended.

Importing Stock levels

• Importing - All stock maintenance operations for Stock Change, Stock Take, and Stock Transfer can be accomplished with a simple Copy/Paste import from Excel. From the Home>Import & Export link, you may choose from various import buttons to accomplish a batch/bulk import of data that will affect your stock levels in mass.

How-to Video

Next Step: 14. Stock Auditing