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Inventory

Overview of the inventory page and how it functions

Inventory Page Overview

The Inventory page shows all stocked parts your shop currently has on hand. It includes quantities, bin locations, vendors, pricing, and cost information. This page is used by the parts department to manage physical inventory, maintain min/max levels, restock parts, and ensure accurate pricing.

What the Inventory Page Shows

Each inventory item displays:

  • Description: The name of the part as it appears in your system.

  • Part Number: The item's unique identifier or manufacturer number. Used for ordering, searching, and tracking.

  • Category: Each part belongs to a category (e.g., brakes, engine, electrical). Categories determine which pricing matrix is applied.

  • Manufacturer: Optional identifier for the brand or maker of the part.

  • Primary Vendor: The vendor the shop normally purchases the item from.
    (Used for restocking and price reference.)

  • Grid / Bin Location: A physical storage location in your shop's parts room (e.g., B11). Helps staff find parts quickly.

  • Average Cost: The weighted average cost of the part, updated using a FIFO (first-in, first-out) method. This cost changes over time as new stock is purchased at different prices.

  • Sell Price: The retail price automatically calculated using the pricing matrix tied to the part's category.
    If the price is manually overridden, the field turns green.

  • Core: If a part includes a core charge (e.g., remanufactured calipers), the core value appears here.

  • Quantity On Hand: How many units the shop physically has available.

  • Min / Max Levels: Inventory thresholds set by the shop:

    • Min = When quantity drops below this number, the part should be reordered.

    • Max = The preferred maximum stocking level.

      • Color indicators:

        • Green = Quantity is between min and max

        • Orange = Above max

        • Red = Below min

Cycle Counting Inventory

The inventory page supports cycle counting, allowing staff to quickly correct quantity discrepancies.

How to Cycle Count:

  1. Click the three dots (...) in the header section

  2. Select Cycle Count.

  3. Enter the correct quantities for one or multiple items.

  4. Save the updates — the system shows the adjustments made.

  5. If correcting a negative inventory quantity, ensure the updated quantity brings the value to zero or a positive number. For example, if the quantity is -5, adding 5 units will correct the discrepancy.

Additional features:

  • You can cycle count filtered lists (e.g., specific bin locations).

  • A print option is available so techs can walk through the parts room and record counts manually.

Updating Inventory Quantities

When you upload an edited inventory file in ShopView, it updates only the quantities for your parts. This process does not affect pricing, cost, or other financial records. You can confidently update your inventory quantities without worrying about unintended changes to your financial data.

Understanding Average Cost (FIFO)

Average cost adjusts based on actual purchase history.

Transcript example:

  • Buy 5 parts at $10

  • Buy 5 more at $20

  • Average cost becomes $15

  • When selling parts, the system removes the oldest stock first (FIFO), updating the remaining average cost.

This protects shops from:

  • Outdated pricing

  • Cost fluctuations

  • Incorrect margin calculations

Sell Price and Price Overrides

Sell price is normally calculated automatically using the pricing matrix assigned to the part's category.

If a user changes the sell price manually:

  • The price field turns green

  • Removing the overridden value restores the calculated price

Min/Max Levels & Reorder Indicators

Min/max settings help maintain correct stock levels.

Indicators:

  • Green = within desired range

  • Orange = overstocked

  • Red = needs restocking

Filtering and Searching Inventory

You can search by:

  • Part number

  • Description

  • Category

  • Vendor

  • Bin location

  • Any keyword (global search)

Filtering allows parts staff to:

  • View only items below min

  • Filter by location

  • Prepare restock lists

  • Find misplaced stock

Catalog

The Catalog is a historical record of every part ever purchased and used. It will include all parts in you inventory and any other parts that have been used on a work order but not stored in inventory (special order parts) When to Use Inventory vs. Catalog The Catalog also acts as the central repository for all part data in ShopView, ensuring consistent and accurate information across all inventory interactions. Updates like part number corrections or description changes should be managed through the Catalog to maintain system-wide consistency. Linking inventory items to the Catalog prevents discrepancies and enhances operational accuracy.

A quick distinction:

Inventory

  • What your shop physically has in stock

  • Quantities, bin locations, and FIFO cost are tracked here

Parts Catalog

  • A historical record of every part ever purchased or used

  • Includes special-order parts

  • Shows purchase history and linked vendor invoices

Catalog vs Inventory Parts Distinction

  • Inventory Parts:

    • Parts currently in stock.

    • Enables actions like picking for use with detailed stock information.

  • Catalog Parts:

    • Parts listed but not stocked, often tied to purchasing and vendor interactions.

    • Users should ensure correct selection to avoid ordering stocked parts unnecessarily.

Using Inventory on Work Orders

When adding a part to a work order:

  • If the part exists in inventory, selecting it will decrement quantity when picked.

  • If the part does not appear in inventory, it is treated as a vendor/special-order part.

  • Double-check whether a part is an inventory item or only in the Catalog to avoid unnecessary purchase triggers.

  • Manage part updates through the Catalog to keep inventory interactions consistent.

Inventory Part History

When a part quantity looks wrong, the Part History view shows exactly what happened — every pick, adjustment, price change, and quantity update, including who made the change and when. This is the first place to check when inventory doesn't match what you expect.

Common reasons a quantity may be off:

  • A part was picked for a work order and the WO was deleted without returning the part

  • A cycle count was entered incorrectly

  • A purchase order was partially received

  • A part was used on a work order by a different location

Navigate to Parts, then Inventory, and Click on the Clock with a reverse clockwise arrow to view Part History.

Troubleshooting Inventory Discrepancies

A part is showing as missing or the quantity dropped unexpectedly

  1. Open the part and check Part History (clock icon) to see the last action taken on it.

  2. Look for a recent "Picked" entry — this means the part was used on a work order.

  3. If the WO that consumed it was deleted, the quantity won't be restored automatically. Use Cycle Count to correct it.

  4. If no pick is visible, check whether a different location has separate inventory for this part.

A part I know exists isn't showing up in search

  1. Make sure the search field is cleared of any previous filters.

  2. Try searching by part number, description, and vendor separately — different shops enter parts differently.

  3. Check the Catalog — the part may exist in the Catalog but not be stocked in Inventory. A Catalog part can be added to Inventory from the Catalog page.

  4. If the part has a quantity of 0 and min/max is not set, it may be filtered out. Use the column filters to show zero-quantity items.

The quantity is a negative number

Negative inventory means more parts were consumed than were recorded as received. To fix it:

  1. Check Part History to identify the source of the extra picks.

  2. If a purchase order was received but the part wasn't updated, receive it now.

  3. Use Cycle Count (three-dot menu in the header → Cycle Count) to set the correct on-hand quantity.

Inventory quantity adjustment needed after a physical count

Use Cycle Count (three-dot menu → Cycle Count) to enter corrected quantities for one or multiple items at once. You can filter the list to a specific bin location before running a count to make it more manageable. A print option is also available so staff can walk the parts room and record counts on paper first.

Summary

The Inventory page is the primary tool for managing stocked parts in ShopView. It helps your shop:

  • Track accurate part quantities

  • Maintain min/max levels

  • Restock efficiently

  • Use FIFO cost for accurate margins

  • Locate parts quickly using bin locations

  • Override pricing when needed

  • Correct discrepancies through cycle counts

All of this ensures a smoother workflow for parts staff, service advisors, and technicians, and keeps your parts department tightly organized.

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