You can easily track and manage inventory using AssetSonar. There are three types of items you can add here: assets, asset stock, and inventory. Inventory items are consumable items that are not returned once they are checked out. For this reason, only the stock level or quantity of each inventory item is tracked. To track inventory items with our IT asset management software, go to Company Settings & Add Ons → Inventory Module → Enabled.
1. Adding Inventory Items
Before you can start tracking inventory, you first need to add your inventory items to AssetSonar. To add an inventory item, go to Items → Inventory → Add Inventory. This button is also available on the dashboard. Here you can record all the details that are specific to the inventory item including item Name, Asset Identification Number, Group, Product Model Number, and so on.
You can also record vendor details (Vendor), purchase price per unit (Price For Add Stock), price per unit for removal (Price for Remove Stock), create inventory with initial stock (Initial Stock Quantity), choose quantity for reorder (Reorder Quantity) location (Default Location), and set minimum stock quantities (Low Stock Thresholds and Location Threshold).
To record additional details like serial number and expiration date you can create Custom Fields. These fields can be made mandatory at create/edit events. These can also trigger alerts at the dates specified.
Additionally, you can associate documents and images with inventory items and add comments. To associate documents with inventory items, go to Items→ Inventory → Select an Item → Scroll down to the Files Tab → Click ‘Attach File’.
1.1. Adding Items via Scanning
AssetSonar allows you to print new barcodes for your inventory items. In case your items already have barcodes printed on them, you can scan them to add new inventory items. To do this, go to Items → Inventory → Add Inventory via Scanning.
For this functionality to work, you must enable ‘Barcode Reader’ beforehand from Company Settings & Add Ons → Go to Integrations Tab → Handheld Scanner Integration.
1.2. Adding Items via an Excel Import
You can add multiple inventory items into AssetSonar using an excel sheet, from Items → Inventory → Add Inventory → Import From Sheet → Create Inventory.
2. Printing Labels for Inventory Items
An important aspect of inventory control is labeling inventory items. AssetSonar allows users to generate new labels for their inventory items. Users can also use the existing barcodes on their inventory items. Inventory items have one unique label that is pasted on all your stock items. This barcode or QR Code label can be scanned to bring up the inventory item and take actions like adding or removing stock.
2.1. Printing New Labels
Before you can print barcodes you must specify an ‘Identification Number’ for your items. This number is used to uniquely identify items and is used as their barcode number. In case of QR Codes, you do not need to enter an identification number for your inventory items.
To print labels, go to Items → Inventory → Select Inventory Item → More→Print Label → Specify the number of copies you want to print.
You can also print labels for multiple inventory items from Items → Inventory → Check Inventory Items → Actions → Print Label. The number of copies you will choose in this case will impact all the items separately, e.g. 4 copies — 4 labels will be printed for each selected item.
Note: In order to print barcodes you will first need to create a custom print label template from More → Printout Templates → Label → Add Print Label Template.
It will take you to a new overlay where you can add a new print label template.
2.2. Using Existing Barcode Labels
If you already have barcode labels printed, you can simply enter their barcode numbers in the ‘Identification Number’ field from Items → Inventory → Select Inventory Item → Edit.
Once the barcode number is recorded, the software will recognize the barcodes upon scanning, allowing you to easily scan and take actions on items. An easy way to add the identification number is through scanning. To do this, simply configure your external barcode scanner and scan your barcode number into the ‘Identification Number’ field.
3. Managing Stock Locations
Location management is found deep in the AssetSonar inventory control software. You can use the software to create multiple locations and sub-locations. For example, a location in New York may have a sub-location Warehouse_1 and that in turn may have sub-locations like Section_A, Shelf_001. This type of location tagging makes it quick and easy to locate items. Each inventory item only has one Default Location but can have multiple Stock Locations.
3.1. Default Location
This is the location at which your initial stock quantity is added at the time of creating an inventory item from Items → Inventory → Add Inventory.
This location is also used as the default location when taking actions like add, remove, reserve or transfer stock. For example, if you add stock to your inventory item, the field location will be automatically populated with your default location and the stock will be added to that location. You can easily change this location. The default location is also the location that is used when you add inventory items to a cart.
3.2. Stock Locations
Different quantities of an inventory item may be spread out across locations, for example, Warehouse_01 may have 200 boxes of ‘Disposable Plastic Cups’ and Warehouse_02 may have 100 boxes. In such cases, tracking inventory by its specific location is important. You can check the total quantity available of an item at different locations from Items → Inventory → Select Inventory Item → Quantity by location.
You can also change the way assets are listed on the asset detail page by using the ‘Location Stock View’ button on the top left. This will show stock quantities by location instead of showing one total quantity per item.
4. Actions on Inventory
4.1. Add Stock
Administrators can add inventory stock using the action buttons on the right of the inventory detail page. To add stock, go to Items → Inventory → Select Inventory Item → Add Stock.
This will open an overlay that will prompt you to add the quantity, per unit price, location for stock to be added to, vendor name, and the name of the member who has made the order request.
The ‘Price/ unit’ is automatically populated by the value specified in the ‘Price for Add Stock’ field on the inventory details page. You can change this value if needed. You can also add the ‘Total Price’ of the quantity ordered and the system will automatically calculate and change the ‘Price / unit’.
Staff users can also be allowed to Add Stock to Inventory from Company Settings & Add Ons → Inventory module → Check ‘Allow staff users to add stock.’
4.2. Request Stock
An Admin can give staff users the option to ‘Request Stock’, from Company Settings & Add Ons → Purchase Orders → Check ‘Allow staff users to create purchase order requests for Administrators to review and replenish stock’.
To request stock go to Inventory → Select Item → More, which will take you to the overlay shown in the image below, from where you can click on ‘Request Stock’.
When creating a stock request, staff users can identify a delivery location. They can also add the request to an active purchase order or create a new one by hitting ‘Send Request’.
An administrator can then approve/deny these requests from the Notification Bell → Purchase Requests.
4.3. Remove Stock
Stock can be removed whenever it’s checked out or sold. Remember that inventory is never checked back in. To remove stock from an inventory item, go to Items → Inventory → Select Inventory Item → More → Remove Stock.
The following overlay will appear and require you to specify the location from which you are removing the stock and other details.
Once you have added the relevant details, click on the ‘Process Order’ button to continue.
4.4. Transfer Stock
In addition to removing stock from inventory, members can also transfer stock. This comes in handy when moving stock from one warehouse to another or simply changing the location of stock within a warehouse.
To transfer inventory stock between locations, go to Company Settings & Add Ons → Transfer of Inventory → Enabled.
Then go to the Items → Inventory → Select Inventory Item → Transfer Stock.
A selection overlay (displayed below) will allow you to choose the transfer source and destination locations, along with the stock quantity, price, and additional details.
After you add the relevant details, click on the ‘Transfer’ button to continue.
4.5. Reserve Stock
You can reserve stock for consumption at a later date from Items → Inventory → Select Inventory Item → Reserve.
An overlay will appear where you can set the date, quantity, price, location and more. Use this to ensure that the required stock quantity is available at a specific time.
You can also ensure that reservations on inventory items do not conflict with each other from Company Settings & Add Ons → Reservations → For Inventory → Check ‘Enforce Conflict-Free Reservation for Inventory’.
4.6. Adding Stock to Multiple Inventory Items
You can add stock for multiple inventory items at the same time through an Excel import. To do this, go to Items → Inventory → Import From Excel Sheet → Update Existing Inventory.
You can then upload an Excel sheet with details of the new stock, and the locations to which it will be added.
You will then be asked to map your columns to fields in AssetSonar. If everything looks good, you can go ahead and click Import. This will allow you to add stock to multiple locations instantly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know when my stock is running low at a location?
You can set a low quantity threshold by going to Items → Inventory → Select an Item → Edit → Scroll down to Location Specific Thresholds.
An Email alert will be sent out to you if an inventory item reaches the predefined lower threshold. The threshold can either be customized for multiple locations or it can be set to default.
Is there a way I can checkout multiple inventory items together?
Multiple inventory items can be checked out in a single click. Go to Items → Inventory → Select Multiple Items → Go to Actions → Add to Cart → Check out.
