Navigating OpenBoxes

This guide gives you a tour of the OpenBoxes interface so you can find your way around quickly. OpenBoxes is organized around a main navigation menu, a contextual top bar, and a central dashboard.

The Top Bar

The top bar is always visible at the top of the screen. It contains four key elements:

Location Selector

The location selector is on the left side of the top bar. It shows the name of your currently active location (e.g., "Main Warehouse").

Click on it to switch between locations. All inventory views, stock movements, and operations are scoped to the selected location. If something looks empty or unexpected, check that you have the correct location selected.

The search bar in the center of the top bar lets you quickly find products, stock movements, shipments, and other records. Type a product name, code, or shipment number and press Enter. Results are grouped by type so you can jump directly to the right record.

Notifications

The bell icon shows recent system notifications, such as completed stock movements, incoming shipments, or items that need attention.

User Menu

Your name or avatar on the far right opens the user menu. From here you can:

  • View your profile
  • Change your password
  • Switch language settings
  • Log out of OpenBoxes

The left sidebar (or top menu bar, depending on your screen size) provides access to all major areas of OpenBoxes. Here is what each section contains.

Dashboard

The dashboard is your home screen. It shows a summary of activity at your current location:

  • Indicators -- Quick counts of pending shipments, items below reorder level, and expiring stock
  • Recent activity -- The latest stock movements, receipts, and orders
  • Quick actions -- Shortcuts to frequently used tasks like creating a stock movement or receiving stock

Products

The product catalog is the foundation of your OpenBoxes data. In the Products area you can:

  • Browse products -- View and search your full product list
  • Create products -- Add new items with details like product code, name, category, and unit of measure
  • Manage categories -- Organize products into categories and subcategories
  • View product details -- See inventory levels across all locations, recent transactions, and demand history for any product

Inventory

The Inventory section shows what is in stock at your current location:

  • Browse inventory -- View all items currently held at this location, with quantities and lot numbers
  • Record inventory -- Perform stock counts and adjust quantities
  • Manage bin locations -- See where items are stored within your facility
  • Expiry tracking -- Monitor items approaching their expiration date

Stock Movements

Stock movements are the core workflow in OpenBoxes. They track the movement of goods between locations. A stock movement goes through a defined lifecycle:

  1. Created -- Items and quantities are specified
  2. Picked -- Warehouse staff pick items from bins
  3. Packed -- Items are packed into shipment containers
  4. Shipped -- Goods leave the origin location
  5. Received -- Goods arrive and are checked in at the destination

To create a stock movement, go to Stock Movements > Create and select the origin, destination, and items to move.

Purchasing

The Purchasing area manages your procurement process:

  • Purchase orders -- Create and track orders to suppliers
  • Order status -- Monitor orders from placed through received
  • Supplier management -- Maintain a list of suppliers and their catalogs

Receiving

When shipments arrive at your location, use Receiving to check them in:

  • Pending shipments -- View inbound shipments that are in transit
  • Receive stock -- Confirm received quantities, record lot numbers, and note any discrepancies
  • Partial receiving -- Accept a portion of a shipment if the full order has not arrived

Shipping

The Shipping section handles outbound logistics:

  • Outbound stock movements -- View stock movements where your location is the origin
  • Packing -- Assign items to containers and record weights and dimensions
  • Shipping documents -- Generate packing lists and shipping manifests

Returns

Track and manage returned goods:

  • Return stock -- Create a return from a destination back to the origin
  • Return tracking -- Monitor the status of in-progress returns

Invoicing

Manage financial records associated with orders and shipments:

  • Create invoices -- Generate invoices from purchase orders or shipments
  • Invoice tracking -- Monitor payment status

Reporting

OpenBoxes includes built-in reports to help you monitor your supply chain:

  • Inventory reports -- Current stock levels, stock value, and bin-level detail
  • Transaction reports -- Movement history, receipts, and adjustments
  • Demand reports -- Consumption trends and forecasting data
  • Expiry reports -- Items expiring within a given time window
  • Custom reports -- Export data to CSV for analysis in Excel or other tools

Administration

If you have admin access, the Administration area lets you configure the system:

  • Users -- Manage user accounts and assign roles within OpenBoxes
  • Locations -- Create and configure locations
  • Settings -- System-wide configuration options
  • Data import/export -- Bulk operations for loading or extracting data

Tips for Getting Oriented

  • Always check your active location. Most screens are filtered by the location shown in the top bar. If you do not see expected data, switch locations.
  • Use global search. It is the fastest way to find a specific product, shipment, or order.
  • Bookmark key pages. If you perform the same tasks daily (e.g., receiving, stock counts), bookmark those pages in your browser for one-click access.
  • Start with the dashboard. The indicators on the dashboard highlight items that need your attention, so it is a good place to begin each day.

Next Steps