Inventory Management

Inventory management in OpenBoxes gives you real-time visibility into what you have, where it is, and when it expires. Every transaction is recorded, so you always have a complete audit trail.

Electronic Stock Card

The stock card is the single most important view for any product. It shows:

  • Current quantity on hand at your location
  • Lot numbers and expiry dates for each batch
  • Bin locations where stock is stored
  • Complete transaction history — every receipt, issue, adjustment, and transfer

Think of it as a digital version of the paper stock cards used in many warehouses, but updated automatically with every transaction.

Tip: Bookmark the stock card for your most critical items. Checking them regularly helps you spot unusual consumption patterns before they lead to stockouts.

Viewing Stock Levels

Navigate to Inventory > Browse Inventory to see stock levels across all products at your current location. The list shows:

  • Product name and code
  • Quantity on hand
  • Status indicator (in stock, low, out of stock)
  • Nearest expiry date

You can filter by category, tag, or stock status to focus on specific segments of your inventory. Export the full list to Excel for offline analysis or sharing with stakeholders.

Inventory Adjustments

When physical stock does not match the system, you need an adjustment. Common reasons include:

  • Damaged goods — Items broken or contaminated
  • Expired stock — Items past their use-by date
  • Discrepancies found during stock count — Physical count differs from system
  • Theft or loss — Unaccounted shortage

To record an adjustment:

  1. Navigate to the product's stock card
  2. Click Adjust Stock
  3. Select the lot and bin location
  4. Enter the new quantity or the adjustment amount
  5. Choose a reason code (required for audit purposes)
  6. Add a comment explaining the circumstances
  7. Save

Every adjustment is recorded with who made it, when, and why. This audit trail is essential for regulatory compliance and loss prevention.

Stock Counts

Periodic stock counts (also called physical inventories or cycle counts) verify that system records match reality. OpenBoxes supports this workflow:

  1. Generate a count sheet — Print or export a list of products to count
  2. Perform the count — Staff physically count items in the warehouse
  3. Enter results — Record counted quantities in OpenBoxes
  4. Review discrepancies — The system highlights differences between expected and counted quantities
  5. Approve adjustments — A manager reviews and approves corrections

Tip: Rather than counting everything at once, use cycle counting — count a portion of your inventory each week, rotating through categories. This is less disruptive and catches problems sooner.

Lot and Expiry Tracking (FEFO)

OpenBoxes tracks inventory at the lot level, meaning each batch of a product is recorded separately with its:

  • Lot number — The manufacturer's batch identifier
  • Expiry date — When the lot expires
  • Quantity — How many units of this lot you hold

When creating stock movements, OpenBoxes automatically suggests lots using FEFO (First Expired, First Out) logic — the lot closest to expiry is picked first. This minimizes waste from expired products.

Min/Max and Reorder Levels

For each product at each location, you can configure:

  • Minimum quantity — Below this triggers a low stock alert
  • Maximum quantity — Upper limit to prevent overstocking
  • Reorder point — When stock falls to this level, it is time to reorder
  • Reorder quantity — The standard amount to order

These thresholds drive the dashboard alerts and help automate replenishment decisions. Set them based on your average consumption and lead times.

Tip: Review your min/max levels quarterly. Consumption patterns change with seasons, program expansions, and patient volumes. Stale thresholds lead to either stockouts or excess inventory.

ABC Classification

ABC classification segments your products by importance:

  • A items — High value or high criticality (typically 10-20% of products, 70-80% of value)
  • B items — Medium importance
  • C items — Low value, high volume

Use ABC classification to prioritize management effort. A items deserve tighter controls, more frequent counts, and closer monitoring of reorder levels. C items can be managed with simpler rules.

Best Practices

  • Record adjustments in real time — Do not batch them up; delayed adjustments make your data unreliable
  • Always include reason codes — "Just because" is not an acceptable adjustment reason
  • Review the stock card before reordering — It shows consumption trends that inform better ordering decisions
  • Train all warehouse staff on how adjustments work — data quality depends on consistent recording at the point of action