How Do You Track Inventory Across Multiple Locations Without Stockouts or Overstocking?

Yes. Configure minimum stock levels, reorder points, and maximum stock levels individually for each warehouse location. High-volume warehouses maintain higher stock levels while smaller locations keep lower inventory. System generates purchase requisitions automatically when location-specific reorder points are reached. Transfer stock between locations when one warehouse is low and another has excess instead of purchasing more inventory.

Every inventory receipt records lot number, serial number, and expiration date. System tracks which lot numbers were sold to which customers and when. During recalls, search by lot number to identify affected inventory still in stock and customers who received recalled items. Complete forward traceability shows where products went, backward traceability shows suppliers and receipt dates. Export recall data for regulatory compliance reporting.

Yes. Schedule cycle counts by location, product category, ABC classification, or specific products without halting operations. Warehouse staff count assigned items using mobile devices while other operations continue. Enter physical counts and system calculates variances automatically. Investigate and adjust significant discrepancies immediately. Regular cycle counting maintains 95%+ inventory accuracy without annual full physical inventories requiring warehouse shutdowns.

Create stock transfer orders to move inventory between locations. System reduces inventory at source location and increases at destination location automatically when transfer is confirmed. Track in-transit inventory during transfer period. View transfer history showing all movements between locations. Inter-warehouse transfers balance inventory distribution, reduce shipping costs by positioning stock closer to customers, and prevent stockouts at high-volume locations.

Yes. Choose FIFO (first-in-first-out), LIFO (last-in-first-out), weighted average, or specific identification valuation methods. System calculates inventory value automatically based on purchase costs and selected method. Different valuation methods affect cost of goods sold, gross profit, and ending inventory value on financial statements. Generate inventory valuation reports showing total value by location, category, and product for financial reporting and tax purposes.

Define unit of measure conversions for products sold in different quantities like eaches, cases, and pallets. System converts automatically between units when receiving, selling, or transferring. Purchase in cases, store in eaches, sell in boxes with automatic conversion. Track inventory in base unit while displaying in appropriate unit for each transaction. Multi-UOM support eliminates conversion errors and simplifies inventory management for products packaged multiple ways.

Yes. Sales orders reserve inventory automatically when created, reducing available quantities for other orders. View reserved versus available inventory separately. Priority customers or large orders can reserve inventory in advance of shipment date. Unreleased inventory becomes available if orders are cancelled or modified. Inventory reservation prevents overselling, ensures high-priority orders ship on time, and provides accurate available-to-promise quantities for new orders.

Inventory aging reports show how long items have been in stock by 30/60/90/180+ day buckets. Inventory turnover reports identify products with low sales relative to stock levels. ABC analysis categorizes products by sales volume to focus attention on highest-value items. Slow-moving inventory reports flag products without sales activity in specified timeframe. These reports help identify obsolete inventory for clearance sales or disposal before it consumes warehouse space and working capital.

Fishbowl and Cin7 are dedicated inventory platforms requiring integration with order management, warehouse operations, and accounting systems. Alpide Inventory Management integrates natively with sales orders, purchase orders, manufacturing, warehouse management, and accounting in one unified platform. For growing businesses needing complete operations management beyond just inventory tracking, Alpide eliminates integration complexity, data synchronization delays, and costs substantially less than buying separate systems.

Barcode scanning dramatically improves inventory accuracy but is not required. Manual entry works for low-volume operations. As order volume increases, barcode scanning during receiving and shipping reduces errors from 5-10% with manual entry to under 1%. Mobile devices with camera scanning provide affordable barcode capability without dedicated scanners.

Annual full physical inventory counts are outdated. Modern approach uses continuous cycle counting where a portion of inventory is counted weekly. High-value A items counted monthly, medium-value B items counted quarterly, low-value C items counted annually. Cycle counting maintains accuracy without shutting down operations and identifies problems immediately rather than once per year.

Alpide includes integrated accounting eliminating need for separate accounting software. For businesses committed to existing accounting systems, work with Alpide team to discuss integration options. Integrated inventory and accounting in one system eliminates reconciliation headaches, ensures real-time financial accuracy, and reduces monthly closing time significantly versus separate systems.

Typical ROI includes reduced stockouts increasing sales by 5-10%, reduced excess inventory freeing up 15-25% of working capital, eliminated manual counting saving 10-20 hours weekly, reduced inventory shrinkage from better accuracy, and faster order fulfillment improving customer satisfaction. Most organizations achieve payback within 6-9 months from inventory reduction and labor savings alone.