POS Inventory Management: Stock, Counts and Purchasing
Reliable POS inventory starts with a product code, a unit of measure and a stock movement history. Every sale, receipt, return, count and transfer needs to explain why the quantity changed.
Build a product catalogue that can be counted
Give each sellable item a unique SKU. Keep the barcode separate from the description and record whether you sell an individual unit, pack, case or measured quantity. Product names should help staff distinguish items quickly at checkout.
A case of 12 and a single unit cannot share an undefined quantity. Write the conversion rule before importing stock. For clothing and other variants, decide whether each size and colour needs its own code, price and quantity.
Test stock movements with ten units
Use a small quantity that everyone can check by hand. Receive ten units, sell three, return one resalable unit and transfer two to another location. The original location should hold six and the destination two. Total stock should be eight.
Repeat the completion step on the sale and transfer. A retry must not deduct stock twice. Then request an excessive transfer and confirm that the rejected transaction leaves quantities unchanged.
| Movement | Original location | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| Receive ten | 10 | 0 |
| Sell three | 7 | 0 |
| Return one resalable unit | 8 | 0 |
| Transfer two | 6 | 2 |
Set a count procedure before opening
Record who counted, when the count started and which movements took place while counting. Choose a quiet trading window or define how the system handles transactions during the count. Keep a reason and approval record for differences.
Use spot counts for high value and fast moving items. Investigate repeated differences by product and location. An unexplained quantity change should be visible in the movement history.
Connect purchasing to physical receiving
An order sent to a supplier is incoming stock. The goods become on hand when the receiving team confirms what arrived. Ask whether the software supports partial deliveries, damage, supplier returns and extra freight costs.
Landed cost allocation needs an agreed rule. A weight based allocation can suit one shipment and a value based allocation another. Keep the purchasing currency and any conversion assumptions with the receipt. Lightspeed publishes purchasing, reorder and landed cost workflows that are useful reference points for a supplier demonstration.
Define the stock controls your business needs
DSDillon POS currently records stock receiving, counts, location transfers, purchase orders and the connection between fulfilment and stock deductions. Advanced reservations, serial tracking, batch allocation and partial receiving belong in the separately agreed implementation scope.
For a stock review, prepare the product count, locations, units of sale and a sample movement report. Include the problems that need investigation, such as repeated shortages, inconsistent costs or quantities that differ between locations.
Questions before you decide
Why does my stock figure differ from a physical count?
Check the opening quantity, unrecorded receipts, returns, damaged goods, unit conversions, transfers and sales made during the count. Work through the movement history for the affected SKU.
Does a purchase order increase available stock?
It should record expected goods. Physical stock should increase through the receiving workflow after the quantity arriving is confirmed.
Tell us how your business sells.
Share your business type, locations, currencies, invoice requirements and payment providers. We will scope the workflow, connections and acceptance tests.
