ITrack/Enterprise/Inventory Overview

Screen Purpose

This screen in ITrack Enterprise is designed to facilitate automatic stocking and reordering based on stocking information. Currently the screen is capable of creating suggested orders based on min/max ordering. Eventually, seasonal ordering and other options may be added.

Extension Information

This extension is loaded from EEInventoryOverview.dll and is not dependent on any other user-level extensions.

Interface Information

Choose Purchase Vendors

Initially when the screen is opened, the user is presented with the 'Choose Purchase Vendors' dialog. This dialog is designed to have the user select which purchase vendors they would like to view ordering data for. On this dialog, the user can find and check records in the purchase vendor list manually, or type a piece of information into the smart search field and hit 'find'. This will automatically find all purchase vendors matching the smart search criterion (same search that is used on the vendor list screen) and check them. The select all/deselect all buttons will select all purchase vendors in the list or deselect all purchase vendors in the list for convenience. The Ordering Group dropdown shows all ordering groups that have been entered into the system. Vendors can be assigned to ordering groups on the vendor information screen. These groups allow the user to define logical groups of purchase vendors that they wish to quickly select all of or deselect in the list. These could be such things as 'biweekly ordering vendors', or 'transmission vendors' for example. The 'Show informational records' checkbox toggles whether the user wants to see inventory records (and their current stock levels and availability) that aren't stocked and don't need special order but are at a different store than an item that does need to be stocked. Essentially, if this is checked, if item 'A' at store 1 is a stocked item from one of the selected purchase vendors, item 'A' at store 2, 3, etc will also be shown even if they aren't stocked items. This facilitates viewing current order history, stocking levels, and purchase history of the record at other stores even if it isn't a stocked item. This can help make decisions between ordering and transferring items. Turning informational records off will make the cache process faster (as fewer items must have their availability and ordering history analyzed).

Once the desired set of purchase vendors have been selected, hit ok to go to the Inventory Overview screen proper.

Main Interface

The interface of the inventory overview screen presents many different ways of viewing inventory data in order to facilitate any corporate ordering schema. The screen uses 4 lists which can be resized depending on user preference. The meaning of the data in these lists' columns is explained later (but a hint can always be gathered from the column tool tips.

List Controls

• Stores: this list shows all stores that have been configured in ITrack. Clicking on each store in the list will select it, allowing the user to view items to order for more than one location. This list drives what inventory records show up in the inventory list and what open documents show up in the documents list.
• Documents: this list shows open documents (sales orders, purchase orders, work orders, transfer orders) based on the screen context. Often this list displays open documents relating to the currently selected inventory item.
• Inventory: this is the main list on the screen, and it shows a plethora of information about inventory records that you stock. Using, the filters (described below), this list will display everything you need to create a suggested vendor order.
• Vendors: this list shows purchase vendors based on the screen context. Often it will display vendors meeting the vendor filter criterion at the top of the screen. It also shows ordering information about these purchase vendors, such as minimum prepaid order levels, minimum order levels, and suggested order totals.

View Modes

The screen has 3 radio buttons that control the current 'view mode'. When you select different view modes, it changes how you plan on looking at information on the screen. Different view modes are designed for different ordering schemas and for gathering different types of information.

Document View Mode

In document mode, you see open sales orders and work orders for parts at one of the selected stores having one of the selected purchase vendors. Clicking on a document shows you what on that document needs to be ordered.

Vendor View Mode

The most common view mode would probably be vendor. In this mode, you'll see all purchase vendors that meet the criterion selected in the dropdown next to the vendor view mode radio button. Note that only those vendors selected in during the choose purchase vendors step will be displayed in this list. If you select a vendor, you'll see all the items that you stock from that vendor that also meet the criterion selected in the dropdown next to inventory (see below). In addition, all open purchase orders made to this vendor will be shown in the document list (as long as no inventory items are currently selected). Using the correct inventory filters, the user can create a 'suggested order' for that vendor.

Before explaining the vendor filters, some terms must first be explained.

• Suggested order quantity: the total quantity of items that the system suggests you order from that vendor.
• Suggested order weight: the total weight of all items that the system suggests that you order from that vendor.
• Suggested order price: the total order cost of all items that the system suggests that you order from that vendor.

The vendor filters available in the dropdown are as follows.

Vendor Filters

• *ALL*: shows all vendors that you selected in the purchase vendor list when opening the screen. In order for a vendor to show up, you must have at least one item that you purchase from them.
• Min. Order Met: shows only those vendors that have a suggested order that matches all minimum vendor order criterion. In the vendor information screen, a vendor may be (optionally) given a minimum order quantity and/or a minimum order weight and/or a minimum order price. This filter makes sure the suggested order meets all of the specified minimums for this vendor.
• Min. Prepaid Order Met: is similar to above but it uses the (optional) minimum prepaid vendor order criterion. In the vendor screen, a vendor may be (optionally) given a minimum prepaid order quantity and/or a mininmum prepaid order weight and/or a minimum prepaid order price. This filter makes sure the suggested order meets all of the specified prepaid order minimums for this vendor.
• Possible Order quantity > 0: shows all vendors whose suggested order quantity is greater than 0 (some items are suggested to order).
• Possible Price > Min Price: simply makes sure that the suggested order price is greater than the vendor's minimum order price.

Inventory View Mode

Inventory mode simply shows all inventory items at one of the stores (selected in the store list) with one of the purchase vendors selected previously that also meet the selected criterion in the dropdown next to the inventory view mode radio button. I describe those filter options below. If you select a part, you'll see any open orders on that item (including WOs, POs, and TOs, and SOs), and its purchase vendor down below.

Inventory Filters

• *ALL*: shows all inventory at those stores with one of those purchase vendors.
• QOH < 0: shows all inventory that have a quantity on hand less than 0. This is a state that should optimally never happen, but it shows items where you've oversold your stock.
• QOH <= Minimum: shows all inventory items that have a QOH less than or equal to your minimum stock quantity. If you use QOH instead of quantity available for stocking, this would be a common filter.
• Available < Max: shows all items whose current available quantity is less than your 'stocking point' or max quantity.
• Available <= Min (Orderable): by far the most common filter option, and probably the most used. It shows all items that have an available quantity less than or equal to the minimum stock levels for that item (which is the min/max order criterion).