Best practices for using Inventory reports

Inventory reports work best when your inventory records are accurate. The more consistently you record sales, invoice payments, supplier bills, and stock adjustments, the more useful the reports become.

Daily habits

• Check low stock items at the start or end of each day.
• Use stock-linked sales when selling inventory items directly.
• Use invoice inventory lines when invoicing stock items.
• Record stock damage or removals as soon as they happen.
• Add notes to manual stock adjustments.

Weekly habits

• Review fastest-moving items.
• Review most sold items by KSh.
• Check stock loss and removal reasons.
• Check damaged, expired, and returned stock.
• Review items repeatedly going low stock.
• Review dead stock before buying more.

Monthly habits

• Check stock on hand value.
• Check dead stock and slow-moving items.
• Check whether cost prices are up to date.
• Check whether low stock alert levels still make sense.
• Mark discontinued items inactive.
• Review stock reports before major supplier orders.

Data accuracy tips

• Enter cost prices for all important stock items.
• Use consistent units.
• Avoid mixing box prices with item prices unless the unit clearly says box.
• Link suppliers where possible.
• Use bill purchase history where possible.
• Do not use manual stock adjustment as a shortcut for sales.