Overview of Inventory Module

1. Standard Configuration

The standard configuration is based on the following procedure:

• Staff arrive at a stores counter and request that certain items are provided. The Storeman checks ID or that staff have appropriate signed authorisation or GIDO.

• The Storeman enters details on line and collects item from stores for issue.

• Details, including item number, quantity, account code or grant/project reference are entered on-line. There will be free text which will enable the requisitioner to be recorded on the system.

• The system will update the stock records and a background process will run to update the general ledger and grants. The background process for the general ledger is part of the standard software. The background process for the grants update will be written in-house.

2. Item Codes

Each store will be set up as a separate ‘organisation’ in the system.

Item codes will have a two character alphabetical prefix, to indicate the Department, followed by code numbers to indicate specific items. In the case of Honours Departments the second part of the code may be the same as the current item codes.

3. Issue Price

All stock issued will be at average cost which will be calculated automatically. Storemen will be able to override the system and alter the issue price if Departments wish to give this authority to them.

4. Units of Measure

The system will hold a primary unit of measure, normally the unit of purchase and stores holding.

The unit of issue can be different and the system uses a conversion factor to convert from store holding unit to issue rate. The unit for purchasing can be different from the primary unit.

5. Functions Not Available

The Phase 1 functions will not allow an automatic mark-up to be applied to all issues, nor will they include a link to accounts receivable so that invoices to external organisations can be generated automatically.

6. Purchase Orders

When Purchase Orders are raised the system will default to non-stock expenditure, that is, it will assume that the purchase is not to be added to stock. Therefore departmental staff will need to alter the default setting when orders to replenish stores items are issued.

7. Minimum and Maximum Stock Levels

Rules may be set on the system for minimum and maximum stock levels. Departmental staff will be able to run a report listing all stocks above the maximum or below the minimum level and use this as a basis for ordering new supplies.

8. Goods Received Process

It will be essential for the goods received stage to be entered if the Department is using the Inventory module.

9. Stocktaking

The system will produce Count Sheets for all or part of the stock items, as specified by Departmental staff, as an aid to stocktaking. Details of actual stocks may then be entered and the system will write off the difference to the stores expenditure code i.e. the code against which stores running costs such as staff salaries are charged.

10. Issues to Other Departments

The Storeman will have to be given authority on the system to debit all account codes including grants, which may have issues charged to them. For issues from a single Department stores which is largely used by staff in that Department this is not likely to be a problem.

Where staff from one Department wish to use a store ‘owned’ by and run by another Department, the issue to the Department will be dealt with by using an IDT. The Stores department will nominate an account to which IDT transfers are to be charged. Upon issue, the cost of the item will be charged to this nominated account in the Inventory Module. An IDT will then be required to credit the nominated account and charge the cost of the item to the other department.

This page last modified June 3, 2011 by Web Editor