Low Stock Alerts - Never Run Out of Critical Supplies

Overview

Low stock alerts notify you when consumables drop to or below a minimum quantity threshold, ensuring you never run out of critical supplies. This guide covers setting thresholds, receiving alerts, and reorder workflows.

How Low Stock Alerts Work

The Basics

1. You set minimum quantity for each consumable
2. System monitors current quantity continuously
3. When current qty ≤ minimum qty → Alert triggers
4. You receive notification (email and in-app)
5. You reorder consumable
6. When restocked above minimum → Alert clears

Example:

Consumable: HP 950XL Black Toner
Minimum Quantity: 5
Current Quantity: 12   → No alert (12 > 5)

[Users withdraw units over time...]

Current Quantity: 5    → Alert triggers! (5 ≤ 5)
Notification sent: "HP 950XL Black Toner is low (5 units). Reorder recommended."

[You reorder and restock 20 units]

Current Quantity: 25   → Alert clears (25 > 5)

Setting Minimum Quantity

During Consumable Creation

When creating new consumable:

1. Go to Consumables → + New Consumable
2. Fill required fields (Name, Category, Quantity, Unit)
3. Minimum Quantity field:
   • Enter threshold number
   • When stock hits this level, alert triggers
   • Example: Enter 5 to alert when stock reaches 5 units

Leave blank to disable alerts for that consumable.

Editing Existing Consumable

To add/change minimum quantity:

1. Open consumable detail page
2. Click "Edit"
3. Update Minimum Quantity field
4. Save
5. If current qty now below new minimum, alert triggers immediately

Example:

Current Quantity: 8
Old Minimum: 5 (no alert, 8 > 5)

Change Minimum to: 10
New Minimum: 10
Current still 8, now alert! (8 < 10)

Calculating Ideal Minimum Quantity

Formula:

Minimum Quantity = (Usage Rate × Lead Time) + Safety Buffer

Step-by-Step

1. Determine Usage Rate

How many units consumed per week/month?

Example: You use 2 toner cartridges/week on average

2. Determine Lead Time

How long from order to delivery?

Example: Vendor delivers in 2 weeks

3. Calculate Base Minimum

Base Minimum = Usage Rate × Lead Time
             = 2 cartridges/week × 2 weeks
             = 4 cartridges

4. Add Safety Buffer

Account for:

• Usage spikes (busy months)
• Delivery delays
• Vendor stockouts

Example: Add 3 cartridges safety buffer

5. Final Minimum

Minimum Quantity = 4 + 3 = 7 cartridges

Set minimum to 7 → Alert when stock reaches 7, giving 2 weeks to reorder before running out.

Examples by Industry

Office Environment:

Printer Paper (Reams):
- Usage: 10 reams/week
- Lead time: 1 week
- Safety buffer: 10 reams (1 week)
- Minimum: (10 × 1) + 10 = 20 reams

Manufacturing Facility:

Safety Gloves (Pairs):
- Usage: 50 pairs/week
- Lead time: 3 weeks
- Safety buffer: 50 pairs
- Minimum: (50 × 3) + 50 = 200 pairs

IT Department:

Network Cables (6ft):
- Usage: 5 cables/month
- Lead time: 1 week
- Safety buffer: 3 cables
- Minimum: (5/4 weeks × 1 week) + 3 = ~4 cables

Receiving Low Stock Alerts

Email Notifications

When consumable hits minimum:

Email sent to:

• Owners
• Admins
• Managers with Consumables access
• Optionally: Specific users (set in Notification Preferences)

Email content:

Subject: Low Stock Alert: HP 950XL Black Toner

UniAsset Alert

HP 950XL Black Toner is running low.

Current Quantity: 5 Each
Minimum Quantity: 5 Each
Location: IT Storage - Cabinet 3
Last Restocked: 2025-12-15

Recommended Action: Reorder from vendor

[View Consumable] button

Vendor: Office Depot
SKU: C2P23AN

Click "View Consumable" to open detail page and log restock.

In-App Notifications

1. Click bell icon (top right of dashboard)
2. See notification: "HP 950XL Black Toner is low (5 units)"
3. Click notification → Opens consumable detail page
4. Click "Restock" to log incoming order

Dashboard Widget

Main dashboard shows:

Low Stock Consumables Widget:

• Lists all consumables currently below minimum
• Shows current qty, minimum qty, difference
• Click any item to view/restock

Example widget:

Low Stock Consumables (3)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ HP 950XL Black Toner        5 / 5 Each  │ ← At minimum
│ Nitrile Gloves - Medium    15 / 20 Pair │ ← Below minimum
│ Ethernet Cable - 6ft        2 / 5 Each  │ ← Below minimum
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Alert States

State 1: Healthy Stock (No Alert)

Current Qty > Minimum Qty

• Green indicator
• No notifications
• Business as usual

State 2: Low Stock (Alert Triggered)

Current Qty ≤ Minimum Qty

• Yellow/orange indicator
• Email + in-app notification sent (once when threshold crossed)
• Appears in Low Stock widget
• Action: Reorder soon

State 3: Critical Stock (Very Low)

Current Qty = 0

• Red indicator
• Out of stock
• Urgent reorder needed
• May block operations (can't withdraw what you don't have)

State 4: Alert Cleared

Current Qty > Minimum Qty (after restock)

• Returns to green
• Removed from Low Stock widget
• No additional notification (silent clearing)

Reorder Workflow

When low-stock alert received:

Step 1: Verify Alert

1. Open consumable detail page (click alert or dashboard widget)
2. Confirm current quantity is actually low (not data error)
3. Check recent withdrawal history (sudden spike in usage?)

Step 2: Determine Order Quantity

Order Quantity = Target Stock Level - Current Quantity

Example:

• Current: 5 units
• Minimum: 5 units
• Target stock: 25 units (your ideal "full stock")
• Order: 25 - 5 = 20 units

Step 3: Place Order with Vendor

1. Check consumable detail page for:
   • Vendor name
   • SKU / Part Number
   • Last cost per unit
2. Contact vendor (phone, website, purchasing portal)
3. Place order for calculated quantity
4. Note PO number

Step 4: Log Expected Restock (Optional)

While waiting for delivery:

1. Edit consumable
2. Update Notes field:

   On order: 20 units from Office Depot
   PO: PO-2026-0145
   Expected delivery: 2026-01-22
   

3. Save

Benefit: Others see restock is coming, won't duplicate order.

Step 5: Receive and Restock

When delivery arrives:

1. Verify quantity against packing slip
2. Click "Restock" on consumable
3. Enter:
   • Quantity received
   • Cost per unit (if changed)
   • Vendor
   • PO number
4. Save
5. Alert clears automatically (if restocked above minimum)
6. Clear "On order" note from consumable

Notification Preferences

Customizing Who Receives Alerts

1. Go to Settings → Notification Preferences
2. Low Stock Alerts section:
   • Enable/disable email notifications
   • Enable/disable in-app notifications
   • Select specific users to notify (e.g., Purchasing Manager)

Example:

✅ Email notifications enabled
✅ In-app notifications enabled

Notify:
☑ All Admins
☑ Sarah Lee (Purchasing Manager)
☐ All Managers

Result: Sarah gets all low-stock alerts (even if not Admin), enabling her to reorder promptly.

Setting Alert Frequency

Current behavior: Alert sent once when threshold crossed. No repeat alerts.

To re-trigger alert:

• If stock restocked then drops below minimum again, new alert sent
• But if stock stays below minimum, no daily/weekly reminders

Best practice: Check Low Stock widget weekly even without alerts (catch items lingering below minimum).

Bulk Minimum Quantity Update

If setting/adjusting minimums for many consumables:

Via CSV Import

1. Export current consumables (Consumables → Export CSV)
2. Spreadsheet includes Minimum Quantity column
3. Update minimum values for each consumable
4. Re-import CSV with "Update existing consumables" option
5. All minimums updated in one operation

Use case: Annual review of reorder points, adjust all minimums based on new usage patterns.

Troubleshooting

"Not receiving low-stock alerts"

Check:

1. Minimum Quantity set?
   • Open consumable, verify Minimum Quantity is not blank
2. Current qty actually below minimum?
   • May be at minimum but not below (alert triggers when ≤ minimum)
3. Notification preferences enabled?
   • Settings → Notifications → Low Stock Alerts = ON
4. Email delivery issues?
   • Check spam folder
   • Verify email address correct in user profile
5. Already received alert?
   • Alert sent once when threshold crossed, not repeatedly

"Alert not clearing after restock"

Check:

• Restocked quantity enough to exceed minimum?
  • Example: Min = 10, restocked to 10 → Still alert (10 = 10, need >10)
  • Restock to 11+ to clear
• Refresh page/dashboard (UI may lag)

Fix: Restock above minimum (not just to minimum).

"Getting alerts for consumables I don't care about"

Solutions:

1. Remove minimum quantity:

   • Edit consumable, clear Minimum Quantity field → No alerts for that item

2. Adjust notification preferences:

   • Settings → Notifications → Specify only certain categories trigger alerts

3. Archive consumable:

   • If obsolete/discontinued, archive to remove from active list

"Alert triggered immediately after creating consumable"

Cause: Initial quantity ≤ minimum quantity.

Example:

• Created with Quantity: 0, Minimum: 5 → Immediate alert (correct behavior)

Not a bug: System alerting you to low stock (even if just created).

To avoid: Create with sufficient initial quantity (above minimum).

"Want alerts before reaching minimum, not at minimum"

Workaround: Set minimum higher than actual minimum.

Example:

• True minimum (can't operate below): 5 units
• Set Minimum Quantity: 10 units
• Alert triggers at 10, giving more lead time before hitting true minimum (5)

Best Practices

1. Set Minimums for All Critical Consumables

Don't: Leave minimums blank for important items.

Do: Set realistic minimums for anything essential to operations.

Priority items:

• Safety equipment (never run out - compliance risk)
• High-usage items (frequently consumed)
• Long lead-time items (weeks to reorder)

2. Review and Adjust Minimums Periodically

Usage patterns change:

• Business growth → Higher usage → Raise minimums
• Seasonal changes → Summer slowdown → Lower minimums
• New vendor (faster delivery) → Can lower minimums

Recommend: Annual review of all minimums.

3. Don't Ignore Alerts

Low-stock alert = Action needed.

Poor response: "I'll order next week."

Good response: Place order same day (or next business day).

Why: Lead time is real. Delay ordering = Risk running out.

4. Use Consistent Vendor Info

Fill Vendor field consistently:

• Always "Office Depot" (not sometimes "OfficeDepot" or "Office Depot Inc.")
• Enables filtering, reporting, vendor analysis

5. Balance Stock Levels

Too-low minimums: Risk stock-outs, operations disruption

Too-high minimums: Excess inventory, cash tied up, storage costs, expiration risk

Goal: Minimum covers lead time + reasonable safety buffer. Not 6 months of stock.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set different minimums for same item at different locations?

Not directly (single consumable = single minimum).

Workaround: Create separate consumables for each location:

• "HP Toner - Building A" (Min: 5)
• "HP Toner - Building B" (Min: 10)

Do alerts trigger on weekends/holidays?

Alerts trigger whenever threshold crossed, 24/7.

Email sent whenever it happens. Whether you check email on weekend is up to you.

Can I get alert before minimum, like a "warning" level?

Not built-in (only one threshold).

Workaround: Set Minimum higher than true minimum to create buffer.

What if I want alerts sent to external email (vendor)?

Forward UniAsset alert emails to vendor manually, or:

• Use email rules to auto-forward low-stock alerts
• Contact support for custom integrations

Can I disable all low-stock alerts globally?

Yes:

• Settings → Notification Preferences → Low Stock Alerts → OFF

But not recommended - defeats purpose of proactive inventory management.

Do withdrawals immediately trigger alerts?

Yes. If withdrawal drops qty from 6 to 5, and minimum is 5, alert sent immediately.

Can I snooze an alert?

No snooze feature. Alert persists until:

• Stock restocked above minimum
• Minimum quantity removed/lowered
• Consumable archived

Related Articles

• Creating Consumables - Set minimum quantity initially
• Tracking Consumable Quantity - Monitor current stock
• Restocking Consumables - Respond to alerts by restocking
• Notification Preferences - Customize alert settings
• Consumables Dashboard - Low Stock widget

Need Help?

If you're not receiving expected alerts or need assistance calculating optimal minimum quantities, contact support for help.