Restocking Consumables - Increase Inventory When Purchased

Overview

When you purchase or receive new consumables, you restock to increase the quantity in inventory. This keeps stock levels current and tracks purchasing history.

When to Restock

Restock consumables when:

• New units purchased and received
• Items returned to stock (unused after withdrawal)
• Inventory correction (count shows more than system)
• Transfer from another location adds units
• Donation or gift of supplies received

Restocking Units: Step-by-Step

Single Restock

1. Go to Consumables page
2. Find consumable to restock
3. Click consumable name to open detail page
4. Click "Restock" button (top right, next to Withdraw)
5. Fill out restock form:

Restock form fields:

Quantity to Add (required)

• How many units are being added?
• Whole numbers only
• No upper limit (can add as many as needed)

Date (optional, defaults to today)

• When were units received?
• Use if backdating (e.g., delivery was last week but logging now)

Cost Per Unit (optional)

• How much did each unit cost?
• Updates the consumable's default Cost Per Unit
• Leave blank to keep existing cost

Vendor / Supplier (optional)

• Where were units purchased from?
• Free text field
• Example: "Office Depot", "Amazon Business", "Grainger"

Purchase Order / Reference (optional)

• PO number, invoice number, or other reference
• Helps link restocks to accounting records
• Example: "PO-2026-0123", "Invoice #45678"

Restocked By (auto-filled with your name)

• Who logged this restock?
• Defaults to currently logged-in user

Notes / Reason (optional)

• Any additional context
• Example: "Bulk purchase for Q1 2026", "Emergency order - rush delivery"

1. Click "Restock"
2. Quantity increases immediately
3. Restock logged in History tab

Example Restock

Scenario: Ordered 20 toner cartridges, just delivered

Consumable: HP 950XL Black Ink Cartridge
Current Quantity: 5 Each (low stock, triggered reorder)

Restock:
- Quantity to Add: 20
- Date: Today
- Cost Per Unit: $42.00 (was $45, new vendor cheaper)
- Vendor: Amazon Business
- Purchase Order: PO-2026-0145
- Notes: "Bulk order - 10% discount applied"

After restock:
- New Quantity: 25 Each (5 + 20)
- Cost Per Unit updated: $42.00 (will use for future valuations)
- History: "Jan 15, 2026 - Restocked 20 units - Balance: 25 - PO-2026-0145"

Bulk Restock (Large Order)

If receiving large shipment with many different consumables:

Workflow

1. Receive shipment (100 items across 10 different consumables)
2. Unpack, verify quantities match packing slip
3. For each consumable in shipment:
   • Open consumable detail page
   • Click Restock
   • Enter quantity received
   • Reference same PO number in each
4. All restocks logged with same PO reference

Example:

PO-2026-0150 received (Office Supplies order):
- Toner Cartridge: Restock 15 (PO-2026-0150)
- Printer Paper: Restock 50 (PO-2026-0150)
- Ballpoint Pens: Restock 100 (PO-2026-0150)
- Sticky Notes: Restock 30 (PO-2026-0150)
...

Benefit: Later, search history for "PO-2026-0150" to see all items from that purchase.

Restock from Low-Stock Alert

When low-stock alert email arrives:

1. Email says: "HP 950XL Black Ink Cartridge low (Qty: 4, Min: 5)"
2. Purchase units from vendor
3. When delivered, restock:
   • Quantity: [amount purchased]
   • Vendor: [where purchased]
   • Notes: "Reorder from low-stock alert"
4. Quantity now above minimum → Alert clears

See Low Stock Alerts for alert setup.

Updating Cost Per Unit During Restock

Why update cost?

• Prices change (inflation, new vendor, bulk discount)
• More accurate inventory valuation
• Better budget forecasting

How it works:

1. Consumable created with Cost Per Unit: $45
2. Restock with new Cost Per Unit: $42
3. System updates consumable to $42
4. Future total value calculations use $42

Note: Does NOT retroactively change past valuations. Only affects current quantity going forward.

Example:

Before restock:
- Quantity: 5 @ $45 each = $225 total value

Restock 20 units @ $42 each:
- Quantity: 25 @ $42 each = $1,050 total value (new rate applied to all current stock)

Restock for Returns

If items withdrawn but later returned unused:

Scenario: Withdrew 5 cables for project, only used 3, returning 2

1. Consumable: "Ethernet Cable - 6ft"
2. Click Restock
3. Quantity to Add: 2
4. Notes: "Returned from Project Alpha - unused"
5. Restock

Result: Inventory accurate, history shows withdrawal then partial return.

Restock for Inventory Correction

Physical count shows more than system:

Example:

• System shows: 10 units
• Physical count: 15 units
• Discrepancy: 5 units unaccounted for

Fix:

1. Click Restock
2. Quantity: 5
3. Notes: "Inventory adjustment - annual audit 2026-01-15. Physical count 15, system 10."
4. Restock

Result: System matches reality.

CSV Import for Bulk Restock

If restocking many consumables at once (e.g., large distributor order with 50+ line items):

1. Go to Consumables → Import CSV
2. Download template
3. Fill in spreadsheet:

   Name, Quantity to Add, Cost Per Unit, Vendor, PO Number
   HP 950XL Black Toner, 20, 42.00, Amazon Business, PO-2026-0150
   HP 951XL Cyan Toner, 15, 44.00, Amazon Business, PO-2026-0150
   ...
   

4. Upload CSV
5. System restocks all consumables in one operation

Use case: Monthly wholesale order with 100+ consumables. Manual restock would take hours, CSV takes minutes.

See CSV Import Guide for details.

Viewing Restock History

Every restock is logged:

1. Open consumable detail page
2. Click "History" tab
3. See all restocks:

Example history:

Jan 15, 2026, 10:00 AM - Restocked
Quantity: 20 units
Cost Per Unit: $42.00
Vendor: Amazon Business
PO: PO-2026-0150
Restocked By: Jane Doe
New Balance: 25 units

Dec 10, 2025, 2:30 PM - Restocked
Quantity: 30 units
Cost Per Unit: $45.00
Vendor: Office Depot
PO: PO-2025-1098
Restocked By: John Smith
New Balance: 35 units

Filter Restock History

Filter by:

• Date range: Last 30 days, last 6 months, all time
• User: See who restocked
• Action: Restocks only (hide withdrawals)
• Vendor: Filter by supplier (if using vendor field consistently)

Use cases:

• Audit purchasing patterns (how often do we order from each vendor?)
• Track cost changes over time (was it cheaper 6 months ago?)
• Verify PO completion (did we receive everything from PO-2026-0150?)

Who Can Restock Consumables

Permissions:

• Owner: Yes
• Admin: Yes
• Manager: Yes
• Viewer: No (read-only)

Typically, purchasing or inventory managers restock.

Common Restock Scenarios

Scenario 1: Regular Reorder

Monthly standing order from vendor:

1. Receive shipment: 100 safety gloves, 50 hard hats, 30 reflective vests
2. Restock each:
   • Safety Gloves: +100 (Vendor: Grainger, PO: Monthly-Jan2026)
   • Hard Hats: +50 (Vendor: Grainger, PO: Monthly-Jan2026)
   • Reflective Vests: +30 (Vendor: Grainger, PO: Monthly-Jan2026)
3. Inventory replenished for month

Scenario 2: Emergency Rush Order

Critical item out of stock, rush order placed:

1. Received overnight delivery: 10 toner cartridges
2. Restock:
   • Quantity: 10
   • Cost Per Unit: $55 (higher due to rush)
   • Vendor: Local Office Supply Store
   • Notes: "Emergency order - overnight shipping. Normal vendor on backorder."
3. Cost elevated but documented in notes

Scenario 3: Free Samples

Vendor sends free samples:

1. Received: 5 bottles new cleaning product (free trial)
2. Restock:
   • Quantity: 5
   • Cost Per Unit: $0.00 (free)
   • Vendor: ABC Cleaning Supplies
   • Notes: "Free trial samples - evaluating for procurement"
3. In inventory but $0 value

Scenario 4: Transfer Between Locations

Main warehouse transfers to satellite office:

At main warehouse:

1. Withdraw 20 units (Reason: "Transfer to Satellite Office - Chicago")

At satellite office:

1. Receive 20 units
2. Restock:
   • Quantity: 20
   • Notes: "Transfer from Main Warehouse"
   • Cost: (use existing cost, no new purchase)
3. Both locations' inventory accurate

Restock vs. Creating New Consumable

Restock existing consumable when:

• Same item you already track
• Same Name, SKU, specifications

Create new consumable when:

• Different item (even if similar)
• Different brand/model (track separately)
• Want separate stock counts (e.g., Blue pens vs. Black pens)

Example:

• Have "HP 950XL Black Toner" (quantity 5)
• Receive 20 more HP 950XL Black → Restock (same item)
• Receive 15 HP 951XL Cyan → Create new consumable (different item)

Troubleshooting

"Restock button not visible"

Causes:

• You don't have permission (Viewer role) → Contact Manager/Admin
• Consumable is archived → Restore first, then restock
• Browser issue → Refresh page

"Should I restock if price changed?"

Yes. Enter new Cost Per Unit when restocking.

Example:

• Old cost: $45
• New purchase: $42 each
• Restock with Cost Per Unit: $42
• System updates to new cost

"Restock not reflected immediately"

Should be instant. If not:

• Refresh page
• Check history (may be delayed UI update but recorded in backend)
• Contact support if persists

"Restocked wrong quantity"

Fix:

1. Immediately withdraw the difference
2. Example: Meant to restock 10, entered 100
   • Withdraw 90
   • Reason: "Correction - data entry error during restock"
3. Net effect correct, history shows both transactions

"How do I track backorders?"

If ordered but not yet received:

Option 1: Don't restock until received (conservative)

Option 2: Create Note on consumable:

• Edit consumable
• Notes: "On order: 50 units from Vendor ABC, expected 2026-01-20"
• When received, restock and remove note

UniAsset doesn't have dedicated backorder feature (yet).

Best Practices

1. Restock Only When Physically Received

Don't: Restock when you place order.

Do: Restock when shipment arrives and verified.

Why: Keeps inventory accurate. If order delayed, system reflects reality.

2. Verify Quantity Against Packing Slip

Before restocking:

1. Count physical units
2. Compare to packing slip/invoice
3. Restock actual received quantity

If discrepancy:

• Short shipment: Restock what you received, contact vendor for shortage
• Over shipment: Restock what you received, notify vendor (may need to return or adjust invoice)

3. Use PO References Consistently

Always fill Purchase Order field:

• Enables audit trail
• Links to accounting records
• Helps verify orders completed

Format: PO-YYYY-#### (e.g., PO-2026-0145)

4. Update Cost When It Changes

Don't leave cost outdated. Update during restock for accurate valuations.

5. Log Immediately Upon Receipt

Restock same day items received. Don't wait weeks.

Why:

• Inventory accurate for others checking stock
• Won't forget details (vendor, PO, cost)
• Low-stock alerts clear promptly

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I restock archived consumables?

No. Restore from archive first, then restock.

Why: Archived = no longer active. Restore signals "back in use."

What if I restock before items arrive?

Not recommended. If you do:

• Restock when order ships
• If shipment lost/delayed, inventory is wrong
• Better: Restock on actual receipt

Do I need to match exact cost on every restock?

No. Cost Per Unit is optional. If blank, existing cost preserved.

Update cost when:

• Price changed
• Bulk discount applied
• Different vendor (different price)

Keep cost same when:

• Price unchanged
• Don't know new cost yet (update later)

Can I restock negative quantity?

No. To reduce quantity, use Withdraw (not negative restock).

Does restocking send notifications?

No. Silent operation. If stock was low and restock brings above minimum, low-stock alert status clears (but no "now in stock" email).

How do I track restocks by month for budgeting?

1. Go to consumable History tab
2. Filter: Restocks only, Date range = Last month
3. See all restocks with costs
4. Export history, sum Total Cost column in Excel

Or:

1. Reports → Consumables Report
2. Group by Month
3. See total restock costs per month

Related Articles

• Creating Consumables - Set up consumables initially
• Withdrawing Items - Reduce quantity when used
• Tracking Consumable Quantity - Monitor stock levels
• Low Stock Alerts - Trigger reorders
• CSV Import Guide - Bulk restock via CSV

Need Help?

If you have questions about restock workflows, PO tracking, or inventory valuation, contact support for assistance.