Tracking Consumable Quantity - Monitor Stock Levels

Overview

Every consumable in UniAsset has a Current Quantity that changes as units are withdrawn (used) or restocked (purchased). This guide explains how to monitor quantities, view history, and understand your inventory levels.

Viewing Current Quantity

On Consumables List

1. Go to Consumables page
2. See table with columns:
   • Name: Consumable name
   • Category: Type of consumable
   • Current Qty: How many units in stock now
   • Unit: Unit of measure (Each, Box, etc.)
   • Location: Where stored
   • Min Qty: Low-stock threshold

Visual indicators:

• Green: Quantity above minimum (healthy stock)
• Yellow/Orange: Quantity at or near minimum (low stock)
• Red: Quantity below minimum (critical - reorder needed)

On Consumable Detail Page

1. Click consumable name from list
2. Detail page shows:
   • Current Quantity: Large number at top
   • Unit of Measure: Next to quantity
   • Minimum Quantity: Threshold for alerts
   • Total Value: Current Qty × Cost Per Unit

Example:

HP 950XL Black Ink Cartridge
Current Quantity: 12 Each
Minimum Quantity: 5 Each
Total Value: $540.00 (12 × $45.00)

Quantity Calculation

Current Quantity automatically calculated as:

Current Qty = Initial Qty + Total Restocked - Total Withdrawn

Example timeline:

Jan 1:  Create consumable with 20 units     → Qty = 20
Jan 5:  Withdraw 3 units                    → Qty = 17
Jan 10: Restock 10 units                    → Qty = 27
Jan 15: Withdraw 5 units                    → Qty = 22

You don't manually calculate - system tracks automatically.

Units of Measure

Unit of measure defines what "1 quantity" means:

Common units:

• Each: Individual items (toner cartridge, mouse, hard hat)
• Box: Boxed items (box of paper, box of pens)
• Pack: Packaged items (pack of batteries, pack of gloves)
• Case: Case quantities (case of water bottles)
• Pair: Paired items (pair of gloves, pair of safety glasses)
• Roll: Rolled items (roll of tape, roll of labels)
• Bottle: Liquid containers (bottle of cleaner)
• Gallon/Liter: Larger liquid volumes
• Pound/Kilogram: Weight-based items

Consistency matters: If you create consumable with "Box" as unit, withdrawals must also be in "Box" (can't withdraw "3 reams" if unit is "Box of 10 reams").

Viewing Quantity History

History Tab

1. Open consumable detail page
2. Click "History" tab
3. See chronological list of all quantity changes

Entry format:

[Date] - [Action] - [Units] - [New Quantity] - [User] - [Reason]

Example history:

Jan 15, 2026 - Withdrawn - 5 units - Balance: 22 - John Smith - "Setup new conference room"
Jan 10, 2026 - Restocked - 10 units - Balance: 27 - Jane Doe - "Purchase order #12345"
Jan 5, 2026 - Withdrawn - 3 units - Balance: 17 - Mike Johnson - "Replacement for damaged units"
Jan 1, 2026 - Created - 20 units - Balance: 20 - Sarah Lee - "Initial stock"

Filtering History

Filter quantity history by:

• Date range: Last 7 days, 30 days, 6 months, all time
• Action type: Withdrawals only, Restocks only, or All
• User: See who withdrew/restocked

Use cases:

• Audit trail: Verify all quantity changes
• Usage analysis: How quickly do we consume this item?
• User accountability: Who withdrew 50 units last month?

Inventory Valuation

Total Value Calculation

If Cost Per Unit is set:

Total Value = Current Quantity × Cost Per Unit

Example:

• Toner cartridges: 12 in stock @ $45 each = $540 total value
• Safety gloves: 50 pairs @ $1.50 each = $75 total value

Inventory Value Report

See total value of all consumables:

1. Go to Reports → Inventory Value
2. Filter to Consumables Only
3. See report showing:
   • Each consumable's current quantity
   • Cost per unit
   • Total value per consumable
   • Grand total across all consumables

Use cases:

• Financial reporting (balance sheet - current assets)
• Budget planning
• Insurance documentation
• Year-end inventory audits

Updating Cost Per Unit

If purchase price changes:

1. Open consumable detail page
2. Click "Edit"
3. Update Cost Per Unit field
4. Save
5. Total Value recalculates automatically

Note: Updating cost doesn't retroactively change past values. New cost applies to current quantity only.

Low Stock Indicators

Minimum Quantity Threshold

When Current Qty ≤ Minimum Qty, consumable flagged as low stock:

Visual indicators:

• ⚠️ Warning icon next to quantity
• Yellow/red highlight on list
• Notification (if alerts enabled - see Low Stock Alerts)

Example:

Minimum Quantity: 5
Current Quantity: 5   → Low stock warning
Current Quantity: 4   → Low stock warning (more urgent)
Current Quantity: 0   → Out of stock!

Dashboard Widget

Main Dashboard shows:

• Low Stock Consumables widget
• Lists all consumables below minimum
• Click to view and restock

Bulk Quantity View

Export Consumables List

1. Go to Consumables page
2. Click "Export" → CSV
3. Spreadsheet includes:
   • Name
   • Category
   • Current Quantity
   • Unit of Measure
   • Location
   • Min Quantity
   • Cost Per Unit
   • Total Value
   • Vendor

Use cases:

• Physical inventory audit (print, walk inventory, verify counts)
• Share with procurement team for reordering
• Year-end financial reporting
• Integration with accounting software

Filtering and Sorting

On Consumables page:

Filter by:

• Category (e.g., "IT Supplies" only)
• Location (e.g., "Warehouse - Aisle 5")
• Stock status: All, Low Stock Only, Out of Stock Only

Sort by:

• Name (A-Z)
• Quantity (low to high, high to low)
• Total Value (see most expensive inventory)
• Category

Example workflow:

• Filter: Category = "Safety Equipment"
• Sort: Quantity (low to high)
• Result: See which safety items need reordering first

Physical Inventory Counts

Periodic Audits

Recommend quarterly or annual physical counts:

1. Export consumables list
2. Print or load on tablet
3. Walk inventory locations
4. Count physical units
5. Compare to UniAsset Current Qty
6. Adjust discrepancies:
   • If physical count < UniAsset qty: Withdraw difference (reason: "Inventory adjustment")
   • If physical count > UniAsset qty: Restock difference (reason: "Inventory adjustment")

Discrepancy causes:

• Unlogged withdrawals (someone took without recording)
• Data entry errors
• Theft or loss
• Damaged units not removed from count

Cycle Counting

Instead of full inventory once/year, count small portions regularly:

Example:

• Week 1: Count all Category = "IT Supplies"
• Week 2: Count all Location = "Warehouse - Aisle 1-5"
• Week 3: Count all Category = "Safety Equipment"
• ...

Spreads out effort, catches issues sooner.

Troubleshooting

"Quantity shows negative number"

Should not happen - system prevents withdrawal > current qty.

If you see negative:

• Bug or data corruption
• Contact support immediately
• Manually adjust to 0 and restock to correct value

"Quantity doesn't match physical count"

Common causes:

1. Unrecorded withdrawals: Users took items without logging
   • Fix: Train users to always log withdrawals
2. Data entry error during restock: Entered 100 instead of 10
   • Fix: Check history, adjust
3. Theft or loss
   • Fix: Withdraw missing units (reason: "Loss - inventory adjustment")

To correct:

1. Determine correct physical count
2. If UniAsset shows 50 but physical is 45:
   • Withdraw 5 units, reason: "Inventory adjustment - audit 2026-01-15"
3. If UniAsset shows 50 but physical is 55:
   • Restock 5 units, reason: "Inventory adjustment - audit 2026-01-15"

"Total value not calculating"

Cause: Cost Per Unit not set

Fix:

1. Edit consumable
2. Enter Cost Per Unit
3. Save
4. Total Value = Current Qty × Cost now displays

"Can't see quantity history"

Check:

1. Are you on consumable detail page (not list page)?
2. Click "History" tab
3. Clear date filters (set to "All Time")
4. If still empty, consumable may be newly created (no history yet)

Best Practices

1. Regular Quantity Reviews

Weekly: Check low-stock items (dashboard widget)

Monthly: Review total inventory value (reports)

Quarterly: Physical inventory count and adjustment

2. Consistent Units

Always use same unit for a given consumable. Don't switch between "Each" and "Box" for same item - causes confusion.

3. Set Realistic Minimums

Minimum quantity should be:

Lead time × average usage rate + safety buffer

Example:

• Toner usage: 2 cartridges/week
• Vendor lead time: 2 weeks
• Minimum = (2 weeks × 2/week) + 3 buffer = 7 cartridges

Reorder when stock hits 7 to avoid running out during lead time.

4. Log All Withdrawals

Train users: Never take consumables without logging withdrawal.

Even for small quantities: Taking 1 cable may seem minor, but untracked withdrawals accumulate, causing inventory drift.

5. Audit High-Value Consumables More Frequently

Items with high total value (expensive or large quantities) deserve extra scrutiny:

• Count monthly instead of quarterly
• Restrict access (store in locked cabinet, require manager approval for withdrawal)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can quantity be a decimal?

No. Quantities must be whole numbers (integers). If you need fractional tracking (e.g., 2.5 gallons of cleaner), use smallest indivisible unit:

• Create consumable with Unit = "Ounce"
• 2.5 gallons = 320 ounces
• Track as quantity 320

What if I want to track batches or lot numbers?

UniAsset consumables don't support batch/lot tracking.

Workarounds:

• Create separate consumable for each lot: "Nitrile Gloves - Lot 12345"
• Use Notes field to track batch info
• For true batch/lot tracking with expiration, consider using assets (one per batch) or specialized inventory software

Can I reserve consumables for specific projects?

Not directly. You can:

• Withdraw units and log to project in reason field
• Create location for project: "Project Alpha - Supplies" and restock to that location
• Use Notes to indicate allocation

How do I track consumables used in maintenance?

When technician performs maintenance and uses spare parts:

1. Withdraw parts from consumable stock
2. Reason: "Maintenance - Asset #12345 - Replaced filter"
3. Optionally, log cost on asset's maintenance record (pulls from consumable cost)

This links consumable usage to asset maintenance.

Does UniAsset alert when quantity reaches 0?

If minimum quantity is set > 0 and current qty reaches 0, you'll get low-stock alert (since 0 < minimum).

If minimum = 0, no automatic alert when stock reaches 0.

Best practice: Always set minimum > 0 for critical items.

Related Articles

• Creating Consumables - Set up consumables initially
• Withdrawing Items - Reduce quantity when used
• Restocking Consumables - Increase quantity when purchased
• Low Stock Alerts - Get notified before running out
• Inventory Value Report - Financial reporting

Need Help?

If you notice inventory discrepancies or have questions about quantity tracking, contact support for assistance.