How to track consumable quantity
Requirements
- Available on: Nova, Orbit, Odyssey, Cosmos
- Roles: Owner, Admin, Manager, Employee can view. Managers and above can change quantity.
Where to look
Dashboard → Consumables lists every consumable with its current quantity, unit, and minimum threshold. Items at or below their threshold are flagged.
Open an item to see its detail, including the movement history — every restock and withdrawal, in order, with the reason recorded at the time.
The Consumables summary sub-tab under Dashboard → Reports → Assets gives an inventory overview across the organization.
How quantity changes
Only two operations change a consumable's quantity:
Both are recorded on the item's timeline. Nothing else moves the number, which is why a quantity that looks wrong can always be traced to a movement that was or was not recorded.
Keeping levels accurate
The record is only as good as the discipline behind it.
- Record movements when they happen, not in a weekly catch-up.
- Count periodically. Pick your highest-value or fastest-moving items and count them monthly rather than counting everything once a year.
- Correct discrepancies as you find them, with a note saying it was a count correction.
- Review thresholds when usage changes. A threshold set for last year's consumption is wrong this year.
Tip If you need a full audit ledger — a reason on every movement and a running balance on every row — the item probably belongs in Asset Stock rather than Consumables.
Common mistakes
Treating the number as authoritative without ever counting. Consumables drift. Anything not counted for a year is an estimate.
Setting thresholds without considering lead time. A threshold is only useful if it gives you enough warning to reorder before you run out.
Tracking consumables nobody restocks. An item that reaches zero and stays there is noise in the list. Either restock it or remove it from active tracking.
Troubleshooting
The quantity doesn't match the shelf. Something was used without being withdrawn, or a delivery was not restocked. Read the movement history to see when the record last matched.
A consumable shows zero but we have plenty. A delivery was probably never recorded. Restock it with a note explaining the correction.
I can see consumables but can't change quantities. Restocking and withdrawing need Manager or above.
I can't find consumables in the Assets list. They have their own module at Dashboard → Consumables.
I want cost reporting on consumables. Consumables track supply levels. Maintenance spend on assets is tracked through service records and work order materials, which is what feeds the cost reports.
Related articles
Need Help?
If you have questions not covered in this article, our support team is here to help.
Contact Support