Stock movements
Keep every stock change accounted for.
Stock movements explain how inventory changes over time. Add stock, issue parts for use, correct discrepancies, receive incoming orders, and preserve the operational context behind every change.
Overview
Understand stock movements
A part's current quantity tells you what should be on hand now. Stock movements explain how that quantity got there.
Instead of treating stock as a number that is simply overwritten, SparesHaven records operational changes as movements. This gives your team a clearer history of stock being added, issued, corrected, or received.
Add
Increase the recorded quantity when stock needs to be added manually.
Issue
Remove stock when a part leaves inventory for use.
Adjustment
Correct the recorded quantity when it does not match the actual stock on hand.
Stock movements preserve context.
The current quantity answers “how many?” Movement history helps answer “what happened?”
Add
Add stock
Use Add Stock when inventory needs to be increased manually. You enter the quantity being added and SparesHaven increases the part's current stock by that amount.
You can also include an optional note to explain why the stock was added. A useful note can make the movement much easier to understand later.
Example
Current stock: 20 units
Add 5 units and the new recorded quantity becomes 25.
Use the purchasing workflow for ordered stock.
If the stock belongs to an incoming order, receive it against that order rather than recording it as a manual Add movement. This keeps the order and the resulting inventory change connected.
Issue
Issue stock
Use Issue Stock when a part is taken out of inventory for use. Enter the quantity being issued and SparesHaven reduces the recorded stock accordingly.
Notes are optional, but they are particularly useful when issuing stock. For example, you might record a work order, maintenance activity, job reference, or other reason for the issue.
Example
Current stock: 25 units
Issue 4 units and the new recorded quantity becomes 21.
SparesHaven prevents over-issuing.
You cannot issue more units than the quantity currently recorded as available for the part.
Adjustment
Adjust stock
Use an adjustment when the quantity recorded in SparesHaven does not match the quantity physically on hand.
Unlike Add or Issue, you do not enter the amount to increase or decrease. Enter the actual quantity you have counted and SparesHaven calculates the required adjustment automatically.
Recorded
20
SparesHaven currently shows 20 units.
Physical count
18
Enter 18 and SparesHaven records an adjustment of -2 units.
A reason is required for adjustments.
Stock corrections can be important during later investigation or stock reconciliation. SparesHaven therefore requires a reason before an adjustment can be recorded.
Workflow
Choose the right movement
Choosing the movement that best represents what actually happened makes your inventory history easier to understand.
Add
Stock is being manually added to the quantity on hand.
Issue
Stock is leaving inventory because a part has been used or issued.
Adjustment
A physical count shows that the recorded quantity is incorrect.
Receive order
Stock has arrived against an incoming order.
Record what actually happened.
If five parts were issued, use Issue. If a stock count discovered five missing parts, use Adjustment. The resulting quantity might be identical, but the operational meaning is different.
Incoming stock
Receive ordered stock
Stock arriving against an incoming order should be received through the order workflow rather than added manually.
Receiving stock this way connects the inventory increase with the order it came from. It also allows SparesHaven to keep the order quantity and receipt progress aligned with the stock movement.
This is especially useful when an order arrives in stages. A partial receipt can increase inventory while the remaining quantity stays outstanding on the order.
Receiving and adding are not interchangeable.
Use Add Stock for a manual inventory increase. Use the receiving workflow when the stock is associated with an incoming order.
Context
Use movement notes
A quantity tells you what changed. A useful note can explain why it changed.
When adding or issuing stock, notes are optional. Use them when additional context would help another team member understand the movement later.
Adjustment notes are different.
A reason is optional for Add and Issue movements, but SparesHaven requires one for an Adjustment so that the reason for the correction is preserved in the audit history.
Traceability
Understand movement history
Stock movement history gives the current quantity a timeline. Instead of seeing only the number on hand, your team can review the activity that changed it.
Adds, issues, adjustments, and stock received through the order workflow create recognisable inventory activity, helping you distinguish different reasons for stock changing.
History turns a quantity into a record.
If a stock level looks unexpected, movement history provides a useful place to start understanding the changes that led to the current quantity.
Safeguards
Understand stock safeguards
SparesHaven applies several checks before a manual stock movement can be recorded. These help prevent common inventory mistakes.
Whole quantities
Stock movement quantities are recorded as whole numbers.
No over-issuing
An Issue cannot exceed the part's current recorded stock.
No negative actual quantity
An Adjustment cannot set the actual quantity on hand below zero.
Meaningful adjustments
If the physical quantity already matches the recorded quantity, there is no adjustment to record.
Adjustment reason
A reason must be supplied before a stock correction can be recorded.
Archived parts
Archived parts cannot have their stock adjusted through the stock movement page.
Review
Review stock activity
Once a movement has been recorded, the updated quantity becomes part of the part's operational record.
Use Part Details when you are working with a specific part, and use History when you need a broader view of stock movement activity across the organisation.
Together, the current stock figure and its movement history give your team both sides of the inventory picture: what you have now and how it changed.
Use History when investigating stock activity.
When you need to understand a change, review the movement type, quantity, part, note, and surrounding activity rather than relying on the current stock figure alone.
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