Overview

Inventory management is used to handle stock of physical goods and to supervise the movement of products that enter and leave a company's warehouses.

In CRM.COM, a warehouse represents the physical location where sold or rented hardware is stored.  A separate warehouse can be set up for each location from which hardware is retrieved.  Additional warehouses can be set up to represent locations where hardware is returned, in order to distinguish them from unused goods.

Inventory management functionality

• Import new goods into warehouses.
• Move multiple items in and out of warehouses or between warehouses at the same time.
• Handle the sale of goods.
• Keep a balance of goods in each warehouse.
• Identify individual traceable physical goods (installed items) through a serial number.
• Identify the supplier of goods. 
• Track physical goods installed at a customer's location.
• Track the movement of installed items between warehouses and customers. 

Setting Up Inventory Management

Warehouse Types

Warehouse types are used to group warehouses and assign them different functions. Types are added in the inventory definition to designate warehouses that physical goods are taken from and returned to. For example, one type (Sales) can be defined for use when selling goods directly from a company's point of sale and another (Rentals) when renting out goods. 

Installed Item Categories

Categories are used to classify installed items based on common attributes.

Inventory definitions

Inventory management definitions control the movement of physical goods that are taken from or returned to warehouses and that are sold or rented to customers through jobs, subscriptions or direct sales.

Provide the type of the warehouse to be used in each event (such as 'For Adding' or 'For Removing') and assign a classification to determine whether the goods are rented or sold.

• Rentals: Installed items added to subscriptions and not purchased by the customers; the goods must be returned when the subscription is terminated.
• Sales: Installed items sold through jobs or direct sales; the goods do not have to be returned.  If the good is extracted from a proprietary warehouse, the customer is billed through CRM.COM; if the good is extracted from a warehouse that belongs to a partner, the customer is not billed through CRM.COM.

Definition fields

The table describes the sections of Inventory Management Definitions Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.

 Mandatory   Configurable

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Warehouses

A warehouse is a storage place for physical goods.  Physical goods (traceable and non-traceable) are located in warehouses from where they can be retrieved and transferred to customers or other warehouses. 

The table describes the sections of Warehouse Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.

 Mandatory   Configurable

Related configuration areas

The following modules are related to inventory management and may be configured for the inventory management module to operate at its full capacity.

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Using Inventory Management

The difference between traceable and non-traceable physical goods is fundamental in stock management.

Traceable physical goods can be traced through a unique identifier, which is usually a serial number.  In CRM.COM a traceable physical good (such as a modem with a serial number) is often referred to as an 'installed item'. 

Non-traceable physical goods are not traced to a single instance and are measured based on their quantity (such as antennas).  It is important to know how many antennas are left in the warehouse but not which specific antenna was sold to a customer.

Adding stock to a warehouse

Once warehouses are set up there are multiple ways to start adding stock:

1. Use the import utility for traceable goods to import stock from a file.
2. Create the installed items one by one and then use a 'Stock in warehouse transaction' to place the items in the warehouse (traceable goods only).
3. Create a 'Stock in warehouse transaction' and add multiple items to a specific warehouse (traceable and non-traceable goods).
4. Create a 'Stock movement warehouse transaction' and move stock from one warehouse to another (traceable and non-traceable goods).
5. Remove an installed item that was previously rented or sold to a customer and then returned (no longer required by the subscription or swapped with a new item).  
   

Removing stock from a warehouse

Stock is removed from a warehouse when sold or rented to a customer or when moved to another warehouse or because it is no longer usable.

1. Remove stock that is no longer functional (e.g., hardware that is outdated or broken) using a 'Stock out warehouse transaction'.
2. Move stock from one warehouse to another using a 'Stock movement warehouse transaction'.
3. Rent an installed item to a subscriber by adding it directly through subscriptions or jobs. 
4. Sell a (traceable or non-traceable) physical good to a customer through a job or directly through a 'Quick sale'.

Move stock between warehouses

Stock can be easily moved between warehouses to assist in the logistics process, by using a 'Stock movement warehouse transaction'. You can import all stock to the main warehouse and then allocate goods to other warehouses from there.

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Managing installed items

Installed items are physical goods that can be traced by their serial number. Installed items either belong to the business or to a customer.  They can be sold or rented to customers through subscriptions or jobs or sold through the 'quick sales' process.

Several installed items can be created in one flow by:

• 'Managing Warehouse Transactions' which also move the items to a specific warehouse.
• 'Importing Installed Items via Utilities', a process used to import multiple items from a file and add them to a specific warehouse.

Specify the criteria that match the installed item you are interested in or click on NEW from the Actions menu to create a new item. Provide the information defined as mandatory in the installed items table and SAVE.

The table describes the sections of the installed items Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.  You can use the table filter to only view information on the installed items you are interested it.

 Mandatory   Configurable

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Managing warehouse transactions

Use warehouse transactions to move stock in and out of warehouses.

Warehouse transactions are either created by the user or by the system following a user action (such as the 'Remove Installed Item' subscription action).

There are three types of warehouse transactions:

• 'Stock in' adds stock
• 'Stock out' removes stock
• 'Stock movement' moves stock between warehouses.

Warehouse transactions can be created by the user through the Manage Warehouse Transactions or the Warehouse Data Entry page.

The table describes the sections of a warehouse transaction Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.

 Mandatory   Configurable

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Posting a warehouse transaction

Warehouse transactions can be created for received, removed or transferred goods and kept (open) in a 'Draft' state until all the goods have been physically accounted for.

Goods are always available to agents for stock out transactions but must be posted to be available for stock in and stock movement transactions. In either case, the stock balance remains unmodified.

Goods can be added or removed from the transaction as long as it is in a 'Draft' state. Once all physical goods have been accounted for and the modifications finalized, the transaction can be closed (Posted) and the stock balance updated.

Use SAVE from the Actions menu to post the transaction or SAVE AS DRAFT to keep it editable.

To post the finalized transaction, go to Manage Warehouse Transactions, select the transaction and click Post from the Actions menu. 

Adding items to a warehouse transaction

Stock Out and stock Movement warehouse transactions

Traceable installed items and non-traceable physical goods can be selected and moved through the Manage Warehouse Transactions Data Entry page.

Adding a single installed item 

1. In edit mode go to the Add Single Installed Item search box (in the Items to Stock out or Move section).

2. Run a quick search or open the search modal and search for the item to be moved.

Adding multiple installed items 

1. Click on the ADD MULTIPLE INSTALLED ITEMS link.

2. Search for already installed items and select the ones to be included in the transaction by checking the checkbox.

3. Click Select.
   

Adding physical goods 

1. Go to the Add Physical Goods section.

2. Select the Product Type and the Product from the drop-down lists.
3. Quantity: provide the number of non-traceable items to be removed from the warehouse. 

Stock In warehouse transactions

New traceable installed items and non-traceable physical goods can be created - and installed items already present in the system that are not assigned to a specific warehouse can be selected and added - through the Manage Warehouse Transactions Data Entry page.

Adding an existing installed item

1. Enable Search for Existing Installed Item.

2. Run a quick search or open the search modal and search for the item to be added in the Installed Item search box.

3. The item is added to the list and a unit cost can be provided.
   

Adding non-traceable goods

1. Select the Product Type and the Product from the drop-down lists.
2. Quantity: provide the number of non-traceable items to be removed from the warehouse.
3. Use Enter to add the items.
   
4. The item is added to the list and a quantity and unit cost can be provided.
   

Adding new installed items 

1. Select the Product Type and the Product from the drop-down lists.
2. Serial Number: Provide the unique identifier of the new item.
   
3. Use Enter to add the items.
   
4. The item is added to the list and an alternative code and unit cost can be provided. 
     If an alternative code is not provided, then it is set equal to the serial number.
   

Adding physical good bundles to a warehouse transaction

Physical good bundles are products made up of multiple components (traceable or non-traceable physical goods).  Additional information related to the components is required when adding a bundle to a warehouse transaction.

Once the items are added to the list (see above) click on COMPONENTS to view and set the applicable information. The following information is available:

• Product: the component set by the system, as defined in the product bundle components.
• Serial Number: provide the identifier for installed items components.
• Alternative Code: provide an alternative code for installed items components.  If none is set, the serial number is used. 
• Quantity: Set as defined in the Product bundle settings if the product is non-traceable, and to '1' if it is traceable.
• Unit Cost Amount
• Total Cost Amount.
  
  

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Importing installed items through the utility

The fastest way to import stock into a warehouse is by using the 'Import Installed Items' utility and an external file. 

Define installed item import settings in the utility definition.

Click on Submit from the Actions menu and select the file with the items.

The file must be prepared for import in one of the following formats (templates can be used):

1. XML

2. Excel
3. CSV

The table describes the sections of Import Installed Items Transaction Data Entry page and explains how the fields in the page are used.

 Mandatory   Configurable

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Preparing the import file

1. Navigate to Import Installed Items and from the Definition Data Entry page click on Actions > Download Template. 

   Download the template after you Save the definition and then click Submit.

2. Select the type of template to download (XML, Excel or CSV).

3. The import file must be prepared according to the downloaded template. All three types of files include the fields defined in the table below:

   Name	Type
   Serial Number	String
   Alternative Code	String
   Unit Cost Amount	Number
   Product	String
   Category	String
   Notes	String
   Bundle Serial Number	String
   UDF String 1-8	String
   UDF Float 1-4	Number
   UDF Date 1-4	Date dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm

Import File Templates

Excel

The Excel file contains one column for each field that can be imported, with the headers in the first row.  

CSV

The CSV file contains one column for each field that can be imported, with the headers in the first row. 

XML

An XML template is provided during the import process.  The XML file has the following structure:

 <installed_items>
    <installed_item>
		<serial_number></serial_number>
		<alternative_code></alternative_code> 
		<unit_cost_amount></unit_cost_amount>
		<Product></Product>
		<Category></Category>
		<notes></notes>
		<bundle_serial_number></bundle_serial_number>
		<udf_string_1></udf_string_1>
		<udf_string_2></udf_string_2>
		<udf_string_3></udf_string_3>
		<udf_string_4></udf_string_4>
		<udf_string_5></udf_string_5>
		<udf_string_6></udf_string_6>
		<udf_string_7></udf_string_7>
		<udf_string_8></udf_string_8>
		<udf_float_1></udf_float_1>
		<udf_float_2></udf_float_2>
		<udf_float_3></udf_float_3>
		<udf_float_4></udf_float_4>
		<udf_date_1></udf_date_1>
		<udf_date_2></udf_date_2>
		<udf_date_3></udf_date_3>
		<udf_date_4></udf_date_4>
        <error_message></error_message>
	</installed_item>
</installed_items>

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Managing stock

Traceable and non-traceable physical goods are imported into warehouses from where they can be sold or rented to customers. 

The stock balance of each product is available through the stock balance Summary page, from which the user can search using products, product types or product families as filters. The results display the collective sum of the product(s) across warehouses as well as detailed information on the stock balance in each warehouse.

Applying business flows on inventory management

Selling and renting physical goods

Physical goods can be sold or rented to customers.

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Inventory Management Analytics

Printouts

Printouts are available through the Data Entry page in the following formats: HTML, XLS, CSV, RTF or PDF.  Refer to Printouts for information on how they can be created, printed and sent.

Warranty Policy Printout 

A warranty policy printout displays detailed information on an installed item's warranty policy coverage in terms of duration and coverage reasoning.  The printout is available through Installed Items Data Entry page and unlike other printouts, it is not available for sending by email.

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Inventory Management Business Examples

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