Inventory Management

Inventory Management

Manage educational institution supplies including lab equipment, stationery, uniforms, sports gear, IT assets, and consumables using the Inventory module.

Time Required: 30-45 minutes (initial setup) Module: Inventory (Odoo stock module) User Role: Inventory Manager, Store Keeper, Lab Assistant

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Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Before You Begin
3. Initial Configuration
4. Managing Products
5. Warehouse and Storage Locations
6. Receiving Stock
7. Issuing Stock
8. Inventory Adjustments
9. Reordering Rules
10. Tracking with Lot/Serial Numbers
11. Reports and Analysis
12. Field Reference
13. Troubleshooting
14. Related Topics

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Overview

The Inventory module helps educational institutions track and manage physical supplies. Common use cases include:

Category	Examples
Lab Supplies	Chemicals, glassware, microscopes, specimens
Stationery	Paper, pens, markers, notebooks, files
Uniforms	Student uniforms, sports kits, lab coats
Sports Equipment	Balls, rackets, nets, mats, weights
IT Assets	Computers, projectors, printers, cables
Library Supplies	Book covers, labels, stamps, cards
Furniture	Desks, chairs, boards, storage cabinets
Consumables	Printer ink, cleaning supplies, first aid items

Key Concepts

Term	Description
Product	Any item tracked in inventory (goods or consumables)
Warehouse	Physical building or campus where items are stored
Location	Specific area within a warehouse (lab, store room, etc.)
Stock Move	Movement of products between locations
Receipt	Incoming stock from suppliers
Delivery	Outgoing stock to departments or individuals
On-Hand Quantity	Current physical stock available
Forecasted Quantity	Expected stock after pending orders

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Before You Begin

Ensure you have:

• Inventory app installed and enabled
• Warehouse address configured in company settings
• User has “Inventory / User” or “Inventory / Administrator” access rights
• Product categories created (optional but recommended)

Access the Inventory Module

1. Click the Inventory app from the main dashboard
2. You will see the Inventory Overview with operation cards

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Initial Configuration

Step 1: Enable Required Features

1. Navigate to Inventory > Configuration > Settings
2. Configure these settings based on your needs:

Setting	Section	When to Enable
Storage Locations	Warehouse	Track items in specific rooms/areas
Multi-Step Routes	Warehouse	Complex receipt/delivery workflows
Lots & Serial Numbers	Traceability	Track batches (chemicals) or unique items (equipment)
Expiration Dates	Traceability	Chemicals, first aid supplies with expiry
Packages	Operations	Group items in boxes/containers
Product Packagings	Products	Buy/issue in different units (box of 10, etc.)

3. Click Save

Step 2: Create Product Categories

Organize products by creating categories:

1. Go to Inventory > Configuration > Product Categories
2. Click Create
3. Fill in:

Field	What to Enter	Example
Name	Category name	”Laboratory Supplies”
Parent Category	Optional parent	”All / Physical”
Costing Method	How to value stock	”Standard Price” or “FIFO”
Inventory Valuation	Track value in accounting	”Automated”

4. Click Save

Recommended Categories for Educational Institutions:

All
 |-- Laboratory
 |    |-- Chemistry Lab
 |    |-- Physics Lab
 |    |-- Biology Lab
 |    |-- Computer Lab
 |-- Stationery
 |-- Sports Equipment
 |-- Uniforms
 |-- IT Equipment
 |-- Furniture
 |-- Consumables
 |-- First Aid

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Managing Products

Create a New Product

1. Navigate to Inventory > Products > Products
2. Click Create
3. Fill in basic information:

Field	What to Enter	Example	Required
Product Name	Descriptive name	”Microscope - 40x-1000x”	Yes
Product Type	Goods or Service	”Goods”	Yes
Track Inventory	Enable for physical items	Checked	For tracking
Internal Reference	SKU or code	”LAB-MIC-001”	Recommended
Barcode	Barcode number	”5901234123457”	Optional
Sales Price	Issue price (if applicable)	0.00	Optional
Cost	Purchase/acquisition cost	15000.00	Recommended
Category	Product category	”Laboratory”	Recommended

Configure Product Type

On the General Information tab, select the appropriate product type:

Product Type	Track Inventory	Use For
Goods (Tracked)	Yes, by Quantity	Equipment, furniture, reusable items
Goods (By Lots)	Yes, by Lots	Chemicals, batch items with expiry
Goods (By Serial)	Yes, by Serial Number	Computers, projectors, unique assets
Service	No	Installation, maintenance services

Configure Inventory Tab

Click the Inventory tab and set:

Field	Description	Educational Context
Routes	How product is supplied	”Buy” for purchased items
Responsible	Default user	Store keeper
Weight	Unit weight	For shipping/handling
Volume	Unit volume	For storage planning

Set Reordering Information

In the Inventory tab, under Logistics:

Field	What to Enter	Example
Customer Lead Time	Days to deliver internally	1
Description for Receipts	Instructions for receiving	”Verify serial numbers”
Description for Deliveries	Instructions for issuing	”Check condition before issue”

Educational Product Examples

Example 1: Laboratory Chemical (Tracked by Lot)

Product Name: Hydrochloric Acid 37%
Internal Reference: CHEM-HCL-37
Product Type: Goods
Track Inventory: By Lots
Category: Laboratory / Chemistry Lab
Unit of Measure: Liters
Expiration Time: 730 days (2 years)

Example 2: IT Equipment (Tracked by Serial Number)

Product Name: Dell Laptop Latitude 5520
Internal Reference: IT-LAP-DELL-5520
Product Type: Goods
Track Inventory: By Unique Serial Number
Category: IT Equipment
Cost: 75000.00

Example 3: Stationery (Tracked by Quantity)

Product Name: A4 Paper Ream - 500 Sheets
Internal Reference: STAT-A4-500
Product Type: Goods
Track Inventory: By Quantity
Category: Stationery
Cost: 350.00
Unit of Measure: Units

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Warehouse and Storage Locations

Understanding Warehouses vs Locations

Concept	Description	Example
Warehouse	Physical building/campus	”Main Campus Store”
Location	Specific area within warehouse	”Chemistry Lab Storage”

Configure Your Warehouse

1. Go to Inventory > Configuration > Warehouses
2. Click on your warehouse (or create new)
3. Configure:

Field	What to Enter	Example
Warehouse Name	Display name	”Central Store”
Short Name	5-char code	”MAIN”
Address	Physical address	Campus address
Incoming Shipments	Receipt steps	”Receive goods directly (1 step)“
Outgoing Shipments	Delivery steps	”Deliver goods directly (1 step)“

Create Storage Locations

Enable storage locations first in Settings, then:

1. Go to Inventory > Configuration > Locations
2. Click Create
3. Configure:

Field	What to Enter	Example
Location Name	Area name	”Physics Lab Storage”
Parent Location	Parent location	”WH/Stock”
Location Type	Type of location	”Internal Location”
Is a Scrap Location?	For damaged items	No (usually)
Is a Return Location?	For returns	No (usually)

Recommended Location Structure:

Your Warehouse/Stock
  |-- Chemistry Lab
  |    |-- Chemical Storage
  |    |-- Glassware Cabinet
  |-- Physics Lab
  |    |-- Equipment Room
  |-- Biology Lab
  |    |-- Specimen Storage
  |-- Computer Lab
  |    |-- Hardware Store
  |-- Sports Store
  |    |-- Indoor Equipment
  |    |-- Outdoor Equipment
  |-- General Store
  |    |-- Stationery
  |    |-- Uniforms
  |-- Scrap Location

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Receiving Stock

Method 1: Create Receipt Directly

1. Go to Inventory > Operations > Receipts
2. Click Create
3. Fill in header information:

Field	What to Enter	Example
Receive From	Supplier/Vendor	”ABC Scientific Supplies”
Scheduled Date	Expected date	Today’s date
Source Document	Reference	”PO-2025-0123”

4. In the Operations tab, click Add a line:

Field	What to Enter	Example
Product	Select product	”Microscope - 40x-1000x”
Demand	Quantity ordered	10
Done	Quantity received	10 (fill after receiving)

5. Click Validate once items are physically received

Method 2: From Purchase Order

If using the Purchase module:

1. Create and confirm a Purchase Order
2. Click the Receipt smart button on the PO
3. Validate the receipt when items arrive

Assign Lot Numbers on Receipt

For products tracked by lots:

1. On the receipt, click Details next to the product line
2. In the popup, click Add a line
3. Enter:

Field	What to Enter	Example
Lot/Serial Number	Batch number	”LOT-HCL-2025-001”
Quantity	Units in this lot	5

4. Repeat for additional lots
5. Click Save, then Validate the receipt

Assign Serial Numbers on Receipt

For products tracked by serial numbers:

1. On the receipt, click Details next to the product line
2. For each unit, add a line with a unique serial number:

Serial Number	Quantity
IT-LAP-001	1
IT-LAP-002	1
IT-LAP-003	1

3. Click Save, then Validate

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Issuing Stock

Create Internal Transfer (Issue to Department)

1. Go to Inventory > Operations > Internal Transfers
2. Click Create
3. Fill in:

Field	What to Enter	Example
Source Location	Where items are stored	”WH/Stock/General Store”
Destination Location	Where items go	”WH/Stock/Chemistry Lab”
Scheduled Date	When to transfer	Today
Reference	Purpose/requestor	”Issue to Dr. Smith - Chem Class”

4. Add product lines with quantities
5. Click Validate after physical transfer

Create Delivery Order (Issue to External)

For items leaving the institution:

1. Go to Inventory > Operations > Delivery Orders
2. Click Create
3. Fill in recipient and products
4. Click Validate once delivered

Issue Items with Lot Selection

When issuing items tracked by lots:

1. Create the transfer as above
2. Click Details next to the product
3. In Pick From, select the specific lot to use
4. Adjust quantity if needed
5. Save and validate

The system follows removal strategies:

• FIFO (First In, First Out): Uses oldest lots first
• FEFO (First Expired, First Out): Uses lots expiring soonest
• LIFO (Last In, First Out): Uses newest lots first

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Inventory Adjustments

Inventory adjustments reconcile database records with actual physical counts.

Perform Physical Inventory Count

1. Go to Inventory > Operations > Physical Inventory
2. The page shows all tracked products with current quantities
3. For each product:

If Count Matches	Action
Matches On-Hand	Click the Set icon (target icon)
Differs from On-Hand	Enter actual count in Counted Quantity

4. After entering counts, click Apply on each line

Create Manual Adjustment

1. On the Physical Inventory page, click New
2. Select the product
3. If tracked by lot/serial, select the specific lot
4. Enter the Counted Quantity
5. Click away to save
6. Click Apply to confirm

Request a Scheduled Count

For planned inventory audits:

1. Go to Inventory > Operations > Physical Inventory
2. Select products to count (tick checkboxes)
3. Click Request a Count
4. Set:

Field	Description
Inventory Date	Planned count date
User	Person responsible
Count	”Leave Empty” or “Set Current Value”

5. Click Confirm

Relocate Products

To move products between locations without issuing:

1. On Physical Inventory, select product lines
2. Click Relocate
3. Enter new location and reason
4. Confirm

Write Off Damaged/Lost Items

1. On Physical Inventory, find the product
2. Enter Counted Quantity as actual (lower than on-hand)
3. Click Apply
4. Enter reason: “Damaged - Lab accident” or “Lost”
5. Confirm

The difference is recorded as a stock move to a virtual location.

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Reordering Rules

Automate stock replenishment with reordering rules.

Create a Reordering Rule

1. Go to Inventory > Operations > Replenishment
2. Click New
3. Configure:

Field	What to Enter	Example	Required
Product	Product to reorder	”A4 Paper Ream”	Yes
Location	Storage location	”WH/Stock”	Yes
Min Quantity	Reorder when below this	50	Yes
Max Quantity	Reorder up to this	200	Yes
To Order	Calculated quantity	(automatic)	N/A
Trigger	Auto or Manual	”Auto”	Yes
Route	How to replenish	”Buy”	Recommended

4. Click Save

Understand Min/Max Logic

Scenario	Current Stock	Min	Max	Action
Stock OK	75	50	200	No action
Reorder Needed	45	50	200	Order 155 units (to reach 200)
Critical	10	50	200	Order 190 units (to reach 200)

Manual vs Automatic Reordering

Trigger Type	Behavior
Auto	Creates purchase order automatically when stock drops below minimum
Manual	Shows on replenishment dashboard; you click “Order” to create PO

Example Reordering Rules for Educational Supplies

Product	Min	Max	Trigger	Notes
A4 Paper Ream	50	200	Auto	High consumption
Whiteboard Markers	20	100	Auto	Regular use
Microscope Slides	100	500	Manual	Review before ordering
Printer Ink Cartridge	5	20	Auto	Critical supply
Lab Coats	10	50	Manual	Seasonal ordering

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Tracking with Lot/Serial Numbers

When to Use Lot Numbers

Use lots for:

• Chemicals with batch-specific properties
• Items with expiration dates
• Bulk purchases that need traceability
• Items subject to recalls

When to Use Serial Numbers

Use serial numbers for:

• Expensive equipment (computers, projectors)
• Assets requiring individual tracking
• Items under warranty
• Items assigned to specific users/departments

Enable Lot/Serial Tracking

1. Go to Inventory > Configuration > Settings
2. Enable Lots & Serial Numbers in Traceability section
3. Save

Configure Product for Lot Tracking

1. Open the product form
2. Set Track Inventory to By Lots
3. Save

Configure Product for Serial Number Tracking

1. Open the product form
2. Set Track Inventory to By Unique Serial Number
3. Save

Track Expiration Dates

For perishable items (chemicals, first aid supplies):

1. Enable Expiration Dates in Settings
2. On the product form, go to Inventory tab
3. Configure:

Field	Description	Example
Expiration Time	Days until expired	730 (2 years)
Best Before Time	Days until quality degrades	365
Removal Time	Days to remove from stock	700
Alert Time	Days before alert	30

View Traceability Report

1. Go to Inventory > Products > Lots/Serial Numbers
2. Select a lot or serial number
3. Click Traceability smart button
4. View complete history of movements

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Reports and Analysis

Stock Report

View current inventory levels:

1. Go to Inventory > Reporting > Stock
2. See on-hand, unreserved, incoming, and outgoing quantities
3. Filter by:
   • Location
   • Product category
   • Warehouse

Location Report

See stock breakdown by location:

1. Go to Inventory > Reporting > Locations
2. View quantities at each storage location
3. Useful for locating specific items

Moves History

Track all stock movements:

1. Go to Inventory > Reporting > Moves History
2. Filter by:
   • Product
   • Date range
   • Source/destination location

Product-Level Reports

On any product form, use smart buttons:

Smart Button	Shows
On Hand	Current quantity by location
Forecasted	Expected quantity after pending moves
In / Out	Movement history
Reordering Rules	Configured rules
Traceability	Lot/serial movement history

Inventory Valuation

View monetary value of stock:

1. Go to Inventory > Reporting > Inventory Valuation
2. See total value by product and category
3. Export for financial reporting

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Field Reference

Product Fields

Field Name	Technical Name	Type	Description
Product Name	name	Char	Display name
Internal Reference	default_code	Char	SKU/code
Barcode	barcode	Char	Barcode number
Product Type	detailed_type	Selection	Goods/Service/Combo
Track Inventory	tracking	Selection	None/By Lots/By Serial
Category	categ_id	Many2one	Product category
Cost	standard_price	Float	Unit cost
Unit of Measure	uom_id	Many2one	Measurement unit

Location Fields

Field Name	Technical Name	Type	Description
Location Name	name	Char	Display name
Location Type	usage	Selection	Internal/Supplier/Customer/etc.
Parent Location	location_id	Many2one	Parent in hierarchy
Scrap Location	scrap_location	Boolean	For damaged items
Return Location	return_location	Boolean	For returns

Reordering Rule Fields

Field Name	Technical Name	Type	Description
Product	product_id	Many2one	Product to reorder
Location	location_id	Many2one	Storage location
Min Quantity	product_min_qty	Float	Minimum threshold
Max Quantity	product_max_qty	Float	Maximum level
To Order	qty_to_order	Float	Calculated quantity
Trigger	trigger	Selection	Auto/Manual
Route	route_id	Many2one	Replenishment route

Stock Move Fields

Field Name	Technical Name	Type	Description
Product	product_id	Many2one	Moved product
Quantity	product_uom_qty	Float	Quantity to move
Done	quantity	Float	Quantity moved
Source Location	location_id	Many2one	From location
Destination Location	location_dest_id	Many2one	To location
State	state	Selection	Draft/Confirmed/Done/Cancelled

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Troubleshooting

”No products available to deliver” Error

Problem: Cannot complete delivery because products are not available.

Solutions:

1. Check on-hand quantity at the source location
2. Verify products are not reserved for other orders
3. Create an inventory adjustment to correct quantities
4. Check if product is tracked by lot/serial and lot is specified

Negative Stock Warning

Problem: System shows negative inventory quantities.

Solutions:

1. Perform physical count and adjust inventory
2. Check for duplicate receipts/deliveries
3. Verify lot/serial number assignments
4. Review pending receipts that need validation

Lot/Serial Number Required Error

Problem: Cannot validate transfer without lot/serial number.

Solutions:

1. Click Details on the product line
2. Assign appropriate lot or serial number
3. Ensure quantity matches demand
4. Save and try validation again

Reordering Rule Not Triggering

Problem: Stock is below minimum but no order is created.

Solutions:

1. Check trigger is set to “Auto” (not “Manual”)
2. Verify product has “Buy” route enabled
3. Ensure product has a vendor configured
4. Run scheduler manually: Inventory > Operations > Run Scheduler
5. Check that product type is “Goods” with tracking enabled

Products Not Appearing in Reports

Problem: Products missing from stock or location reports.

Solutions:

1. Verify product type is “Goods” (not “Service”)
2. Check “Track Inventory” is enabled
3. Ensure products have on-hand quantity > 0
4. Verify correct location/warehouse filter

Transfer Stuck in “Waiting” State

Problem: Internal transfer shows “Waiting” and cannot be validated.

Solutions:

1. Check if source location has sufficient stock
2. Verify no reservations blocking the stock
3. Click “Check Availability” to refresh
4. Manually set quantities in “Done” column

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Best Practices for Educational Institutions

Organize by Department

Create locations matching your organizational structure:

• Each lab has its own storage location
• Central store manages bulk inventory
• Department heads can view their area’s stock

Implement Regular Audits

Schedule periodic inventory counts:

• Annual full inventory audit
• Quarterly cycle counts for high-value items
• Monthly checks for consumables

Use Naming Conventions

Adopt consistent product naming:

[Category Code]-[Description]-[Variant]
LAB-MICROSCOPE-40X
IT-LAPTOP-DELL5520
STAT-PAPER-A4

Track High-Value Assets

Use serial numbers for:

• All IT equipment
• Laboratory instruments over a threshold value
• Audio-visual equipment
• Sports equipment over a threshold value

Set Appropriate Reorder Levels

Consider:

• Lead time from suppliers
• Consumption rate during academic year
• Storage space constraints
• Budget cycles

Document Issuance

Always record:

• Who requested items
• Purpose (class, lab, event)
• Expected return date (if applicable)
• Department to charge

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Related Topics

• Classroom Equipment

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Last updated: January 2026