Non-stock items are not included in the PO Recommendations report. Non-stock items are also skipped by the routines that automatically create requisitions for special order and vendor ship items (see following sections). The purchasing system assumes that non-stock items are either always available (like internal labor) or that they will be ordered manually when the operator determines that the items are needed (normally through a physical inspection if the item is a production supply such as screws or glue, tape, or a similar item).
The only way that a non-stock item can be purchased is by manually entering a purchase order for the item in the Purchase Order Entry program. If a non-stock item is entered on a purchase order, the operator can optionally specify the expense account to be used for the item when it is received (non-stock items are not included in inventory and therefore purchases of these items must be charged to expense or other non-inventory accounts). As a purchase order for a non-stock item is saved, the system updates the on order quantity and order date for the item in the Inventory Master file.