Stock and Nonstock Items
There are two basic types, or categories of inventory items that can be processed on the StreamV system. These are “stock” and “non-stock” items. Stock and Non-stock items are handled very differently by many applications in the system.
Stock Items
Stock or Stoking items are items that are tracked by the inventory control system. Stocking items are used for the normal items that you purchase and re-sell to your customers. They generally exist in the physical sense, and they have a value that is worth keeping track of. All serialized inventory items are stocking items. Examples of stocking items might be a computer, computer monitor, cable, a cd with software on it, a television, an auto part, furniture, food, etc.
The system will automatically track and adjust the quantity of a stock item as the item is received, invoiced, adjusted or transferred. The system also will automatically suggest that you purchase stocking items based on the demand for the item and the inventory information you have defined for the item. Stock items are allocated to warehouse orders for the item based on the available quantity of the item.
Nonstock Items
Nonstock items are not tracked by the inventory control system. Nonstock items are typically used for non-physical goods, or for items with a very small value that might be hard to track. Examples might include labor and repair charge items, warranty items (where you are selling a warranty, but are shipping no goods to the customer), or small repair or installation parts (screws, grease, or other always available parts with a cost value not worth tracking in the system).
Nonstock items are not tracked by the inventory control system, and the quantity field of a Nonstock item is always 0. Nonstock items are treated as if they are always available and they are ignored by the purchasing system. Nonstock items must be re-ordered manually if necessary. The system will never create a Purchase Order requisition for a nonstock item and will never suggest that you purchase a nonstock item. If a sales order line item is entered for a Nonstock item, the order line will be completely allocated to as it is saved. Nonstock items will show a reserve, total reserve, and allocated quantity based on the open sales and shop order lines for the item. A Nonstock sales order line should never be backordered, and the system ignores the scheduling window when a nonstock item is being processed.
Stock Flag and Catalog and Inventory Item Creation
The stock flag for an item must be set when the item is first created, and it may not be normally be changed. The flag is set in the Materials Tab in Catalog Detail program using a checkbox (the flag is set to Y for stock items and to N for nonstock items.. The item stocking flag is maintained at the Catalog and Inventory Level in the system and the flag should be synchronized in both data files and in all inventory locations (if an item is set up as a nonstock item, it should be set as nonstock in the catalog file and in all inventory locations in which the item is processed).
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Stock Item Processing