Introduction to Stocks
Welcome to this learning module, which will cover the use of Stocks in Omnia.
Different users might want to use the Stocks system in different ways – so we’ll start by helping you figure out what you want to get out of the module.
From there, we’ll move into some specifics of the module. Let’s get started.
What kind of user are you?
Inventory focused users have a singular concern – “how much product do I have in stock?”
In this situation, there is less emphasis on costings or invoicing, but rather all attention goes into maintaining accurate inventory.
If this sounds like you, then you can largely ignore the ‘Pricing’, ‘Orders’ and ‘Suppliers’ tabs within the module, instead focusing on the ‘Inventory‘ tab.
This type of user will want to form a complete picture of stock utilisation, including real time inventory oversight, costing/invoicing and supplier information.
Business Manager users may also want this information to pull through into the Business module (Cost of Production etc).
For these users, use of the Stocks module is part of a larger picture, which will include use of the Field Diary module and Business module.
The Four Stocks Tabs
The Stocks Module is broken down in to four distinct tabs; the Inventory, Pricing, Orders and Suppliers tabs.
Each of these modules has specific purposes, which we'll introduce in the table below, before going into more detail.
| Tab Title | Functionality |
|---|---|
| Inventory | Manage different inventory types, store locations, and manage changes in stock balances through the use of 'transactions'. |
| Pricing | Control the valuation mode that you want to utilise for each stock type, and view the cost history for each product in your store. |
| Orders | Create or view orders for your holding, and confirm the delivery status of each order. |
| Suppliers | Track information for all suppliers on your Holding, including the order history for each one. |
The Inventory Tab
Regardless of which type of user you are, you’ll need to have some level of comfort with the Inventory tab.
Let’s start with the video below, where we’ll introduce some of the key concepts and terms you’ll come across.
Inventory Types and Store Locations
The Stocks Module covers four key inventory types; Seed, Fertiliser, Manure and Crop Protection.
As such, if you can’t find a particular product, ensure you are working in the correct inventory tab (don’t worry – Omnia won’t let you add a product to the wrong inventory!)
Equally, many Holdings will have multiple stores for an inventory type (e.g. liquid and solid fertilisers).
So, how do we allow for this in Omnia? Watch the video below to find out.
Introducing Transactions
Transactions are a core component of the inventory tab.
To access transactions, click on a product/inventory item. This will expand the product history, at which point you can click on the green plus symbol called ‘Create new transaction’.
Note – You will see two green plus symbols on screen – click on the one within the product table.
(If you click on the plus symbol next to ‘Inventory’, you’d be asked to add a new product instead.)
‘Depending on the type of inventory that we are dealing with, we can use transactions to cover a range of instances, which we’ll cover below…
Transaction Types
Application
Product/Inventory has been applied to a field/crop.
Note: If you are utilising task management functionality within the Field Diary module, this transaction will be created automatically.
Quantity Update
You can use this option when performing stock checks.
This option can also be used for stock reconciliation – we’ll cover that in a future module.
Stock In/Stock Out
Can be used to add/remove inventory from a store.
If you are making use of the ‘Orders‘ tab, this process will be automatic.
Note: If this is used for organic materials, then there is a checkbox to mark this as an import/export – useful for managing NVZ rules.
Transfer
If you have multiple store locations set up on you Holding, then this option can be used to move stocks from one store to another.
Summary - Inventory
That’s it for this particular module!
You should now be comfortable in:
- Manually adding a new product to the Inventory tab.
- Adding additional store locations to the Stocks module.
- Completing a range of transactions.
Well done – let’s get into the next section of the course…