Getting stock in
Track each item by its own number
Give every cylinder, keg or dispenser its own number. Add them one at a time or in a run. Then see where each one has been.
Some goods you just count. Sodas, sacks of rice, bars of soap. You only care about the total on the shelf. Other goods you have to follow one by one. A gas cylinder goes out to a customer. It sits in her kitchen for three weeks. Then it has to come back to you. Lose that one cylinder and you lose real money.
Outlyz calls these single numbered pieces units. Each unit has its own number. It has its own status and its own history. The app knows which branch holds it. It knows which customer took it. It knows how many days they have kept it. Counted stock does not live here. That sits under the "Batches" tab.
You turn this on for the item, not for the whole shop. One item can even do both. So a depot can track its 6kg cylinders by number. The matches it sells next to them are just counted.
Step by step
1. Set the item to be tracked one by one
When you add an item, the app asks "How will you keep track of this item’s stock?". You get the same question when you edit a variant. Pick "Each one has its own number" for things like gas cylinders. Pick "Some have numbers, some I just count" if you sell the same item both ways. The "Units" tab only shows up when at least one variant is set this way.
2. Make a serial prefix first
Every number starts with a short prefix like GAS or BTL. Go to "Settings", then "Business", then the "Serial Prefixes" tab. Click "Add Prefix". Fill in "Prefix" and, if you want, a "Description". Save it. Skip this and the add form warns you. It gives you a link back that says "Create one under Business settings".
3. Open the item and check the branch
In the side menu click "Inventory", then "Products". Find the item and click "Manage". Open the "Units" tab. The list follows the branch picker at the top of the screen. "All Locations" shows units from everywhere. Pick one branch and you only see what is there.
4. Add one unit with "Single Unit"
Click "Single Unit". That opens "Add Unit". Pick the item under "Select Variant". Pick a "Serial Prefix". In "Serial Number" type the number stamped on the cylinder. You can leave it empty. The helper text says "Optional: Enter a specific serial number or leave empty to auto-generate". Set "Initial Location" and "Status". Then click "Create".
5. Add a whole delivery with "Bulk Units"
Click "Bulk Units". That opens "Add Multiple Units". Under "Serial Number Range" pick the "Serial Prefix". Set "Start Number" and "Quantity". Then pick "Number Padding" for how many digits you want. A preview shows the first few numbers and the last one. The save button counts them back to you, like "Create 10 Units".
6. Say if the container is full or empty
Some goods come back and get refilled. For those, both forms add a field called "Filled or empty". You can pick "Filled", "Empty", "Damaged" or "Unknown". Items that do not work this way never see the question. They are saved as filled.
7. Find a unit later
The search box at the top of the tab takes a serial number. Its placeholder says "Search by serial number or SKU...". Three dropdowns cut the list down. "Variant" picks the size. The location one gives you "All", "Here" and "With Customers". "Status" gives you "Available", "Not Available" and "Reserved". Every choice shows a live count. The "Days" column tells you how long the holder has had it. If a customer goes past 30 days, a red banner shows at the top of the tab.
8. Change many units at once
Tick the boxes on the rows you want. A bar shows how many you picked. The actions sit under "Status" and "Container". You can press "Available", "Not Available", "Filled", "Empty", "Damaged" or "Unknown". "Transfer" moves the whole lot to another branch.
9. Follow one unit with "View Journey"
Each row has three small buttons on the right. The middle one is "View Journey". It opens "Container Journey" for that number. You get every move, newest first. The top one is tagged "Current". The lines read like "Received at Location", "Dispatched to Customer", "Returned from Customer" and "Transferred between Locations". Each one has its date.
Worth knowing
The prefix goes in front of what you type
Say you pick prefix "GAS" and type 0001 in "Serial Number". The unit is saved as GAS0001. So type only the number part. Type GAS0001 with the same prefix picked and you get GASGAS0001.
"Empty" also takes it off sale
Mark units "Empty" from the selection bar and two things happen. The container state goes to empty. The status goes to not available. That is on purpose. An empty cylinder sitting in your store is not stock you can sell.
Five hundred at a time is the most
"Bulk Units" will not take anything outside 1 to 500. It says "Quantity must be between 1 and 500". For a bigger load, run it more than once. Move the "Start Number" along so the numbers carry on from the last run.
The full or empty column has a catch
The "Container State" column, its filter, and the "Filled" and "Empty" buttons all need one thing. One of the item's variants must answer Yes to "Do you charge to refill them?". Now say you answered Yes to "Do the bottles come back?" but No to the refill one. The add form still asks "Filled or empty". The list just will not show a column for it. That first question swaps in your own word for one piece, so it can read cylinders or jerrycans instead.
Questions
Do I have to type in every cylinder number by hand?
No. Leave "Serial Number" empty. The app makes one from your prefix plus a few letters of its own. You get something like GAS-M9KX3-4B7C. Type the real number only when your staff will search for that number later. For a load of the same cylinders, use "Bulk Units". Let the app number them in one straight run.
What happens if I enter a number that already exists?
The app stops the save. It tells you where the other one is. It names the number. It also says if that unit sits at another branch or is out with a customer. So you can go and check before you decide.
Can I fix a serial number after saving it?
Yes. Click the edit button on the row. That opens "Edit Unit". There you can change the "Serial Number", the "Status", the location and the state. There is also a delete button. Deleting cannot be undone, so fixing is almost always the better move.
Outlyz does this
Outlyz tracks your stock, orders and deliveries, and every container you expect back. UGX 20,000 per person per month. The first month is free and no card is needed.
Or call 0780 784870 and we will set it up with you.