The Stock & Warehouses Module in ERPNext provides businesses with a comprehensive inventory management solution for managing inventory, warehouses, and stock movement. It offers real-time visibility of stock levels, accurate stock valuation, and automated warehouse operations across multiple locations. By integrating with Sales, Purchasing, Manufacturing, and Accounting, this WMS module ensures optimal inventory levels, tracks stock movements precisely, and reduces wastage and stockouts. It is essential for industries like manufacturing, retail, and distribution to maintain operational efficiency and enhance profitability by automating stock transfers, improving stock control, and generating timely stock alerts.
Key Features
1. Real-Time Stock Tracking
Accurate Stock Levels
Get real-time updates on stock availability across warehouses, ensuring transparency and accurate demand planning.
Stock Movement
Track the movement of goods between locations, including internal transfers, sales, purchases, and returns, with detailed logs.
2. Stock Valuation Methods
FIFO, LIFO, Weighted Average
Choose from multiple stock valuation methods ( including Moving Average) to ensure that your inventory is valued accurately per accounting standards.
Automated Valuation
Automate the process of valuing stock based on selected methods, ensuring compliance with financial regulations and reducing manual calculation.
3. Multi-location Management
Warehouse Management
Easily manage inventory across multiple warehouses, distribution centers, stockrooms, and retail stores within a single system.
Stock Transfer
Automate stock transfers between different locations, reducing manual errors and improving operational efficiency in your supply chain.
4. Batch and Serial Number Tracking
Batch Tracking
Track items by batch number, allowing you to manage product lifecycles and expiration dates efficiently.
Serial Number Tracking
Ensure full item traceability of high-value or regulated products by tracking individual items through unique serial numbers.
5. Reorder Point and Stock Alerts
Stock Replenishment Alerts
Set minimum stock levels and receive automated alerts when stock falls below predefined reorder points
Reorder Planning
Plan reorder quantities and generate purchase orders based on historical data, lead times, and future demand forecasts.
6. Stock Transfer and Adjustments
Seamless Transfers
Facilitate easy stock transfers between warehouses or locations with a few clicks using stock entry documents.
Stock Adjustments
Handle stock discrepancies found during cycle counts and adjust stock levels manually, ensuring accuracy in inventory records through stock reconciliation.
7. Multi-unit of Measurement
Flexible Unit Handling
Manage items sold and purchased in different units of measurement (e.g., kilograms, pieces, boxes), with automatic conversions for easier stock management and tracking.
8. Stock Aging Analysis
Inventory Aging Reports
Generate stock aging reports to monitor inventory that has been in the warehouse for extended periods.
Reduce Dead Stock
Use aging analysis to identify and take action on slow-moving or obsolete stock before it becomes dead stock.
9. Item Bundling
Product Bundles
Create product bundles or kits by grouping multiple items, making it easier to manage stock and fulfill sales orders.
10. Barcode and QR Code Integration
Barcode Scanning
Use barcodes or QR codes for stock entry, movement, picking, packing, and verification to improve inventory accuracy and speed.
Label Printing
Generate and print barcode or QR labels for items, making warehouse operations faster and more accurate with integrated printing support.
11. Stock Reports and Analytics
Comprehensive Reports
Generate stock valuation reports, stock movement reports, stock balance, stock ledger, and warehouse-specific inventory levels.
Custom Dashboards
Customize dashboards to display key inventory metrics such as stock turnover, stock aging, inventory velocity, and inventory valuation.
12. Supplier Performance Tracking
Supplier Metrics
Track supplier performance based on lead times, delivery quality, on-time delivery rate, and price stability to make informed purchasing decisions.
13. Audit Trail and Security
Audit Trail
Maintain a complete audit trail of all stock-related transactions ( stock entries, transfers, adjustments) to ensure transparency and compliance.
Role-based Access Control
Secure sensitive stock information and warehouse operations with role-based access permissions to prevent unauthorized access or actions.
14. Quality Inspection
Quality Checks
Perform quality checks on incoming stock (at Goods Receipt) to ensure that products meet specified standards before they are added to inventory.
Inspection Reports
Generate quality inspection reports for internal review and audit purposes.
15. Stock Reconciliation
Reconciliation Process
Perform periodic stock reconciliations (cycle counts or full stock takes) to ensure that physical stock levels match system records.
Adjustments After Reconciliation
Adjust discrepancies after stock-taking via Stock Reconciliation documents to ensure inventory accuracy and compliance.
16. Warehouse Configuration
Warehouse Layout
Configure your warehouse setup in the system, defining zones, aisles, shelves, and bins for more efficient stock management and location tracking.
Optimize Picking
Streamline warehouse operations by organizing stock based on product demand, velocity, and picking frequency to minimize travel time.
17. Stock Reservations
Pre-order Management
Reserve stock for specific sales orders or production orders, ensuring that key customers’ orders are fulfilled even during high demand periods.
Backorder Handling
Manage backorders and ensure that reserved stock is allocated correctly when new inventory arrives, improving fulfillment rates.
18. Picking Lists
Automated Picking Lists
Generate automated picking lists based on sales orders or delivery notes to streamline the process of gathering items for shipment or production.
Optimized Picking Routes
Create optimized picking routes for warehouse staff to reduce time spent on stock picking and increase productivity.
Integration
The Stock & Warehouses Module integrates seamlessly with other core ERPNext modules to provide a unified inventory management system that ties together your business operations:
Ensure stock valuation, stock entries, inventory adjustments, and cost of goods sold (COGS) are automatically reflected in your general ledger and financial statements.
Case Studies
1. Streamlining Inventory for a Retail Chain
Challenge
A retail chain with multiple stores was struggling to manage stock transfers and prevent stockouts during peak sales periods.
Solution
By implementing ERPNext’s Stock & Warehouses Module, the company automated stock transfers between stores and set up stock alerts to replenish inventory before it ran out.
Results
The company saw a 30% improvement in stock availability, better inventory turnover, and a 20% reduction in manual stock adjustments and errors.
2. Improving Warehouse Efficiency for a Manufacturer
Challenge
A manufacturing firm was facing inefficiencies in stock management and struggled to keep track of raw materials across multiple warehouses.
Solution
With ERPNext’s Stock & Warehouses Module, the manufacturer implemented real-time stock tracking and integrated barcode scanning for quick stock movements.
Results
The firm reduced stock discrepancies by 25%, improved picking times, and improved overall warehouse efficiency by 35%.
Tutorials & Guides
ERPNext offers a variety of tutorials and guides to help users make the most of the ERPNext Stock & Warehouses Module:
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Stock & Warehouses Module help with real-time stock tracking?
The module provides live updates on stock levels across multiple locations, ensuring that inventory is accurately tracked, synchronized, and available for sales and production planning.
Can the module handle multiple warehouses?
Yes, the Stock & Warehouses Module supports multi-location management, allowing you to track and manage stock across various warehouses, distribution centers, and retail outlets centrally.
What stock valuation methods are available in ERPNext?
ERPNext supports multiple perpetual inventory stock valuation methods, including FIFO (First In, First Out), LIFO (Last In, First Out), and Moving Weighted Average for accurate costing.
Does the module support batch and serial number tracking?
Yes, you can track items by batch or serial number, which is particularly useful for industries that need to manage perishable goods or high-value items.
How can I set up stock alerts?
You can configure reorder points and safety stock levels for each item, and the system will automatically send stock alerts or generate material requests when levels fall below the defined threshold.
Can I integrate barcode scanning into warehouse operations?
Yes, the module supports barcode and QR code integration, enabling you to improve the accuracy and speed of stock entry, movement, picking, packing, and verification using scanners.
How does the module handle stock reconciliation?
The module allows you to perform stock reconciliations (cycle counts/stock takes) by comparing physical stock with system records and making necessary adjustments to ensure inventory accuracy.
Get a free no obligation quote now
Take control of your inventory with ERPNext’s Stock & Warehouses Module. Contact us today to schedule a demo or learn more about how our WMS solutions can help you optimize stock management, reduce wastage, and improve warehouse efficiency significantly.
Trust Elements
”ERPNext’s Stock & Warehouses Module has made managing our inventory much easier. We now have full visibility into our stock levels across multiple warehouses.
Manoj MakwanaKanakpura Jewellery Pvt. Ltd.
”The automation features in the Selling Module have saved us hours of manual work, especially with invoicing and order processing.
Amit DesaiMetrobit
Rating: 5 / 5 (23 votes)
