Inventory Management

Powoflow's inventory module provides a complete spare parts and stock management system. Track parts across multiple warehouses and sites, manage serialized items individually, bundle parts into kits, and maintain a full audit trail of every stock movement.

Inventory Dashboard

The inventory home page displays four KPI cards at the top:

KPI Card	Description
Total Value	Aggregate value of all stock across all sites (unit cost x quantity)
Stock Count	Total number of distinct stock records
Sites	Number of warehouse/site locations with active inventory
Alerts	Count of items below reorder point or with expired shelf life

Below the KPI cards, you'll find the main navigation to Parts Catalog, Stock, Kits, and Transactions.

Parts Catalog

The Parts Catalog is the master list of all spare parts and materials your organization tracks. Each part definition includes:

Field	Description
Name	Descriptive part name
Part Number	Unique identifier (manufacturer or internal)
Category	Grouping for filtering (e.g., Filters, Bearings, Electrical)
Manufacturer	Part manufacturer
Vendor	Preferred supplier
Tracking Mode	How stock is tracked: Quantity, Serialized, or Asset (see below)
Unit Cost	Default cost per unit (used for valuation)
Lead Time	Expected procurement lead time (days)
Shelf Life	Expiration period for time-sensitive materials
Barcode	Barcode or UPC for scanning
Criticality	Part criticality level (Critical, Important, Standard)

Creating a Part

1. Navigate to Inventory → Parts Catalog
2. Click Add Part
3. Fill in the part details
4. Select a Tracking Mode (see Tracking Modes below)
5. Click Save

tip

Use the search bar to find parts by name. The search is case-insensitive and matches partial names.

Tracking Modes

Each part has a tracking mode that determines how its stock is managed:

Mode	Behavior	Use Case
Quantity	Stock tracked as an aggregate number. Mutations adjust the count.	Consumables, fasteners, filters, fluids
Serialized	Each unit has a unique serial number (auto-generated as SN-YYYY-NNNN) and its own lifecycle status.	Equipment components, calibrated instruments, warranty-tracked items
Asset	Each unit is tracked as a full Powoflow asset (Resource record), enabling telemetry, work orders, and hierarchy placement.	High-value equipment, items requiring their own maintenance history

info

The tracking mode is set when a part is created and determines the available operations. Serialized and Asset modes provide individual unit tracking, while Quantity mode provides aggregate tracking.

Stock Records

Stock records represent the actual inventory at a specific location. Each record ties a part from the catalog to a physical warehouse or inventory location.

Site Filtering

If your organization has multiple warehouses or sites, use the SiteSelector dropdown at the top of the inventory page to filter stock by location. The selector shows all sites with active inventory.

Location Picker

When creating or transferring stock, the LocationPicker lets you select an exact location within a site using a hierarchical tree:

Warehouse Alpha
  └── Aisle 3
        └── Rack B
              └── Shelf 2

The picker supports search and shows the full path for each location.

Stock Mutations

Stock levels are modified through 8 mutation operations. Every mutation creates a transaction record for full traceability.

warning

All stock mutations use idempotency keys to prevent duplicate operations. If a network error occurs and the operation is retried, the same mutation will not be applied twice.

Adjust

Correct the stock quantity after a physical cycle count or to fix a discrepancy.

Field	Description
New Quantity	The corrected quantity
Reason	Why the adjustment was made (cycle count, correction, damage found)

Consume

Remove stock from available inventory when used for maintenance or operations.

Field	Description
Quantity	Number of units consumed
Work Order	Optional link to the work order that consumed the part
Notes	Additional context

Reserve

Lock a quantity of stock for future use (e.g., an upcoming work order). Reserved stock is not available for other operations.

Field	Description
Quantity	Number of units to reserve
Reference	What the reservation is for (work order number, project name)

Release

Free previously reserved stock, making it available again.

Field	Description
Quantity	Number of units to release
Reason	Why the reservation is being cancelled

Restock

Add stock from a purchase order or vendor delivery.

Field	Description
Quantity	Number of units received
Vendor	Supplier name
PO Number	Purchase order reference
Lot Number	Batch/lot identifier for traceability
Unit Cost	Actual cost per unit (may differ from catalog default)

Return

Return previously consumed stock back to available inventory.

Field	Description
Quantity	Number of units being returned
Condition	Condition of returned stock
Notes	Reason for return

Scrap

Permanently remove stock due to damage, expiry, or obsolescence. Scrapped stock cannot be recovered.

Field	Description
Quantity	Number of units to scrap
Reason	Why the stock is being scrapped (damage, expired, obsolete)

warning

Scrap is a permanent operation. Scrapped stock is removed from valuation and cannot be returned to available inventory.

Transfer

Move stock from one location to another. Supports both same-site transfers (e.g., between shelves) and cross-site transfers (e.g., between warehouses).

Field	Description
Quantity	Number of units to transfer
Destination	Target location (use the LocationPicker)

info

When transferring stock between different sites, a confirmation dialog warns you that this is a cross-site transfer and may have logistics implications.

Serialized Tracking

When a part's tracking mode is set to Serialized, each individual unit is assigned a unique serial number and tracked through its own lifecycle.

Serial Numbers

Serial numbers are auto-generated in the format SN-YYYY-NNNN (e.g., SN-2026-0042). Each serial has:

• A unique serial number
• A current status in the lifecycle
• A location assignment
• A full history of status changes

Serial Status Lifecycle

Serialized items move through the following statuses:

IN_STOCK → RESERVED → CONSUMED → INSTALLED
                ↓          ↓          ↓
             RELEASED   RETURNED   RETURNED
                ↓
            IN_STOCK

Status	Description
IN_STOCK	Available in inventory, ready for use
RESERVED	Locked for a specific work order or purpose
CONSUMED	Removed from inventory and used
INSTALLED	Installed on a specific asset
RETURNED	Returned to inventory after being consumed or installed
SCRAPPED	Permanently removed (terminal status, cannot transition out)

warning

SCRAPPED is a terminal status. Once a serial is scrapped, it cannot be returned to any other status.

Batch Status Updates

Multiple serials can be updated at once. Select multiple serial numbers and apply a status change to all of them in a single operation.

QR Label Printing

Generate printable QR code labels for serialized items in standard label formats:

Label Format	Description
Avery 5160	1" x 2-5/8" (30 labels per sheet) — for small parts and components
Avery 5163	2" x 4" (10 labels per sheet) — for larger equipment and containers

The QR code encodes the serial number and links directly to the serial's detail page when scanned with the Powoflow mobile app.

Kits

Kits are predefined collections of parts that are commonly used together (e.g., a "Filter Change Kit" containing an oil filter, air filter, and gasket set).

Creating a Kit

1. Navigate to Inventory → Kits
2. Click Create Kit
3. Name the kit and add parts with their required quantities
4. Click Save

Kit Features

• Availability checking — The kit shows a green/yellow/red indicator based on whether all parts are in stock at sufficient quantities
• One-click consume — Consume all parts in the kit with a single operation, automatically creating individual consume transactions for each part
• Kits reference parts from the catalog, so stock levels are always current

tip

Create kits for routine maintenance tasks. When a technician starts a work order, they can consume the matching kit rather than looking up each part individually.

Transactions

The Transactions tab provides a complete audit trail of every stock movement.

Transaction Fields

Each transaction records:

Field	Description
Date/Time	When the transaction occurred
Type	Mutation type (Adjust, Consume, Reserve, Release, Restock, Return, Scrap, Transfer)
Part	The affected part
Quantity	Number of units involved
User	Who performed the operation
Location	Where the operation occurred
Reference	Related work order, PO number, or lot number
Notes	Additional context

Filtering Transactions

Filter the transaction list by:

• Transaction type (e.g., show only Consume and Restock transactions)
• Date range (custom or preset: today, this week, this month)
• Part (search by part name or number)
• Location/Site (filter to a specific warehouse)

Inventory Valuation Reports

The inventory valuation view provides financial summaries of your stock:

• Total value by site — Aggregate stock value per warehouse
• Value by category — Stock value grouped by part category
• Value by part — Individual part valuations (unit cost x quantity on hand)
• Cost basis uses the unit cost from the most recent restock transaction, or the catalog default if no restock has occurred

Multi-Site Operations

For organizations with multiple warehouses or sites:

1. SiteSelector at the top of the inventory page filters all views to a single site
2. Cross-site transfers move stock between locations with a confirmation warning
3. Dashboard KPIs aggregate across all sites by default, or filter to a single site
4. Each site can have its own location hierarchy (warehouses, aisles, racks, shelves)

info

Site resolution follows your asset hierarchy. The system walks up the parentId chain from any inventory location to find the enclosing SITE or WAREHOUSE resource class, enabling automatic site grouping.

Best Practices

• Set up your location hierarchy before adding stock. Create sites, warehouses, and storage locations as assets first.
• Use Serialized tracking for any part where individual traceability matters (warranty, calibration, regulatory compliance).
• Create kits for recurring maintenance procedures to speed up field operations and reduce picking errors.
• Review the Alerts KPI regularly to catch low-stock and expired items before they cause maintenance delays.
• Use the Transactions tab for inventory audits — every stock movement is recorded with who, what, when, and why.