Setting up inventory

Set things up in this order: catalogs, then items, then suppliers. You need Manage inventory items for catalogs and items, and Manage suppliers for suppliers.

1. Catalogs

More › Catalogs › Inventory catalogs: “The categories, locations and units your inventory is organised by.” There are three tabs:

Tab	Used for	Example
Categories	Grouping items, and filtering lists and reports.	Dental supplies
Locations	Where things are kept, or assigned to (a room, a cabinet).	Room 3
Units	How an item is counted.	Box, ml, Piece

Select Add category, Add location or Add unit. “Give it a name in each language your clinic uses.” Entries can be Edited, Archived and Restored. Archived units can’t be chosen for new items. Items keep the unit they already have.

2. Inventory items

Procurement › Inventory Items lists “Consumables, assets, and everything else this clinic stocks”, as a table or as cards, with On hand for each. Search by name, GTIN or serial number. Filters: Category, Kind, Status, Stock availability (In stock / Out of stock). Badges show Billable and S/N (serial-tracked).

Select New item:

Field	Notes
Name	For example “Dental implant kit”. Can be translated.
Category	Optional. New creates one on the spot.
Kind	Consumable or Asset.
Unit	For consumables. Assets always use Piece.
GTIN / barcode	Optional. Lets you find the item by scanning or typing the barcode.
Tracked by serial number	“Each unit is received and tracked individually (e.g. an implant, for traceability).”
Billable to patient	“Using this item can be charged to a patient’s invoice.”
Sale price	Only for billable items. What the patient is charged per unit.
Status	Active or Archived. “Archived items can’t be used.”

The rules, with the messages you’ll see if they’re broken:

Rule	Message
Assets must be serial-tracked.	“An asset must be tracked by serial number”
Assets can’t be billed to patients.	“An asset cannot be billable”
Only billable items have a sale price.	“Only a billable item can have a sale price”
Consumables need a unit.	“Unit is required”

Choosing consumable or asset

Choose	When	You’ll then
Consumable, not serial-tracked	Bulk supplies counted by quantity.	Record quantities used.
Consumable, serial-tracked	Each piece must be traceable to a patient, such as an implant.	Enter serial numbers when receiving, and pick the exact unit when using it.
Asset	Equipment you lend and get back.	Enter serial numbers when receiving, then assign and return units.

The item page

Overview: On hand, Lifetime received, Lifetime consumed, Last movement, item details and Billing.
Statement: every movement in a period. See Stock and movements.
Units (serial-tracked only): each unit with its Serial number, Status and Currently with. “Units are created automatically when a purchase order for this item is completed.”

Select Edit item to change it.

3. Suppliers

Procurement › Suppliers: “Who this clinic purchases inventory from.” Select New supplier:

Name (required), Contact name, Phone, Email, Address,
Reference: your own code or account number for them,
Notes, and Status (Active or Archived).

“Add one to start creating purchase orders.”