Automatic Stock Order

The Automatic Stock Order feature in Softbase allows users to set up parts and determine the days of stocking levels needed to automatically calculate the amount of a specific part to order, based on the part's demand history.

To set up the feature, users must go to the Parts Window and select the Setup Toolbar Button, then the Group Tab and the Auto Order Tab. On this tab, users will find the fields for Minimum Days of Supply, Maximum Days of Supply, and Months to Average Over, which must be filled out per Parts Group.

To activate the feature for a specific part, users must set the "Automatic Order" checkbox to true on the General Tab of the Parts Window. Additionally, the part's status must be set as "Current," "Phase In," or "New," and if the status is "Phase In" or "New," the part must have an Absolute Minimum greater than 0, as set on the Pricing/Qty Tab of the Part Window.

When the user selects the "Generate" button in the Auto Stock Tab of the Purchase Order Window, the system will gather all parts in the selected warehouses and parts groups that meet the criteria for automatic ordering. The system will then calculate the Total Demand of the part by considering the part's group's Minimum Days of Supply, Maximum Days of Supply and Months to Average Over values, gathering the demand for the current month and previous months, and calculating the Monthly Average. The system will then determine the Minimum Quantity and Maximum Quantity by multiplying the Monthly Average by the Minimum Days of Supply and Maximum Days of Supply. Finally, the system will consider the Quantity on Hand of the part and any existing stock orders, and suggest an amount to order that will bring the stock up to the Maximum Days of Supply.

Example: 

Let's say a user sets up a parts group for "Batteries" and sets the Minimum Days of Supply to 10, Maximum Days of Supply to 30, and Months to Average Over to 3. They then set up a specific battery part, with the "Automatic Order" checkbox set to true, and the status set to "Current."

When the user runs the Automatic Stock Order feature, the system will gather all battery parts in the selected warehouses that meet the criteria for automatic ordering. It will then calculate the Total Demand for the battery part by looking at the sales data for the last 3 months (May, April, and March) and determining that the average monthly demand is 100 units.

The system will then calculate the Minimum Quantity and Maximum Quantity by taking the Total Demand (100 units) and multiplying it by the Minimum Days of Supply (10) and Maximum Days of Supply (30) respectively. This would result in a Minimum Quantity of 1000 units and a Maximum Quantity of 3000 units.

The system will then look at the Quantity on Hand for the battery part, as well as any existing stock orders, and find that there are currently 800 units on hand and 200 units on order. Since this is less than the Minimum Quantity of 1000 units, the system will suggest ordering an additional 200 units to bring the stock up to the Maximum Days of Supply of 30 days.

In summary, the Automatic Stock Order feature uses the Minimum Days of Supply, Maximum Days of Supply and Months to Average Over values to determine the suggested amount of a specific part to order based on the part's demand history.