Inventory Administration

Owned by Anastasia Troichuk (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Nov 15, 2024 by Caroline Antoun
12 min read

Here you can set up and manage your inventory store transfer and restocking rules. The Inventory Administration section comprises three tabs:

Contact your Customer Success Manager to start using these features.

Setting Up Rules for Inventory Store Transfers

Each inventory store transfer that you are going to create in Inventory Manager will be associated with a work order. Transferred parts will be listed as materials on such work orders. Before you create a transfer, define default parameters for all work orders created in the event of inventory transfers.

⦿ How to Set Up Store Transfers
  1. Click the hamburger menu, and select Admin > Inventory > Inventory Administration section.Accessing the Inventory Administration section via the hamburger menu
  2. Make sure you are on the Rules tab. Then, specify the following information for work orders that are going to be associated with store transfers:
    Rules tab where you can configure inventory store transfer rules     

    1. Work Order Category

       Expand this section to view the best practice.

      BEST PRACTICE

      Create the Inventory Transfer category in the Admin module to easily manage transfer work orders. Ensure that the category is associated with the proper GL code in your Admin settings. This will allow you to properly account for inventory transfer costs. 

    2. Priority

       Expand this section to view the best practice.

      BEST PRACTICE

      We recommend that you create a new priority for store transfers with the default 0 hrs ETA. Since all inventory transfers are immediate, they will be created with the scheduled date matching the call date.

    3. Work Order Status

       Expand this section to view the best practice.

      BEST PRACTICE

      Keep in mind that when the Open status is picked for transfers, inventory transfer work orders will be visible in the SC Provider mobile app.

    4. Work Order Extended Status

    5. Trade: To set the default trade for all store transfers, pick the required option from the Trade drop-down list. 

       Expand this section to view the best practice.

      BEST PRACTICE

      Ensure that the trade you select here is associated with the proper GL code in your Admin settings. This will allow you to properly account for inventory transfer costs.

      If you want Inventory Managers to decide themselves which trade should be associated with each store transfer, you can let them select the required trade when they are creating a store transfer. Read about the Require Trade Selection option below for more details.

    6. Require Trade Selection: Select this checkbox if you don’t want to impose a default trade and provider for store transfers. In this case, Inventory Managers will be able to decide themselves which trade should be set on a store transfer work order and which one of your providers should perform the transfer. When creating a store transfer in Inventory Manager, users can pick the required trade and provider. It allows you to be more flexible in terms of GL codes as you ensure the store transfer WO gets associated with the right GL code and the parts are billed correctly.

    7. Default Provider

       Expand this section to view the best practice.

      BEST PRACTICE

      If you do not have an FTM internal provider, we recommend that you create one and assign this provider to all locations that may request inventory parts to be shipped from a warehouse. Make sure that the provider is also assigned to the trade that you select in your inventory transfer rules. 

      Please note that the provider in this context is actually your organization's Inventory Manager who is responsible for transferring inventory items.

      When the Require Trade Selection checkbox is selected, your default provider preference isn’t taken into account. Inventory Managers will be asked to pick the required provider when creating a store transfer. 

      Should you want to restrict store transfers to a single trade and provider combination, ensure that the Require Trade Selection checkbox is cleared.

  3. Click Save.

Once you have specified all the required parameters and saved your settings, you can get down to creating store transfers.

If you have not yet assigned employees who should be responsible for creating and managing transfers in your organization, read Subscriber Permissions to learn how to enable the corresponding permissions for your employees.

Work orders for store transfers will be created strictly by the book:

  • Transfer-related work orders will belong to the specified category and trade.
  • They will have the predefined priority.
  • They will be submitted with the status you’ve set.
  • They will be dispatched to the default provider. 
  • The not-to-exceed (NTE) amount of such work orders will equal the number of parts transferred multiplied by the part price per unit.
  • Transfer-related work orders will be created for the destination location — the location that is supposed to receive the requested items.

Parts Purchasing

When external providers are performing service on a work order and it requires a part(s) to finalize the job and change the work order status to In-Progress/Parts on Order, there is the ability to add an additional step which includes you. This requires providers to specify the specific part(s) needed to complete the work order. When the option is turned off, providers will not be required to include you during the part(s) checking or ordering process. 

Checking Inventory First

You can incorporate the Checking Inventory First for Internal Providers to search and locate the part(s) if they are in stock and available within your inventory. If not checked, internal providers can go ahead and submit a Non-Catalog request.

When Checking Inventory First checkbox, external providers are not able to access the Parts Order in Provider Automation.

Requiring Parts Extended Status

Adding an extend status allows for the option to add parts purchasing whenever a work order’s status has been changed to that specific extended status. You can add as many extended statuses to the parts purchasing as you would like. 

Restocking Options and Schedule

Inventory restocking allows you to automate the process of replenishing a location that has had a reduction in inventory. The automated process is run based on the rules you configure under the Restocking Options and Schedule tab.

Tab where you can configure restocking schedule and rules

Restocking is available for warehouses and trucks only.

When the time comes to restock parts to ensure that the location has enough on-hand quantities, Inventory Manager takes the required part quantity from the primary supply location to replenish the inventory.

Configuring the restocking process is performed in 2 steps.

Step 1

You can specify how and when you want to have your warehouses and trucks restocked.

⦿ How to Set Up the Restocking Process
  1. Click the hamburger menu, and select Admin > Inventory > Inventory Administration section.Accessing the Inventory Administration section via the hamburger menu
  2. Switch to the Restocking Options and Schedule tab.Tab where you can configure restocking schedule and rules

  3. Decide for which inventory location type you want to configure the restocking schedule: warehouses or trucks.

    Restocking settings you set up here get applied to all inventory locations of the Warehouse and/or Truck types.

  4. Under the corresponding inventory location type, select the Restocking Option:

    1. Based on the part’s minimum and maximum values
    2. Based on the number of parts used

      Specifying the restocking method

      Learn more about Restocking Options.

  5. Pick the days of the week when the location inventory should be restocked. Restocking transfers will be created on this day for any parts at these locations that need to be restocked.
    Picking the days of the weeks when the restocking transfer should be created

  6. Pick the time and time zone for the restocking to occur.

    To avoid issues with generating restocking transfers, please confirm your time zone.

  7. Click Save at the bottom of the page.


Restocking Options

The restocking process depends on the restocking method you apply.

METHOD 1. Based on the part’s minimum and maximum values at a location.

Min and max quantities of a part

When you opt for this method, ensure that Minimum and Maximum Quantities are provided for your parts in stock records.


Part detailed view showing the part min and max quantities at the location

As soon as the part on-hand quantity meets or falls below the minimum, the system will request the restock of the part, bringing it back to the maximum. By setting minimum and maximum quantities, you can ensure that there is at least the minimum amount of inventory on hand at all times.

METHOD 2. Based on the number of parts used.

Image showing how restocking process happens when the second restocking method is applied

The concept here is only to replenish what has been used. On the scheduled date, Inventory Manager automatically creates restocking transfers to restock all the parts that have been used since the last restocking at warehouses and/or on trucks. The part quantity to be restocked will equal the part quantity taken from the inventory location since the last restocking.

Step 2

Your next step is to specify which parts should be included in or excluded from the auto-restocking process. By default, all your inventory parts are included in the restocking process. By clearing the Auto Restock checkbox in the overlay for editing part information in your Parts Catalog, you exclude the part from the process.

Restocking Process

In line with the above settings, restocking will take place on the specified date, at the specified time, across the selected locations (warehouses and/or trucks), for the specified parts.

Learn more about Restocking Transfer Statuses and Lifecycle.

GWP Equivalents for Refrigerant Parts

Each refrigerant part group you have loaded in Inventory Manager can be assigned the corresponding Global Warming Potential (GWP) equivalent.

GWP allows comparisons of the global warming impacts of different refrigerant gases. The larger the GWP, the more the given gas warms the Earth compared to CO2.

GWP Equivalents tab in Inventory Administration

Why Is Identifying GWP Important?

Identifying the GWP values of the refrigerants contained in refrigeration in HVAC units helps Facility Managers in the following ways:

  • VISIBILITY: It adds visibility into carbon emissions, helping FMs calculate carbon emissions from their equipment.
  • EFFICIENT REPORTING: It helps FMs in reporting to the sustainability department regarding their impact on sustainability.
  • ASSET ANOMALIES: It gives FMs the ability to identify assets that are contributing to global warming so that FMs can make adjustments to those assets.

To use this functionality, ensure that your account configuration meets the following requirements:

  • The corresponding feature is enabled for you. Please contact your Customer Success Manager to turn it on.
  • You have the Administrator role set in Admin > Inventory > Subscriber Permissions.
  • You are assigned the Refrigerant Tracking Admin user role in Admin > Permissions > Users.

Navigating the GWP Equivalents Page

GWP equivalents tab showing the refrigerant part groups and their GWP equivalents and values

Refrigerant Part Groups

The column lists all of your refrigerant part groups that you have uploaded in Inventory Manager. Information in this column cannot be edited.

GWP Equivalent

Here you select the required GWP equivalent for each refrigerant part group. These are industry-standard names as specified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Once you select the equivalent, the remaining fields get filled out automatically.

Refrigerant Common Name

More common name of refrigerant.

High GWP

The column indicates if the refrigerant is classified as having a high GWP. You will see either Yes or No here.

GWP Value

Global warming potential (GWP) values relative to CO2. GWP values allow you to compare the emission impacts of different gases. The larger the GWP value, the more the given gas warms the Earth compared to CO2.

Refrigerant Common Name, High GWP, and GWP Value are populated automatically based on the database values loaded by ServiceChannel.

Assigning GWP Equivalents to Refrigerant Part Groups

We recommend that you assign GWP equivalent to all of your refrigerant part groups to ensure accurate reporting on carbon emissions.

⦿ How to Assign GWP Equivalents to Refrigerant Part Groups
  1. Click the hamburger menu, and navigate to Admin > Inventory > Inventory Administration.
  2. Switch to the GWP Equivalents tab.

  3. For each Refrigerant Part Group presented in the first column, select the corresponding GWP Equivalent in the second column.Selecting the GWP Equivalent from the drop-down list

    You can assign the same GWP equivalent to more than one refrigerant part group.

Once the GWP equivalent is selected, the remaining fields (Refrigerant Common Name, High GWP, and GWP Value) are populated automatically based on the database values loaded by ServiceChannel. It is not allowed to update these three fields manually. 

Your changes on this page are saved automatically.

Getting the Report on the Total GWP and CO2 Impact of Your Refrigerants

Now that you have set up GWP equivalents for your refrigerants, you can get a detailed report on the total GWP and CO2 impact of your refrigeration and HVAC units in the Refrigerant Tracking Dashboard in Analytics. Learn more about it in Refrigerant Tracking Dashboard.

Inventory Cycle Count

Cycle Counts allows for configuring and performing physical counts of parts at inventory locations. You can configure the cycle count based on:

Date
  • Able to select a specific date for the Cycle Count.
Location
  • Select all locations.
  • Select specific inventory location type(s). 
  • Specific location(s). 
Count Type
  • Select all parts. 
  • Select specific part type(s). 
  • Select specific individual part(s).


⦿ How to Create a Scheduled Cycle Count
  1. Admin → Inventory → Inventory Administration.
  2. Click the Cycle Count link to view the page.

  3. Optional: Create a unique name.
  4. Optional: Add a description for the cycle count. 
  5. Select a Due Date.
  6. Select the Location option. 

  7. Select the Count Type option.

  8. Click the Create button to finalize the Cycle Count setup. 

Cycle Counts cannot performed on the same day, it must be at least one day after the initial setup. 

Editing a Scheduled Cycle Count

When a Cycle Count has been added and becomes available, you can take action by editing the scheduled Cycle Count information. There are filters available when searching for particular scheduled cycle count to edit. 

⦿ How to Create a Scheduled Cycle Count
  1. Locate the Scheduled Cycle Count from the list.
  2. Click the Pencil icon under the Actions column to edit the Scheduled Cycle Count.
  3. Make any changes to the Scheduled Cycle Count. 
  4. Click the Save button to update the Scheduled Cycle Count.

Save changes to Scheduled Cycle Count

Clicking the Reset button removes all the information that was added and selected on the Scheduled Cycle Count. 

Viewing Upcoming Cycle Count in Inventory Location

Location Inventory

The Cycle Count is available within the location under Inventory Locations tab. From there, you can go into the details of the Cycle Count to view all included parts for the Cycle Count. Once inside, manually add the number of parts for a particular inventory to calculate the Total Variance Cost which represents the total cost of parts used in the inventory minus from the System Total Cost. You are able to search for a specific part by using the textbox and minimize part sections. 

Please, contact your ServiceChannel representative should you need to change the decimal point (.) to decimal comma (,) on non-monetary amounts, such as: 

  • Hours and Duration 
  • Quantity Amounts 
  • Weight. 

⦿ How to Create a Scheduled Cycle Count
  1. On the parts page, click the Cycle Count link to view the Cycle Count list. 
  2. Select a Cycle Count from the list and click the Details link to open the modal.
     
  3. Click the Pencil icon to edit the details of the Cycle Count. 
    Edit Cycle Count
  4. Add the number of parts for each inventory count.
  5. Optional: Click the Save for Later button if needing to stop. 
  6. Click the Approve button when finished. 
    Approve Cycle Count

Viewing Cycle Count Report

Once a Cycle Count has been completed, it can be approved by the user along with making updates to the count, view previous cycle counts, download, and print the report when needed. The information includes: 

  • Viewing Cycle Count Status
  • Viewing Cycle Count History
  • Viewing Cycle Count Audit Trail


⦿ How to Download a Cycle Count
  1. Inside the Cycle Count, locate the Download icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Click the Download icon to download the report. 
  3. Open the spreadsheet to view the report. 
⦿ How to Print a Cycle Count
  1. Inside the Cycle Count, locate the Print icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Click the Print icon to print the report. 
  3. The report opens in a new tab for printing.  

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