A stock group is a per-location bucket that separates stock sitting in the same place but not in the same state, available, on hold, quarantine, return-for-repair. Same shelf, different status, so good stock and questionable stock never get confused.
- What a group represents
- How a group controls whether stock can be sold
- How stock moves between groups
How it behaves
Status within a place
Where a location says where stock is, a group says what state it is in. Stock carries a group within each location, so the same warehouse can hold “available” units ready to sell and “return for repair” units that must not be, side by side but counted apart.
Selling and movement
A group can allow or disallow selling (and production and rental), which is what keeps quarantined or damaged stock out of fulfilment. You move stock between groups with a movement adjustment, and Stock Finder can break any figure down by group.
Worked example
A customer returns three units for inspection. You receive them into a “Return for repair” group that does not allow selling, so they sit safely out of available stock until checked, then move to “Available” once cleared.
Edge cases and good practice
- Group versus location. Group is status, location is place; an item has both.
- Use a non-sellable group for anything not fit to ship, so it cannot be promised by mistake.
Related
- How to: Organise stock with groups
- Reference: Stock Adjustment (moving between groups)