Options (stock settings)

Use these settings to choose how to process and manage your stock.

Find this screen

Open: Stock Control > Utilities > System Set Up > Stock Control Settings | Options.

Use multiple locations

Select Use multiple locations to monitor and track stock at different locations. This can be across several warehouses, or a single warehouse split into separate areas (bins).

Locations are split into two levels:

The location as a whole. This is referred to as a Warehouse.
The area of the warehouse where the item is located. This is referred to as a Bin.

You can set your own familiar names such as depot, bay, shelf to each location level to make them meaningful.

Once you have chosen to use multiple locations, you can:

Create meaningful names for each location level, using the Configurable Names tab.
Create warehouse(s).
Create bins, if required.

Note: You also have more stock fulfilment options at your disposal if you have this selected. If you only have a single location, sell by, use by and FIFO options are disabled for fulfilment.

Clear this option to store all your stock items in a single Home warehouse and a single bin.

Allow searching using search categories and values

Select Allow searching using search categories and values to search for stock items using a list of search categories and values.

This allows you to search for stock items without knowing the item's code. You can create your own search categories and values.

If this is not selected, the search category values will not be displayed on the Product Group.

Once you have chosen to use search categories, you can:

Create a list of search categories and values, using the Search Categories screen.
Add the search categories to your product groups, on the product group Searching tab.
Add the search value to individual stock items, on the stock item Search Categories tab.

Note: You can use the search categories in the Stock Control module to search for stock items in both the Sales Order Processing and Purchase Order Processing modules.

See Searching for stock items.

Integrate stock management with the Nominal Ledger

Select Integrate stock management with the Nominal Ledger to update the Nominal Ledger for stock movements and adjustments recorded in the Stock Control module. Stock values are always posted to the Nominal Ledger when purchase orders are processed in the Purchase Order Processing module.

Note: If you integrate with Project Accounting and you want to analyse project costs, you must select both Integrate stock management with the Nominal Ledger and Generate cost of sales postings for SOP.

If Integrate stock management with the Nominal Ledger is enabled:

The cost of sales for Profit and Loss and the value of stock in the Balance Sheet are updated automatically in the Nominal Ledger, as stock is recorded in and out of the Stock Control module.

You must make sure you use the correct nominal accounts when recording the movement of stock. This ensures you have accurate figures in your financial statements.

Use the default nominal accounts to reduce the risk of using the wrong nominal accounts. The default accounts can be overridden as a stock movement is recorded.

Integration with the Nominal Ledger posts lots of transactions. If you deal with a high volume of transactions, this may impair performance.
If Integrate stock management with the Nominal Ledger is not enabled:

You will need to account for the cost of sales in your financial statements. This is done by submitting the stock values to the Nominal Ledger using a journal A record that holds one or more transactions for posting. Synonymous with batch in batch processing.. The nominal journal should be completed before you close a period in the Nominal Ledger.

The Integrate stock management with the Nominal Ledger setting is not enabled by default at installation, as this removes the possibility of posting values to the wrong nominal accounts.

Note: If you decide not to update to the Nominal Ledger the selection boxes for nominal postings are shaded when recording stock movements and you cannot make any entries in them.

Generate cost of sales postings for SOP

Select Generate cost of sales postings for SOP to create cost of sales postings from sales orders generated by the Sales Order Processing module.

If the source for the stock movement is Sales Order Processing, Sage 200 ignores the status of the Integrate stock management with the nominal ledger setting. Sage 200 then creates cost of sales postings, based upon the status of the Generate cost of sales postings for SOP check box.

If Generate cost of sales postings for SOP is selected, the cost of sales postings are created.
If Generate cost of sales postings for SOP is not selected, the cost of sales postings are not created.

Allow entry of stock counts for items with negative stock levels

If you do not select Allow entry of stock counts for items with negative stock levels, you will not be able to include items with negative stock levels in a stocktake.

If you enable Allow entry of stock counts for items with negative stock levels, you can include items in stock counts that have negative stock levels.

However, including items with negative stock levels can introduce anomalies, such as you could overstate stock amounts when there is a delay in recording the receipt of stock. For example:

You receive 20 items of stock at your warehouse. The stock receipt is not recorded immediately. The recorded stock level is still 0.
You sell and issue 3 items. The recorded stock level is now -3.
A stock take is undertaken in the warehouse. 17 stock items are entered as part of the stock take.
The receipt of the 20 stock items are finally recorded.
In this example, the stock level is now at 37, overstating the stock levels by 17.

Note: Stock items can only have negative stock levels if their product group is set to Allow negative stock. See Allow negative stock.

Allow entry of stock counts for negative items with outstanding purchase orders

When you select Allow entry of stock counts for items with negative stock levels, if there are any outstanding purchase orders for the item, then you cannot include the item in a stock count. The option Allow entry of stock counts for negative items with outstanding purchase orders allows you to override this.

Only select Allow entry of stock counts for negative items with outstanding purchase orders if you want to run a stock count, regardless of any outstanding purchase order receipts. Once selected, you can enter a stock count value where outstanding purchase orders exist for the stock item. If a stock count is entered, you must confirm that you want to continue.

Profit calculation

You can choose how you record the profit made on the sale of stock. This is the difference between the cost of the stock item and the revenue received. It is also referred to as the gross margin A measure of the profitability of a business by which the gross profit is divided by the sales. It is usually expressed as a percentage.. Choose whether to show it as:

A percentage of revenue.
A percentage of cost.

The percentage figures are displayed in the View Monthly Trading Figures enquiry. From the enquiry window you can print the Stock Item Monthly Trading Figures report, which also displays the percentage figures.

This also controls the type of profit calculation in the Price Book and the display of profit values when adding standard items to quotations, pro forma invoices and full order entry orders in the Sales Order Processing module.

Batch and serial numbered items

A traceable item must be assigned its batch or serial number before it can be issued or despatched.

You can choose when to assign batch or serial numbers to a traceable item.

Select Numbers must be recorded when goods are received to assign batch or serial numbers to traceable items during the goods in process.

This is the default setting. You can change this for individual stock items.

Clear this option to assign batch or serial numbers after items have been recorded into stock.

If you select this setting after creating stock items, the setting is only applied to new stock items, not to existing stock items.

You can also control the selection of batch or serial numbered items for the sales order despatch process. There are two options:

Numbers selected when allocating stock (automatic).

Select this to allocate batch or serial numbers to the order before the items are despatched. The batch or serial numbers are allocated to the items on the order automatically. You can change these numbers when entering an order.

If you use a picking list, the allocated batch or serial numbers and their locations are detailed on the report. The items are selected in accordance with the picking list.
Numbers selected when despatching stock (manual).

Select this to allocate a quantity of stock to the order but not specific batch or serial numbers. Staff retrieve items irrespective of batch or serial number and then record the retrieved numbers.