Stock integrity and adjustments

Overview

Even with well-run processes, inventory drifts over time. Damage, mis-picks, supplier short-ships, and process gaps all create small variances that compound. The tools in this guide help you correct those variances and understand why they happened.

Stock integrity tools in WMS include:

• Manual stock adjustments — immediate corrections to on-hand quantities
• Packaging inventory — tracking consumable packaging items
• Stock movement logs — a line-by-line history of every inventory change
• Process logs — a timeline of system events (orders, jobs, syncs)
• Process log warnings — actionable alerts for issues that need attention

Manual stock adjustments

Use stock adjustments to correct inventory outside of a stocktake. Common uses:

• Recording damaged or lost stock
• Accounting for shrinkage or theft
• Adding found stock to the system
• Correcting a known data entry error quickly

Creating an adjustment

1. Go to the Stock Adjustments section.
2. Select the product (SKU).
3. Choose the location — the form shows current quantities at each location so you can make an informed choice.
4. Enter the quantity (positive to add stock, negative to remove it).
5. Select a reason code (Damage, Found, Administrative correction, etc.).
6. Confirm the adjustment.

For batch- or serial-tracked products, WMS will prompt you to select or enter the specific batch or serial number being adjusted. This keeps traceability intact.

Each adjustment immediately updates on-hand inventory and creates a stock movement record.

Packaging inventory

Packaging materials (boxes, satchels, void fill, inserts) can be tracked as inventory in WMS:

• Adjust packaging stock the same way as product stock
• Movement logs provide a full audit trail for packaging consumption
• When an order ships, packaging is automatically decremented if packaging items are configured on shipments

Stock movement logs

Every inventory change — regardless of how it happened — is recorded as a stock movement. These logs are your primary audit tool.

Common movement reasons you will see:

Reason	What triggered it
RECEIVE	Stock received against a purchase order
PUTAWAY	Moved from staging to a storage location
PICK	Collected for an order
TO_BENCH	Staged to a packing bench
SHIPMENT	Shipped on a completed order
ADJUSTMENT	Manual stock correction
STOCKTAKE_VARIANCE	Change posted from a stocktake or cycle count
REPLENISHMENT	Moved from bulk to a pick face
KITTING	Stock consumed or created by a kitting job

For batch- and serial-tracked products, logs are linked to specific batch or serial numbers — supporting recall, compliance and supplier dispute scenarios.

Use the Refresh action on the movement log view to pull the latest data if recent changes are not yet visible.

Process logs

Process logs record higher-level system events:

• Order imported into WMS, and status changes (PENDING → RELEASED → SHIPPED)
• Pick and pack job creation and completion
• Expedited flows (Pack Now, Batch Pack Now)
• Product syncs from Starshipit or Shopify
• Background operations and scheduled tasks

Process logs also capture Shopify inventory sync results — useful when investigating whether a failed sync caused a discrepancy between WMS and Shopify.

Actionable warnings in process logs

The Dashboard surfaces actionable warnings for issues that need your attention, such as:

• Missing SKUs during order import (an order arrived but WMS did not recognise a product SKU)
• Integration errors during inbound or outbound flows

Each warning includes context about what went wrong and options to:

• Retry the import — re-attempt the operation using the stored event
• Create missing SKUs — navigate to product creation pre-filled with the missing details
• Dismiss — mark as resolved if the issue is no longer relevant

Warnings automatically resolve when the underlying issue is fixed.

Investigating a discrepancy

When you find unexpected variances during a stocktake, cycle count or order shortfall, use this approach:

1. Identify the scope — which SKU? which location? is it a one-off or recurring?
2. Check movement logs for:
   • Recent adjustments you were not aware of
   • Unusually large or small receipt quantities
   • High-volume picks or expedited flows that may have bypassed normal scanning
   • Returns or write-off adjustments
3. Check process logs for:
   • Orders that changed, were cancelled, or were re-allocated close to the time of the variance
   • Expedited flows (Pack Now, Batch Pack Now) that completed picks without scanning
4. Run a targeted cycle count on the affected SKUs and locations to confirm the physical quantity.
5. Post a correction via cycle count or manual adjustment with an appropriate reason code.
6. Address the root cause — update processes, add training, or adjust location setup to prevent recurrence.

Practices for long-term stock integrity

• Use consistent reason codes. Standard codes (Damage, Lost, Found, Stocktake variance, Supplier error) make it possible to report on patterns.
• Schedule cycle counts. Count fast-moving, high-value or problem-prone SKUs regularly — weekly or fortnightly for the highest-risk items.
• Restrict who can create manual adjustments. Limit this permission to specific roles to reduce untracked or accidental changes.
• Align with finance. Write-offs and scrap recorded in WMS should be reflected in your financial systems where applicable.
• Review movement logs regularly with your team. When issues arise, walk through the log together to identify what happened and build better habits.