Using the Reorder Dashboard
The Reorder Dashboard gives you a real-time view of every item that has fallen below its reorder point across your locations. It color-codes alerts by severity, calculates suggested order quantities, and lets you generate purchase orders or stock transfers directly from the alert list. This guide covers the dashboard layout, how alerts are calculated, and the actions you can take.
Accessing the Dashboard
Navigate to Inventory > Reorder Dashboard from the main menu. Access requires the INV_REORDER_VIEW permission. If you do not see the menu item, ask your administrator to grant this permission to your role.
Dashboard Layout
Location Filter
At the top of the dashboard, a Location dropdown lets you filter alerts to a specific location. Only locations you have access to appear in the list. Selecting a location refreshes the alert grid to show only items at that location.
Summary Bar
Below the location filter, a summary bar displays the total alert count in the format:
"X alerts: Y critical, Z warning"
This gives you an immediate sense of how many items need attention and how urgent the situation is.
Alert Grid
The main grid displays one row per item that has triggered a reorder alert. The columns are:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Item ID | The unique identifier of the inventory item |
| Name | The item's display name |
| Zone | The zone where the alert was triggered (blank for location-level rules) |
| On Hand | The total physical quantity at the location |
| Reserved | Quantity reserved for pending orders or holds |
| Available | Calculated as On Hand minus Reserved — this is the number compared against the reorder point |
| Reorder Point | The threshold from the reorder rule that triggered this alert |
| Safety Stock | The critical threshold from the reorder rule |
| Severity | Either 'Critical' or 'Warning' based on the thresholds |
| Suggested Order Qty | The system-calculated quantity to bring stock back to target levels |
| Preferred Vendor | The vendor assigned in the reorder rule for this item |
Understanding Severity Levels
The dashboard uses two severity levels with distinct color coding:
| Severity | Condition | Row Background Color |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Available quantity is at or below Safety Stock | Red (#FF6E6E) |
| Warning | Available quantity is at or below Reorder Point but above Safety Stock | Yellow (#FFFFE6) |
Critical alerts always appear at the top of the grid. Within each severity level, rows are sorted by available quantity in ascending order so the most urgent items appear first.
How Suggested Order Quantity Is Calculated
The suggested order quantity is calculated as:
Suggested Qty = max(Reorder Quantity, Max Stock Level - Available)
This ensures you always order at least the standard reorder quantity, but if stock has dropped significantly below the max level, the system suggests a larger order to bring stock all the way back to the target maximum.
Example
Item with Reorder Quantity = 50, Max Stock Level = 200, and current Available = 30:
- Max Stock Level - Available = 200 - 30 = 170
- max(50, 170) = 170
- Suggested Order Qty = 170
Item with Reorder Quantity = 100, Max Stock Level = 200, and current Available = 150:
- Max Stock Level - Available = 200 - 150 = 50
- max(100, 50) = 100
- Suggested Order Qty = 100
Dashboard Actions
Generate Purchase Order
Select an alert row and click the Generate PO button. AccuArk opens the Purchase Order form (FrmPurchaseOrder) pre-filled with:
- Vendor — The preferred vendor from the reorder rule
- Location — The location from the alert
- Item — The item from the alert row, with the suggested order quantity pre-populated
You can review and modify the PO before saving. If the alert does not have a preferred vendor, the vendor field is left blank for you to select manually.
Suggest Transfer
Select an alert row and click the Suggest Transfer button. AccuArk opens the Stock Move form (frmInventoryStockMove) with the item pre-selected. You choose the source location (where you have excess stock) and the destination (the location that triggered the alert). This is useful when one location is overstocked and another is running low.
How Alerts Are Generated
The Reorder Dashboard does not run on a background schedule. Alerts are calculated in real time when you open the dashboard or change the location filter. The ReorderService executes a single batch query that:
- Joins reorder rules with current stock levels and zone stock data
- Joins vendor information for the preferred vendor column
- Filters to only active rules where available quantity is at or below the reorder point (HAVING available <= reorder_point)
- Calculates severity based on whether available is also at or below safety stock
- Orders results by severity (Critical first) then by available quantity ascending
This single-query approach keeps the dashboard fast even with thousands of items and rules.
Tips
- Check the dashboard weekly — Make it part of your routine to review reorder alerts at least once a week, or more frequently for fast-moving items
- Address Critical alerts first — Critical means you are at or below your safety buffer. These items are at the highest risk of stockout.
- Use Generate PO for speed — Instead of manually creating a purchase order and searching for items, let the dashboard pre-fill everything for you
- Consider transfers before purchasing — If another location has excess stock of the same item, a transfer is faster and cheaper than placing a new purchase order
- Maintain Preferred Vendors — The dashboard is most useful when reorder rules have preferred vendors assigned, because the Generate PO button can pre-fill the vendor automatically
- Review Suggested Quantities — The calculated suggestion is a starting point. Adjust based on your knowledge of upcoming promotions, seasonal demand, or vendor minimums