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Editing and Deleting Inventory Items

Learn how to update inventory items and manage stock adjustments.

✏️ Editing Inventory Items​

Accessing Inventory Edit​

  1. Go to Inventory page
  2. Find the inventory item in the list
  3. Click Edit button (pencil icon)
  4. Or click Actions (⋮) → Edit
  5. Inventory item form opens with current data

Inventory List

Editable Fields​

You can edit inventory item information:

Product Details:

  • Product selection (can change to different product)
  • Product name (read-only, from product master)
  • Unit of Measurement (from product)

Stock Information:

  • Current Stock Quantity (view only - use adjustments to change)

Thresholds:

  • Low Stock Alert Level
  • Reorder Point
  • Reorder Quantity

Tracking:

  • Serial Numbers (for serialized items)
  • Expiry Date (for perishable items)
  • Manufacturing Date

Edit Restrictions​

Stock Quantity Cannot Be Directly Edited
  • Current stock cannot be edited directly in inventory item
  • Use Stock Adjustments to increase/decrease stock
  • This maintains proper audit trail

What You Can Edit: ✅ Location and bin information
✅ Reorder levels and thresholds
✅ Serial numbers and tracking info s

What You CANNOT Edit: ❌ Current stock quantity (use adjustments instead)
❌ Product history in invoices
❌ Past stock movement records

See Stock Adjustments for complete guide.

🗑️ Deleting Inventory Items​

When You Can Delete​

✅ Can Delete:

  • Inventory items never used in invoices
  • Inventory items with zero stock and no history
  • Test inventory items
  • Duplicate entries

❌ Cannot Delete:

  • Items with current stock > 0
  • Items used in finalized/paid invoices
  • Items with adjustment history
  • Items with transaction history

Delete Process​

For eligible inventory items:

  1. Go to Inventory page
  2. Find the item to delete
  3. Ensure stock is zero
  4. Click Actions (⋮) → Delete
  5. Confirm deletion
  6. Item permanently removed

Inventory List

Cascade Effects​

If Item Has Stock:

  • Cannot delete until stock is zero
  • Must adjust stock to zero first
  • Or perform a stock write-off

If Item Has History:

  • Cannot delete if adjustments exist
  • Cannot delete if used in invoices
  • Mark as Inactive instead

Process:

  1. Go to Inventory → Adjustments
  2. Select New Adjustment
  3. Choose product
  4. Enter quantity change
  5. Save adjustment

See Stock Adjustments for details.

Common Scenarios​

Updating Settings​

  1. Edit inventory item
  2. Adjust threshold values
  3. Save changes
  4. System uses new thresholds immediately

Data Integrity​

Before deleting inventory item:

Stock Adjustments:

  • Any adjustments prevent deletion
  • Must have zero history to delete

Invoices:

  • Product on finalized invoices prevents deletion
  • Inventory tracking preserved on invoices

Reports:

  • Inventory reports reference the item
  • Deletion creates gaps in historical data

Alerts:

  • Low stock alerts based on item
  • Deletion removes from monitoring

Audit Trail​

Inventory changes are logged:

Edit Log Includes:

  • Who edited (user name)
  • When edited (date and time)
  • What changed (field names and values)
  • Old and new values

Example:

Inventory Item Updated
Date: Nov 20, 2024 4:00 PM
User: Admin User
Product: Wireless Mouse (SKU: WM-001)
Changes:
  - Reorder Point: 20 → 30
  - Low Stock Alert: 10 → 15
  - Location: Warehouse A → Warehouse B

Deletion Log:

Inventory Item Deleted
Date: Nov 20, 2024 4:15 PM
User: Admin User
Product: Test Product (id: TEST-001)
Stock at Deletion: 0
Reason: Test data cleanup

Best Practices​

Before Editing​

  1. Verify item - Ensure editing correct product
  2. Check stock - Review current stock levels
  3. Document changes - Note why you're editing
  4. Use adjustments - Never edit stock quantity directly

Before Deleting​

  1. Verify zero stock - Ensure no stock exists
  2. Check history - Ensure no adjustments or invoices
  3. Export data - Save info if needed for records
  4. Use inactive - Safer than deletion

Inventory Maintenance​

Regular tasks:

  1. Daily: Monitor low stock alerts
  2. Weekly: Review reorder points
  3. Monthly: Perform stock takes, verify counts
  4. Quarterly: Clean up inactive items
  5. Annually: Review and archive obsolete items

Permissions​

Who Can Edit/Delete​

Admin Users:

  • Edit all inventory items
  • Delete items (if eligible)
  • Bulk operations
  • Stock adjustments

Inventory Managers:

  • Edit inventory items
  • Stock adjustments
  • Cannot delete items with history

Regular Users:

  • View inventory
  • Limited edit access
  • Cannot perform adjustments

Read-Only Users:

  • View only
  • No edit or delete permissions

Troubleshooting​

Cannot Delete Inventory Item​

Stock Not Updating​

Problem: Edited item but stock didn't change.

Explanation:

  • Stock quantity cannot be edited directly
  • Must use Stock Adjustments to change quantity
  • This is by design for audit purposes

Solution: Use Inventory → Adjustments to change stock.

Changes Not Saving​

Problem: Edits not persisting.

Solutions:

  1. Check for validation errors
  2. Ensure required fields filled
  3. Verify numbers are valid
  4. Check permissions
  5. Refresh and try again

Next Steps​

Important: Never edit stock quantities directly. Always use Stock Adjustments to increase or decrease inventory. This maintains a proper audit trail and ensures compliance with accounting standards.