How to Perform a Stock Take in Workshop Software

Stock take allows you to correct product quantities in Workshop Software with a full audit trail. Rather than editing the quantity on hand directly on a product (which leaves no record), the stock take tool records every adjustment with a date stamp. This guide explains how stock quantities work, how to perform a stock take, and how to use the reserved stock feature.

How Stock Quantities Work

Products in Workshop Software that have a type of Stock, Consumables, Accessories, or Tyres include a Quantity on Hand field. Labour products do not track stock.

  1. Quantity decreases automatically when you press Process on a customer invoice that includes the product.
  2. Quantity increases automatically when you press Process on a supplier invoice that includes the product.
  3. Manually changing the Quantity on Hand on the product page and pressing Save does not create a record — there is no traceability. Always use the Stock Take tool instead.

Performing a Stock Take

  1. Go to the Products page and press the Stock Take button.
  2. The stock take page shows a list of all your products with their current Quantity on Hand.
  3. To narrow the list, use the filters:
    • Product Type — e.g. stock, consumables, accessories, tyres.
    • Product Group — if you have groups set up.
    • Supplier — filter by supplier.
    • Beginning Item / End Item — enter an item code range to show only products between those codes.
  4. For each product you need to adjust, enter the actual counted quantity in the Count column. The row turns dark green to indicate it will be updated.
  5. Products where you do not enter a count value will not be affected — only green rows are processed.
  6. Press Process.
  7. The Quantity on Hand is updated and a stock take record is saved on the product profile with the date and adjusted quantity.

Enabling Reserved Stock

Reserved stock prevents manual edits to the Quantity on Hand field and shows you how much stock is committed to open jobs.

  1. Go to Settings > Company Settings.
  2. Turn on Reserved Stock.
  3. This locks the Quantity on Hand field on product pages (preventing manual edits without a stock take).
  4. An Available Stock field appears, showing how many units are available after accounting for quantities reserved in open bookings and jobs.

Stock Reports

Workshop Software provides several reports for managing your stock:

  1. Go to Analytics > Business Reports > Stock Reports.
  2. Available reports:
    • Stock Take Variance — shows the differences between recorded stock and counted stock from your stock takes.
    • Stock Value Report — a printable list of all products with current quantities and values.
    • Stock Listing Report — a printable list of all current quantities on hand.

Good to Know

  • Always use the Stock Take tool to adjust quantities — never edit Quantity on Hand directly on the product page, as this leaves no audit trail.
  • Only rows where you enter a count (shown in green) are processed. All other products are left unchanged.
  • Enabling Reserved Stock is recommended to prevent accidental manual changes and to see how much stock is committed to open jobs.
  • Stock take records appear at the bottom of each product’s profile with the date the adjustment was made.

FAQ

What happens if I manually edit Quantity on Hand on the product page?
The quantity updates, but there is no record of the change — no date, no reason, no audit trail. Always use the Stock Take tool for traceable adjustments.

Do I need to count every product during a stock take?
No. Only enter counts for products you want to adjust. Products without a count value are skipped entirely.

What is the difference between Quantity on Hand and Available Stock?
Quantity on Hand is the total stock in your system. Available Stock (visible when Reserved Stock is enabled) subtracts quantities reserved in open bookings and jobs, showing what’s actually available to use.

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