The Inventory module lets you maintain a complete catalogue of everything your client sells or purchases — from physical goods tracked by quantity to non-inventory items and services. Organize items into categories, set pricing and reorder points, adjust stock levels, and monitor low-stock alerts all from one place.
This guide covers the Products & Services and Categories pages. For vendors, purchase orders, and settings, see the companion guide Inventory: Vendors, Purchase Orders, and Settings.
Getting Here
- Open the main sidebar and select a Bookkeeping Client.
- In the client sidebar, expand the Inventory section.
Five menu items appear:
| Menu Item | What You See |
|---|---|
| Products & Services | The main item catalogue with statistics, filters, and stock management. |
| Categories | A hierarchical tree to organize products into groups and subgroups. |
| Vendors / Suppliers | Vendor contact list and relationship management. |
| Purchase Orders | Create and track purchase orders from draft to receipt. |
| Settings | Configuration for costing, GL accounts, SKU generation, and more. |
Click Products & Services to begin.
Understanding the Products & Services Page
This page is your item master list. Every product, service, and non-inventory item lives here.
Top Metrics
Four cards summarize the state of your inventory:
| Metric | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Total Items | How many items are in the catalogue (all types). |
| Total Value | The sum of (quantity on hand × cost price) across all items. |
| Low Stock Items | Items where quantity is at or below the reorder point, in yellow. |
| Out of Stock | Items with zero quantity on hand, in red. |
Header Buttons
Two buttons sit at the top-right:
| Button | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Settings | Opens the Inventory Settings page. |
| Add Item | Opens the form to create a new inventory item. |
Filters and Search
Below the metrics, a filter bar helps you find items quickly:
| Control | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Search | Type a name or SKU to find matching items instantly. |
| Type | Filter by item type: All Types, Inventory, Non-Inventory, or Service. |
| Status | Filter by stock status: All Status, In Stock, Low Stock, or Out of Stock. |
The Items Table
Each row shows an item with these columns:
| Column | What You See |
|---|---|
| Item | The item name in bold with the SKU and description below. A coloured badge shows the type: Inventory (blue), Non-Inventory (outline), or Service (grey). |
| Price | The sales price. |
| Cost | The cost price. |
| Qty on Hand | Current stock quantity. |
| Reorder Point | The threshold that triggers a low-stock alert. |
| Status | Stock status badge: In Stock (green), Low Stock (yellow), Out of Stock (red), N/A (grey for services). |
| Actions | A three-dot menu with View, Edit, Adjust Quantity, and Delete options. |
If no items exist, an empty state prompts you to add your first item.
Creating an Inventory Item
- Click the Add Item button at the top-right.
- A dialog opens with all fields organized into logical groups.
Basic Information
| Field | What To Enter | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Name | A descriptive name, e.g., "USB-C Charging Cable" or "Website Design Package." | Yes |
| SKU | Stock Keeping Unit. Leave blank to auto-generate based on your SKU prefix in Settings. | No |
| Description | Any additional details about the item. | No |
| Item Type | Inventory (tracked by quantity), Non-Inventory (purchased/sold but not tracked), or Service (labour or time-based). | Yes |
| Unit of Measure | Each, Box, Case, Dozen, Pack, Pair, Set, lb, oz, kg, g, gal, qt, pt, L, mL, ft, m, in, cm, sqft, sqm, hr, day, week, month. | Yes |
Pricing
| Field | What To Enter | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Price | What you pay to acquire or produce the item. | Yes |
| Sales Price | What you charge customers. | Yes |
| Markup Percentage | Auto-calculated from cost and sales price. Can also be entered directly. | No |
Quantity and Reordering
| Field | What To Enter | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Qty on Hand | Current stock count. You can adjust this later without creating a new item. | No |
| Reorder Point | The quantity that triggers a low-stock alert. Default: 10. | No |
| Reorder Quantity | The suggested quantity to order when restocking. Default: 50. | No |
Item Flags
Three toggles control how the item behaves:
| Toggle | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Is Taxable | When on, sales tax is applied to this item on invoices. |
| Is Sellable | When on, this item can be added to sales invoices. Turn off for items you only purchase. |
| Is Purchasable | When on, this item can be added to purchase orders. Turn off for services you only sell. |
| Track Quantity | When on, stock levels are tracked. Turn off for non-inventory items or services. |
| Is Active | When off, the item is hidden from selection lists but remains in the catalogue. |
Associations
| Field | What To Enter |
|---|---|
| Category | Assign the item to an existing category from the dropdown. |
| Preferred Vendor | Link a vendor as the default supplier for this item. |
GL Accounts (Optional)
Four searchable account selectors let you override the default GL accounts for this specific item:
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Inventory Account | The balance sheet account where inventory value is recorded. |
| COGS Account | The Cost of Goods Sold account for this item's sales. |
| Income Account | The revenue account for this item's sales. |
| Expense Account | The expense account for this item's purchases. |
- Click Create Item to save. The item appears in the table.
Viewing and Editing an Item
Viewing
Click the three-dot menu on any row and select View, or click the item row to open its detail page. The detail page shows:
- Full item metadata (name, SKU, description, type, category, vendor)
- Pricing information (cost, sales price, markup)
- Stock levels (quantity on hand, on order, reserved, reorder point)
- GL account assignments
- A transaction history log of all stock movements
Editing
- From the three-dot menu, select Edit.
- The create form opens with all fields pre-filled.
- Make your changes.
- Click Update Item.
Adjusting Stock Quantity
- From the three-dot menu, select Adjust Quantity.
- The adjustment dialog opens showing the current quantity on hand.
- Enter the adjustment:
| Field | What To Enter |
|---|---|
| Adjustment Quantity | Enter a positive number to add stock, or a negative number to remove stock. |
| Reason | Select a reason from the dropdown (if required by Settings). |
| Notes | Any additional notes about the adjustment. |
- Click Save Adjustment.
The system records the adjustment and updates the quantity on hand. If the Settings require a reason, you must select one before saving.
✓ Tip: Adjustments are tracked in the item's transaction history. You can view the full audit trail on the item detail page.
Deleting an Item
- From the three-dot menu, select Delete.
- A confirmation dialog appears.
- Click Delete to confirm.
⚠ Warning: You cannot delete an item that has been used in transactions (invoices, purchase orders, or stock movements). The system will show an error if the item is linked to any transactions.
Item Types Reference
| Type | Description | Tracks Quantity | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory | Physical goods you buy and/or sell, tracked by quantity. | Yes | Office supplies, electronics, raw materials. |
| Non-Inventory | Items you buy or sell but don't track by quantity. | No | Shipping fees, custom one-off items. |
| Service | Labour, consulting, or time-based offerings. | No | Consulting hours, design services, repairs. |
Understanding the Categories Page
Click Categories in the Inventory sidebar menu to open the category manager. Categories let you organize products into a tree structure with parent and child relationships.
Top Metrics
Three cards summarize the category structure:
| Metric | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Total Categories | The total number of categories created. |
| Active Categories | How many categories are currently active. |
| Root Categories | How many top-level categories exist (no parent). |
The Category Tree
Categories are displayed as a hierarchical tree. Each row shows:
| Column | What You See |
|---|---|
| Name | The category name with a folder icon (amber for parent, blue for leaf). Child categories are indented. |
| Description | The category description, or a dash. |
| Items | How many products are assigned to this category. |
| Status | Active (blue) or Inactive (grey). |
| Actions | A three-dot menu with Edit and Delete. |
- Click the chevron (>) next to any parent category to expand or collapse its children.
- The tree supports unlimited nesting — you can create categories, subcategories, and sub-subcategories.
Creating a Category
- Click the Add Category button at the top-right.
- A dialog opens:
| Field | What To Enter | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The category name, e.g., "Electronics" or "Consulting Services." | Yes |
| Description | A brief description of what belongs in this category. | No |
| Parent Category | Choose a parent to make this a subcategory, or leave blank for a top-level category. | No |
| Active | Toggle on/off. Inactive categories are hidden from selection lists. | On |
- Click Save.
✓ Tip: Create your category hierarchy first, then assign items to categories when creating or editing them. A good structure might be: Electronics > Computers > Laptops, or Services > Consulting > Strategy.
Editing a Category
- From the three-dot menu, select Edit.
- The form opens with all fields pre-filled.
- Make your changes.
- Click Save.
Deleting a Category
- From the three-dot menu, select Delete.
- A confirmation dialog appears.
- Click Delete to confirm.
⚠ Warning: You cannot delete a category that has items assigned to it or has child categories. Reassign or delete the items first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Inventory, Non-Inventory, and Service types?
Inventory items are physical goods you track by quantity (e.g., 50 units in stock). Non-Inventory items are things you buy or sell but don't track counts for (e.g., a one-time custom part). Services are time-based or labour-based offerings that have no physical stock.
How do I set up automatic low-stock alerts?
Configure the Reorder Point on each item and enable Low Stock Alerts in Inventory Settings. The system will flag items that fall below their reorder point on the Products & Services page.
Can I change an item's type after creating it?
Yes, but with caution. Changing an Inventory item to Non-Inventory or Service will stop quantity tracking. Changing a Service to Inventory will start tracking from zero. Review any linked transactions before changing types.
What happens when I adjust quantity?
The system records a stock adjustment transaction with the date, amount, reason, and user. The item's quantity on hand updates immediately. If GL accounts are configured, a journal entry may be created to record the inventory value change.
How do categories affect my inventory?
Categories are purely organizational — they help you filter and group items on the Products & Services page. They do not affect pricing, stock levels, or accounting. However, you can use categories to organize reports and make items easier to find during invoicing or purchasing.
Can I import items in bulk?
Yes. Use the Inventory Settings page to configure defaults, then import items via CSV from the Products & Services page (if the bulk import feature is enabled for your plan).
How is Total Value calculated?
Total Value = sum of (Quantity on Hand × Cost Price) for all inventory-type items. Non-inventory items and services are excluded from this calculation.
Can I have the same item in multiple categories?
No. Each item belongs to exactly one category. If you need an item to appear in multiple groupings, consider using a flatter category structure or tags (if available in your plan).