Inventory Management

Track supplies, monitor stock levels, and get automatic alerts when items run low. Inventory Management helps you stay on top of restocking so your team always has what they need.

Overview

HelloShift's Inventory Management lets you:

• Track any type of inventory (cleaning supplies, amenities, office supplies, etc.)

• Set minimum stock levels (PAR) and get automatic alerts when items run low

• Organize items by type and location

• Assign owners who receive low-stock notifications

• Add notes and attachments to inventory items

• View usage history through the activity feed

Plan Required: Staff Collaboration

Getting Started

Accessing Inventory

1. Click Inventory in the left sidebar under the Staff section

2. You'll see a list of all active inventory items

3. A badge shows how many items are currently low on stock

Adding Your First Inventory Item

1. Click Add in the top menu

2. Select Add Inventory

3. Fill in the item details:

4. Click Add Inventory Item

Managing Inventory

Viewing Inventory

The inventory list shows all your items with key information at a glance:

• Item: Name and location

• Item Type: Category for filtering

• Item Number: SKU or reference

• Location: Storage location

• Owned By: Who manages this item

• Unit Price: Cost per unit

• PAR: Minimum stock level

• Inventory: Current quantity (highlighted red if below PAR)

Filtering and Searching

Filter by status:

• Click All to see all active items

• Click Low Inventory to see only items below PAR level

Filter by type or location:

• Use the Type dropdown to filter by item category

• Use the Location dropdown to filter by storage location

Search:

• Use the search box to find items by name or item number

• Click the X to clear your search

Updating Stock Levels

1. Click on an inventory item to open its detail page

2. Click the Edit icon (pencil)

3. Update the Inventory field with the new count

4. Click Update Inventory Item

Tip: You can also update inventory directly from the list view by clicking on the item row.

Archiving Items

When you no longer need to track an item:

1. Open the item detail page

2. Click the Archive icon (box icon)

3. The item will be hidden from the active list

To restore an archived item:

1. Search for the item or view inactive items

2. Click the Unarchive icon (box with up arrow)

Low Inventory Alerts

HelloShift automatically monitors your stock levels and creates tasks when items need reordering.

How It Works

1. PAR Level: Set the minimum quantity you want to keep on hand

2. Current Inventory: The system compares current stock to PAR

3. Alert Trigger: When inventory drops below PAR, a task is automatically created

4. Assignment: The task is assigned to the Owned By user you specified

Example

If you set:

• PAR: 50

• Current Inventory: 35

• Owned By: John (Housekeeping Manager)

John will receive a task: "Low inventory, order 15 items"

Setting Up Alerts

To enable low inventory alerts for an item:

1. Edit the inventory item

2. Set the PAR level (minimum quantity)

3. Select an Owned By user

4. Save the item

When inventory falls below PAR:

• A task is created and assigned to the owner

• The task subject shows how many items to order

• The task appears in the owner's task list

When you update inventory back above PAR:

• The task is automatically marked as complete

Item Detail Page

Click on any inventory item to see its full detail page, which includes:

Item Information

• All item details (name, type, number, location, price, PAR, inventory)

• Edit and archive controls

• Visual highlight when inventory is low

Notes and Activity

• Add notes about the item (e.g., "Supplier: ABC Company, Account #12345")

• View activity history showing stock changes

• Tag other team members in notes

Tasks

• View related tasks (including low inventory alerts)

• Create new tasks related to this item

• See task completion status

Attachments

• Upload product images, spec sheets, or supplier information

• Attach invoices or purchase orders

Best Practices

Organizing Your Inventory

Use consistent item types:

• Create standard categories like "Linens", "Cleaning Supplies", "Guest Amenities", "Office Supplies"

• HelloShift remembers your item types for easy selection

Use meaningful locations:

• Match locations to actual storage areas

• Examples: "Main Storage Room", "Floor 2 Closet", "Front Desk Cabinet"

Set realistic PAR levels:

• Consider your usage rate and reorder lead time

• Set PAR high enough to avoid stockouts while waiting for delivery

Assigning Owners

• Assign items to the person responsible for ordering

• Consider creating a "Purchasing" department for centralized ordering

• Owners can be individuals or department heads

Regular Stock Counts

• Schedule regular inventory counts (weekly or monthly)

• Update counts in HelloShift to keep alerts accurate

• Use the Low Inventory view to prioritize counts

Troubleshooting

Low Inventory Alert Not Appearing

Symptom: Stock is below PAR but no task was created

Possible causes and solutions:

• No PAR set: Edit the item and add a PAR value

• No owner assigned: Edit the item and select an "Owned By" user

• Item is inactive: Check if the item was archived

Item Not Showing in List

Symptom: Can't find an inventory item

Solutions:

1. Clear any active filters (Type, Location)

2. Clear the search box

3. Check if the item was archived

4. Search by item number if you know it

Badge Count Seems Wrong

Symptom: Low inventory badge number doesn't match what you see

Solution: The badge counts only active items that are below PAR. Archived items are not included.

Related Articles

• Checklists - Create restocking checklists

• Template Tasks - Set up recurring inventory count tasks

• Creating Tasks with HelloShift - Manual task creation for special orders