Lab inventory: stock, expiry, par levels and orders
Track reagents, controls and supplies in every storage location: expiry and par-level alerts, one-off and recurring orders, and a full audit trail per lot.
To find inventory, open "Lab operations", then "Inventory". It tracks reagents, controls, calibrators, consumables and supplies on hand in every storage location.
Storage locations
A storage location is one physical spot, like a walk-in fridge, a freezer or a supply shelf. Each belongs to one site group for good, can sit in one of its lab areas, and belongs to one subspecialty or is shared by all of them. Use the "Where exactly" notes to help someone new find it. Stock that leaves a location is moved (transferred), never the location itself.
Receiving stock
Click "Actions", then "Receive stock". Choose the storage location (or add one from the dropdown), then each item with its lot number, expiry (a date, or "Not applicable") and quantity. In a shared location, each item also needs a subspecialty, except general supplies. Each line becomes a lot.
On hand
The "On hand" tab lists every lot with its site group, storage location, subspecialty, quantity, par level, use per day and days left. The "Status" badge shows the most pressing concern:
| Color | Statuses |
|---|---|
| Red | "Expired", "Runs out this week", "Reorder now", "Expires this week" |
| Yellow | "Reorder soon", "Expires soon" |
| Green | "OK" |
Use per day and days left show "TBD" until an item has 14 days of history at that location.
To see everything that happened to a lot, click the "Audit trail" icon beside "Status" on its row. It shows when the lot was received, used, moved (and where to), counted and thrown away, and every correction with who made it, when, the note, and what changed from → to. You can download it as a PDF.
To correct what was entered for a lot (the item, lot number, expiry, received date and unit cost) or the par level for that item at its storage location, choose "Edit" from the row's ⋯ menu. A note saying why is required and goes in the audit trail. Quantity, storage location and subspecialty change only through "Update stock", then "Moved it" ("Edit" links to these as "Move it…" and "Move to another subspecialty…"), so every movement is a stock entry with a reason and the lot itself is never rewritten.
Summary tiles
The tiles show "Items on hand", "Needs ordering", "Deliveries due this week" (overdue deliveries are counted and shown in red) and "Expired, still on hand". To find lots expiring soon, use the "Filters" on the "On hand" tab.
Par levels
A par level is the least of an item a storage location should hold. To set it, choose "Par levels" from a storage location's ⋯ menu, or click "Set par level" on a row.
Orders
The "Orders" tab lists everything to order and everything on its way. The "Schedule" column says whether a row is "One-off" or repeats (for example "Every month"). Each row has one of these statuses:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| "Needs ordering" | Below par once what is already on order is counted. The suggested quantity is par − on hand − on order, so nothing is ordered twice. |
| "Ordered" | Someone marked it ordered (with a PO or reference number if they had one). |
| "Expected" | A recurring delivery the vendor ships automatically. |
| "Partly received" | Some arrived, and the rest is still open. |
| "Overdue" | Past its expected date and not all received. |
| "Received" and "Canceled" | Kept for the record. They are hidden by default; use "Filters" to show them. |
To record an order, choose "Mark ordered" from the row's ⋯ menu, or select several rows and click "Mark ordered". Enter the quantity, expected date and reference. When it arrives, click "Receive" to open "Receive stock" pre-filled with the item, quantity and storage location; add the lot number and expiry, and the stock appears on the "On hand" tab. A short delivery leaves the order "Partly received". Canceling an order needs a reason.
Recurring orders repeat every so many weeks or months. Choose whether the vendor ships it automatically (each delivery shows as "Expected") or you place the order each time (each delivery shows as "Needs ordering" a few days ahead). You can skip one delivery, edit the schedule, or stop it. A storage location or catalog item with open or recurring orders cannot be archived.
To add an order, click "Actions", then "Add order". Choose a one-off order (anything you ordered for any storage location, with quantity, expected delivery and PO number) or a recurring order. For a spreadsheet of what needs ordering, click "Actions", then "Download what needs ordering (CSV)". There is no purchasing-system connection.
Who can do what
In access control (open "Organization settings", then "Access"), the "Lab operations" area has an "Inventory" section. By default, every role except Inspector can receive and use stock and place and manage orders (one-off and recurring). The following are separate permissions, held by managers and supervisors by default:
- correcting lots, counts, par levels and storage locations
- archiving
- managing the catalog
- seeing prices
Updating stock
Select lots, click "Update stock", then choose what happened:
| Choice | What it records |
|---|---|
| "Used it" | Stock that was used. |
| "Moved it" | A move to another storage location, or to another subspecialty within a shared storage location, keeping its lot and expiry. A reason is required. |
| "Counted it" | What is on the shelf. The difference is kept with your reason. |
| "Threw it away" | Expired or damaged stock. A reason is required. |
Every change is kept in the lot's audit trail. Use "Archive" only for stock recorded by mistake, before any was used or moved.
Catalog
The catalog is the organization-wide list of items, with name, category, vendor (required), catalog number and unit. Managing it needs catalog permission, and prices are visible only with cost permission.