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Inventory Tracking

You can track the physical location of a product in inventory using the following methods:

• If you define inventory locations down to the shelf or bin, then associate the inventory level with a bin or shelf related to a fixed location that identifies the product.
• Enter a description of the inventory location of the product in the Locator fields in the Product Inventory view of the Inventory screen. This view provides 3 Locator fields to allow multiple possible locations. For example, you might first find a product in the northeast corner of the San Francisco field office, then on shelf A in the supplies room, and then on shelf B in the supplies room.

Inventory Levels

An inventory level is a grouping of products that have the same Availability field value (for example, On Hand, On Order, and Reserved) and the same Status field value (for example, Good and Defective). Table 30 shows some examples of inventory levels for a product.

You do not have to manually create products and associated inventory levels in the Product Inventory view of the Inventory screen. When an inventory transaction occurs, products and associated inventory levels are automatically created in the Siebel database if they do not exist. However, such products are not assigned minimum amounts, maximum amounts, safety amounts, an ABC class for cycle counting, and an XYZ class for cycle counting. You might have to navigate to the Product Inventory view of the Inventory screen and update these newly created records.

You can create or update inventory levels by loading the levels through the EIM_PRODINVLOC table. You can also create or update inventory transactions by loading the transactions through the EIM_INV_TXN table.

Negative Inventory Levels

Negative inventory levels can result from some inventory transactions. Only nonserialized products can have negative inventory levels. Inventory levels can acquire negative values in the following circumstances:

• When the logical inventory does not match the physical inventory (when the product is on the shelf, but the Siebel database does not show that the product is available).
• When reconciling transactions to or from an External Location. The External Location must have negative quantities so that it can receive inventory from an external source.

Managing Inventory Levels

If the Inventory levels do not exist, then an inventory transaction automatically creates them. However, it is recommended that you set up inventory levels as part of the authorized stock list for an inventory location. As part of the authorized stock list, create the default inventory levels (for example, On Hand - Good) when users create an inventory location or add a new product to an inventory location. If your company plans to stock an inventory level, then do not rely on an inventory transaction to create the inventory level.

You can set up a workflow process to automatically create an inventory level when a user adds a product to an inventory location. For more information about setting up workflows, see Siebel Business Process Framework: Workflow Guide.

Location Order

You can specify a preferred order for using inventory at several different locations. By specifying the location to use first, you minimize the time required for a warehouse clerk to find a product for shipping, to replenish inventory, or to perform cycle counting. Location order can suggest order management strategies, such as First-In-First-Out (FIFO). However, allocation takes the place of inventory levels and does not follow strategies such as FIFO or Last-In-First-Out (LIFO).

NOTE:  Location order does not affect the Fulfillment or Cycle Counting Engines.

Location order is represented by locator numbers (1, 2, and 3). Each locator number is represented by a locator code that applies to a specific warehouse or inventory location. Table 31 shows examples of locator codes and inventory locations.

Location order can be any sequence of locator numbers (for example, 123 or 213). Make sure that the location order represents the optimal path through the warehouse.

You specify locators (1, 2, and 3) for inventory levels in the Inventory Level list in the Product Inventory view of the Inventory screen. The Location Order field appears as a read-only field in the Inventory Locations view of the Products screen. Locators appear as read-only fields in the Part List view of the Cycle Counts screen.