Stock adjustments
A stock adjustment is how you correct a count by hand when something happens outside the normal flow of selling and receiving — a breakage, a write-off, found stock, or a small counting error. You pick a direction (stock In or Out), enter how many, and say why.
Overview
Most stock changes happen on their own — you sell, the count drops; you receive a delivery, it rises. Adjustments are for everything else: a dropped bottle, a damaged box, stock that turned up after a recount, or a giveaway. Each adjustment is a small document with one or more lines. You build it as a Draft, check it, then post it to apply the change to your stock.
To keep things clear and mistake-proof, you never type a minus sign. Instead you set each line's direction — In (add) or Out (remove) — and always enter a positive quantity.
Why it's useful
- Your counts stay honest. When stock is lost or found, you record it instead of letting the number drift.
- Every change has a reason. Choosing a reason (damage, theft, found stock, recount) makes your reports meaningful later.
- No confusing minus signs. The In/Out toggle makes the direction obvious, so it's hard to get a correction backwards.
- It leaves a clean trail. Posted adjustments appear in Stock Activity, so the history is always complete.
Making an adjustment, step by step
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Start a new adjustment
Open Inventory → Stock adjustments and click New adjustment. A draft document opens, ready for you to add lines.
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Add a product line
Search for the product and add it. Each line is one product you're correcting.
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Choose In or Out
Set the direction: In if you're adding stock (for example, found stock), or Out if you're removing it (damage, breakage, write-off).
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Enter the quantity
Type how many — always a positive number. The direction you picked tells POS whether to add or subtract it, so there's never a minus sign to worry about.
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Pick a reason
Choose an adjustment reason from the list (for example Damaged, Lost, Found stock, Recount). Reasons come ready-made, and you can add your own under Inventory → Adjustment reasons. Add a note if it helps explain the correction.
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Post it
When the lines look right, post the adjustment. This applies every line to your stock and records each change in Stock Activity. A posted adjustment can't be edited — see the warning below.
Creating a new batch on an In line
If a product is batch-tracked, the direction changes what a line can do. An Out line can only remove stock from a batch that already exists and has stock on hand. An In line can go a step further and create a new batch right there: you enter a batch number, manufacture date and expiry date, and POS sets the batch up as it posts — exactly like receiving a delivery. This is handy when you're adding stock that didn't come through a normal purchase.
A draft adjustment is just a worksheet — your stock isn't touched. Take your time getting the lines right; the count only moves the moment you post.
Tips & best practices
- Always pick the most accurate reason. "Damaged" and "Lost" tell very different stories in your reports later — choose the one that really fits.
- Group related corrections. Several damaged items found together can share one adjustment, which is tidier to review.
- For a full physical count, use a stock take instead. A stock reconciliation is built for counting everything and only correcting the differences.
- Double-check the direction. In adds, Out removes — read it back before posting.
Notes & warnings
A posted adjustment can't be edited or deleted. This is deliberate — it keeps your stock history trustworthy. If you made a mistake, post a second adjustment in the opposite direction to put it right.
Out lines for batch-tracked products need an existing batch. You can't remove stock from a batch that doesn't have any.
Related: Stock overview · Stock reconciliation · Batches & expiry