Inventory Management

TimberCloud provides a comprehensive inventory management system designed specifically for businesses selling configurable products like lumber, flooring, millwork, and custom woodwork. Track stock levels across one or more locations, automate inventory deductions with formula-based calculations, and integrate seamlessly with purchasing and order fulfillment.

Plan availability: Inventory management is part of advanced product features and is included on the Build plan and higher. Multi-warehouse (multi-location) inventory and inventory audits require the Production plan (or Enterprise). The redesigned inventory dashboard lives inside the Shop section, which is itself a Production-tier surface. See Subscriptions & Plans for the full feature breakdown.

Key Features

Real-Time Tracking

• Live inventory updates as orders are placed and fulfilled
• Automatic stock deduction based on product configurations and formulas
• Low stock indicators with configurable thresholds
• Location-based inventory views (multi-location requires Production — see above)

Multi-Location Support (Production+)

• Track inventory across multiple locations (warehouses, shops, stores) — available on the Production plan or higher
• Automatic location assignment based on configurable strategies:
  • Primary location (default)
  • Proximity-based (nearest to customer using Google Maps)
  • Inventory available (location with stock on hand)
• Transfer inventory between locations
• Location-specific stock levels and thresholds

Note: On the Build plan, inventory is tracked at your single primary location. Add multiple locations and transfers by upgrading to Production.

Smart Calculations

• Step-based Formula Builder for intuitive calculation creation
• Pre-built measurements for industry-standard units:
  • Board Feet
  • Square Feet
  • Linear Feet
  • Cubic Feet
• Conditional logic (If/Then/Else) for complex scenarios
• Support for product variants and options
• Automatic unit conversions

How Inventory Works in TimberCloud

The Inventory Hierarchy

TimberCloud's inventory system is built around Product Attributes and Product Options:

Product Attribute (e.g., "Lumber Selection")
├── Parts (defines fields: Species, Grade, Size, Stock Quantity)
└── Product Options (inventory items)
    ├── Oak 1x4 Select
    ├── Oak 1x6 Select
    ├── Walnut 1x4 Select
    └── ...

1. Product Attributes define the structure — what fields each option has (including inventory fields)
2. Product Options are the actual inventory items with values for each field
3. Inventory records track stock levels for each product option at each location

Inventory Field Types

When configuring a Product Attribute, you can designate fields as inventory type. These fields:

• Are tracked separately at each active location
• Can have low-stock thresholds
• Support formula-based deductions
• Integrate with purchasing (Purchase Orders and Receipts)

Getting Started

1. Enable Inventory Tracking

Create a Product Attribute with inventory fields:

1. Go to Products → Attributes
2. Click Create New Attribute or edit an existing one
3. In the Parts section, add a field with type Inventory
4. Configure the field name (e.g., "Board Feet", "Linear Feet", "Quantity")
5. Save the attribute

2. Configure Locations

Set up your warehouse/shop locations:

1. Navigate to Settings → Company → Locations
2. Click Add Location
3. Enter location details:
   • Name and address
   • Set as Primary if it's your main location
   • Mark as Active to include in inventory operations
4. Save and repeat for additional locations

Important: Adding and fulfilling from more than one location is a Production-tier capability. On Build, you'll work from a single primary location. See Multi-Location Inventory for details.

3. Create Product Options (Inventory Items)

Add inventory items under your Product Attribute:

1. Go to Products → Attributes → Select your attribute
2. Click Add Option (or import via CSV)
3. Enter values for each field, including the inventory field
4. Save — inventory records are automatically created for all active locations

4. Set Location Strategies (Optional, Production+)

Configure how orders are assigned to locations:

1. Go to Settings → Company
2. Find Location Strategy and select:
   • Primary Default — All orders go to your primary location
   • Proximity — Nearest location to customer (uses Google Maps)
   • Inventory Available — Location with stock on hand

Inventory Views

Shop → Inventory Page

Access the centralized inventory dashboard (part of the Shop section, Production+):

1. Navigate to Shop → Inventory
2. Select a location or view All Locations
3. Use filters to find items:
   • Search by name or category
   • Filter by stock level (Low Stock, Out of Stock, In Stock)
   • Sort by name, stock level, or category

The redesigned dashboard offers metrics cards, switchable grid and list views, a filter bar, and a detail modal for editing an item's stock by location.

Inventory Metrics

The inventory dashboard shows key metrics at a glance:

• Total Items — Number of items with inventory tracking
• Categories — Product attribute categories
• Low Stock Items — Items below threshold requiring attention

Inventory Grid / List

View items in a grid or list layout showing:

• Product option name and category
• Current stock levels by location
• Low stock indicators
• Click any item to open the detail modal for editing

Inventory Deduction

TimberCloud supports two deduction methods:

1. Simple Quantity Deduction

Direct one-to-one relationship:

• Order 5 boards → Deduct 5 from stock
• Best for products sold as individual units

2. Formula-Based Deduction

Using the Formula Builder, create calculations that:

• Convert customer measurements to inventory units
• Apply waste factors for cutting/fabrication
• Handle complex material requirements

Example: Customer orders 100 sqft of flooring

• Formula calculates: Square Feet × qty × 1.10 (10% waste)
• Result: 110 board feet deducted from inventory

Inventory formulas use the same step-based builder as product pricing — choose fields, operators, measurements, and conditional logic, then Create Formula / Edit Formula to open the builder. Learn more in Inventory Calculations and the Formula Builder reference.

Tip: When you're writing a pricing formula, you can also describe it in plain English and let the AI Pricing Assistant generate the step-based formula for you. Inventory deduction formulas are authored directly in the step-based builder.

Integration with Purchasing

Purchasing (purchase orders, receipts, and audits) requires the Build plan or higher.

Purchase Orders

Create POs to replenish inventory:

1. Go to Purchasing → Purchase Orders
2. Select product options to order
3. Enter quantities and pricing
4. Send to vendor

Receiving (Receipts)

When goods arrive:

1. Go to Purchasing → Receipts
2. Create a receipt from a Purchase Order
3. Enter quantities received
4. Post the receipt to update inventory

Key behaviors:

• Posting a receipt adds inventory at the specified location
• Voiding a receipt reverses the inventory addition
• PO status updates automatically (Partially Received, Fully Received)

Audits (Production+)

Verify and adjust inventory with a physical count:

1. Go to Purchasing → Audits
2. Create an audit from:
   • A Purchase Order (verify what was ordered)
   • A Receipt (verify what was received)
   • A Location (cycle count)
3. Record actual quantities found
4. Complete the audit to record discrepancies

Note: Inventory audits require the Production plan (or Enterprise). General purchasing and receiving are available on Build+.

Location Assignment

When orders are created, TimberCloud automatically assigns a fulfillment location based on your configured strategy. (Multi-location assignment applies when you have more than one location, a Production+ capability; single-location shops always fulfill from the primary location.)

All strategies fall back to Primary Default if:

• No location meets the criteria
• Required data is missing (e.g., no shipping address for proximity)

Best Practices

Accuracy

1. Regular Audits — Perform cycle counts to maintain accuracy (Production+)
2. Train Staff — Ensure consistent receiving and adjustment procedures
3. Investigate Variances — Address discrepancies promptly

Stock Management

1. Set Low Stock Thresholds — Get alerts before running out
2. Monitor Fast Movers — Keep adequate stock of popular items
3. Review Slow Movers — Consider archiving obsolete options

Organization

1. Consistent Naming — Use clear, consistent product option names
2. Proper Categorization — Organize attributes by product type
3. Location Setup — Ensure all active locations have addresses for proximity calculations

Where to Find Inventory Data

• Shop → Inventory — Current stock overview and the inventory dashboard (Production+)
• Reports → Purchasing — PO and receiving history (Reports require Build+)
• Settings → Company → Locations — Location configuration

Next Steps

• Inventory Management — Detailed day-to-day operations guide
• Multi-Location Inventory — Location setup, strategies, and transfers (Production+)
• Inventory Calculations — Formula-based deductions
• Formula Builder — Create calculation formulas
• Purchasing — Purchase orders, receiving, and audits (Build+)
• Subscriptions & Plans — What each plan unlocks