Part Detail Tracking

The key to keeping an accurate inventory is using an appropriate method to track parts and products. Methods will differ from company to company, but one thing remains constant: timely updates to your inventory counts will make or break your accuracy level. There is no substitute for an auto-updating inventory tracking system. Different types of tracking can be extremely helpful for different firms. Keeping track of what is on order, in stock, backordered, being built, as well as tracking serial #'s, lot #'s, and expiration dates is key to making wise business decisions regarding your inventory and order processing.

Fishbowl Inventory will mold to fit any tracking need you may have. If you rely on bar coding, serialized parts, lot numbers, revision levels, expiration dates, etc., then Fishbowl Inventory will provide the structure that suits your company best. Reporting is a powerful Fishbowl Inventory feature that allows you to see exactly what is happening to a specific part or product. An example may help:

Let's say you buy a batch of component parts. You assemble these parts with others to make a finished product. A customer calls in and says that the component part is defective. After verifying through Fishbowl Inventory that the returned product was indeed made from the defective batch, you replace the part and send it out the door to a once-again happy customer. The process is smooth, and the Part Activity Report is there for you to lean on throughout. You know all there is to know about each part, product, and batch that comes in and goes out of your firm.

Fishbowl Inventory adds monitoring capabilities including LIFO/FIFO for inventory, auto-reordering, location and status reporting (on hand, on order, backordered), and efficient cycle counting. Nobody does detail tracking better than Fishbowl Inventory.

Serialized Parts, Lot number, Revision Levels, Expiration Dates

If you sell expensive products, if you produce product in batches, if your products are perishable or the government requires tracking of the product you sell, then you need more detailed part tracking than QuickBooks currently provides. Fishbowl Inventory provides true serial number tracking where the part number does not change with each serial number and the history of the unique serialized part is tracked from the moment it enters the system to the moment it leaves. The same is true for lot numbers where a quantity of a given part needs to be tracked as a group. Revision levels for new model parts and Expiration dates for those parts that have a shelf life. And if that isn't sufficient Fishbowl Inventory also includes unlimited custom fields for each part or product you stock.

Bill of Materials / Kitting

The Fishbowl Inventory BOM module is defined in the Parts module and has no limit on the number of parts, sub-assemblies, or types of parts included. Simply define the BOM within the Parts module, with the correct quantities, and you're ready to begin manufacturing. If you wish to manufacture immediately then select the Manufacture button and the required parts are immediately pulled from inventory and the finished part is complete.

Unit Of Measure Conversions

Create your own Unit of Measure conversions and equations with the built-in Unit of Measure Wizard. There is no limit on the number of conversions you can have. Buy by the pallet, box, case, each, etc. Store in a different unit of measure. Sell by still another unit of measure and have Fishbowl store specific prices for each unit of measure so that you don’t have to remember what to charge your customer if they buy by the pallet instead of by the box. Fishbowl will make unit of measure conversions easy.