Inventory Snapshot
Table of Contents
- 1. Use Cases — 5 common scenarios
- 2. Feature Guide — Search & Filters / List Columns / Export
- 3. FAQ — 11 FAQs + Important Notes
- 4. Related Features
1. Use Cases
Quick Links: Month-End Reconciliation | Tracing Anomalies | Near-Expiry Consumption | Inventory Distribution | Regular Archiving
Scenario 1: Month-End Stocktaking Reconciliation
Situation: At month end you need to produce month-end inventory reports per merchant and reconcile them with physical counts.
How to do it:
- Use the "Date" filter and set it to the last day of the month
- Use the "Merchant" filter to select a merchant (or view all)
- Click "Export"
Result: When the export finishes, the Excel file downloads automatically and can be compared with the physical count sheet.
Scenario 2: Tracing Abnormal Inventory Changes
Situation: A discrepancy is found during stocktaking and you need to find out when it started.
How to do it:
- Use the "Product SKU" filter to find the product
- Set the "Date" range to cover the recent period (e.g. last month)
- Review the quantity trend across dates
- Identify the date the numbers started looking wrong
Result: The list shows the product's snapshots on different dates so you can pinpoint when the issue began, then go to "Inventory Ledger" to investigate that day's movements.
Scenario 3: Monitoring Near-Expiry Stock Consumption
Situation: Your supervisor asks you to track inventory changes of products close to expiry to see whether a promotion sped up outbound.
How to do it:
- Use the "Expiration Date" filter to set a near-expiry range
- Set a longer "Date" range
- Compare quantities across dates
Result: The list shows how near-expiry stock was consumed over time, helping evaluate the promotion.
Scenario 4: Comparing Distribution Across Merchants
Situation: Your supervisor wants to know how the same product is distributed among merchants as a reference for transfers.
How to do it:
- Use the "Product SKU" filter to select the product
- Set a specific "Date" to view that day's snapshot
- Review stock and available stock per merchant
- Click "Export" to produce a report
Result: The export can be analyzed for distribution across merchants as a basis for transfer suggestions.
Scenario 5: Monthly Archiving of Snapshot Reports
Situation: Your supervisor asks you to export last month's snapshots every month for archiving.
How to do it:
- Open the inventory snapshot page at a fixed time each month
- Select last month's date range
- Click "Export"
- Name the automatically downloaded file by date and archive it
Result: A complete archive of historical records is built up for future audits.
2. Feature Guide
When you need to reconcile month-end reports, look up the stock level on a past date, or find out from which day a discrepancy started — this is the place. The system automatically records a snapshot of inventory every day. You can query the inventory status of any past date and export it to Excel for comparison. The question-mark icon next to the page title opens a concept guide.
Quick Links: Search & Filters | Data List | Export
2.1 Search & Filters
Search Box
- Location: Top of the page
- Searchable fields: Product SKU, Product Name, Batch (all prefix match)
- Usage: Type a keyword and press Enter
Filters
| Filter | Description | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant | Filter records of specific merchants | Dropdown, multi-select (pinned by default) |
| Date | Filter the snapshot date range | Always shown, defaults to the last 30 days, cannot be cleared; earliest selectable date is 25 months ago |
| Product SKU | Filter by product code | Enter SKUs, multi-select (pinned by default) |
| Product Name | Filter by product name | Enter names, multi-select |
| Inventory Type | Filter by inventory type | Dropdown, multi-select |
| Batch | Filter by batch | Enter batch numbers, multi-select |
| Expiration Date | Filter by expiry range | Select start and end dates |
2.2 Data List
Columns
| Column | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant | Merchant that owns the stock | - |
| Date | Snapshot date | Sortable |
| Product SKU | Unique product identifier | Sortable |
| Product Name | Product name | Click to open the product detail page |
| Inventory Type | Inventory classification | e.g. good / defective |
| Batch | Batch number | Shows "-" if none |
| Expiration Date | Product expiry date | Shows "-" if none |
| Stock | Total stock on that date | Includes allocated stock |
| Allocated Stock | Quantity allocated to orders | Not yet shipped |
| Available Quantity | Quantity available for new orders at that time | Stock − Allocated Stock |
| Inventory Custom Attributes | Extra attributes defined by the merchant | Shown as tags |
| Created At | When the record was created | Sortable |
Quantity Relationship
Formula: Available Quantity = Stock − Allocated Stock
- Stock: total stock on that date
- Allocated Stock: allocated to orders but not yet shipped
- Available Quantity: what new orders could use at that time
2.3 Export
▸ Export Snapshot Reports
- Use filters to narrow down the data range
- Check the records to export (if none are checked, all records matching the filters are exported)
- Click "Export"
Result: When the export finishes, the Excel file downloads automatically. If you switched to another page, open the "Background Tasks" panel and click "Download".
3. FAQ
Quick Links: FAQ | Important Notes
3.1 FAQ
▪ How is Inventory Snapshot different from Stock Inquiry?
| Aspect | Inventory Snapshot | Stock Inquiry |
|---|---|---|
| Recording | Daily scheduled snapshot | Real-time data |
| Content | Inventory status on a specific date | Current live inventory |
| Main use | Query past inventory status | View and manage current inventory |
| Editable | Read-only | Supports hold, adjustment, etc. |
▪ Why are there no records on some dates?
Possible reasons:
- The system had not started recording snapshots on that date
- The product had no stock at all that day (products with no stock leave no snapshot)
- That day's snapshot has not been generated yet (recorded at a fixed time daily)
▪ What does "Allocated Stock" mean?
Allocated stock is quantity that has been assigned to orders but not yet shipped. It is still physically in the warehouse but is reserved for specific orders and cannot be allocated to others.
▪ How far back can I query?
The date filter allows selecting dates up to 25 months ago. For longer-term data, export and archive regularly.
▪ What file format does export produce?
Export produces an Excel (.xlsx) file containing the full columns of the selected records.
▪ How do I find records with zero stock?
Products with no stock leave no snapshot that day, so zero-stock records will not appear in the list. To find out when a product ran out, observe from which date its snapshots disappear.
▪ Can snapshot data be modified?
No. Snapshots are recorded automatically by the system and cannot be edited, ensuring data integrity and traceability.
▪ Why are there multiple records of the same product on the same day?
The same product may have different:
- Inventory types: good, defective, etc.
- Batches: different production batches
- Expiration dates: different expiry dates
The system records each combination separately.
▪ How long does an export take?
It depends on the data volume — a few thousand records usually finish within seconds; tens of thousands may take from tens of seconds to a few minutes. The file downloads automatically when done.
▪ Can I view multiple merchants at once?
Yes. Select multiple merchants in the "Merchant" filter, or select none to show all merchants you are authorized to view.
▪ Is search exact match or fuzzy match?
Search uses "prefix match":
- Entering ABC finds ABC001, ABC-X, etc.
- It does not find XABC or 123ABC
Use filters if you need more precise queries.
3.2 Important Notes
⚠️ Important Reminders
- Snapshot data is read-only and cannot be edited or deleted
- Snapshots reflect the status at snapshot time, not real-time data
- The date range defaults to the last 30 days — adjust it manually for older data
- Export important snapshot data regularly as a backup
- Search uses "prefix match" — type accordingly
4. Related Features
| Feature | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Stock Inquiry | View and manage real-time inventory | Go |
| Inventory Ledger | View inventory change history | Go |
| Product List | Manage product master data | Go |