Inventory Troubleshooting Guide

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Inventory Troubleshooting Guide

Inventory problems are usually caused by:

incorrect setup

skipped procedures

inconsistent processing

manual overrides

incomplete receiving

failure to reconcile stock

rather than actual software failure.

Because Inventory in MLS 2026 is tightly integrated with:

workorders

purchasing

accounting

pricing

payroll

reporting

an error in one area may appear later in another.

This troubleshooting section is designed to help quickly isolate:

👉 the actual source of the problem

before making corrections.

⚠️ Important:

Avoid manually changing inventory quantities, costs, or pricing unless you fully understand:

why the discrepancy occurred

and

what other areas may be affected.

Correcting:

👉 the cause

is always better than correcting:

👉 the symptom.


Start Here: Identify The Type Of Problem

Inventory Quantity Problems

Examples:

stock counts incorrect

negative inventory

parts missing

quantities too high

on-order counts incorrect

👉 Go to:

Stock Quantity Troubleshooting


Pricing Problems

Examples:

retail prices wrong

wholesale prices incorrect

markup not updating

pricing tables not applying

👉 Go to:

Pricing Troubleshooting


Purchase Order Problems

Examples:

parts still on backorder

PO will not close

received parts not updating inventory

👉 Go to:

Purchase Order Troubleshooting


Stock Input Problems

Examples:

inventory not increasing

average cost incorrect

received parts missing

workorder parts not appearing

👉 Go to:

Stock Input Troubleshooting


Core Tracking Problems

Examples:

cores still outstanding

credits incorrect

core counts wrong

vendor credits missing

👉 Go to:

Core Processing Troubleshooting


Reporting Problems

Examples:

reports inaccurate

totals incorrect

missing inventory items

sales history discrepancies

👉 Go to:

Reporting Troubleshooting


Stock Quantity Troubleshooting

Problem:

Inventory quantities are incorrect

Common Causes

parts added manually without Stock Input

workorders edited after posting

physical inventory never reconciled

parts received outside normal procedures

inventory adjustments made manually

deleted Purchase Orders

unprocessed returns

Review The Following

Was Stock Input used properly?

Were quantities adjusted manually?

Was a physical inventory performed?

Are Purchase Orders still open?

Were workorders edited after invoicing?

Were returns processed through Returns Processing?

Recommended Correction

Run:

👉 Stock Balancing

Compare physical inventory to system quantities

Correct inventory counts

Review Stock Input procedures with employees


Pricing Troubleshooting

Problem:

Retail or wholesale pricing is incorrect

Common Causes

pricing tables not assigned

incorrect markup percentages

manual retail overrides

outdated costs

incorrect wholesale ratios

pricing utilities run globally by mistake

Review The Following

Does the part have a Pricing Table assigned?

Was the correct table used?

Was pricing recalculated recently?

Is Average Cost accurate?

Were wholesale percentages entered properly?

Recommended Correction

Review:

👉 Inventory Price Management

Recalculate pricing by table

Verify markup structures

Audit manually edited pricing


Purchase Order Troubleshooting

Problem:

Purchase Orders remain open or inaccurate

Common Causes

partial shipments not completed

backorders left unresolved

quantities received incorrectly

PO not revisited after additional shipments

manual inventory adjustments bypassing PO system

Review The Following

Are parts still on backorder?

Was Stock Input processed against the PO?

Were quantities received correctly?

Was the PO intentionally cancelled?

Recommended Correction

Reopen the Purchase Order

Process remaining backorders

Use:

👉 Zero P/O Utility

if appropriate


Stock Input Troubleshooting

Problem:

Received inventory did not update properly

Common Causes

Save not selected

Exit processing not completed

incorrect quantities entered

received quantity left at zero

workorder assignment incorrect

vendor invoice not completed

Review The Following

Was Save selected after each item?

Was Exit used to finalize processing?

Were received quantities entered?

Were workorder numbers correct?

Was the inventory item already in the system?

Recommended Correction

Re-enter Stock Input

Verify all quantities

Review vendor invoice data

Confirm inventory updates


Average Cost Troubleshooting

Problem:

Average cost appears inaccurate

Common Causes

manual cost adjustments

inventory entered without Stock Input

incorrect receiving quantities

incorrect vendor pricing

initial inventory setup errors

Critical Warning

⚠️ Average Cost should almost NEVER be manually changed.

Incorrect Average Cost affects:

inventory valuation

profitability

accounting

financial reporting

Recommended Correction

Review recent Stock Input activity

Verify receiving invoices

Correct quantities and actual costs

Recalculate inventory carefully


Core Processing Troubleshooting

Problem:

Core balances are inaccurate

Common Causes

customer returns not processed

vendor returns delayed

quantities entered incorrectly

credits issued outside the system

cores returned without processing

Review The Following

Were returned cores properly entered?

Were vendor returns processed?

Are outstanding core reports current?

Were quantities saved properly?

Recommended Correction

Reconcile:

👉 Outstanding Core Report

and:

👉 Core To Return Report

Process all pending core activity


Reporting Troubleshooting

Problem:

Inventory reports appear incorrect

Common Causes

inventory not balanced

sales history not updated

incorrect filtering criteria

outdated inventory data

inconsistent coding

vendor mismatches

location code errors

Review The Following

Were proper report filters used?

Are location codes consistent?

Are manufacturer names standardized?

Was Year End Closing completed properly?

Have inventory quantities been reconciled recently?

Recommended Correction

Rebalance inventory

Standardize coding procedures

Review report criteria carefully

Rebuild inventory consistency through regular maintenance


Common Operational Mistakes

The majority of inventory problems are caused by:

bypassing Purchase Orders

manually adjusting inventory

skipping Stock Input

inconsistent naming conventions

poor location coding

failure to reconcile stock regularly

MLS 2026 is designed around:

👉 integrated workflow processing.

The more consistently the workflow is followed:

Purchase Orders

Stock Input

Workorders

Inventory Reports

Reconciliation

the more accurate:

👉 inventory control becomes.


Emergency Recovery Tips

If inventory appears severely inaccurate:

1.Stop making manual quantity changes

2.Print current inventory reports

3.Review recent Purchase Orders

4.Review recent Stock Input sessions

5.Review returns and core processing

6.Perform physical inventory balancing

7.Verify pricing tables and vendor data

8.Correct workflow procedures before correcting data

9.Review accounting integration carefully

10.Make changes in small controlled stages


Recommended Best Practices

Use Purchase Orders consistently

Always process inventory through Stock Input

Avoid manual quantity adjustments whenever possible

Reconcile physical inventory regularly

Use consistent manufacturer names and codes

Maintain organized location assignments

Process returns and cores immediately

Review Below Minimum reports frequently

Use pricing tables instead of manual pricing

Audit inventory reports regularly

Train employees on proper workflow procedures

Preserve inventory history whenever possible


Recommended Companion Sections

This troubleshooting section works closely with:

Inventory Editor

Purchase Orders

Stock Input

Inventory Price Management

Stock Balancing

Core Processing

Returns Processing

Inventory Utilities

Inventory Reports

Vendor Management

Accounting Integration

Together, these sections provide a complete inventory control and troubleshooting system within MLS 2026.nter topic text here.