The Inventory Editor

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Navigation:  MLS 2026 Operations & Reference Guide > Inventory > Inventory Data Overview >

The Inventory Editor

 

 

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The Inventory Editor is the primary control center for maintaining:

•inventory parts

•pricing

•stock quantities

•vendor information

•purchasing history

•sales activity

•inventory valuation

within MLS 2026.

All inventory functions are accessed from:

👉 Inventory → Inventory Editor

on the main menu.

 

PartsDescription

The Inventory system is tightly integrated with:

•Workorders

•Purchasing

•Accounting

•Glossary Pick Lists

•Sales Tracking

•Vendor Management

making it one of the most important operational areas within MLS 2026.


Entering New Inventory Parts

Adding new inventory items is straightforward.

To create a new part:

👉 select:

•Add

from the bottom of the Inventory Editor window.

Enter the information for the part and then:

👉 select:

•Save

to retain the new record.

Inventory records may be added:

•gradually

•in stages

•over multiple work sessions

There is no requirement to complete inventory setup all at once.

New records will frequently be added when:

•stocking new products

•receiving vendor updates

•reviewing sales activity

•identifying frequently used non-stock items

especially after reviewing:

👉 Parts Utilized Reports.


Editing Existing Inventory

To modify an existing inventory item:

👉 locate the part

then:

•edit the desired fields

•select Save

to retain the changes.

Inventory records may be updated at any time to reflect:

•pricing changes

•vendor changes

•location updates

•stocking adjustments

•revised descriptions

•inventory corrections


Inventory Information Fields

Each inventory record contains detailed operational and accounting information regarding the part.

The following sections describe the major fields maintained within the Inventory Editor.


Basic Part Information

Number

The:

👉 Number

field contains:

•the manufacturer’s part number

or

•your internally assigned inventory number.

This is the primary identification reference used throughout MLS 2026.


Description

Enter:

👉 a clear and consistent description

for the part.

Consistent descriptions help:

•improve searches

•simplify inventory reviews

•group similar products together

•improve reporting accuracy


Manufacturer

Enter:

👉 the manufacturer name

for the product.

This assists with:

•searches

•purchasing

•vendor reference

•reporting


Cross Reference

The:

👉 Cross Reference

field may contain:

•alternate numbers

•equivalent products

•replacement references

for related inventory items.

Refer to the Cross Reference section of the manual for additional details.


Super

If the part has been:

👉 superseded

by a newer inventory number:

•enter the replacement part number here

•create a new inventory record for the replacement item

This helps preserve:

•sales history

•purchasing history

•inventory tracking

for the older part.


UPC

Enter the:

👉 Universal Product Code

assigned to the part if available.

This may assist with:

•barcode systems

•vendor matching

•product identification


Inventory Location & Classification

Loc / Sort

Enter:

👉 the physical inventory location code

for the item.

Examples:

•Shelf locations

•Bin numbers

•Warehouse areas

•Storage sections

This helps personnel quickly locate inventory items.


Build

Specify the condition of the part:

•New

•Remanufactured

•Factory Second

•Used

This classification assists with:

•inventory tracking

•pricing

•warranty handling

•purchasing decisions


Move

The:

👉 Move

field reflects the vendor’s inventory movement classification for the part.

This may indicate:

•fast-moving inventory

•slow-moving inventory

•special-order timing

depending on the vendor’s system.


Weight

If the business ships products:

👉 enter the shipping weight

including:

•packaging

•containers

This assists with:

•freight calculations

•shipping estimates


Type Code

The:

👉 Type Code

allows the business to create:

•custom sorting classifications

•specialized searches

•custom reports

based on business-specific inventory needs.


Sort

The:

👉 Sort Code

is used for grouping similar inventory items.

Consistent sort coding improves:

•inventory organization

•reporting

•searches

•analysis

A lookup list may be available using the down-arrow key.


Return

This field identifies whether:

👉 the vendor accepts returns

for the item.

This information is valuable when handling:

•overstock

•obsolete inventory

•warranty situations


Pack

The:

👉 Pack

field identifies:

•quantity per package

•case quantity

•standard vendor packaging

for the item.


Inventory Quantity Tracking

Stock Here

This field reflects:

👉 the quantity currently in stock.

When first creating a part:

•enter the starting inventory quantity manually

Afterward:

👉 MLS 2026 automatically maintains this quantity

through:

•stock input

•workorders

•purchasing

•inventory adjustments


On Order

The:

👉 On Order

field tracks:

•quantities currently on purchase orders

that have not yet been received.


Core Here

This field tracks:

👉 cores currently in inventory

that are awaiting return to the vendor or manufacturer.


Due Back

The:

👉 Due Back

field tracks:

•cores still owed by customers

that have not yet been returned.

This is extremely important for:

•remanufactured inventory

•rebuild programs

•core charge management


Minimum

Enter:

👉 the minimum stocking quantity

below which the item should be reordered.


Stock To

Enter:

👉 the desired replenishment quantity

to which the item should be restocked.

This assists with:

•purchasing

•inventory planning

•automatic reorder decisions


Source

The:

👉 Source

field identifies the type of inventory source, such as:

•New

•OEM

•Aftermarket

•Rebuilt

•Used


Pricing & Sales Configuration

Category

Industry-standard category codes may be assigned to the part.

Lookup assistance is available for selecting the appropriate category.


Tax

Check this field if:

👉 the item is normally taxable.

This serves as the default setting when the item is added to workorders.


Price Table

If automated pricing tables are used:

👉 enter the Price Table code

associated with the item.


Stock

Check this field if:

👉 the item is normally stocked in inventory.

Leave unchecked for:

•special-order parts

•one-time purchases

•non-stock inventory


Core

Check this field if:

👉 the item requires a core.


Kit

If this part should automatically trigger:

👉 a Parts Pick List

check the Kit option and enter:

👉 the Pick List code.

This allows additional related parts to be added automatically.


Vendor Information

Vendor 1–4

Enter the vendor account references for:

👉 suppliers who provide this product.

Multiple vendors allow:

•pricing comparison

•alternate sourcing

•purchasing flexibility


Sales History & Tracking

MLS 2026 automatically tracks:

•Month-To-Date totals

•Year-To-Date totals

•monthly sales history

•prior year sales history

This information provides valuable insight into:

•inventory movement

•purchasing trends

•stocking decisions

•sales analysis


Last Purchase Date

Automatically updated whenever:

👉 inventory is received.


Last Sale Date

Automatically updated whenever:

👉 the part is sold.


Inventory Costing & Pricing

Average Cost

The:

👉 Average Cost

field represents:

👉 the true inventory valuation

based on:

•existing stock value

•quantities on hand

•newly received inventory costs

⚠️ This field should generally NEVER be manually edited once inventory exists.

Improper changes may cause:

•inaccurate inventory valuation

•incorrect accounting totals

•distorted profitability reporting

•possible tax consequences

MLS 2026 automatically maintains this value during:

👉 Stock Input processing.

Manual adjustment should normally occur ONLY:

👉 when the part is first created.


Last Price Paid

Whenever inventory is purchased:

👉 the current vendor price

is automatically stored here.


Core Value

Tracks:

👉 the vendor core value

for remanufactured inventory items.


Retail & Price Levels

The:

👉 Retail

field stores the standard selling price.

Additional:

👉 Price Levels 2–5

allow:

•wholesale pricing

•fleet pricing

•discount structures

•customer-specific pricing

The calculator may be activated using:

👉 the Space Bar

to assist with price calculations.


Core Charge

Enter:

👉 the amount charged

if the customer:

•fails to return a core

or

•returns a damaged core.


Assessment

Used for:

👉 special taxes or fees

such as:

•Federal Excise Tax

•tire disposal fees

•regulatory assessments


Environmental

Used for:

👉 environmental or hazardous waste charges

associated with the item.


Notes

Each inventory item includes:

👉 a Notes section

for storing:

•special instructions

•vendor comments

•technical information

•purchasing notes

The:

👉 Expand

option opens a larger editing window for easier viewing and editing.


Saving Information

⚠️ Inventory changes are NOT automatically saved.

To retain changes:

👉 you MUST select:

•Save

Failure to do so will result in:

👉 loss of changes made to the current record.


Searching For Inventory Parts

MLS 2026 includes powerful inventory search capabilities.

Searches may be limited to:

•all parts

•stocking parts only

•non-stocking parts only

To search:

1.Select the desired search type

2.Press OK

3.Begin typing the desired information

The browse list will automatically move to matching records.

This greatly speeds:

•parts lookup

•inventory review

•service writer workflow

during live operations.


Moving Through Inventory Records

The browse list at the bottom of the screen displays:

👉 inventory records.

As the highlighted item changes:

👉 the detailed information above updates automatically.

Navigation may be performed using:

•Arrow Keys

•Page Up / Page Down

•Scroll Bars

•Mouse controls

This allows rapid movement through large inventory databases.


Price Calculation

If a:

👉 Price Table

has been assigned:

👉 selecting:

•Price Calc

automatically recalculates pricing based on:

•current costs

•pricing formulas

•markup structures

If no Price Table is assigned:

👉 this function will not operate.


Deleting Inventory Parts

Inventory items may be deleted using:

👉 Delete

⚠️ However, deleting inventory records is generally discouraged.

Inventory records contain valuable:

•sales history

•purchasing history

•pricing information

•usage trends

which may remain useful long after a part is no longer stocked.

⚠️ Never delete a part that:

•still has inventory on hand

•appears on purchase orders

•contains active operational history


Exiting The Inventory Editor

To properly exit the Inventory Editor:

👉 use:

•Close

This ensures:

•files are closed correctly

•changes are finalized

•inventory data remains protected

within MLS 2026.

 


Recommended Best Practices

•Use consistent part numbering methods

•Standardize inventory descriptions

•Avoid duplicate inventory records

•Verify vendor information regularly

•Review stocking levels periodically

•Maintain accurate location codes

•Avoid manually changing Average Cost

•Use non-stock records for one-time purchases

•Review obsolete inventory periodically

•Retain historical inventory records whenever possible

•Verify pricing tables after major vendor price changes

•Review Parts Utilized reports regularly

 


Recommended Companion Sections

This section works closely with:

•Stock Input

•Purchase Orders

•Workorders

•Parts Pick Lists

•Kits

•Pricing Tables

•Inventory Reports

•Vendor Management

•Accounting Integration

•Sales Analysis