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Inventory and Warehouse

Inventory and Warehouse is the stock engine of Thoshika. Every item is tracked by warehouse, bin and lot in one movement ledger, and Books, Manufacturing, POS, Procurement and Maintenance and Quality all move stock through it. On top of the ledger you run receiving, putaway, picking, packing, shipping, transfers, counts and returns, and value stock in a way that reconciles to the Books ledger.

Who uses it​

  • Warehouse admin: sets up categories and their inventory accounts, valuation methods, settings and every warehouse; approves large adjustments.
  • Warehouse manager: runs their warehouses day to day: receipts, delivery orders, waves, shipments, transfers, counts, holds and returns.
  • Picker: carries out putaway, pick, pack, count and receiving tasks, usually on a handheld.
  • Finance admin: reviews valuation, reconciliation to the ledger and stock ageing, and approves large count variances.

Before you start​

  • Your company is set up in Thoshika and Inventory is switched on for it.
  • Books is on if you want journals, delivery challans, invoices and e-way bill JSON. Without Books the engine still tracks and values stock, without journals.
  • Your GST registrations and existing warehouses are set up in Books, because each warehouse belongs to a registration.
  • Staff hold the Warehouse admin, Warehouse manager or Picker role. Managers and pickers can be limited to their warehouses.
  • Pickers have the Thoshika mobile app on a phone or handheld with a camera, or a hardware scanner that types into scan fields.

Set up​

  1. Adopt existing stock. If Books already holds stock, adopt it from settings. Quantities and values per item, warehouse and lot move into the engine at the same values, with no new journal (a reclassification journal is posted only if an item's category points to a different inventory account).
  2. Categories and accounts. Map each category to its Schedule III inventory class and account, and choose the default valuation method: weighted average, FIFO or standard cost.
  3. Items. Complete each item's profile: tracking (none, batch or serial), expiry and shelf life, barcode, units of measure, weight and volume, and whether it needs a quality check on receipt.
  4. Warehouses and bins. Each warehouse gets default zones (receiving, quality, storage, pick face, packing, dispatch, returns, transit, scrap). Create bins in bulk by aisle, rack and level, and set capacities and pick sequence.
  5. Putaway rules. Add rules such as a fixed bin for an item, a zone for a category, or the nearest empty bin.
  6. Replenishment rules. Set reorder point or min and max, safety stock, lead time and preferred vendor per item and warehouse.
  7. Carriers and cartons. Add the carriers you use with their tracking link pattern, and your carton types with dimensions.
  8. Print labels. Print bin labels and item labels so the floor can scan.

Key workflows​

Receive goods against a purchase order​

  1. Create an expected receipt from the purchase order, or receive directly.
  2. Scan or enter quantities, lots, expiry dates and serials. Over-receipt above tolerance is refused.
  3. With Books on, receiving posts the Books goods receipt. Items that need a quality check go to quarantine first.
  4. Putaway tasks appear with a suggested bin. The picker scans the bin to confirm.

Pick, pack and ship an order​

  1. Release delivery orders from open Books sales orders, or create one by hand.
  2. Allocate stock. Lots are reserved by FEFO or FIFO, respecting minimum shelf life.
  3. Group orders into a wave and release it to create pick lists by zone or by order.
  4. Pickers scan bin, item and quantity. Picked stock moves to packing.
  5. Pack items into cartons, print labels, then ship with the carrier and tracking number. Shipping creates the Books delivery challan or invoice and links the e-way bill JSON.

Transfer stock between warehouses​

  1. Create a transfer and dispatch it. Stock leaves the source and sits in transit at the destination.
  2. Within the same GSTIN, a delivery challan is produced. Between different GSTINs, a Books tax invoice and bill are raised between your own registrations.
  3. Receive at the destination; shortages are written off or claimed.

Count stock​

  1. Create a cycle count by zone, bin, category or ABC class, or a full physical count with bins frozen.
  2. Count on the handheld by scanning bins and items. Blind counts hide the system quantity.
  3. Submit. Variances above the threshold go for approval; approval posts the adjustment and journal.

Act on reorder suggestions​

  1. Open replenishment to see items below their reorder point.
  2. Where another warehouse has surplus, a transfer is suggested first.
  3. Otherwise raise a Procurement requisition, or a Books purchase order draft when Procurement is off.

India specifics​

  • Transfers within one GSTIN use a delivery challan as Rule 55 requires. Transfers between your own GSTINs are treated as a supply and raised as a tax invoice and bill in Books.
  • E-way bill JSON comes from Books' generator for upload; it is not filed through an API.
  • Inventory classes follow Schedule III, and valuation follows Ind AS 2 and AS 2 (FIFO, weighted average or standard cost; LIFO is not offered).
  • Tally users will find hints for familiar terms: godown, batch, stock journal and physical stock.

Works with other apps​

  • Books: goods receipts, challans, invoices, credit and debit notes, landed cost and stock journals.
  • Manufacturing: material issues, finished goods receipts and lots.
  • Procurement: requisitions from reorder suggestions and goods receipts against orders.
  • POS: store warehouses and stock movement on every sale.
  • Maintenance and Quality: incoming inspections on quarantined stock and spares for work orders.
  • Distribution and Field Service: dispatch to distributors and parts in technicians' vans.
  • The mobile app covers receive, putaway, pick, pack, count, transfer and lookup with camera scanning.

Next steps​