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Inventory History Documentation

Menu Location: Products > Reports > Inventory History

Access Level: Manager and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Inventory History page provides a historical record of inventory level changes for your products over time. This report helps you track inventory trends, analyze demand patterns, identify stocking issues, optimize purchasing decisions, and understand seasonal variations in product usage.

Primary Functions:

  • View historical inventory levels by product and date
  • Track inventory changes over time
  • Analyze seasonal demand patterns
  • Identify chronic stockout or overstock situations
  • Support purchasing and planning decisions
  • Compare actual usage to projections

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Date Range Filter - Select time period for inventory history
  • Product Filter - Select specific products or categories
  • View Mode - Chart view vs. table view
  • Export Button - Download inventory history data

Main Content Area

Table View displays:

  • Date - When inventory snapshot was taken
  • Product Name - Product name and SKU
  • Quantity On Hand - Inventory level at that date
  • Change from Previous - Increase or decrease
  • Orders Fulfilled - Products used for customer orders
  • Inventory Added - Receiving or adjustments
  • Waste/Shrinkage - Loss recorded

Chart View displays:

  • Line graph of inventory levels over time
  • Trend lines for demand patterns
  • Highlight stockout events
  • Overlay order volume

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Identify Seasonal Demand Patterns

Goal: Understand how product demand varies by season

Steps:

  1. Select high-volume product (e.g., "Strawberries")
  2. Filter: Last 12 Months
  3. View chart mode
  4. Identify patterns:
    • High demand May-August (peak season)
    • Low demand November-February (off-season)
    • Stockouts in June (underordered peak month)
  5. Adjust future purchasing:
    • Increase orders May-August
    • Reduce orders November-February
    • Plan extra buffer stock for peak months

Result: Better inventory alignment, fewer stockouts and less waste

Use Case 2: Analyze Product Turnover Rate

Goal: Calculate how quickly products move through inventory

Steps:

  1. Export inventory history for product category
  2. Calculate average inventory on hand
  3. Calculate total products sold in period
  4. Compute turnover: Sales / Average Inventory
  5. Example: 500 lbs sold / 50 lbs avg inventory = 10x turnover
  6. Compare to target turnover rates:
    • Fresh produce: 8-12x/month ideal
    • Frozen meat: 4-6x/month ideal
    • Shelf-stable: 2-4x/month ideal
  7. Adjust ordering frequency accordingly

High Turnover: Order more frequently in smaller quantities Low Turnover: Reduce order sizes, may be overstocking

Use Case 3: Reduce Stockouts Through Historical Analysis

Goal: Prevent recurring stockout situations

Steps:

  1. Filter: Products with 0 Quantity in last 90 days
  2. Identify products that frequently stock out
  3. For each chronic stockout product:
    • Review demand pattern (steady vs. spiky)
    • Check lead times from supplier
    • Calculate safety stock needed
    • Adjust reorder points
  4. Example: "Chicken Breast" stocks out weekly
  5. Average weekly usage: 100 lbs
  6. Lead time: 3 days
  7. New min stock: 50 lbs (safety buffer)
  8. Reorder point: When inventory hits 50 lbs

Result: 60-80% reduction in stockouts

Use Case 4: Identify Overstock and Waste

Goal: Reduce wasted inventory from overstocking

Steps:

  1. Filter: Products with High Inventory but Low Usage
  2. Identify products sitting too long:
    • Fresh items > 5 days old
    • Frozen items > 30 days old
  3. Analyze why overstock occurred:
    • Over-ordered from supplier
    • Lower customer demand than expected
    • Product substitutions reduced usage
  4. Take action:
    • Reduce future order quantities
    • Feature in promotions to move stock
    • Improve demand forecasting
    • Consider discontinuing slow movers

Metric: Reduce waste by 20-30% through better ordering

Use Case 5: Plan for Promotional Campaigns

Goal: Ensure adequate stock for planned promotions

Steps:

  1. Review historical inventory during past promotions
  2. Example: "Memorial Day Sale - Ground Beef"
  3. Normal weekly usage: 200 lbs
  4. Last promotion usage: 450 lbs (2.25x normal)
  5. Plan upcoming promotion:
    • Expected demand: 2.25x normal
    • Order quantity: 450 lbs + 20% buffer = 540 lbs
  6. Monitor inventory during promotion
  7. Adjust projections based on actual results

Prevents: Stockouts during high-demand promotional periods

Inventory Metrics and Calculations

Key Inventory Metrics

Inventory Turnover Ratio:

  • Formula: Cost of Goods Sold / Average Inventory Value
  • Higher is generally better (faster movement)
  • Fresh items should turn quickly

Days Inventory Outstanding (DIO):

  • Formula: (Average Inventory / COGS) × Days in Period
  • How many days of inventory on hand
  • Lower is generally better for perishables

Stockout Rate:

  • Formula: (Days with 0 inventory / Total days) × 100
  • Target: < 5% for critical products
  • Higher = poor inventory management

Waste Percentage:

  • Formula: (Waste / Total Inventory Received) × 100
  • Target: < 3% for fresh, < 1% for frozen
  • Track by product category

Red Flags in Inventory History

Sawtooth Pattern (Good):

  • Inventory peaks after receiving
  • Gradually declines through usage
  • Reorders before stockout
  • Indicates healthy inventory management

Frequent Stockouts (Bad):

  • Inventory hits zero repeatedly
  • Gaps in availability
  • Underordering or poor forecasting
  • Customer dissatisfaction

Excessive Buildup (Bad):

  • Inventory continuously climbing
  • Over-ordering
  • Declining demand
  • Waste risk for perishables

Erratic Pattern (Bad):

  • Unpredictable spikes and drops
  • Inconsistent ordering
  • Poor demand forecasting
  • Operational issues

Integration with Other Systems

How Inventory History is Generated

Automatic Updates From:

  • Order fulfillment (inventory decreases)
  • Receiving (inventory increases)
  • Waste/shrinkage logs (inventory decreases)
  • Adjustments (manual corrections)

Data Sources:

  • Menu Builder inventory allocation
  • Packing system (actual usage)
  • Receiving logs
  • Waste tracking forms

Troubleshooting

Inventory History Shows Gaps

Symptoms:

  • Missing dates in inventory record

Possible Causes:

  • System downtime during snapshot period
  • Historical data not retained
  • No inventory changes on those dates

Solution: Gaps in historical data are typically acceptable. Focus on trends, not daily granularity.

Inventory Changes Don't Match Records

Symptoms:

  • Inventory decreased but no orders shown
  • Inventory increased but no receiving recorded

Check:

  1. Manual adjustments made?
  2. Waste logged?
  3. Order corrections or cancellations?
  4. Data sync issues?

Solution: Review adjustment logs, reconcile with physical counts

Cannot View History for Discontinued Product

Symptoms:

  • Product archived and history not accessible

Solution: Check with administrator. Historical data may need to be restored from archive or backup.

  • Inventory (inventory.php) - Current inventory levels and management
  • Inventory Demand (product_classifications_print_inv.php) - Projected demand for upcoming orders
  • Inventory Alert History (admin-edit.php?table=inventory_alert_history) - Low stock alerts
  • Products (product_classifications_active.php) - Product management

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Manager or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

  • Manager: View inventory history, export data, basic analysis
  • Administrator: All manager capabilities + data corrections
  • Kiva Admin: All features + system configuration

Best Practices

Historical Analysis

  1. Review monthly - Track trends and patterns
  2. Compare year-over-year - Understand seasonal variations
  3. Segment by category - Different products have different patterns
  4. Look for trends - Not just day-to-day variations
  5. Use for forecasting - Historical data predicts future needs

Inventory Optimization

  1. Set min/max levels - Based on historical usage
  2. Calculate safety stock - Buffer for demand variability
  3. Adjust for seasonality - Higher stock in peak seasons
  4. Monitor turnover - Ensure inventory moves efficiently
  5. Reduce waste - Order quantities based on historical usage

Data Quality

  1. Accurate receiving - Log all inventory additions
  2. Track waste - Record shrinkage and loss
  3. Regular counts - Physical inventory verification
  4. Correct errors promptly - Fix data issues immediately
  5. Document adjustments - Note why manual changes made

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
View product history Select product > Filter date range
Check for stockouts Filter: Quantity = 0
Analyze seasonal trends View 12-month chart for product
Calculate turnover Export data > Sales / Avg inventory
Identify overstock Filter: High inventory + Low usage
Export history data Click Export button
Compare products Select multiple products in filter
View waste trends Check inventory decreased without orders

FAQs

How far back does inventory history go?

Depends on system configuration. Typically 12-24 months. Older data may be archived. Check with administrator for your specific retention period.

Why are there negative inventory numbers?

Can occur if orders fulfilled before inventory received, or if counts were inaccurate. Should be corrected through reconciliation.

Can I edit historical inventory data?

Generally no. Historical data is record of what happened. Current inventory can be adjusted, which creates new historical entry.

How often is inventory history updated?

Typically daily snapshots, or real-time based on transactions. Check your system configuration.

What's a good inventory turnover ratio for fresh products?

8-12 turns per month for highly perishable items. Lower for frozen (4-6x) or shelf-stable (2-4x).

How do I account for seasonal products?

Filter by specific months year-over-year. Compare July 2025 to July 2024 to see same-season patterns.

Can I see inventory history for products no longer active?

Depends on system. Archived products may have history preserved but not easily accessible. May need administrator help.

Why doesn't my waste show up in inventory history?

Waste should decrease inventory. Check that waste logging is integrated with inventory system. May require manual adjustments if systems not connected.

Change Log

2026-03-01

  • Initial documentation created
  • All sections completed per template requirements
  • Included inventory metrics and calculations
  • Added trend analysis guidance

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.