Start with the question, not the biggest number
For a shelf count, ask what should physically be in the defined counting area. For a new customer promise, ask what is uncommitted and usable at the required location. For replenishment, ask what stock and reliable incoming supply must cover demand before another delivery can arrive.
Do not assume every system uses the same labels. InFlow describes on hand as physical location stock excluding items already picked, and describes available quantity in relation to open sales and manufacturing commitments. Its unreserved quantity is on hand less reserved. Read the quantity breakdown rather than treating a product's headline number as a universal answer.
Work through a simple example
Suppose a fictional shelf has 30 boxed switches. Twelve are committed to existing orders, leaving 18 unreserved in a simple case with no other reservations. A new order for 20 cannot be promised from that unreserved supply merely because 30 boxes are visible.
Now suppose ten more are on a supplier order. They are expected goods, not boxes a picker can collect today. Whether they help a future promise depends on their arrival date, condition and competing commitments. Keep a time dimension in the conversation: “ten expected Friday” is clearer than simply adding ten to today's physical quantity.
Check where the stock is
A unit in another shop may be owned by the business but unavailable for a dispatch due this afternoon. A unit in a picked tote may no longer belong in a shelf count. A unit waiting for return inspection may not be suitable for sale. Define these boundaries in the team's operating procedure.
InFlow also distinguishes in-transit transfers and shows a current anticipated quantity in its reorder context, calculated as on hand minus reserved plus on order. This is a software quantity, not a guarantee that every open order will arrive on time. Reconcile overdue or duplicated purchase orders before relying on an incoming quantity to defer replenishment.
Write a small quantity dictionary
For each screen your team uses, write the label, its meaning, which locations it covers and the decision it supports. Include how picked goods, holds, returns and incoming transfers appear in your configuration. Test the dictionary with one small order from receipt through picking so people can see the numbers change.
A shared spreadsheet can express these distinctions when one person manages a small range. More locations or simultaneous orders make manual coordination harder, but software only helps if its definitions are understood. Avoid a purchasing shortcut based solely on on-hand quantity and a sales shortcut based on all-location totals. Your next action is to inspect one SKU with an open sales order and an incoming purchase order, then explain which quantity you would use for a promise today.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- inFlow quantity definitions — Merchant documentation · inflowinventory.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-24