Set up Supplies Inventory

Set up Supplies Inventory for employees to submit their requests for office supplies, desktop accessories, or program-related items required to operate your business.

Items designated as supplies are tracked separately from your regular inventory, and are not available for sale in Order Entry.

Step 1. Enable or subscribe to Supplies Inventory

Supplies Inventory is enabled within the Inventory Control application subscription, and it's also available as a separate subscription.

With an Inventory Control subscription, you'll have access to the full scope of Inventory Control functions. If you choose to subscribe only to Supplies Inventory, you'll have access to specific Inventory Control features required to support ordering and replenishment of supplies items.

Learn how to subscribe to applications.

A subscription to Supplies Inventory requires that you enable an advanced workflow, and update any existing item records. When the advanced workflow is enabled, you'll be required to update your transaction definitions and item GL account posting details.

If you have items created before enabling the advanced workflow, you'll need to update your item records. You'll add an item cost method, a unit of measure, and a GL group. A system-generated GL group replaces existing GL account information. Learn about assigning item GL groups.
Subscription Inventory Control or Supplies Inventory, Purchasing
Regional availability

Inventory Control and Supplies Inventory: Australia, Canada, UK, USA, South Africa

Purchasing: All regions
User type

Business user with admin privileges
Permissions

Administration

  • Application subscriptions: List, View, and Configure
Restrictions

Supplies Inventory can only be configured at the top level of a multi-entity environment.
Prerequisites

  • Configure Purchasing to enable deliver-to contact at the header level, and enable deliver-to contact at the line level. This identifies a default destination where shipments are received, and a delivery contact for specific line items. You can change the deliver-to contact on an order. Learn more about configuring Purchasing.

  • Enable Supplier and Employee dimensions in both General Ledger and Purchasing.

  1. Go to Inventory Control > Setup > Configuration.

  2. In the Workflow section, select Enable advanced workflow.
    This option is required for Supplies Inventory, and cannot be disabled. Learn more about the advanced workflow setting.
When you enable advanced workflows in Inventory Control, it's also enabled in Order Entry and Purchasing.

  1. In the Supplies Inventory section, select Enable Supplies Inventory.

  2. Select the purchasing transaction definitions that you want to use for supplies purchase and direct-ship orders. A default supplies purchase order transaction definition is selected by default.

    The transaction definitions that you select on the Configure Inventory Control page are used as the default selection when new supplies orders are created. You can leave these fields blank to allow selection of a transaction definition during order creation.

  3. Optional: To use a custom pick list or pick report template, add your selections in the Supplies pick list template and Supplies report template fields. Learn more about customized document templates.

  4. In the Dimensions setup section, select Vendor and Employee.

    Supplier and Employee dimensions must first be configured in General Ledger and Purchasing.

  5. Select Save.

Step 2. Edit transaction definitions for your supplies workflow

After you save the Configure Inventory Control page, Sage Intacct automatically creates three transaction definitions to support the Supplies Inventory workflow:

  • SYS-Supplies requisition: Used in the Purchasing application when an employee wants to create a supplies request.

  • SYS-Supplies issue: Used in the Supplies Inventory Workbench when a manager issues supplies.

  • SYS-Supplies return: Used in the Supplies Inventory Workbench when issued supplies need to be returned.

You'll need to edit these system-generated transaction definitions to add your General Ledger account information. You'll also need to create 2 additional transaction definitions, for supplies orders and supplies direct shipments.

Learn how to set up Supplies Inventory transaction definitions.

Step 3. Add supplies items

When you enable Supplies Inventory, you can use the Supplies item feature to track items for internal use. You'll need to keep the following in mind:

  • Non-inventory (sales) and Kit type items cannot be tracked as supply items.

  • Supplies items cannot be used in Order Entry transactions.

  • If an inventory item has been used in a transaction, you cannot change it to a supply item.

For more information, see Adding items.

Step 4. Set up a supplies approval policy

You have the option to set up an approvals workflow for requests so that requisitions are approved before they are fulfilled.

Learn about purchasing approvals.

Next steps

When you’re ready to start using Supplies Inventory, assign supplies permissions so you and your employees can request supplies and manage orders. Requests and orders are accessed from these application menus:

  • Request supplies: Go to Purchasing > All > Supplies Inventory > Requisitions.

  • Review new requests, and issue or order supplies: Go to Inventory Control or Purchasing > All > Supplies Inventory > Workbench

Learn about Inventory Control permissions.