Stock & listings: which number should I trust?

Guide

When two screens show different stock figures, it helps to know what each one means and where it comes from. You do not need a new system or a large team to start: choose one product and follow its stock through an order.

This guide helps you decide which record to use for each part of that journey. You can use it on paper, in a spreadsheet or alongside your existing software.

Start with three different numbers

• On hand: the units physically present in the stock pool you are checking.
• Available to sell: the units that can still be offered after existing commitments, holds and any deliberate stock buffers have been considered.
• Shown on a listing: the quantity a particular Channel displays. A listing limit or an update still in progress can make this different again.

A stock pool is the set of units that particular listings draw from. Two listings may share the same pool; their quantities are not extra physical stock.

Follow one order

Imagine a fictional seller with eight mugs on the shelf. In this simple example there are no holds, buffers or other orders.

1. Before the order: eight mugs are on hand and eight are available.
2. Two mugs are ordered and reserved: eight are still on the shelf, but six remain available for another buyer.
3. Those two mugs are dispatched: six are now on hand and six remain available. Dispatch has moved the mugs, not reduced availability a second time.

Your systems may use different labels or update at different times. The useful question is whether each record describes the right stage of the same order. Check the affected listings too, rather than assuming an update has arrived.

Make a small record map

For your chosen product, copy and complete this table. If you work alone, your name can appear in every row. The aim is clarity, not a new set of job titles.

Choose one place to maintain each figure. Other records can provide evidence without independently overwriting it. If another business or fulfilment service owns a separate stock pool, map that separately.

When the figures do not line up

1. Check that both records describe the same product, unit, stock pool and time.
2. Look for the latest receipt, order, hold, dispatch or adjustment that explains the difference.
3. Decide which record needs attention before changing a quantity. Sometimes a listing cap explains the difference and no correction is needed.
4. After an agreed correction or retry, check the stock record and listing again. Keep a short note of what happened and what resolved it.

The Stock Reconciliation Kit provides worked examples and a worksheet when you would like to take this a little further.

Using this approach in ChannelWeave

ChannelWeave keeps stock, reservations and supported Channel workflows together. Use the stock ownership guide to see how those records fit your setup. Channel capabilities differ, so check the integration scope for the Channels you use.

Start with one product you understand well. Once its journey is clear, use the same record map for the next group of products. Revisit it when a new Channel, location or fulfilment arrangement changes how the work is done.