What inventory tracks
Each inventory item stores:- Name — the product or supply name (e.g. “Microfiber Towels (pack of 50)”, “Ceramic Pro 9H (30ml)”).
- Quantity in stock — the current amount on hand.
- Unit — the unit of measurement: pieces (pcs), litres (L), or grams (g).
- Low-stock threshold — the quantity at which DetailAhead flags the item as low.
- Total cost — the total value of the current stock on hand, used to track supply expenses.
- Linked services — tags showing which services this product is associated with.
Adding an inventory item
1
Open the Add item form
Select Add item in the top-right corner of the Inventory page.
2
Enter the item name
Give the item a clear, specific name. Include the pack size or concentration if relevant — for example, “Iron Remover Spray (500ml)” rather than just “Iron Remover”.
3
Set the quantity and unit
Enter the current quantity in stock and choose the unit (pcs, L, or g) from the dropdown.
4
Set the low-stock threshold
Enter the quantity at which you want to be alerted. If you typically use two microfibre packs per job and like to keep at least four on hand, set the threshold to 4.
5
Enter the total cost
Enter the total cost of the current stock on hand. This creates an expense transaction in your Finances automatically so you don’t have to record it separately.
6
Save
Select Add item. The item appears in the inventory table immediately.
Low-stock alerts
When an item’s quantity falls to or below its threshold, DetailAhead flags it as Low stock in the status column of the inventory table. At the same time:- A notification appears in the notifications bell in the top bar of every page.
- The page header count updates to reflect the new low-stock total.
- If you have the Low stock automation rule enabled, it can trigger an action automatically — for example, sending you an email reminder to reorder.
Updating stock levels
You have two ways to update the quantity of an existing item:- Restock
- Use stock
Select Restock on the item’s row when new supplies arrive. Enter the quantity to add and the cost of the restock. DetailAhead adds the quantity to the current total and records the cost as an expense transaction in Finances.
How inventory costs link to orders
When you record a restock or add an inventory item with a cost, DetailAhead automatically creates an expense transaction with the category Inventory. This transaction appears in the Finances page transaction log and is counted in your monthly expenses total. When you use the Use stock action, the quantity decreases and the inventory value adjusts — but no transaction is created automatically. To make the supply usage visible in your per-job profit calculation, add the cost as a line item directly on the order detail page. This links the cost to the specific job and reduces that order’s profit figure.Inventory quantity tracking and financial cost tracking are related but separate. Restocking an item creates an expense transaction automatically. Using stock on a job only deducts the quantity — attach a cost item to the order itself to capture the true cost per job and keep your profit figures accurate.