What to do if your stock balances don't match the actual inventory

Check each item below to identify the cause and restore accurate inventory records.

1. Check whether the storage is assigned to the location

If the storage containing your stock isn't assigned to the location, Poster doesn't know which storage to deduct products from when you make a sale.

To check the storage assignment:

1. Open Access → Locations in the management console.
2. Click Edit next to the required venue.
3. Scroll down to the Storage location section.
4. Add the required warehouse.
5. Save the changes.

2. Check the stock deduction rules for production stations

If your location has multiple storages but stock deduction rules by production station aren't configured, Poster deducts products not from the storage where the supply was recorded, but from the storage where the latest inventory movement for that product was recorded. As a result, stock in one storage location doesn't change despite sales, while another storage location may end up with negative stock balances.

To check and update the settings:

1. Open Access → Locations in the management console.
2. Click Edit next to the required location.
3. Scroll down to the Setting section.
4. Select Configure each stations separately.
5. Assign the appropriate storage location to each station.
6. Save the changes.

3. Check whether stations are assigned to products and recipes

If a product or dish doesn't have a station assigned, Poster can't determine which storage to deduct stock from.

To assign a production station:

1. Open Menu → Products or Menu → Dishes in the management console.
2. Use the Station filter and select Without station. Poster will display all items without a station assigned.
3. Click Edit next to each item.
4. In the station section, select the appropriate station.
5. Save the changes.

4. Check whether the product is stored in the correct storage

The product may be stored in a different storage than the one used for stock deductions. In this case, the stock exists, but in another storage location, so you'll need to transfer it.

To check:

1. Open Inventory → Stock in the management console.
2. Find the required product or ingredient.
3. Click Stock next to the item to see how much is available and in which storage location it is.
4. If the product is stored in the wrong storage location, create a stock transfer between storages.

5. Check for duplicate products

If the same product has been created under different names, Poster treats them as separate items.

For example, a supply may be recorded for one product while the recipe uses another. As a result, stock balances won't match. Even differences in letter case create separate products.

To fix the issue:

1. Search for duplicate products in Inventory → Stock.
2. Keep one product card and delete the duplicate.
3. Update the remaining product's actual quantity by performing an inventory check.

To avoid duplicates in the future, use consistent product names, units of measurement, and barcodes. If products are similar, add a clarification to the name—for example, Rice and Cooked Rice, or Potatoes and French Fries—to make them easier to distinguish.

6. Check the recipe if the same ingredient keeps going negative

If the same ingredient is missing after every inventory check, check the recipes that use it. The ingredient quantity in the recipe may no longer match the actual usage. For example, after changing suppliers or switching to a product with different characteristics, the real consumption may become higher than what's specified in the recipe.

To see where an ingredient is used:

1. Open Menu → Ingredients in the management console.
2. Click Details next to the required ingredient.
3. Review the recipes that use it.
4. Compare the recipe quantity with the actual consumption.
5. Update the recipe if necessary.

💡 If you're using the Pro plan and need to apply the changes to sales that have already been completed, edit the menu retroactively.

Verify the results

After checking all the items above and updating your storage locations, station, recipe, or ingredient settings, make sure everything works correctly.

Make a few test sales, then open Inventory → Ingredients movements and verify that products are deducted using the correct recipe and from the correct storage location.

If everything looks correct, perform an inventory check to compare the actual and recorded quantities. Poster will show any quantity and value differences and automatically adjust the recorded stock to match the actual inventory.

💡 Partial and full inventory are available on the Mini, Business, and Pro plans.

If your stock balances still don't match the actual inventory after completing all the steps above, contact us via chat.