Most small shops don't lose track of stock in one dramatic moment. It drifts. A carton arrives and the supplier's bill goes in a drawer, sales are rung up at the counter, a few items sell online, and a couple of damaged pieces go straight in the bin. By month end the notebook and the shelf disagree, and nobody can say why.
The fix isn't counting harder. It's recording purchases, sales and write-offs in the same place, so stock moves on its own and every change leaves a trail. Here is what that looks like day to day, with a worked week and a routine that takes minutes.
Why stock drifts when purchases and sales live apart
Stock is simple arithmetic: what you had, plus what you bought, minus what you sold, minus what you lost. The trouble is that each number usually lives somewhere different.
- Sales are in your billing software, and online orders may sit in a separate dashboard or chat thread.
- Purchases are on paper bills, a spreadsheet or a photo on someone's phone.
- Losses such as breakage, expiry or a short delivery are rarely written down at all.
A billing tool on its own can only subtract. If it never hears about Tuesday's delivery, it shows you out of stock while the goods sit in the back. Our guide to retail POS software with inventory, billing and payments in one system covers the counter side; this one covers buying.
What "one system" means in practice
In Saauzi, purchasing sits inside the POS and Inventory apps, which share one product catalog and one stock count.
Recording a purchase raises stock
When goods arrive, you record a purchase entry against the supplier: which products, how many and at what cost. Stock goes up when you save it, and both the counter and the online store see the new quantity.
Every sale lowers it, wherever it happens
A counter sale or an online order reduces the same stock. There is no second list to update, and the sale posts to Cashbook automatically, so your daily book matches your sales too.
Stock history explains every change
Each product has a stock history showing the purchases that added to it, the sales that took from it and any adjustments. When a number looks wrong, you trace it instead of guessing.
The low-stock list tells you what to reorder
Instead of walking the shelves with a notebook, you check the low-stock list. That becomes your list for the next supplier call.
Adjustments record damage and count differences
A cracked bottle, an expired pack or a shelf count that comes up short is recorded as a stock adjustment. It stays in the product's history, so the drop is on record instead of silently disappearing.
Supplier records and purchase payments
You keep a record for each supplier and track purchase payments, so you can see what you have already paid before anyone asks. The purchase and supplier reports in Saauzi POS give you the wider picture.
A week in the life: one product, hypothetical numbers
Say you run a stationery shop in Lalitpur and one steady seller is an A5 notebook. The numbers are made up, but the pattern is typical.
- Monday morning: the system shows 60. Your supplier delivers 200 at NPR 90 each, an NPR 18,000 bill. You record the purchase entry, pay NPR 10,000 on the spot and record that payment. Stock: 260.
- Monday to Friday: you sell 95 at the counter and 25 through the online store, each sale reducing stock as it happens. Stock: 140.
- Wednesday: a roof leak soaks 4 notebooks. You record an adjustment of minus 4. Stock: 136.
- Saturday: your shelf count finds 134, so you record minus 2 for the difference. Stock: 134, matching the shelf.
The notebook's stock history now reads like a bank statement: plus 200, minus each sale, minus 4 for damage, minus 2 for the count. Where did 126 notebooks go? The answer is on one screen. The purchase payments show NPR 10,000 paid against an NPR 18,000 purchase, so you know NPR 8,000 is still due.
Without one system, the two unexplained notebooks would simply vanish. Next month it might be twenty.
A simple daily and weekly routine
The numbers stay accurate only if purchases and losses are entered as they happen.
Every day
- Record each purchase entry when the goods arrive, straight from the supplier's bill.
- Record damage or expiry the day you notice it.
- Check the low-stock list before closing and note what to reorder.
Every week
- Count one section of the shop, starting with best-sellers, and record adjustments for any difference.
- Open the stock history for any count that surprised you and look for the missing entry.
- Check best-sellers and slow movers before ordering, so you buy more of what sells.
- Review purchase payments so you know which suppliers are still waiting.
Running more than one outlet
Open a second shop and stock drift doubles. Saauzi runs multiple outlets from one account: each outlet has its own stock and sales, and both roll up into a single view. You see the whole business and can still check what one branch has on its shelves.
Run the daily routine at each branch, with one person responsible for purchase entries and adjustments there. If you move goods from one outlet to another, record it as a stock adjustment at each end: minus at the outlet that sent them, plus at the one that received them. Both changes then show in each product's stock history.
When you need more than inventory and purchasing
Stock is where money quietly leaks, so it's the part of an ERP most shops feel first. Saauzi is an all-in-one ERP, a suite of business apps on one platform. Our plain-English guide to what an ERP is for a small business is a good starting point, and POS vs ERP: when your shop outgrows billing software covers the signs that billing alone is no longer enough.
Know the limits too. Saauzi records purchases as they happen; it doesn't run formal purchase orders with approval steps, or manufacturing. If your buying goes through a procurement team, or you make products from raw materials, a heavier ERP is the better choice.
FAQ
Do I need an ERP just to keep track of stock?
Not necessarily. If you sell at one counter and rarely restock, billing software with basic stock may be enough. Once you have regular supplier deliveries, an online store or a second outlet, one system saves more time than it costs.
What is the difference between a purchase entry and a purchase order?
A purchase entry records goods you have actually received, and it raises your stock. A purchase order is a formal request sent before delivery, often with approval steps. Saauzi works with purchase entries, which suits shops where the owner or manager does the buying.
Will this replace my accountant's software?
No. Cashbook is a digital khata for income, expenses and daily reconciliation, not full accounting software. Many businesses keep their accountant on their existing tool and hand over clean exports from Cashbook.
How much does Saauzi cost?
Your first app is free forever. One flat subscription unlocks every app for NPR 1,500 per user per month or NPR 12,000 per user per year (US$20 or US$200 internationally), with no commission on sales. See the Saauzi pricing page.
If your stock count and your shelves haven't agreed in months, start small: record this week's deliveries and every sale in one place, and see what the stock history tells you by Saturday. You can start with one Saauzi app free and unlock the rest when you're ready.
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