• • Creating new period and setting rules
  • Correcting period rules and items
  • Creating new period based on old period

Creating new period and setting rules

Periods function is used, when the system has to be prepared for an upcoming known change in demand, i.e. this coming period will require more stocks, for example for the season.

We recommend to use this function in cases when the supplier will be able to supplement the goods 2 times or more, within a specified period. If the supplier supplements the goods once during the period, then use the special order to order the required goods (see: Special Order Formation).

If the item participate in active period, its name appears in the "Inventory" window. In order for a column to be visible, it must be selected through the "Column Selection Form".

Items, for which fluctuations in demand appears due to the seasonal change, the following periods must be set: STOCK-M → “Other” → “Periods” → press “NEW”.

Items, for which fluctuations in demand appears due to the seasonal change, the following periods must be set: STOCK-M → “Time intervals” → “Periods” → press “NEW”.

In the new period that opens, enter the "head" information for the period (in the "head" specified information will be applied to all items):

General information:

    1) Name (period name has to be unique);

    2) Start date, when the period has to start (!!! Date has to be today or newer);

    3) Buffer change actions for the start of the period (marked by dot is an active action):

• Buffer change on begin date -buffer will be changed on specified period start date;
• Buffer change on the first order before begin date - the buffer will be changed for the order that has to arrive before the specified start date.

    4) Select a buffer setting type:

• Calculate by buffer - mark, if you want to adjust buffer change formula for all items, which participate in the period.

             We recommend to use this type of buffer, when managing promotions and seasonality.

            Buffer formula:

                - If you want to increase / decrease item buffers by an appropriate coefficient (percentage), enter the number value in the first field of the provided formula (eg: increasing item buffers by 40%, enter the value 1.4, decreasing item buffers by 30%, entering the value 0.7, etc. );

               - If you want to increase the item buffers by the appropriate number (constant), enter a number value into the second field of the provided formula (eg: increasing item buffers by 10, inserting a value of 10. Reducing is not possible).

              Date. Specify, which date buffer you want to use for the period. The BUF date must be not later than the start date of the period.

Take into account MOQ:

           * if checkmark is placed, the buffer is calculated according to the formula: Buffer = (buffer of the specified date - MOQ) * coefficient + constant + MOQ

           * if no checkmark, the buffer is calculated according to the formula: Buffer = buffer of the specified date  * coefficient + constant 

• Set buffers manually – mark if you want to assign a buffer to each item in the period. 
• Calculate by average sales - mark, if you want to adjust buffer change formula for all items, which participate in the period:

This type of buffer setting allows you to calculate the periodic buffer, based on the average sales, multiplied by set coefficient. We recommend to use this method of calculation when MOQ are high and sales are low.

Average sales are calculated for a selected period, the date of which cannot be later than the beginning of the period.

• Calculate by max sales - mark, if you want to adjust buffer change formula for all items, which participate in the period:

It is necessary to specify:

        * The period from which the program will take the maximum amount of sales during the supply cycle (RD). If the period is specified too short (

        * Coefficient - the calculated amount will be multiplied by the specified coefficient (if the amount is not calculated due to an incorrectly specified period, the current buffer will be multiplied by this coefficient).

5. Stopping the system suggested buffer change during / after the period.

    1) When a bigger sales are ongoing for some time, after the end of a period / season, but there is no need to keep bigger stock or you will not have time to supplement the items, then you can stop systematic buffer change.

    2) You must specify the date from which the system will begin to monitor the DTA item balance and will suggest to increase or decrease the buffer. After specifying the date and placing a check mark (a check mark indicates that the function is active), the system will not recommend to change the DTA item buffers, which participate in the period until the selected date:

6.  The end date of a period shall be used, if any actions have to be taken after the end of the period.

    1)  Period without end, i.e the system will execute only start of the period.

    2) As end date, select the date, when the period should end. Buffer change date depends on selected type of start of the period.

·         If in the beginning the buffer is changed the first day of the period, then at the end of the period the buffer decreases on the set end date.

·         If in the beginning the buffer is changed before one supplement period, then the buffer is changed before the order, in the end also, which will not arrive before the end of the promotion.

 Action of period end:

Recover old values - after the end of the specified period, for the item is restored such buffer, safety buffer and status, which was before the beginning of the period. Values will be recovered before the order, which will arrive arrives after the end of the period.

Make all OUTMover – after the end of the specified period, the item is marked as OUT (the item is taken out of the assortment).

Make all DTO – after the specified end of the period, DTO status is set for an item.

Calculate buffer for last order - the system will count the amount of inventory, needed for the last order till the end of the period, according to the average sales for the period and the number of days till the end of the period.

Make all CLN - after the specified end of the period, DTO status is set for an item and the system will act according to the procedure of the sold-out item, which may be in the range in the future.

!!!If the values of Buffer / Safety buffer were not set during the promotion / season, the values of the Buffer / Safety buffer after the promotion / season will not be reset to the values, which were before the promotion.

 Period data

    1) Once the period rules have been set, you need to set a list of items, for which period rules will be applied:

        1 Way.

• Click the button "Add SKU" at the top of the period data window → Filter: specific Item, etc. → mark the goods, for which the rules will be applied → click on "Add selected to period".

• If you want to include all items, put a check mark at the top of the window,  to mark all items. 

• Selected items appear in the window "Period". In this window you can open the product graphic by clicking on the icon.

•  If it is marked that buffer is entered manual, remember to fill in buffer values and safety buffer values.

        2 Way.

•  It is possible to add goods to the period with excel table help. Download the upload template via button and fill in ONLY „WHITE“ COLUMNS (Warehouse/shop code; SKU code; Promotion buffer; Promotion SB (SB – safety buffer)) in the saved excel document.

         If you need to specify the buffer for each item (marked check mark „Buffer entered manually), then fill in buffer and safety buffer columns.

         If you do not need to fill the buffer and safety buffer columns, then leave it empty.

• Upload the completed table to the period data window, by clicking the button "Upload File".

        The system checks if the table is filled correctly:

• Whether the item, entered in the table, exists at the storage place, for which period is specified;

• Whether the buffer is specified for the period > MOQ;

• Whether the status of the item before the period is DTA, DTO, NM, NA.

        If there is at least one (mentioned above) error/mistake in the table, the system opens a message, indicating in which row there is an the error;

        If everything is filled correctly, the table is uploaded into STOCK-M and items, listed in the table (and their parameters) appears in the window "Period" (in the "Period" window you will see the buffer and safety buffer, which you filled in the table).

NOTE:  if you have filled in the buffer and safety buffer columns for the goods, in the excel file, don't forget to mark if the buffer is entered manually.

•     Click „Create“.

Correcting period rules and items

If you want to edit rule of the period, items: STOCK-M -> „Other“ -> „Periods“ -> click  .

1. Before the start of the period you can change:

    1) Start date, but the date must be newer than today;

    2) End date, but date must be newer than today and newer than promotion start date;

    3) End action;

    4) Change the values for the period buffer change formula and selected items buffer and safety buffer values, if it is marked that the buffer is entered manually.

• If it is marked that the buffer is entered manually, then you can change the value of the buffer and the safety buffer by uploading data through the form. When you download the form, it will be filled in with all the items/goods, which are in the promotion (if the period has been saved). In the saved table, change the values for buffer and safety buffer. Then import the table into STOCK-M, click "Upload File", select the table where you made the corrections.

    5) Insert a new item, which will participate in the period. The newly inserted item has the same start date, end date, end action as other items, participating in this period:

• You can insert a new item in the STOCK-M period window. In the table containing the items, selected for the period, click the right button of the mouse and select "Insert" → select the item you want to insert → click "Add selected to period". Selected item will appear in the list of items, participating in the general period. Find the newly inserted item and enterfor it the period buffer and the safety buffer (if it is set that the buffer is entered manually. If the buffer is entered not manually, then the period buffer formula will be valid);

• A new item can be uploaded to the period. Save the list of items in the period in Excel by clicking "Download XLSX (upload form)" in the export menu item. Enter the item, you want to insert, at the bottom of the Excel table list and fill in the "White columns". Upload the Excel table back into the period by clicking "Upload file".

• NOTE: in the editable period window will be loaded items additionally, that were described in the inserted excel table.

    6) Remove item from the period. Mark the item, in the period window, which you want to remove and click  , before confirmation, mark:

• To remove SKU and restore values - the item will be removed from the period and item buffer, security buffer values will be such, what they are till the end of the period;

• To remove SKU and execute end action -  will be removed from period and executed specified end action;

If you want to remove all period – click , ll items, participating in the period, will be removed.

!!!If Buffer/Security buffer values were not set during the promotion/season period, after the promotion/season Buffer?Safety buffer values don't reset to the values, which were before the promotion!!!

2. Once a period begins, you can't change:

    Do not change the "head". If you need to change the "head", then you need to remove the period that has began and create a new one, with new "head" conditions. 

3. Once a period begins, you can change:

    1) It is possible to add an item, the system will determine the period parameters the next day.

        If it is marked, that buffer is entered manually,  then empty buffer/safety buffer columns appear after inserting items, which must be completed for each item.

    2) It is possible to remove items during the period.

    3) It is possible to remove all period.

    4) It is possible to put forward the end date, but the date must be newer than today and not later than the end date of the period.

    5) It is possible to change the end action.

    6) It is possible to adjust item buffer and safety buffer in the stock and buffer windows.

4. After making changes, you must save it, by clicking  .

5. Item, for which period has started, is highlighted in lilac color (In "Inventory" window, Buffer windows, inside the order).

Creating new period based on old period

If you need to set a period for items, for which period happened in the past or is happening at this moment, such period you can create by using the past/current period.

1.  When you open period window at the period, which you want to copy, click the icon . The system will create a new period (in the name of the period you will see name of the old period + date of today) and items, which have participated in the previous period, will be inserted to this period automatically.

2.  Fill in the period „head“ again. If you need, insert or remove items and click „Save“.