In-Shop Inventory, Procurement & Purchase Order Operating Guide

Print Life Software provides a unified procurement and inventory management system designed specifically for custom apparel decorators and merchandise printers. The platform eliminates double-ordering, aggregates blank garment requirements across disparate customer jobs and online stores, routes purchase orders to wholesale distributors, and manages physical receiving and shelf stock allocation with real-time accuracy.

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1. Feature Scope & UI Navigation

The procurement and inventory ecosystem spans two dedicated application hubs and integrated line-item controls inside quotes, invoices, and online merch stores:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                             PRIMARY NAVIGATION PATHS                             │
├─────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┤
│ Procurement Hub         │ /purchase-orders         │ Top-Level Sidebar           │
│ Shop Inventory          │ /inventory               │ Suppliers & Inventory Menu  │
│ Job In-House Pull List  │ /quotes-invoices/[id]    │ Quotes & Invoices -> Job    │
│ Store Batch Demand      │ /stores/[id]             │ Merch Stores -> Procurement │
└─────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┘

Procurement Hub (/purchase-orders)

Access by clicking Procurement in the primary navigation sidebar:

• Ready to Order Tab: Live demand aggregation ledger displaying all unfulfilled blank garment requirements across active production invoices and finalized merch store batches. Items are automatically grouped by distributor, style SKU, and colorway, and strictly ordered in ascending garment size order (XS $\rightarrow$ 6XL).
• Purchase Orders Tab: Complete chronological ledger of supplier purchase orders tracking status (Draft, Ordered, Partial, Received, Cancelled), vendor name, order dates, tracking numbers, and attached digital packing slips.
• Supplier Contacts Tab: Master vendor directory tracking wholesale distributor contacts, local sales representatives, phone numbers, and dedicated purchase order dispatch email addresses.

Shop Inventory Hub (/inventory)

Access by expanding Suppliers & Inventory in the left sidebar $\rightarrow$ click Shop Inventory:

• Garment Stock Ledger: Tracks on-hand blank stock, safety stock reorder thresholds, and physical shelf/bin locations (e.g., Bin B-12).
• Stock Allocation Tracking: Displays committed garments reserved for pending jobs alongside uncommitted free shelf stock.

Header Actions & Interactive Controls

• + Create PO (Button in /purchase-orders): Manually initiates a blank garment or custom transfer purchase order.
• Receive Stock (Button in PO Table & PO Dialog): Launches the Receiving Desk modal to verify arrived physical boxes, count delivered pieces per size, and update job readiness.
• Adjust Stock (Button in /inventory): Opens the manual inventory count modal to reconcile physical shelf counts after misprints, sample pulls, or periodic cycle counts.
• Commit Stock Log (Button in /inventory): Displays an itemized audit trail of garment reservations tied to active shop work orders.
• Pull from Shelf (Button inside Job Detail View): Allocates on-hand shop blanks to an approved invoice, decrements physical inventory, and removes the item from the wholesale purchasing queue.
• Submit to Supacolor (Button in Transfer PO Dialog): Transmits production artwork and order specifications directly to Supacolor via cloud API and records the confirmed vendor Job Number.
• Refresh Status (Button in PO Dialog): Polls real-time carrier tracking links (FedEx, UPS, DHL), distributor fulfillment status, and vendor invoice PDFs.

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2. Capabilities & Operational Boundaries

The procurement engine bridges commercial sales with physical warehouse and decoration operations:

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        DEMAND GENERATION ENGINE                        │
│   Confirmed Invoices (/quotes-invoices) + Finalized Merch Store Waves │
└───────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
                                    │
                                    ▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      CENTRAL DEMAND AGGREGATION                        │
│   • Natural Size Sorting: XS ➔ S ➔ M ➔ L ➔ XL ➔ 2XL ➔ 3XL ➔ 4XL ➔ 5XL  │
│   • Double-Order Protection (Ordered Allocation Ledger)                │
│   • Multi-Vendor PO Splitting (SanMar, S&S, AlphaBroder, etc.)         │
└───────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────┘
                    │                                │
       [In-House Stock Available]       [Wholesale Order Required]
                    │                                │
                    ▼                                ▼
       ┌────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────────┐
       │   PULL FROM SHELF      │      │     PURCHASE ORDER ENGINE     │
       │ Decrements Inventory   │      │ Transmit via PromoStandards   │
       │ Marks Blanks Allocated │      │ API, Supacolor, or Vendor Rep │
       └────────────┬───────────┘      └───────────────┬───────────────┘
                    │                                  │
                    │                    Carrier Delivery to Shop Dock
                    │                                  │
                    │                                  ▼
                    │                  ┌───────────────────────────────┐
                    │                  │     RECEIVING DESK STATION    │
                    │                  │ Verify physical carton counts │
                    │                  │ Flag short-shipments/deficits │
                    │                  └───────────────┬───────────────┘
                    │                                  │
                    └──────────────────┬───────────────┘
                                       │
                                       ▼
                    ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
                    │      PRODUCTION STAGE ADVANCE        │
                    │ 100% Blanks Accounted For ➔ Advanced │
                    │ to "Blanks Sourced" on Kanban Board  │
                    └──────────────────────────────────────┘

Supported Capabilities

• Cross-Channel Demand Consolidation: Aggregates blank requirements from custom bespoke invoices and online merch store campaigns into unified purchasing manifests.
• Natural Size Progression Sequence: Garments are strictly ordered in ascending sizing sequence (XS $\rightarrow$ 6XL), eliminating alphabetical or scrambled size confusion when placing vendor orders.
• Double-Order Prevention: Maintains a persistent allocation ledger across all order lines to guarantee that blanks already ordered or pulled from shelf stock are never duplicated.
• Vendor Auto-Splitting: Automatically segments multi-brand job requirements into distinct supplier purchase orders (e.g., routing Bella+Canvas to S&S Activewear and Port & Company to SanMar).
• Shelf Stock Allocation: Empowers shop managers to claim in-house shelf stock directly against active jobs with a single click.
• Granular Receiving Desk: Enables dock personnel to check in deliveries box-by-box and size-by-size, supporting full receipts, partial receipts, and split shipments.
• Automated Job Progression: Automatically updates linked job statuses to Blanks Sourced when 100% of required blank items have been received or allocated.
• Automated Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) Entry: Finalizing and receiving purchase orders automatically logs corresponding COGS expense records in the shop's financial books.
• 1-Click Supacolor Integration: Generates and submits custom heat transfer purchase orders directly to Supacolor with attached cloud artwork.

Operational Boundaries

• Quotes Excluded from Demand: Draft estimates and unapproved quotes do not appear in the Ready to Order tab. Garments are only aggregated once a quote is converted to an active Invoice or a customer signs off on their order.
• Non-Automated Supplier Payments: While purchase order manifests are generated and transmitted electronically via PromoStandards or vendor email, credit card charges or net-term credit settlements are processed through the shop's established wholesale vendor accounts.
• Permanent Allocation Logic: Garments marked as "Pulled from Shelf" immediately decrement available inventory. If an allocated job is cancelled, blanks must be returned to stock via the Adjust Stock modal.

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3. Step-by-Step SOP Workflows

Workflow 1: Aggregating Demand & Creating a Consolidated Bulk Purchase Order

1. Navigate to Procurement (/purchase-orders) from the main sidebar.
2. Select the Ready to Order tab to review all pending blank garment requirements.
3. Review the consolidated list. Items are organized by supplier, product style SKU, and colorway, sorted cleanly in ascending size order (XS $\rightarrow$ 5XL).
4. Select the target supplier (e.g., SanMar or S&S Activewear) and click + Create PO.
5. The system automatically populates required quantities, supplier account numbers, and job references.
6. Select your preferred shipping method (Ground, Next Day Air, 2-Day Air).
7. Click "Generate Purchase Order".
8. Click "Send PO via Email" to dispatch the official purchase manifest directly to your distributor sales representative, or transmit electronically via PromoStandards.

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Workflow 2: Checking In Arrived Shipments at the Receiving Desk

1. When delivery boxes arrive at your shop dock, open Procurement (/purchase-orders).
2. Select the Purchase Orders tab and locate the corresponding purchase order number (e.g., PO-2048).
3. Click the Receive Stock action button.
4. Open the delivery carton, review the vendor packing slip, and count physical garments.
5. In the receiving modal, input the actual quantities received for each size:
   • Full Receipt: If all ordered quantities match the box contents, click "Receive All" $\rightarrow$ "Commit Receiving". The PO status updates to Received, and all linked jobs automatically advance to Blanks Sourced.
   • Partial Receipt / Short Shipment: If pieces are missing or backordered, enter the exact delivered count and click "Commit Receiving". The PO status updates to Partially Received. Missing items remain highlighted in the procurement ledger until resolved.
6. Affix the job box label and route the verified blanks to the staging carts or print press.

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Workflow 3: Allocating Garments from Shop Shelf Stock ("Pull from Shelf")

1. Open an approved production invoice in Quotes & Invoices (/quotes-invoices/[id]).
2. Scroll to the line-item items section and locate the In-House Pull List card.
3. If on-hand stock exists in your shop warehouse, a green badge displays: (X in stock).
4. Click Pull from Shelf.
5. The system immediately:
   • Allocates the required garment quantity to the invoice.
   • Decrements the available count in Shop Inventory (/inventory).
   • Deducts the items from the Ready to Order wholesale procurement ledger.

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Workflow 4: Managing Supplier Contacts & Rep Routing

1. In the sidebar, click Procurement (/purchase-orders) and select the Supplier Contacts tab.
2. Click + Add Supplier Contact (or select an existing vendor card to edit).
3. Enter the vendor company name, primary sales representative name, direct phone number, and dedicated order submission email.
4. Click "Save Supplier". Future purchase orders generated for this vendor will automatically default to these dispatch coordinates.

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Workflow 5: Performing Manual Stock Adjustments and Shelf Bin Mapping

1. Expand Suppliers & Inventory $\rightarrow$ click Shop Inventory (/inventory).
2. Locate the target garment SKU using the search bar or category filters.
3. To assign a physical warehouse location, click the Location / Bin field and enter your shelf code (e.g., Shelf D-3 or Bin 14).
4. To reconcile stock after cycle counts or damaged pieces, click Adjust Stock.
5. Enter the new physical count, select an adjustment reason (Physical Cycle Count, Damaged / Misprint, Returned to Vendor), and click "Save Adjustment".
6. The updated count is instantly reflected across shop procurement and pull lists.

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4. Business Logic, Formulas & Rules

Blank Demand Aggregation Formula

The procurement engine computes required purchasing quantities by continuously balancing total job commitments against prior purchase orders and shelf allocations:

$$\text{Net Required Blank Quantity} = \sum_{\text{Jobs}} \text{Confirmed Item Quantity} - \text{Quantity Already Ordered} - \text{Quantity Pulled from Shelf}$$

Where:

• $\sum_{\text{Jobs}} \text{Confirmed Item Quantity}$ is the aggregate sum of blanks across all approved production invoices and closed merch store batches.
• $\text{Quantity Already Ordered}$ is the tally of items committed on pending or submitted purchase orders.
• $\text{Quantity Pulled from Shelf}$ is the number of units satisfied through internal shop inventory.

Natural Size Sequence Sorting

To eliminate sizing confusion during distributor order entry, Print Life uses a natural apparel hierarchy instead of standard alphabetical sorting:

$$\text{XS} \prec \text{S} \prec \text{M} \prec \text{L} \prec \text{XL} \prec \text{2XL} \prec \text{3XL} \prec \text{4XL} \prec \text{5XL} \prec \text{6XL}$$

• Standard alphabetical sorting incorrectly places 2XL before L and S after M.
• The natural sizing engine ensures all purchase order manifests, receiving modals, and pull lists display garments strictly from smallest to largest.

Double-Order Prevention Ledger

Every production line item maintains an independent procurement ledger tracking its fulfillment state:

• Unordered: Item exists on a confirmed invoice but has not yet been placed on a PO or pulled from inventory.
• On Purchase Order: Item is linked to an active PO (Draft or Ordered). The item is locked from being added to any other purchase order.
• Allocated from Stock: Item has been claimed from physical shelf inventory.
• Received: Item has been physically verified at the Receiving Desk and is staged for decoration.

Receiving Reconciliation Rules

When dock personnel verify incoming deliveries, purchase order status transitions follow strict mathematical criteria:

Physical Receipt State	Condition	PO Status	Shop Floor Action
Full Delivery	$\text{Qty Received} = \text{Qty Ordered}$	Received	All linked jobs advance to Blanks Sourced.
Partial Delivery	$0 < \text{Qty Received} < \text{Qty Ordered}$	Partially Received	Delivered items staged; remainder stays in deficit ledger.
Over-Delivery	$\text{Qty Received} > \text{Qty Ordered}$	Received	Required items staged for job; excess routed to uncommitted shelf stock.

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5. Troubleshooting & Diagnostic Matrix

Symptom / Question	Root Cause	Exact Remediation Step
Blanks from a new job do not appear in the Ready to Order tab	The job is currently saved as an unconfirmed Quote rather than an active Invoice.	Open the job in Quotes & Invoices (/quotes-invoices/[id]) and click "Convert to Invoice" or wait for the customer to approve the online proposal.
A garment displays "0 Needed" on the PO builder	The item has already been assigned to an existing draft or sent purchase order.	Open the job detail page and check the procurement status card to identify the existing PO number claiming the blanks.
Carton delivered 23 shirts instead of the 24 ordered	The wholesale distributor short-shipped the order or split the carton across shipments.	In the Receive Stock dialog, input 23. The system marks the PO as Partially Received and retains 1 unit in the procurement deficit ledger.
Shop Inventory count does not match physical shelf count	Misprints, damaged garments, or unrecorded sample pulls occurred on the floor.	Navigate to Suppliers & Inventory $\rightarrow$ Shop Inventory (/inventory), locate the SKU, and click Adjust Stock to log the corrected count and reason.
Supacolor PO submission fails or times out	Required artwork file is missing, low-resolution, or the cloud link is inaccessible.	Open the transfer PO dialog, verify that high-resolution vector artwork is attached to each line item, and click Submit to Supacolor again.

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6. Frequently Asked Questions & Action Prompts

Q: Where do I manage wholesale purchase orders and blank procurement?

Answer: Click Procurement (/purchase-orders) in the primary navigation sidebar. From here, you can review aggregated blank requirements across all active customer invoices in the Ready to Order tab, manage vendor purchase orders, and check in deliveries.

[How do I create a new PO?](chat:How do I create a new purchase order?)

Q: Why are garments from my quote missing from the procurement list?

Answer: To safeguard your shop against ordering expensive blanks before a customer commits, Print Life only pulls blank demand from confirmed Invoices and closed Merch Store batches. Once a quote is approved by the client or converted to an invoice, its blanks appear immediately in Ready to Order!

[Show me how to convert a quote to an invoice](chat:How do I convert a quote to an invoice?)

Q: How does Print Life prevent our team from ordering the same blanks twice?

Answer: Every garment line item maintains an active procurement ledger. As soon as shirts are assigned to a purchase order or pulled from inventory, they are automatically locked and deducted from the Ready to Order queue.

[How do I check in received boxes?](chat:How do I receive stock from a purchase order?)

Q: Can I use blank shirts already sitting on my shop shelves?

Answer: Yes! Open any active invoice in Quotes & Invoices (/quotes-invoices/[id]), locate the In-House Pull List card, and click "Pull from Shelf". The system allocates your shelf stock to the job and removes those garments from the purchasing queue.

[Take me to Shop Inventory](chat:Show me the Shop Inventory page)

Q: Do blank garments from our Online Merch Stores show up in Procurement?

Answer: Yes! As soon as an online store campaign reaches its batch deadline or is pushed to procurement, all required blanks stream directly into the Ready to Order tab in Procurement (/purchase-orders). They are grouped alongside your custom shop jobs and ordered cleanly in ascending size sequence (XS $\rightarrow$ 6XL).

[Open Procurement Ready to Order](chat:Show me the Ready to Order tab in Procurement)