Stock Adjustments

Stock Adjustments allow you to correct inventory levels when the physical stock in your warehouse differs from what the system records show. Whether the discrepancy comes from a stocktake, damaged goods, a missing item, or a recovered piece of equipment, the adjustment workflow ensures every change is documented, approved, and fully auditable.

Accessing stock adjustments

To view and manage stock adjustments, navigate to Warehouse > Stock and select the Adjustments tab. The tab displays a filterable list of all adjustments with their reference number, type, date, status, and the user who submitted them. You can filter by adjustment type, status, date range, or warehouse.

Adjustment number format

Every stock adjustment is assigned a unique reference number in the format ADJ-{year}-{sequence}. For example, the first adjustment created in 2026 would be ADJ-2026-0001, followed by ADJ-2026-0002, and so on. The sequence resets at the start of each calendar year. These numbers are auto-generated and cannot be edited.

Creating a stock adjustment

Click the New Adjustment button on the Adjustments tab. The adjustment form contains the following fields:

• Warehouse — The warehouse where the adjustment applies. If you operate a single warehouse, this is pre-selected automatically.
• Adjustment Type — The reason category for the adjustment (see below).
• Adjustment Date — The date the discrepancy was identified. Defaults to today but can be backdated.
• Reason — A free-text explanation of why the adjustment is being made.
• Notes — Optional additional context or supporting information.

Adjustment types

NexusRMS provides six adjustment types, each designed for a specific scenario:

1. Correction — A general correction to fix a mismatch between the system count and the actual physical stock. Use this when the cause of the discrepancy is unclear or does not fit another category.
2. Physical Count — The result of a formal inventory count or stocktake. This type links the adjustment directly to a completed inventory count record for traceability.
3. Damage — Reduces available stock because equipment has been damaged and is no longer fit for hire. The damaged units should also have their condition updated on the equipment record.
4. Loss — Reduces stock to account for equipment that is missing, stolen, or otherwise unaccounted for. A loss adjustment creates a permanent record that can be referenced for insurance claims.
5. Found — Increases stock when previously lost or missing equipment is recovered. This reverses the effect of an earlier loss adjustment and restores the units to available inventory.
6. Other — A catch-all for adjustments that do not fit the above categories. When this type is selected, the Reason field becomes mandatory to ensure the adjustment is properly documented.

Adding adjustment items

After completing the header fields, add the individual equipment items affected by the adjustment. For each line item, specify:

• Equipment — Search and select the equipment item by name, SKU, or serial number.
• Quantity Change — Enter a positive number to increase stock or a negative number to decrease it. For example, enter +3 if three units were found, or −2 if two units are damaged.
• Notes — Optional per-item notes to explain the specific change (e.g., “Water damage from roof leak in Zone B”).

You can add as many line items as needed to a single adjustment. This is useful after a full stocktake where multiple items require correction.

Approval workflow

Stock adjustments follow a four-stage approval workflow to prevent unauthorised changes to inventory levels:

1. Draft — The adjustment has been created and items have been added, but it has not yet been submitted for review. You can freely edit all fields and line items whilst the adjustment remains in draft.
2. Pending Approval — The adjustment has been submitted for manager review. The system records the submitted_by user and timestamp. No further edits are permitted once submitted.
3. Approved — A manager has reviewed and approved the adjustment. The system records the approved_by user and approved_at timestamp. Stock levels are updated immediately upon approval.
4. Rejected — A manager has rejected the adjustment with a reason. No stock levels are changed. The submitter can view the rejection reason and create a new, corrected adjustment if needed.

Important: Only approved adjustments modify actual stock levels. Draft, pending, and rejected adjustments have no effect on your inventory counts.

Permissions

Access to stock adjustments is controlled by two permissions:

• can_manage_stock — Required to create, edit, and submit stock adjustments. Warehouse staff and managers typically hold this permission.
• can_approve_stock_adjustments — Required to approve or reject submitted adjustments. This is usually restricted to CoreAdmins and CoreManagers to maintain segregation of duties.

A user cannot approve their own adjustment. The system enforces this rule automatically — if you submit an adjustment, a different user with the approval permission must review it.

Audit trail

Every stock adjustment maintains a complete audit trail. The following information is recorded and cannot be modified after the fact:

• Who created the adjustment and when
• Who submitted it for approval and when
• Who approved or rejected it and when
• The rejection reason (if applicable)
• Every line item with its original quantity change and notes

This audit trail is accessible from the adjustment detail page and can be exported for compliance or insurance purposes.

Tips

• Always include a meaningful reason — A clear reason saves time during approval and creates a useful historical record. “Stocktake on 15 Jan revealed 3 missing cables in Zone A” is far more useful than “Stock correction”.
• Use the correct adjustment type — Choosing the right type ensures accurate reporting. Damage adjustments feed into your damage rate analytics, loss adjustments support insurance claims, and physical count adjustments link to your stocktake records.
• Review pending adjustments promptly — Adjustments left in pending status mean your system stock levels do not reflect reality. Aim to approve or reject within 24 hours.
• Create adjustments from inventory counts — After completing a stocktake, use the physical count adjustment type so discrepancies are linked to the count record for full traceability.

Next steps

Continue to the next article to learn about Warehouse Transfers, where you will manage the movement of equipment between multiple warehouse locations.