Parts & Supplies

The Parts & Supplies area in UniCMMS is a complete inventory hub.
It covers:

Parts (consumable items used on Assets)
Inventories (where each part physically lives)
Sets (pre‑defined kits of parts)
Cycle Counts & Scheduled Cycle Counts (inventory audits)
Internal Transfers (moving parts between sites)

This page gives you a high‑level understanding of each sub‑module before you dive into the step‑by‑step how‑to guides.

1. Parts

1.1 What is a Part?

Parts are consumable pieces, materials, or spare components used to perform maintenance on an Asset.

Example:

Asset: “Conveyor Belt Motor”
Parts: “Synthetic Lubricant”, “Replacement Screws”

1.2 Key Quantity Concepts

UniCMMS tracks three critical numbers for every part:

Metric	Definition
Available Quantity	How many units you have on the shelf minus any units already reserved on open Work Orders.
Minimum Level	The lowest number of units you want to keep. Dropping below this puts you at risk of stockout.
Maximum Level	The highest number of units you should keep. Going above this ties up too much company money in inventory.

These numbers drive the Stock Status badge:

Status	System Logic (simplified)	Operational Meaning
Out of Stock	Available Quantity ≤ 0	You have no stock. Maintenance with this part is blocked.
Low Stock	0 < Available Quantity < Minimum Level	You are below your safety threshold. Order more immediately.
Overstocked	Available Quantity > Maximum Level	You ordered too many. Pause purchasing until stock decreases.
Normal	Minimum Level ≤ Available Quantity ≤ Maximum Level	Stock is balanced. No immediate action required.

1.3 How Parts Connect to Other Modules

Assets – Link parts directly to assets so technicians know exactly which items to use for a specific machine.
Facilities / Locations – Tie each part to a facility and bin (e.g. Main Warehouse – Aisle 1, Row 2, Bin B4).
Work Orders – When a part is added to a Work Order, UniCMMS:
- Reserves the quantity while the Work Order is open.
- Logs it as consumed when the Work Order is completed.

tip: Always log parts on the Work Order Logging parts through Work Orders keeps your Available Quantity accurate and builds a cost history per asset.

2. Inventories

There is a strict difference between a Part and an Inventory record:

A Part is the master profile (e.g. “Heavy Duty V‑Belt”).
An Inventory record is the physical stock of that part in one specific location.

One Part can have many inventory records (Main Warehouse, Satellite Store, Technician Truck, etc.).

Each inventory record tracks:

Stock Location – Facility, aisle, row, and bin.
Stock Levels – Available Quantity and Reserved Quantity at that location.
Financial Value – Quantity × unit price.
Local Alerts – Local minimum and maximum thresholds.

info: Why Inventory matters Parts tell you what you own. Inventory tells you where it is, how many you have there, and how much it is worth.

3. Stock Operations (Manual Adjustments)

Normally, UniCMMS updates stock automatically when parts are used on Work Orders.
However, the Stock Operations menu lets you make controlled manual adjustments:

Operation	Typical Use Case	Effect on Stock
Consume	Technician takes a part for a quick fix without a Work Order.	Decreases available stock.
Undo Consume	A part was taken but not used and is returned to the shelf.	Increases available stock.
Receive Items	Logging a new delivery from a supplier.	Increases stock and records cost.
Return to Vendor	Shipping defective or incorrect parts back to the supplier.	Decreases available stock.

Stock Operations can be performed either from the Parts list or directly from the Inventory list.
Doing it from Inventory is safer because the system already knows the exact bin and location.

4. Sets (Kits / Bills of Materials)

A Set is a pre‑defined group of parts that are commonly used together for a specific job.

Example Set: “Air Compressor Annual Service Kit” that includes:

1 Air Filter
4 Spark Plugs
5 Liters of Oil

When a technician adds the Set to a Work Order, UniCMMS automatically:

Pulls each individual part in the right quantity.
Reserves them from active inventory.

Benefits:

Faster Work Order creation.
Fewer forgotten small items (e.g. O‑rings, screws).
Standardized material usage for recurring PM tasks.

5. Cycle Counts

5.1 What is a Cycle Count?

A Cycle Count is a focused inventory audit for a specific location or subset of items.
Instead of stopping operations for one huge annual count, you regularly audit smaller segments (e.g. “Main Cage – Bin 4”).

Goals:

Ensure digital stock = physical stock.
Catch discrepancies caused by unlogged consumption, misplaced items, or data‑entry errors.

5.2 Status Workflow (Draft → Processing → Completed/Cancelled)

Cycle Counts move through controlled statuses:

Status	What it Means
Draft	The audit is configured but not active yet. You can still add/remove items from the scope.
Processing	The audit is live. Inventory in scope is frozen from Stock Operations to ensure accurate counting.
Completed	All items were counted and reconciled. Inventory is unfrozen.
Cancelled	The audit is abandoned; inventory is unfrozen.

warning: Inventory Freeze during Processing While a Cycle Count is in Processing, UniCMMS temporarily blocks stock movements for the audited items to avoid corrupting the count.

6. Scheduled Cycle Counts

Scheduled Cycle Counts automate the creation of recurring audits.

You define a template such as:

Location to audit (e.g. Main Warehouse)
Frequency (e.g. weekly, monthly)
Due‑date window and assignee
Optional filters (e.g. only “High‑Value Parts”)

When the schedule triggers, UniCMMS:

Creates a new Cycle Count in Draft status.
Auto‑populates the inventory scope based on your filters.
Lets the manager review and adjust the list before moving to Processing.

This keeps inventory accuracy high without relying on someone to remember to create audits manually.

7. Internal Transfers (Between Sites)

For organizations with multiple facilities, Internal Transfers let you:

Request parts from another site that has a surplus.
Move stock between locations without purchasing from a vendor.

Key concepts:

Internal Transfers are treated as formal transactions with a Transfer Request.
Administrators can enable or disable the module globally in Tenant Settings.
Optional Cross‑Site Part Request Visibility controls how much detail users see about transfers between other sites.

info: Request vs. Instant Movement Creating a Transfer Request does not instantly move stock. The destination site must review and fulfill the request before inventory levels update.

Where to Go Next

Use this page as a map for the Parts & Supplies area.
Next, you can read the detailed how‑to guides (once published) for:

Creating, editing, and deleting Parts
Creating and managing Inventory records
Performing Stock Operations
Creating and managing Sets
Running Cycle Counts and Scheduled Cycle Counts
Configuring and using Internal Transfers