Stock Monitoring Errors

[Bilbo]

Hi there,

I have the Actinic Developer 7.0.3.1.0.0. FBIA (US Version). I have a problem monitoring the stock in all the products in the whole catalogue (even the ones with no components). Even when I have 0 or very few products in stock, the orders still get through, i.e. if I have 1 product and a customer buys 5, I end up with a -4 in stock, even when I tick suspend orders if below 1. I have try to untick allow back orders from the Business Settings, but that doesn't work either.

Can anyone help?

Many Thanks.

[Jan]

Are you uploading your catalog to get the stock levels transferred to the site?

Regards,

[MDS]

I am experiencing the same problem.

I assumed Actinic would prevent a customer buying more stock than we had, it dosn't seem this way.

I use stock control, no backorders, and update stock regularly.

[anthony@sfc]

I use Actinic Business v7.

Maybe this info does not apply to your version but ...

My version does not suspend orders when the stock level goes below 0.

I think it merely gives a warning message when downloading orders. IE stock levels have no live online effect.

I use the stock tab to show when things are out of stock, and nothing more

[TraceyHand]

This might sound obvious but what do you have set as your moaximum order quantity?
(Product>details>MAX order qty)
Ideally it should be maintained at the same level as the stock level each time you download and upload.
If you only have 1 in stock, the MAX order qty should be 1 which should NOT allow the customer to order 5.
I have to repeat what Jan said too though, I assume you are downloading with current stock levels (i.e downloading and uploading between orders to ensure that each customer orders with current available stock levels)?

[MDS]

This might sound obvious but what do you have set as your moaximum order quantity?

That is one solution, but it would involve having to remember to manually adjust every item as they are sold.

For a website generating a lot of orders it would be inpractical.

[TraceyHand]

well, I guess so, yes.
It is something that Actinic, when downloading/uploading SHOULD do automatically, tbh
Luckily, I use the stock control mole from Mole End and this DOES automatically update the max qty allowed field. otherwise I would never keep up to date either (especially as 99% of my stuff is one-off items)
I have to confess that, until I just tried it, I didn't realise tha Actinic itself didn't do it.
Surely its a fairly basic requirement? For the MAX qty allowed figure to MATCH the stock levels by default??

[Bilbo]

Dear Jan,

I have uploaded the catalogue and refreshed the website, but I'm still experiencing problems. I used to have an Actinic Catalogue 7.0.2.0.0.ELCA and did not have any problems with the stock. When is not stock or not enough stock, customers can't order.

Why is there a difference here? Has anyone noticed this?

Regards,
Bilbo

[MDS]

I have to confess that, until I just tried it, I didn't realise tha Actinic itself didn't do it.

Nor did I until the other day when someone managed to order a lot more than we had in stock, and the stock number was correct.

Surely its a fairly basic requirement? For the MAX qty allowed figure to MATCH the stock levels by default??

Absolutely, makes the stock control pretty useless unless the quantity on hand is zero.

Is there a chance this could be added?

[MDS]

Thanks Budget, have had a look at the Stock Control Mole-does appear to solve the issue.

Is this function definately not integrated into Actinic, or is there a way of doing it?

If it isn't-it should be

[Jan]

Dear Jan,

I have uploaded the catalogue and refreshed the website, but I'm still experiencing problems. I used to have an Actinic Catalogue 7.0.2.0.0.ELCA and did not have any problems with the stock. When is not stock or not enough stock, customers can't order.

Why is there a difference here? Has anyone noticed this?

Regards,
Bilbo

Are you saying that customer can order items that are out of stock or that they cannot order items that are out of stock - sorry for the daft question but I am a bit confused.

Regards,

[Bilbo]

Stock Error

Dear Jan,

Customers can order items that are out of stock on the Developer Actinic 7. However customers can't order on the simple Actinic Catalogue 7.
I want my Developer to behave in the same way: not allowing customers to order something that is out of the stock. Currently my customers can order items that are out of the stock. IE: A customer ordered 20 units when in stock there are only 10 available causing me a bit of a problem because this item is discontinued. How can I avoid situations like these?

Regards,

Bilbo

[Jan]

You can reduce the amount of overordering by setting the maximum quantity orderable to the quantity in stock. Two customers would still be able to order the amount in stock at the same time though.

Regards,

[Bilbo]

Stock Monitoring

Actinic Catalog 7 DOES monitor the stock without me having to match the maximun quantity you can order with the stock available. This solution is not practical at all on shops with a few thousand items.
Surely if the simplest version of Actinic can manage this problem, the Developer version have to be able to do it also.
All the support I have received from Actinic Technical Support is 'to refresh my site'. I have been using Actinic for a long time, since Version 3, from the Catalog, to the Business and now to the Developer 7, so 'refreshing my site' is not the issue here.

Any other ideas?


Bilbo

[Jan]

Stock monitoring is identical on Actinic catalog and Actinic developer. As far as I know, it will not check the quantity ordered against the quantity in stock, it will just mark an item as out of stock on the next upload that occurs after the item's stock level has met or fallen below the suspend quantity. This doesn't mean that something odd is not happening with your sites though because from what you have said, you are not seeing this behaviour.

I can't think that might be happening with your two versions. Have you got the same values set for the warning and suspend levels on your sites and do the products you are testing with have stock monitoring switched on? Have you got a URL for the site that is monitoring stock as you expect (ie: ordering 20 when only 10 are in stock is not allowed), it might be possible to work out what is happening from looking at the site.

Regards,