--- title: "📊 Automatic Ordering Part 5: Doing a Stocktake" description: Learn why and how to run a stocktake before using Automatic Ordering — and what happens if you skip it. --- [Skip to content](https://help.futurenet.com.au/automatic-ordering-stocktake#main-content) [![FNET Logo](https://help.futurenet.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/fnet_logo_isolated-1.png?width=50&height=50&name=fnet_logo_isolated-1.png)](https://www.futurenet.com.au) Open main navigation Close main navigation How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Future Net Help & Support](https://help.futurenet.com.au/?hsLang=en-au) 2. [Inventory](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au) 3. [Automatic Ordering](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#automatic-ordering) 2 January 2026 # 📊 Automatic Ordering Part 5: Doing a Stocktake Before your first automatic order can work properly, the system needs to know how much stock is in your store right now. That’s what a **stocktake** does — it sets your stock-on-hand (SOH) values to match what’s physically in your store. If these numbers are off, your automatic orders will be too. ⚠️ **Important:** Automatic Ordering is only as smart as the data it’s given. If the system thinks you have 12 cartons of a product, but you only have 6, it won’t order enough. #### Why this step matters - It corrects your current SOH values across the system - It ensures the automatic order calculations aren’t based on outdated or incorrect stock - It resets the baseline — so the system can start fresh and make smart decisions from here on. #### When to do a stocktake - Right after you link parent and child items - After you set Min/Max stock levels - Once all invoices and wastage entries are up to date 💡  Don’t skip this step. Even if you think your SOH is “close enough”, small inaccuracies add up fast — especially when ordering in cartons but selling by the pack. 📦 Invoices and Wastage First! If you haven’t been consistently updating invoices or entering wastage, stop here. Do that first, then come back to stocktake. --- ### How to do a stocktake ✋ **New to stocktakes?** If this is your first one (or it’s been a while), we’ve got a full step-by-step article to help you out: 👉[📋 Stocktake Essentials Part 1: Preparation](https://help.futurenet.com.au/stocktake-essentials-part-1-preparation?hsLang=en-au) #### *Otherwise, a quick overview:* 1. Go to the **Stocktake** tab in **Convenience** 2. Select **Stocktake Entry** 3. Choose the department you’re counting (e.g. *Tobacco & Cigs*), and select whether you want to **zero out items** you don’t count. 4. **Count and enter** your physical stock for each item 5. Click **Update** to post the stock count --- ### What happens next? Once your stock levels are accurate, Automatic Ordering will generate a smart, data-driven order based on: - What’s in stock - What’s been selling - What’s already coming in --- ### It's time to create an order! You’re ready to generate your first automatic order. Let’s walk through how to set it up and review the suggestions. 👉 [📦 Automatic Ordering Part 6: Generating Your First Order](https://help.futurenet.com.au/automatic-ordering-generate-order?hsLang=en-au) - [General](https://help.futurenet.com.au/general?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Licensing](https://help.futurenet.com.au/general?hsLang=en-au#licensing) - [Convenience PDE](https://help.futurenet.com.au/convenience-pde?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Before You Start](https://help.futurenet.com.au/convenience-pde?hsLang=en-au#before-you-start) - [Getting Started](https://help.futurenet.com.au/convenience-pde?hsLang=en-au#getting-started) - [Stock Management](https://help.futurenet.com.au/convenience-pde?hsLang=en-au#stock-management) - [Item Management](https://help.futurenet.com.au/convenience-pde?hsLang=en-au#item-management) - [In-Store Operations](https://help.futurenet.com.au/convenience-pde?hsLang=en-au#in-store-operations) - [System](https://help.futurenet.com.au/convenience-pde?hsLang=en-au#system) - [General Tips](https://help.futurenet.com.au/convenience-pde?hsLang=en-au#general-tips) - [Inventory](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Item Maintenance](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#item-maintenance) - [Fast Price Entry](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#fast-price-entry) - [Promotions](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#promotions) - [Orders/Invoice Entry](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#orders-invoice-entry) - [Automatic Ordering](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#automatic-ordering) - [Recipes](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#recipes) - [Stock Adjustments](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#stock-adjustments) - [Wastage Entry](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#wastage-entry) - [Send Prices to Tills](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#send-prices-to-tills) - [Send to Scales](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#send-to-scales) - [Till and Label Changes](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#till-and-label-changes) - [Manual Sales Entry](https://help.futurenet.com.au/inventory?hsLang=en-au#manual-sales-entry) - [Printing](https://help.futurenet.com.au/printing?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Printing Shelf Talkers](https://help.futurenet.com.au/printing?hsLang=en-au#printing-shelf-talkers) - [Reports](https://help.futurenet.com.au/printing?hsLang=en-au#reports) - [Shelf Labels](https://help.futurenet.com.au/printing?hsLang=en-au#shelf-labels) - [Stocktake](https://help.futurenet.com.au/stocktake?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Stocktake Entry](https://help.futurenet.com.au/stocktake?hsLang=en-au#stocktake-entry) - [Host](https://help.futurenet.com.au/host?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Hosting](https://help.futurenet.com.au/host?hsLang=en-au#hosting) - [Accounts](https://help.futurenet.com.au/accounts?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Accounts Masterfile](https://help.futurenet.com.au/accounts?hsLang=en-au#accounts-masterfile) - [Setup](https://help.futurenet.com.au/setup?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Stores](https://help.futurenet.com.au/setup?hsLang=en-au#stores) - [Cashiers and Users](https://help.futurenet.com.au/setup?hsLang=en-au#cashiers-and-users) - [Tools](https://help.futurenet.com.au/tools?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Min/Max Stock](https://help.futurenet.com.au/tools?hsLang=en-au#min-max-stock) - [Registers](https://help.futurenet.com.au/registers?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [POS Vouchers](https://help.futurenet.com.au/registers?hsLang=en-au#pos-vouchers) - [Controller](https://help.futurenet.com.au/controller?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Inventory Management](https://help.futurenet.com.au/controller?hsLang=en-au#inventory-management) - [Troubleshooting](https://help.futurenet.com.au/troubleshooting?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [Backoffice](https://help.futurenet.com.au/troubleshooting?hsLang=en-au#backoffice) [![fnet\_logo\_isolated-2](https://help.futurenet.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/fnet_logo_isolated-2.png?width=100&height=100&name=fnet_logo_isolated-2.png "fnet_logo_isolated-2")](https://help.futurenet.com.au/?hsLang=en-au) Copyright © 2025 Future Net Australia Pty Ltd