Store Inventory - Operations Guide

Published by Give.Gives · Updated April 2, 2026

Store Inventory - Operations Guide

1. Significance & Business Context

Management Frequency: Operations staff must review and process items on this dashboard at least once a week to maintain platform health.

Why does this page exist?
The Store Inventory dashboard is the single operational checkpoint for one simple question: is this item currently in the store or not?

It combines two real-world situations into one workflow:

1. A donor listed an item, but the store still needs to confirm it has physically arrived.

2. A buyer paid for an item, but the store still needs to confirm it has physically left with the buyer.

These used to live in separate dashboards, but operationally they are the same inventory problem. If the system says an item is in the wrong physical state, the team loses shelf accuracy, staff waste time searching for items, and downstream fulfillment or space planning becomes unreliable.

The purpose of this page is to keep the digital inventory aligned with the physical store. Managers and admins do not need to think in terms of separate legacy statuses. They only need to check the real-world situation and update whether the item is still in store.

Why are the specific actions important?

• Remind: Use this when the item still needs outside action before the store state can be confirmed. The system sends the correct reminder automatically based on the record type.

• Confirm Arrived / Confirm Picked Up: This is the core inventory action. It updates the system so the dashboard matches what is physically happening at the venue.

• Unified review list: Putting both cases in one place reduces missed follow-up and makes weekly inventory review faster and more consistent.

2. Operational Procedures

Accessing the Dashboard

Navigate to Store Inventory in the admin sidebar.

[Placeholder: Screenshot of the Store Inventory dashboard, showing the unified item list and venue filter]

What Appears Here

This page includes items that still need a store-state confirmation:

• Donated items awaiting arrival confirmation: the item was listed, but the venue has not yet confirmed it is physically in store.

• Sold items awaiting pickup confirmation: the order was paid, but the venue has not yet confirmed the item has physically left the store with the buyer.

You do not need to memorize the underlying backend state. Treat the page as a weekly review queue of items that still need a real-world inventory decision.

Filtering the Queue

Use the controls at the top of the page to narrow the list:

• Type filter: Focus on all records, donated items, or sold items.

• Venue filter: If you manage multiple locations, review one venue at a time.

Reviewing an Item

Each card shows the item image, title, venue, and how long it has been waiting in this queue.

Your job is to answer one question:
Based on what staff can verify on the ground, should this item still be considered in store?

If needed, coordinate with venue staff before taking action.

[Placeholder: Screenshot of a Store Inventory item card with reminder and confirm actions highlighted]

Taking Action

1. Send Reminder

• When to use: The item is still waiting on the next real-world step, and a reminder can help move it forward.

• How it works: Click the reminder button on the card. The system automatically sends the appropriate email based on the record:

  • for a donation waiting to arrive, it reminds the donor to drop the item off

  • for a paid order still in store, it reminds the buyer to pick the item up

Use reminders to reduce stale inventory without making assumptions about physical state.

2. Confirm the Store State

• When to use: Venue staff have verified the actual state of the item.

• How it works: Click the confirmation button on the card.

  • If the item has arrived at the venue, confirm it as arrived.

  • If the sold item has left with the buyer, confirm it as picked up.

After confirmation, the record leaves the Store Inventory queue because no further inventory check is needed.

3. Escalate Offline if Reality Is Unclear

• When to use: Staff cannot confirm whether the item is currently in store, the item cannot be located, or the item status conflicts with what the system shows.

• How it works: Do not guess in the dashboard. First verify with venue staff or the related customer/donor communication, then return and update the record once the physical state is clear.

3. Operating Principle

When using Store Inventory, always ignore the old mental split between:

• At Store Status

• Unclaimed Orders

The correct workflow is now:

1. Open Store Inventory

2. Review items that still need confirmation

3. Decide whether the item is physically in store or not

4. Send a reminder if the next step depends on the donor or buyer

5. Confirm the real-world state once staff can verify it

This keeps store operations simple and ensures the dashboard reflects actual inventory, not legacy page boundaries.