# Creating suppliers and stock management Step 1: entering basic data · Updated: 2026-02-07 · Bas Software Web version: https://www.bas.software/en/onboarding/step-1-entering-basic-data/creating-suppliers-and-stock-management Create suppliers so you can log incoming stock, track purchase prices and gain insight into box losses and price trends. Before you can keep track of stock in Bas, you need to create at least one supplier. Without a supplier, the buttons for logging incoming stock are **greyed out and inactive** - you simply can't register stock. A supplier only needs to be created once and can then be reused for all your boxes and materials. Stock management in Bas works automatically: stock is reduced when it's issued to a customer and increased when you log a new delivery. This way, you always have an up-to-date overview of what's in your warehouse. --- ## Step 1 - Opening the supplier overview Go to **WMS** > **Suppliers**. Here you'll see an overview of all the suppliers in the system. In a new environment, this overview is empty. Click **New supplier** to add your first supplier. --- ## Step 2 - Entering the supplier details Enter the following details: | Field | What to enter | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | **Name** | The official name of your supplier | Example Packaging | | **VAT number** | The VAT identification number | NL123456789B01 | | **Website** | The URL including https:// | https://www.voorbeeldverpakkingen.nl | | **Email address** | Contact address of the supplier | info@voorbeeldverpakkingen.nl | | **Phone number** | Phone number for orders | 010-1234567 | Not all fields are mandatory. The name is the minimum, but the more you fill in, the more complete your purchasing records will be. `Note:` Always add **https://** to the start of the website address. Without https://, the link won't be saved correctly. Click **Save**. Your supplier is now created and immediately available to link to boxes and materials. --- ## Step 3 - Linking a supplier to boxes or materials Now that your supplier exists, you can link it to your boxes and materials. Go to **WMS** > **Boxes** and open an existing box type (or create a new box). 1. Click the **Supplier** field 2. Select the supplier from the list (for example "Example Packaging") 3. Enter the **purchase price** (what you pay per item, excluding VAT) 4. Click **Save** If you use the same supplier for multiple box types, simply select the same supplier from the list. You don't need to create it again. ### Why enter the purchase price? The purchase price might seem like a small detail, but it unlocks valuable dashboards: - **Price trends** - you can see how your purchase prices develop over time - **Outstanding value** - you can see exactly how many boxes customers have and what they're worth - **Box losses in euros** - you can see not just how many boxes you're losing, but also what that costs - **Purchasing overview per supplier** - you have a complete overview of your purchasing costs `Tip:` Always enter the purchase price, even if you don't have the exact amount to hand right away. An estimate is better than nothing. One removal company discovered via the dashboard that 27,000 boxes were outstanding with customers, worth 51,000 euros. Without a purchase price, that insight would have been missing. --- ## Step 4 - Logging incoming stock Now that you've linked a supplier, the **Log incoming stock** button is active (no longer greyed out). You use this to register that a new delivery has arrived. 1. Go to **WMS** > **Boxes** 2. Open the box type you want to log (for example "Standard packing box") 3. Click **Log incoming stock** 4. Select the **supplier** (for example "Example Packaging") 5. Click **Received** 6. Enter the **quantity** (for example 500) 7. Click **Save** **Expected result:** The stock count for this box type has now increased by 500 units. You'll see this reflected in the stock overview. --- ## Step 5 - Keeping track of stock in daily practice After logging incoming stock, stock levels update automatically: | Action | Effect on stock | | --- | --- | | **Issuing boxes to a customer** | Stock is automatically reduced | | **Getting boxes back from a customer** | Stock is automatically increased | | **Logging a new delivery** | Stock is increased by the logged quantity | You don't need to manually update stock for every removal. The removal crew log in the app how many boxes they take and how many they collect. The system does the rest. `Tip:` The removal crew don't need to count exactly down to the last box. If 100 boxes went out and they count roughly 100 coming back, that's 100. Logging boxes in the app takes just 10 seconds per box. --- ## Box losses in practice Box losses are a reality for every removal company. Customers forget to bring boxes back, or bring back fewer than they received. Without logging, you have no idea of the scale. With Bas, you do get that insight. ### Practical rules of thumb for box losses | Situation | Approach | | --- | --- | | **Fewer than 25 boxes** with a customer | Don't follow up - not worth the effort | | **Difference of up to 10%** between issued and returned | Accept and tick off | | **Customer far away with fewer than 10-15 boxes** | Let them keep them and write off | | **More than 25 boxes and more than 10% difference** | Call to follow up and arrange collection | ### Why this matters An average removal company orders thousands of boxes a year. Without logging, 10-20% disappears every year without you noticing. With a purchase spend of 20,000 euros a year and a loss rate of 15%, you're losing 3,000 euros annually on boxes you never see again. With the dashboard in Bas, you can see per customer exactly how many boxes are outstanding, what the sales value is, and what the purchase value is. This lets you take targeted action with customers who have a lot of boxes outstanding. --- ## Dashboard insights Once you've properly set up your suppliers, purchase prices and stock, Bas automatically generates insights: - **Outstanding boxes per customer** - how many boxes are with which customer, and what the value is - **Price trends** - how your purchase prices develop per supplier - **Stock levels** - how many boxes you have in the warehouse, per type - **Box losses** - how many boxes you issue versus how many you get back - **Purchase value versus sales value** - your margin on materials becomes visible This data helps you make better decisions about your purchasing policy and actively manage box losses. --- ## Tips - **Create your supplier before adding boxes.** Then you can link the supplier straight away and won't need to go back afterwards. - **A supplier only needs to be created once.** Use the same supplier for all the box types you buy from that party. - **Always enter the purchase price.** Without a purchase price, you'll miss all the dashboard insights on price trends, outstanding value and box losses. - **Only log your starting stock shortly before going live.** During the test phase, the system is wiped clean, including stock levels. Counting and entering stock only makes sense once you're actually going to work with the system. - **Set a threshold for box losses.** Not every difference is worth following up. Focus on customers with more than 25 boxes and more than a 10% difference. --- ## Please note - **No supplier = no logging incoming stock.** Without a supplier, the buttons for stock registration remain greyed out and inactive. This is the most common reason new users can't enter stock. - **Skipping the purchase price** means you have no insight into your box losses in euros, can't track price trends and can't see outstanding value per customer. At larger companies, this can add up to thousands of euros a year in invisible losses. - **Entering stock during the test phase** is pointless. The system is wiped clean before going live and all stock levels are reset. Only enter your actual starting stock once you're really going to work with the system. - **A website without https://** won't be saved correctly on the supplier. Always type the full address including the protocol. --- **Next step:** [Adding materials](https://www.bas.software/en/onboarding/step-1-entering-basic-data/adding-materials) - add removal materials such as hoists, roll containers and blankets.