When replenishing items in a warehouse, it may not always be necessary to order externally from a vendor. If your agency operates more than one warehouse, it may be possible to fill inventory needs by requisitioning items from other warehouses. Replenishing inventory from another warehouse within the NCAS is referred to as internal replenishment.

Internal replenishment has several advantages:

• Warehouse managers can replenish stock without buying from an outside vendor. Since funds are not checked for an internal replenishment transaction, orders are not restricted by available funds. However, agencies can choose to have orders checked against maximum allowable stock levels so that overstocking does not occur.

Note: Funds checking will, however, occur with an internal replenishment order that is across companies or across agencies.
 

• Warehouse managers can use the Stock Status (SS), Find Inventory By Item (FII) and Item Warehouse Inquiry (IWI) screens presented earlier in the Evaluating Inventory Supply section to immediately find the items and quantities that are available in other warehouses.

Once an order has been approved, it must be released and allocated in the Inventory module. Release and allocation may occur manually or automatically. A pick list is then printed at the central warehouse, where the items are picked and shipped to the receiving warehouse. Item locations and quantities are automatically updated by the NCAS.

The internal replenishment process is explained in detail in this section. You will learn how to:

• Create an internal replenishment order
• Process an internal replenishment order with a maximum exception
• Process an internal replenishment order with a stock shortage condition
• Release and allocate an internal replenishment order
• Maintain an internal replenishment order
• Inquire on an internal replenishment order
• Inquire on the internal replenishment order approval process
• Update inventory balances