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Kiosk Inventory Management Guide

Updated over 3 weeks ago

Overview

The Kiosk Inventory Management system allows businesses with multiple kiosks, registers, or sales points to track inventory separately at each location. This guide covers how to set up, manage, and use kiosk-level inventory tracking.

Key Concepts

Inventory Types

RentalTide supports two inventory tracking modes:

  • Location-Level Inventory: Traditional inventory tracked at the business location level. Product quantities are shared across all kiosks.

  • Kiosk-Level Inventory: Inventory tracked separately for each kiosk/register. Each product has independent stock counts per kiosk.

Kiosks

A kiosk represents a physical sales point, register, or terminal within your location. Examples:

  • Front desk register

  • Outdoor kiosk

  • Mobile cart

  • Different departments or sections

Setting Up Kiosks

Creating a Kiosk

  1. Navigate to POS > Inventory Management

  2. Click the More Actions menu (three dots)

  3. Select Manage Kiosks

  4. Click Add Kiosk

  5. Fill in the details:

    • Kiosk ID: Unique identifier (e.g., "FRONT-DESK-01")

    • Name: Display name (e.g., "Front Desk")

    • Description: Optional details about the kiosk location or purpose

Editing or Deleting Kiosks

  1. Open the Manage Kiosks dialog

  2. Click the Edit icon next to a kiosk to modify its details

  3. Click the Delete icon to remove a kiosk (note: this won't delete inventory data)

Managing Kiosk Inventory

Assigning Products to Kiosks

When adding or editing a product:

  1. Open the Add/Edit Product dialog

  2. Set Inventory Type to Kiosk-Level

  3. The product will now track inventory separately for each kiosk

Setting Initial Kiosk Stock

After creating a kiosk-level product:

  1. Use the Transfers page to set initial stock levels

  2. Create a transfer from "Location" to your kiosk

  3. Enter the quantity to allocate to that kiosk

Viewing Kiosk Inventory

In the Inventory Management page:

  • The inventory table shows both Location Stock (total) and individual Kiosk Stock columns

  • Each kiosk appears as a separate column

  • Location stock represents the "warehouse" or unallocated inventory

Using the POS with Kiosks

Selecting a Kiosk View

In the POS page:

  1. Click the More Actions menu (three dots)

  2. Under Switch Kiosk, select:

    • All Location Inventory: Shows all products with location-level totals

    • [Specific Kiosk]: Shows only products available at that kiosk

Kiosk Filtering Behavior

When a kiosk is selected:

  • Products: Only kiosk-level products with stock at the selected kiosk are shown

  • Folders: Only folders containing available products are displayed with correct counts

  • Favorites: Only favorited products/folders with available stock are shown

  • Stock Display: Shows the actual quantity available at the selected kiosk

When "All Location Inventory" is selected:

  • Products: All products are shown (location-level and kiosk-level)

  • Stock Display:

    • Location-level products show variant quantities

    • Kiosk-level products show total location stock (sum across all kiosks + unallocated)

Making Sales from Kiosks

When selling products from a specific kiosk:

  1. Select the kiosk from the Switch Kiosk menu

  2. Only products available at that kiosk will be visible

  3. Completing a sale automatically deducts from that kiosk's inventory

  4. The current kiosk is tracked with the sale for reporting purposes

Inventory Transfers

The Transfers page allows you to move inventory between the location warehouse and kiosks, or between kiosks.

Transfer Types

  1. Location → Kiosk: Move inventory from warehouse to a kiosk

  2. Kiosk → Location: Return inventory from a kiosk to warehouse

  3. Kiosk → Kiosk: Move inventory directly between kiosks

Creating a Transfer

  1. Navigate to POS > Transfers

  2. Click New Transfer

  3. Select From Location:

    • "Location" for warehouse inventory

    • A specific kiosk name for kiosk inventory

  4. Select To Location:

    • "Location" for warehouse

    • A specific kiosk for that kiosk

  5. Click Add Product

  6. Select a product and variant

  7. Enter the Quantity to transfer

  8. Add more products as needed

  9. Optionally add Notes about the transfer

  10. Click Complete Transfer

Transfer History

The transfers table shows:

  • Date: When the transfer was completed

  • From/To: Source and destination locations

  • Products: List of items transferred with quantities

  • Status: Transfer state (Completed, Pending, etc.)

  • Created By: Staff member who initiated the transfer

  • Notes: Any additional information

Editing or Canceling Transfers

  • Click the Edit icon to modify an incomplete transfer

  • Click the Delete icon to cancel a transfer (only before completion)

  • Completed transfers cannot be edited (create a reverse transfer instead)

CSV Import/Export

Exporting Kiosk Inventory

  1. Navigate to POS > Inventory Management

  2. Click the More Actions menu

  3. Select Download CSV

  4. The exported file includes:

    • All product information

    • inventoryType column (location/kiosk)

    • Individual kiosk inventory columns (e.g., kiosk_FRONT-DESK-01)

Importing Kiosk Inventory

  1. Prepare your CSV file with these columns:

    • Standard product fields (name, category, price, etc.)

    • inventoryType: Set to "kiosk" for kiosk-level products

    • kiosk_[KIOSK-ID]: Quantity for each kiosk (e.g., kiosk_FRONT-DESK-01)

  2. Navigate to POS > Inventory Management

  3. Click the More Actions menu

  4. Select Upload CSV

  5. Choose your file and upload

Example CSV Format:

name,category,inventoryType,quantity,kiosk_FRONT-DESK-01,kiosk_OUTDOOR-KIOSK Water Bottle,Beverages,kiosk,100,25,35 Sunscreen,Retail,kiosk,50,15,20

In this example:

  • Water Bottle has 100 total location stock, 25 at Front Desk, 35 at Outdoor Kiosk

  • The remaining 40 (100 - 25 - 35) stays in location warehouse inventory

Best Practices

Inventory Organization

  1. Start with Location-Level: Keep simple products at location-level unless you need per-kiosk tracking

  2. Use Kiosk-Level for High-Value Items: Track expensive or limited-quantity items per kiosk

  3. Regular Audits: Periodically verify physical inventory matches system counts

  4. Transfer Documentation: Always add notes to transfers explaining the reason

Kiosk Naming

  1. Use Clear Names: "Front Desk" instead of "Kiosk 1"

  2. Consistent IDs: Use a naming scheme like "DEPT-LOCATION-##"

  3. Document Purposes: Use descriptions to clarify what each kiosk is for

Stock Management

  1. Maintain Buffer Stock: Keep some inventory in location warehouse for flexibility

  2. Monitor Low Stock: Set up alerts for kiosks running low on popular items

  3. End-of-Day Reconciliation: Count register inventory and compare to system

  4. Scheduled Restocking: Create regular transfer schedules for high-turnover kiosks

Folder and Favorites Organization

  1. Kiosk-Specific Folders: Create folders for products commonly sold at specific kiosks

  2. Favorite High-Volume Items: Star frequently sold items for quick access

  3. Empty Folder Behavior: Folders automatically hide when no products are available (filtered by kiosk)

Reporting and Analytics

  1. Track by Kiosk: Use the current kiosk selection to analyze sales by location

  2. Identify Top Performers: Compare sales across kiosks to optimize inventory placement

  3. Transfer Patterns: Review transfer history to understand inventory flow

Troubleshooting

Product Not Showing in Kiosk View

Issue: Product doesn't appear when a kiosk is selected

Possible Causes:

  1. Product has inventoryType set to "location" instead of "kiosk"

  2. Product has zero quantity at the selected kiosk

  3. Product is in a folder with no available items at that kiosk

Solution:

  1. Check product settings and change to kiosk-level if needed

  2. Transfer inventory to the kiosk using the Transfers page

  3. Verify the product has stock at the kiosk in Inventory Management

Wrong Stock Numbers Displayed

Issue: Stock counts don't match expectations

Check:

  1. Are you viewing "All Location Inventory" or a specific kiosk?

  2. For kiosk-level products in "All Location Inventory" view, you'll see total location stock

  3. For kiosk view, you'll see only that kiosk's inventory

Transfer Failed or Inventory Not Updated

Issue: Transfer completed but inventory didn't change

Possible Causes:

  1. Transfer wasn't marked as "Completed"

  2. Product is location-level, not kiosk-level

  3. Browser cache needs refresh

Solution:

  1. Check transfer status in the transfers list

  2. Verify product inventoryType is set to "kiosk"

  3. Refresh the page or clear browser cache

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I convert a location-level product to kiosk-level?

Yes, edit the product and change the "Inventory Type" to "Kiosk-Level". Use transfers to allocate the existing quantity across kiosks.

What happens to inventory when I delete a kiosk?

The kiosk is removed from the system, but inventory data is preserved. You can recreate the kiosk with the same ID to restore access.

Can I see total inventory across all kiosks?

Yes, select "All Location Inventory" from the kiosk dropdown. Kiosk-level products will show their total location stock (sum of all kiosks + unallocated).

How do I handle returns to a kiosk?

Process the return as normal in the POS. If you need to add inventory back to a specific kiosk, use the Transfers page to move items from location to that kiosk.

Can I transfer between kiosks directly?

Yes, in the Transfers page, select one kiosk as "From Location" and another kiosk as "To Location".

Do sales automatically deduct from the current kiosk?

Yes, when you select a kiosk and make a sale, inventory is automatically deducted from that kiosk's stock.Support

Related Articles
Inventory Page User Guide
Point of Sale (POS) Page User Guide
POS Inventory Management User Guide
POS Inventory Audit Guide
How RentalTide and Xero Work Together: Product Sync, Inventory, and Accounting Guide
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