Dashboard

The Dashboard is your visual control center for monitoring warehouse operations. It shows real-time charts of orders, inventory, and expenses from the last 14 days, letting you quickly see the status of your operations and make informed decisions.

Why use the Dashboard?

Quick Status View

See the general status of your operations at a glance with clear, easy-to-understand visual charts.

Order Trends

Monitor shipped, in-process, and backorder orders during the last 14 days to identify patterns and problems.

Inventory Status

Quickly visualize available, reserved, damaged, and oversold inventory to make stock management decisions.

Expense Analysis

Review handling, shipping, and storage expenses to understand warehouse operating costs.

Automatic Updates

Data updates automatically when you access the Dashboard, showing real-time information.

Account Filtering

Filter data by specific account to see individual client metrics when needed.

Access Dashboard

You can access Dashboard from:

1. Billing Menu: Navigate to Billing > Dashboard
2. Directly: Access /dashboard.php

Permissions

Dashboard requires Warehouse Billing permissions. If you don’t see the option in the menu, verify your permissions with the system administrator.

Dashboard Components

The Dashboard shows three main charts:

Orders Chart

The Orders chart shows orders from the last 14 days in a stacked bar chart:

• Shipped (Green): Shipped orders (OrderStatus = 9) based on shipping date
• Other (Orange): Orders in other statuses (different from 9 and 7) based on order date
• Backorders (Red): Backorder orders (OrderStatus = 7) based on order date

The chart shows daily trends for each order type, letting you identify days with high shipping volume, days with many backorders, or days with pending orders.

Inventory Chart

The Inventory chart shows current inventory status in a pie chart:

• Available (Green): Inventory available for sale (UnitsInStock)
• Reserved (Blue): Reserved inventory (difference between QtyGood and UnitsInStock)
• Oversold (Orange): Products with negative inventory (UnitsInStock < 0)
• Hurt units (Red): Damaged units (QtyHurt)

This chart helps you quickly understand your inventory distribution and identify problems like oversold or damaged units.

Expenses Chart

The Expenses chart shows expenses from the last 14 days in a stacked bar chart:

• MH + HP (first series): Monthly storage (MH) and hourly storage (HP) expenses combined
• Handling (second series): Handling expenses (ServiceType = 1)
• Shipping (third series): Shipping expenses (ServiceType = 2)

The chart shows daily expense trends, helping you identify days with high costs and understand operating expense patterns.

Understanding Charts

Orders Chart

1. Review daily bars

   Each bar represents a day from the last 14 days. Total height shows total orders for that day.

2. Identify colors

   • Green at bottom: Orders shipped that day
   • Orange in middle: Other orders in process
   • Red at top: Backorders

3. Analyze trends

   Look for patterns like:

   • Days with many shipments (tall bars with lots of green)
   • Days with many backorders (bars with lots of red)
   • Days with few orders (short bars)

4. Use the legend

   The legend at the top right shows what each color represents. Click legend elements to show or hide specific series.

Inventory Chart

1. Review pie chart

   Each segment size represents the proportion of that inventory type relative to the total.

2. Identify colors

   • Green: Available inventory (what you can sell)
   • Blue: Reserved inventory (assigned to orders)
   • Orange: Oversold (products sold without inventory)
   • Red: Damaged units

3. Look for problems

   Pay attention to:

   • Large oversold segments (orange) - indicates inventory problems
   • Large damaged unit segments (red) - requires attention
   • Proportion of available vs reserved inventory

4. Review values

   The chart shows approximate values. For exact values, consult detailed inventory reports.

Expenses Chart

1. Review daily bars

   Each bar represents expenses for a day from the last 14 days.

2. Identify components

   • Bottom part: Storage expenses (MH + HP)
   • Middle part: Handling expenses (Handling)
   • Top part: Shipping expenses (Shipping)

3. Analyze costs

   Look for:

   • Days with high expenses (tall bars)
   • Days with many shipping expenses (lots of top part)
   • Days with many storage expenses (lots of bottom part)

4. Compare days

   Compare expenses between days to identify patterns and days with unusual costs.

Filter by Account

You can filter Dashboard data by specific account:

1. Access Dashboard

   Go to Billing > Dashboard.

2. Configure account filter

   In the Dashboard JavaScript code, you can configure the Account variable to filter by a specific account. By default, it shows all accounts (Account = 0).

3. View filtered data

   Charts will automatically update to show only data from the selected account.

Account Filtering

Account filtering is configured in JavaScript code. If you need to filter by specific account regularly, contact the system administrator to configure this functionality.

Access Counter

From the Dashboard, you can quickly access Counter:

1. Find the link

   At the top of the Dashboard, you’ll see a link to Counter next to the title.

2. Click Counter

   This will take you to the Counter page (counterlist.php) where you can manage counters.

Best Practices

Review Dashboard Daily

Review the Dashboard at the start of each day to understand the current status of your operations and identify problems early.

Compare Consecutive Days

Compare charts from different days to identify trends and patterns in your operations.

Pay Attention to Alert Colors

Red and orange colors indicate potential problems (backorders, oversold, damaged units). Investigate these cases.

Use Charts for Reports

Dashboard charts are useful for presentations and executive reports. Capture screenshots when necessary.

Combine with Detailed Reports

The Dashboard gives you an overview. For detailed analysis, use specific reports for each area.

Monitor Expenses Regularly

Review the expenses chart regularly to identify days with unusual costs and optimize operations.

Verify Available Inventory

Make sure the green segment (Available) is the largest in the inventory chart to maintain healthy operations.

Investigate Oversold Immediately

If you see a large orange segment (Oversold) in the inventory chart, investigate and correct the problem quickly.

Troubleshooting

Charts don’t display

Problem: Charts don’t appear or are blank.

Solution:

• Verify that JavaScript is enabled in your browser
• Make sure chart libraries (jQuery Flot) load correctly
• Check browser console for JavaScript errors
• Try reloading the page (F5 or Ctrl+R)
• Verify that you have permissions to access dashboard_ajax.php

Data doesn’t update

Problem: Charts show old data or don’t update.

Solution:

• Reload the page to get updated data
• Verify that database connection is working
• Check that dashboard_ajax.php is accessible and working
• Verify that there is data in the database for the shown period (last 14 days)

Inventory chart shows incorrect values

Problem: Values in the inventory chart don’t match detailed reports.

Solution:

• The chart shows approximate values for visualization. Exact values may vary slightly
• Verify that products aren’t marked as Discontinued (they’re excluded from calculation)
• Check that the account filter (if applied) is correct
• For exact values, consult detailed inventory reports

I can’t filter by account

Problem: I can’t find the option to filter by specific account.

Solution:

• Account filtering is configured in the Dashboard JavaScript code
• By default, the Dashboard shows all accounts
• If you need to filter by specific account, contact the system administrator to configure this functionality
• Alternatively, you can modify the Account variable in JavaScript code if you have access

Colors don’t display correctly

Problem: Chart colors don’t show or are incorrect.

Solution:

• Verify that your browser supports SVG/Canvas graphics
• Make sure chart libraries load correctly
• Try using a different browser to rule out compatibility issues
• Verify that there are no browser extensions blocking JavaScript or charts

Expenses chart shows zero

Problem: The expenses chart shows all values at zero.

Solution:

• Verify that there are records in the partial_invoice table for the last 14 days
• Check that ServiceTypes are correct (1 = Handling, 2 = Shipping, 5 = MH, 9 = HP)
• Confirm that the account filter (if applied) includes accounts with registered expenses
• Verify that expenses are registered with correct dates in the last 14 days period

Related

• Reports - Detailed reports for deeper analysis
• Service Summary - Summary of services and detailed expenses
• Generated Costs - Generated costs and billing
• Daily Storage - Daily storage and associated costs
• Statements - Account statements and financial summaries