Create a Supplier Restock Order in 3 Steps
How to use the AskBiz POS Low Stock list to build a supplier restock order in minutes — and what's coming in the Purchase Orders feature for one-tap supplier emails.
Key Takeaways
- The Low Stock filter in Inventory is your instant restock list — export it as a CSV to send to suppliers today.
- AskBiz Purchase Orders (coming soon) will allow you to create, send, and track supplier orders from within the POS.
- Building a restock order from AskBiz data takes 3 minutes and eliminates manual stock counting.
- Set consistent supplier contact details in a shared note or your phone contacts to speed up the ordering process.
From low stock alert to supplier order in 3 minutes
Most small businesses create restock orders by walking the shop floor with a clipboard. AskBiz eliminates the clipboard walk — your Low Stock list is already compiled in real time. The Purchase Orders section (Operations > Purchase Orders) is coming soon to AskBiz, and will enable direct supplier emails and back-order tracking. Until then, the Low Stock export workflow described here gives you the same result in 3 steps.
Step 1 — Export the Low Stock list
Go to Operations > Inventory and click the 'Low stock' filter tab. You'll see every product below its reorder threshold with current quantities and costs. Click 'CSV import/export' (or the download icon) to export this list. The CSV contains product name, SKU, current stock, cost price, and branch. This is your restock order draft — open it in any spreadsheet app and add a column for 'Order quantity' based on your typical delivery size.
Step 2 — Group products by supplier
In the exported CSV, sort or group by supplier (if you've added supplier names to your product descriptions in Inventory). Most businesses deal with 3–5 primary suppliers. Create a separate order for each: Supplier A gets one list, Supplier B gets another. This takes 2 minutes with a spreadsheet filter. Copy each supplier's list into a WhatsApp message or email. Being specific — product name, SKU, and quantity — reduces supplier confusion and speeds delivery confirmation.
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See this in action for your business
AskBiz tracks these metrics automatically — just connect your data and start asking questions.
Start for free →Step 3 — Update stock when deliveries arrive
When a delivery arrives, go to Operations > Inventory > Scan to add. Scan each delivered item's barcode — AskBiz increases the stock count automatically. For deliveries without barcodes, click 'Edit' on the product and update the stock quantity manually. The Audit Log records the adjustment with your name, the timestamp, and the quantity change. This closes the loop: Low Stock → Order placed → Delivery received → Stock updated → LOW badge removed.
What Purchase Orders will add (coming soon)
The Purchase Orders section visible at Operations > Purchase Orders shows the upcoming workflow: Create POs (build orders from low-stock items automatically), Send to supplier (email or WhatsApp POs directly from AskBiz), Receive stock (scan deliveries to confirm and update inventory), Back-orders (track partial deliveries), Auto-reorder (AI suggests restock timing based on your sales velocity), and Supplier insights (lead times and cost trends). When this feature launches, the 3-step manual process above becomes one-tap.
Hack — Keep a supplier WhatsApp group for fast ordering
Create a WhatsApp group with each of your main suppliers. When you export the Low Stock list, paste the relevant products directly into the appropriate group with a standard format: 'RESTOCK REQUEST — [Date] — [Product] [Qty]'. This creates a timestamped, searchable order history in WhatsApp that you can cross-reference against AskBiz deliveries. It takes 90 seconds per supplier and requires no special software.