Low Stock Notification

Automated email alerts when item inventory drops below configured thresholds — RuleSet-based monitoring with flexible rules, location filters, and live results.

The Low Stock Notification module provides automated email alerts when item inventory drops below defined thresholds. It helps warehouse managers and purchasing teams stay informed about critical stock levels without manually checking inventory.

ℹ️ What It Does

The module monitors your inventory against configurable rules and sends batch email notifications to designated recipients when items fall below their threshold quantities. Each email contains a summary table of all affected items, along with a link to a live results page in Business Central where recipients can view up-to-date stock levels at any time.

Key capabilities:

  • RuleSet-based monitoring — group rules and recipients into logical sets (e.g., per team, warehouse, or product category).
  • Flexible rule types — define thresholds at three levels: Global (all items), Item Category (entire category), or Item (specific item).
  • Rule priority — when multiple rules apply, the most specific one wins: Item > Item Category > Global.
  • Location filtering — optionally restrict rules to specific locations using standard BC filter syntax (e.g., EAST|WEST).
  • Calculation Source — choose whether thresholds are compared against physical inventory or a custom availability calculation. When set to Custom Availability, you select the availability template that defines how the stock level is computed.
  • Safety Stock as Threshold — optionally switch the threshold source from the rule's own value to the Safety Stock Quantity field on the Item Card. This way you don't need to manually maintain thresholds in rules — the system uses the values you already maintain on Item Cards. Items with Safety Stock Quantity = 0 are skipped (no alert).
  • Batch email alerts — one email per RuleSet containing all items below threshold, sent to all assigned recipients.
  • Multilingual emails — emails are sent in each recipient's preferred language (english and polish supported at the moment).
  • Calculation Source in emails — when all items use the same calculation source, the email displays the source above the results table. When sources are mixed (e.g., some items fell back to inventory), a "Calculation Source" column appears per row.
  • Live Results page — each email includes a link to the N24I - Low Stock Alert Results page, which recalculates stock levels in real time when opened.
  • Automated scheduling — runs automatically via a Job Queue Entry on a configurable interval (default: every 24 hours).

🎯 When to Use It

  • You want to be proactively notified when items run low, rather than discovering shortages during order fulfillment.
  • Different teams need separate alert sets — e.g., the bikes team only cares about bicycle parts, while the warehouse team monitors everything.
  • You need location-specific thresholds — the same item may require different minimum quantities at different warehouses.
  • You want a lightweight, automated solution that runs in the background without any user interaction after initial setup.

⚙️ How It Works

  1. The Job Queue periodically triggers the Low Stock Monitor process.
  2. The monitor iterates over all enabled RuleSets.
  3. For each RuleSet, it evaluates every active (non-blocked) item against the RuleSet's enabled rules, applying rule priority (Item → Item Category → Global).
  4. For each item, it calculates the quantity using the configured Calculation Source: physical inventory (default) or a custom availability template. If the custom availability calculation fails (e.g., the module is disabled or the template is missing), the system falls back to physical inventory.
  5. The system determines the comparison threshold: if Use Safety Stock as Threshold is enabled, the threshold is taken from the Safety Stock Quantity field on the Item Card. Otherwise, the Threshold Quantity defined in the rule is used. Items with Safety Stock Quantity = 0 are skipped — they do not generate an alert.
  6. If an item's calculated stock at the relevant location(s) is at or below the threshold, it is added to the alert list.
  7. If any alerts are found, a single email is composed per recipient language with a table listing all affected items — including Item No., Description, Location, Current Quantity, Threshold, and Unit of Measure.
  8. When all items were calculated using the same source, the email shows the calculation source (e.g., "Calculation based on: Inventory" or "Calculation based on: Custom Availability") above the table. When sources are mixed, a "Calculation Source" column is added to each row.
  9. The email also contains a View Live Results button that opens the N24I - Low Stock Alert Results page filtered to the RuleSet, showing a real-time recalculation.

💡 Example Scenarios

Configure a global low-stock rule

Need: Monitor all items against the same stock threshold.

Configuration:

  1. Create or open a RuleSet on the low-stock rule setup page.
  2. Add an enabled rule with Rule Type set to Global.
  3. Enter the required Threshold Quantity and assign recipients to the RuleSet.

Result: Items at or below the threshold are collected in the RuleSet alert and included in the batch email.

Apply a category rule before a global rule

Need: Use a different threshold for one item category while keeping a fallback threshold for all other items.

Configuration:

  1. Add an enabled Item Category rule and select the required category.
  2. Enter its Threshold Quantity.
  3. Add an enabled Global rule with the fallback threshold.

Result: The category rule is selected for matching items because rule priority is Item → Item Category → Global. Other items use the global rule.

Monitor stock separately by location

Need: Check an item against a threshold at selected locations.

Configuration:

  1. Add an enabled Item rule and select the item.
  2. Enter the Location Filter using standard Business Central filter syntax.
  3. Enter the Threshold Quantity and ensure the RuleSet is enabled.

Result: The monitor evaluates the item for each matching location and adds an alert entry when stock is at or below the threshold.