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Maximum Stock Level

Learn how the Maximum Stock Level sets a hard ceiling for product inventory, preventing Optiply from suggesting orders that would push your stock over this limit, and understand its interactions with MOQs.

Written by Carla Domingos

🎯 Setting and Maintaining the Maximum Stock Level

The Maximum Stock Level represents the desired highest quantity of a product you want to hold in your warehouse at any given time.

Optiply uses this value as a strict purchasing constraint: the purchase advice for a product will automatically be capped so that your total inventory position (your current physical stock plus what is already on order) never exceeds this level. It acts as a safety rail to prevent overstocking and tying up unnecessary capital.

Note: Before individual products can use this feature, a Shop Administrator must ensure that the Product maximum stock level toggle is turned "On" via Settings > Additional settings > Inventory control.

⚠️ Critical Interactions

1. Impact on Forecasts and Purchasing Advice

The Maximum Stock Level overrides Optiply's algorithm calculations.

  • Rule: Even if a massive spike in sales or seasonality dictates that you need 500 units to meet upcoming demand, if your Maximum Stock Level is set to 200, Optiply will absolutely refuse to advise ordering more than 200 total units.

  • Warning: If your maximum is set too low, you risk creating artificial stockouts because the system is mathematically forbidden from ordering the stock needed to meet your actual customer demand.

2. Interaction with MOQs and Lot Sizes

The Maximum Stock Level constraint must "fight" with your supplier's ordering rules.

  • Rule: If ordering one more Lot Size (or meeting a Minimum Order Quantity) pushes your total inventory over the Maximum Stock Level, Optiply will suppress the order.

  • Example: If your Maximum Stock is 100, you currently have 80 in stock, and the supplier's Lot Size is 25. Adding 25 pushes you to 105 (breaching the limit). Optiply will wait to advise an order until your stock drops to 75 or lower, so the lot of 25 fits perfectly under the 100 maximum ceiling.

📍 How to Set the Maximum Stock Level

You can set or change the Maximum Stock Level using two primary methods:

Method 1: On the Product Page (Global Setting)

  1. Go to the Product Page: Navigate to the Products overview and select the product you wish to edit.

  2. Navigate to Information: Select the Information tab.

  3. Find Constraints: Scroll down to the Product settings section and locate "Manual stock constraints."

  4. Change Value: Enter or change the value for the Maximum stock level.

  5. Save Changes: Click Save at the top of the page.

Method 2: Inside a Purchase Order (Quick Edit)

  1. Open the Order: Navigate to and open the draft purchase order.

  2. Select Product: Click on the product line item you want to adjust to open the product overlay side-panel.

  3. Go to Product Tab: Select the Products tab inside the overlay.

  4. Change Value: Scroll down to Manual stock constraints and change the Maximum stock level value.

  5. Save Changes: Click Save.
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🔄 Bulk Update and API Access

The Maximum Stock level can also be updated in bulk:

  • API Access: This value is an attribute on the product endpoint via the Public API.

  • Bulk Import: You can use an import template to update this attribute for multiple products simultaneously. Visit the Import Products page to find the template.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does the Maximum Stock Level take "On Order" items into account?

Yes. Optiply looks at your Inventory Position, which is the sum of your Physical Stock plus stock currently arriving on open Purchase Orders. If the sum of these two numbers hits the maximum, no more stock will be advised.

Why isn't Optiply advising an order when I have zero stock?

Always check your constraints. If your Maximum Stock Level was accidentally set to 0, the system is strictly blocked from ordering anything. Additionally, check if your supplier's MOQ is larger than your Maximum Stock Level—if it is, Optiply can never place an order without breaking your rules.

What happens if I set both a Minimum and a Maximum Stock Level?

You can safely use both! This creates a strict "min/max" inventory bracket. Optiply will order stock the moment you hit the minimum, but it will cap the order quantity so it never breaches the maximum. Just ensure your Maximum is significantly higher than your Minimum and accommodates your supplier's Lot Sizes.

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