Quick Summary: Total Investment on the Executive Dashboard differs from Stock Holding because the Investment graph excludes specific item categories like new items or those with surplus orders.
The Discrepancy Explained
When viewing the Summary tab of the Executive Dashboard, you might notice a difference between your total Stock holding figure and the sum of the bars in the Investment graph.
Example Scenario:
Stock Holding KPI: Displays a total of $8.7m.
Investment Graph: When you sum the bars (Minimum stock, Safety stock, Cycle stock, Effective cycle, and Excess), the total comes to $7.14m .
The Gap: There is a $1.6m difference between the two figures.
This gap exists because the Investment graph does not include every item in your warehouse. Instead, it displays the sum of stock held in five specific "constraint categories" to help you analyze the drivers of your inventory investment.
What the Investment Graph Includes
The Investment graph displays the sum of stock held in the following key categories:
Minimum stock: Stock held solely to satisfy manually set minimum stock levels.
Safety stock: The additional buffer stock held to minimize the risk of stock-outs.
Cycle stock: The working stock required based on your replenishment cycle.
Effective replenishment cycle: Additional stock required to accommodate supplier constraints, such as Minimum Order Quantities (MOQ).
Excess: Stock held above the Order-up-to level (Lead Time + Safety Stock + Replenishment Cycle).
What the Investment Graph Excludes
The "missing" value (the $1.6m in our example) is comprised of items that do not fit neatly into the categories above, or whose value is attributed to a different status priority.
New Items
Items with a New status are excluded from the Investment graph. Their value contributes to the total Stock Holding KPI but is not reflected in the constraint categories.
Surplus Orders Prioritization
This is the most common reason for the discrepancy. Netstock assigns a single primary status to every item based on priority.
The Rule: If an item has excess stock and also has surplus orders, the item is classified under surplus orders only. Surplus orders represent a more urgent problem because they will create additional excess if left unaddressed.
The Result: Because the item is classified as Surplus Orders, its current excess value is not counted in the Excess bar of the Investment graph.
Why this matters: This priority rule ensures that you focus on preventing the creation of new excess before addressing existing excess.
How To View the Full Stock Holding Report
⚠️ Watchouts
Missing categories: New items and items prioritized under Surplus Orders will not appear in the Investment graph even though they contribute to Stock Holding.
Misinterpreting gaps: The difference between Stock Holding and Investment is expected. It is not an error or data mismatch.
💡 Tips
Use the Full report: Always use the Full report on the Stock holding panel for a complete breakdown of your inventory value.
Use Investment for insight: The Investment graph is designed as a strategic snapshot of constraint categories, not a full valuation.
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