# QuickBooks Inventory VS AyaNova Inventory

A common question asked by service companies using AyaNova along with the optional add-on QBI is "Do I use AyaNova inventory features, or QuickBook's or a combination of both?". 

The answer to that depends on what you want to do.

## Benefits of using AyaNova's inventory features along with your QuickBooks

AyaNova inventory includes a number of unique features:

### Part Requests

- With AyaNova [Part Request feature](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-part-requests/), a user can request a [Part](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-parts/) and quantity and for a specific [Part Warehouse](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-part-warehouses/) from the [AyaNova service workorder](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/svc-workorders/)
- The Part Request is "tied" to that specific service workorder
- Purchasing can easily include in an [AyaNova Purchase Order](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-purchase-orders/) the Parts requested to be ordered tied to the specific service workorder
- When the part is received in AyaNova, if subscribed to the [Notification](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/home-notify-subscriptions/) "Requested Part received", the user logged in who requested the part will be notified the part has been received; and the scheduled user in that service workorder will be notified that the part has been received so that the service can be provided

### Part Inventory

Initial Quantity on-hand in AyaNova is set by [importing inventory](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-part-inventory/#import-export) or manually [entering opening inventory](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-part-inventory/#part-inventory-adjustment-edit-form) amounts into AyaNova.

As AyaNova is used, quantity on-hand is immediately updated whenever a [Work order](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/svc-workorders/) is saved with a new or changed part quantity selected. 

This way you can always see at a glance via the [Part Inventory data table](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-part-inventory/) what each [Part Warehouse](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-part-warehouses/) (if used in AyaNova) have what quantity of what parts on-hand.

### Serialization

- You can [track and enter serial numbers](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-part-serials/) for [Parts](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-parts/) in AyaNova
- When receiving parts into inventory via an [AyaNova Purchase Order](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-purchase-orders/), if the part has been set as serialized, you can enter serial numbers for the received parts
- You can also [update the list of serial numbers available](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-parts/#available-serial-numbers) for each part in that Parts [edit form](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-parts/#available-serial-numbers)
- In the AyaNova service workorder, when you select a serialized part you can [select](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/svc-workorders/#serial-numbers) which of that Part's serial numbers were used

### QuickBooks inventory

- AyaNova is not an accounting program and does not include Accounts Payable. AyaNova does not remind you how much you owe to your vendors, nor when to pay them
- QBI does NOT have the ability to import AyaNova Purchase Orders into QuickBooks. These, if required, must be manually entered in QuickBooks
- When QuickBooks inventory items are sold in an invoice generated by using QBI to bill out your [AyaNova service workorders](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/svc-workorders/), your QuickBooks inventory on hand amounts will be updated too

## If you **DO NOT** want to use AyaNova's Purchase Orders and its inventory benefits

If you want to use QuickBooks inventory only, so that when receiving it updates your Accounts Payable to your vendors

1\. Confirm that your AyaNova's [Use Inventory](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/adm-global-settings/#use-inventory) Global setting is set to False

Disabling inventory in AyaNova will disable the ability to create AyaNova POs, tracking serial numbers etc. It will not affect your QuickBooks abilities to do so. Don't worry, disabling inventory in AyaNova will still allow you to identify [Parts](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-parts/) sold to customers in your [AyaNova service workorders](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/svc-workorders/)

2\. Complete your [QBI installation](install-starting.md), [QBI preferences](install-preferences.md), [QBI Linking & Importing](linksync-link.md) and your QBI [Invoice descriptive text](invoice-descriptive-text.md) setup.

3\. Use QuickBooks only for entering PO's and for receiving inventory

This way you have only one program that you are entering such data

4\. NOTE: Don't worry, when QuickBooks inventory items are sold in an invoice generated by using your QBI to bill out your [AyaNova service workorders](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/svc-workorders/), your QuickBooks inventory on hand amounts will be updated too!

- In an AyaNova workorder, you [select a part](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/svc-workorders/#parts) and enter its quantity.

- If a part is serialized, just enter the serial number in the Description field in the Part record in the [AyaNova service workorder](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/svc-workorders/)

- Any text entered in the Part Description field will display in the QuickBooks invoice

## If you **DO** want to use AyaNova's Purchase Orders and its inventory benefits

1\. Confirm that your AyaNova's [Use Inventory](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/adm-global-settings/#use-inventory) Global Settings is set to True

2\. Complete your [QBI installation](install-starting.md), [QBI preferences](install-preferences.md), [QBI Linking & Importing](linksync-link.md) and your QBI [Invoice descriptive text](invoice-descriptive-text.md) setup.

Refer to your AyaNova Help documentation for steps on how to [import inventory](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-part-inventory/#import-export) or manually [enter opening inventory](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-part-inventory/#part-inventory-adjustment-edit-form) counts in your AyaNova.

3\. Use AyaNova for creating [Purchase Orders](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-purchase-orders/) and for receiving

- Take advantage of AyaNova features such as [Part Requests](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-part-requests/) in service workorders to order parts for specific workorders

- Take advantage of AyaNova [Part's serial numbers entry](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/inv-parts/#available-serial-numbers) and [selection](https://www.ayanova.com/docs/svc-workorders/#serial-numbers) in workorders

4\. For your QuickBooks Accounts Payable, you may want to enter total amounts manually into QuickBooks for what you owe vendors that you have purchased for resale

5\. NOTE: Don't worry, when QuickBooks inventory items are sold in an invoice generated by using your QBI to bill out your AyaNova service workorders, your QuickBooks inventory on hand amounts will be updated too!
