Stock Dots are color-coded indicators (green, yellow, red, gray) that show whether each item is above, approaching, or below its PAR level. They are the decision tool that bridges the gap between counting and ordering. Instead of analyzing usage data manually, the manager looks at the color and knows immediately whether to order, wait, or investigate.
Counting is the easy part. You walk the shelf, you type the number, you move to the next item. The hard part is what comes after: what does this number mean? Should you order? How much? Is this item fine, or is it about to run out? Is it sitting too high, or is this normal?
Without a decision tool, the manager has to answer all of those questions manually. They compare the count to the PAR, calculate the difference, check recent usage, decide if the difference is normal or unusual, and then decide how much to order. For 100 items, that process can take an hour by itself, on top of the counting.
Stock Dots eliminate that entire step. The app does the comparison. The color tells you the answer.
| Color | Meaning | What the manager does |
|---|---|---|
| Green | At or above PAR level | Do not order. This item is fine. |
| Yellow | Approaching PAR level | Watch it. May need to order next cycle. |
| Red | Below PAR level | Order now. This item needs replenishment. |
| Gray | No data yet | Needs more counting history before PAR can calculate. |
The colors are not just visual. They are the output of a calculation: the current count compared to the PAR level, factoring in the rolling 3-week average of usage. Green means you have enough. Red means you do not. Yellow means you are getting close. Gray means the system needs a few more weeks of counting before it can give you a reliable answer.
Before Stock Dots, the manager had to check every item individually. Is flour at PAR? Is sugar at PAR? What about napkins? Each item required a separate calculation. For a location with 100 to 150 items, that is 100 to 150 individual decisions.
With Stock Dots, the manager scans the list visually. Most items will be green. A few will be yellow. A handful will be red. The manager only needs to act on the red items and note the yellow ones for next time. The decision time drops from an hour to a few minutes.
This is where the time savings come from. Not from counting faster. From deciding faster. The count still takes 30 to 90 minutes. But the analysis that used to take another hour now takes almost no time because the app already did it.
Stock Dots are not just for the current week. Over time, patterns emerge that reveal whether PAR levels are set correctly.
If an item is green every single week, the PAR level might be too high. The item is always at or above PAR because you are ordering more than you need. The rolling average catches this and brings the PAR down. The next order is smaller for that item.
If an item is red every single week, the PAR level might be too low. The item keeps running out before the next order arrives. The rolling average catches this and raises the PAR. The next order is bigger for that item.
This feedback loop is automatic. The manager does not need to notice the pattern. The app tracks it and adjusts.
Sometimes an item shows red even though you ordered it last week. This can mean a few things: the order has not arrived yet, the supplier short-shipped, or usage spiked unexpectedly. The Stock Dot does not know the cause. It only knows the current state.
This is where operator judgment still matters. The Stock Dot tells you the item is below PAR. The manager knows the delivery is coming Wednesday. The decision is: do I wait for the delivery, or do I order more? The data gives you the question. The operator provides the answer based on context the app does not have.
In addition to the Stock Dot for each item, the app highlights rows in red when an item is below PAR and needs ordering. This is the PAR warning. It draws the manager's eye to the items that need attention without having to scan the entire list.
The combination of Stock Dots (color indicator) and PAR warning (row highlight) means the manager can walk into the app after counting and immediately see: here are the 8 items that need ordering today. The other 92 are fine. That is the decision tool in action.
No. Stock Dots are only as accurate as the last count. If you counted 3 weeks ago, the Stock Dots reflect what was on the shelf 3 weeks ago, not what is there now. The rolling average can estimate, but the color is only reliable if the count is recent.
This is why weekly counting is the foundation. The count produces the data. The data produces the Stock Dots. The Stock Dots produce the order. Without the count, the entire chain breaks.
Gray means no data yet. The app needs a few weeks of counting history before it can calculate a reliable rolling average and set PAR levels. For a new item, the gray dot typically lasts 3 to 4 weeks. After that, the app has enough usage data to start showing green, yellow, or red.
For a brand new location using TrackItWeekly for the first time, all items will show gray for the first few weeks. By week 4 or 5, most items will have transitioned to colored dots and the PAR system is fully operational.