If you’re running inventory in Avercast and tired of surprises—stockouts, overstock, weird spikes—exception reporting is where you get your sanity back. This guide is for anyone who has to keep inventory under control but doesn’t want to live in spreadsheets or play whack-a-mole with surprises. We’ll walk through how to set up exception reports in Avercast, what’s worth your time, and what’s just noise.
Let’s get straight to it.
What’s Exception Reporting and Why Bother?
If you’re not familiar: Exception reporting is all about flagging the stuff that’s not normal—stock levels outside of your set range, sales patterns that don’t match, orders that are way off. Instead of combing through endless data, Avercast ([avercast.html]) can surface these exceptions for you. You focus on what needs attention, not the noise.
But here’s the rub: Exception reports are only as good as you set them up. Ignore them, and you’ll still get burned. Go overboard, and you’ll drown in alerts. The trick is to tune them to your problems.
Step 1: Figure Out Which Exceptions Actually Matter
Before you dive into Avercast settings, step back. What keeps causing problems? Common inventory exceptions include:
- Items below minimum stock (stockouts)
- Items above max stock (overstock)
- Unexpected sales drops or spikes
- Purchase orders overdue or not received
- Forecasts way off from reality
Pro tip: Don’t try to flag everything. Pick 3–5 exception types that actually cost you time or money. You can always add more later.
Step 2: Log In and Find Exception Reporting
Once you know what you want to flag, head into Avercast:
- Log in to Avercast. (Obvious, but hey—worth saying.)
- From the main dashboard, look for the Exception Reports or Alerts section. Avercast’s interface changes a bit by version, but it’s usually on the left sidebar or under Reports.
- If you don’t see it, check permissions—some features are hidden unless you’re an admin or have specific roles.
Heads up: If you’ve never used these reports before, you might need your admin to turn them on or grant you access.
Step 3: Configure Your Exception Rules
Here’s where you decide what triggers an alert. Avercast gives you a set of standard exception types, but you can usually tweak or add your own.
How to Add or Edit an Exception Rule
- Click “Create New Exception” or similar. (Sometimes it’s “Add Rule” or “Customize Exception.”)
- Choose your exception type. For example:
- “Inventory below minimum”
- “Inventory above maximum”
- “Demand spike above X%”
- “Order overdue by X days”
- Set thresholds. Be realistic. If your minimum stock is 10 units, don’t set the exception at 9—that’s just noise. Pick a threshold that gives you enough time to act.
- Pick which items or categories this applies to. You can usually target specific SKUs, categories, or warehouses. Don’t overcomplicate—start broad, then narrow if you get too many alerts.
- Decide who gets notified. Choose users, teams, or emails. If everyone gets every alert, no one will pay attention.
- Save and test. Most systems let you preview results—see what would have triggered in the last month.
What works: Start simple. One alert for stockouts, one for overstocks, one for overdue orders. If you get flooded, raise the bar or narrow the scope.
What doesn’t: Fancy rules that need constant tweaking. You don’t need an exception for every “what if.” Focus on recurring, costly problems.
Step 4: Schedule and Review Exception Reports
You can run exception reports on demand, but most people set them up to run automatically—daily, weekly, or monthly.
- Daily: Good for fast-moving items or high-risk categories.
- Weekly: Fine for slow movers or less critical stuff.
- Monthly: Only for things that rarely change, like annual demand spikes.
To Schedule Reports in Avercast
- Go to the Exception Reports section.
- Look for “Schedule” or “Automate” options.
- Set your frequency and recipients.
- Choose delivery format—email, dashboard, or export (Excel/CSV).
Pro tip: Don’t just dump reports in an inbox. If no one reads them, they’re useless. Assign someone to triage exceptions and act.
Step 5: Use Exception Reports to Actually Fix Problems
This is where most people drop the ball. Exception reporting is pointless if you ignore the results.
- Triage daily/weekly. Who’s responsible for reviewing reports? Make it part of someone’s job.
- Investigate root causes. Don’t just reorder. Why did you stock out? Forecast off? Supplier late? Fix the cause, not just the symptom.
- Update rules as needed. If you keep getting the same false alarms, change the threshold. If you missed a real problem, tighten the rule.
What to ignore: Don’t chase every minor exception. Focus on the ones that actually cost you money or disrupt operations.
Step 6: Tune and Iterate
You won’t get it perfect the first time. Review your exceptions every month or quarter:
- Are some alerts always ignored? Drop or adjust them.
- Still getting blindsided by issues? Add or fine-tune rules.
- Are people getting “alert fatigue”? Cut back. Fewer, better alerts are more useful.
Don’t fall for the “set it and forget it” myth. Exception rules need tuning as your business changes.
What Avercast Does Well (and Where It’s Lacking)
The Good
- Flexible rules: Avercast lets you set up detailed exception criteria by item, location, or user.
- Automation: Scheduling reports is straightforward. No manual crunching.
- Decent interface: Not flashy, but you don’t need a PhD to set up basic exceptions.
The Not-So-Great
- Overwhelming defaults: Out of the box, you might get too many alerts. Tame these early.
- Limited “why” analysis: Avercast flags the exception but doesn’t tell you why it happened. You’ll need to dig into other reports.
- Clunky notifications: Sometimes alerts come as spreadsheet attachments or generic emails—easy to ignore.
Bottom line: Exception reporting in Avercast is powerful if you keep it simple and focus on what actually matters. Too many rules or unchecked alerts, and you’ll just tune out.
Real-World Tips
- Start with stockouts and overstocks. These are the most common pain points.
- Use test mode. Preview your rules on past data before rolling out to the team.
- Assign a “report wrangler.” Someone has to own the process, or it will die on the vine.
- Document what each rule means. When exceptions pop up, you don’t want debates about what “critical” means.
- Revisit quarterly. Business changes. So should your rules.
Keep It Simple
Exception reporting isn’t magic, and Avercast won’t run your inventory for you. But if you set up a handful of smart rules and actually use the alerts, you’ll stop most inventory headaches before they start. Don’t get caught up in bells and whistles—start small, review often, and adjust as needed. That’s how you get real value without drowning in data.