The problem: stock moves by car, records do not
Restaurant groups in the Gulf often run a main branch or central kitchen that sends coffee beans, sauces and packaging to the others. The driver leaves, someone calls ahead, and the receiving branch takes whatever comes off the van. Nothing in the system moved, so the sending branch shows stock it no longer has and the receiving branch shows less than it really holds. Proper stock transfers between branches fix both sides at once and show anything lost on the way.
The same flow works whether you run a central kitchen that supplies every branch, two cafes that lend each other milk on a busy Friday, or branches in different Gulf countries. Each transfer has a clear owner at each end: the sending branch is responsible until it ships, and the receiving branch is responsible from the moment it receives. That makes it obvious where to look when numbers do not match.
How a transfer works: create, ship, receive
- Open Inventory, then Transfers, and click New transfer.
- From is the sending branch. Under To, choose where the stock goes.
- Under Add an item to send, search the item and enter the quantity. Add more lines, or use Copy last transfer or Fill from low stock to fill the list quickly.
- Click Create transfer. It waits as pending.
- When the driver leaves, open it, click Ship, then Ship now. Stock leaves the sending branch and shows as In transit.
- When it arrives, the receiving branch opens it, clicks Receive stock, checks the amounts, and clicks Receive stock again.
Both branches are now up to date. Stock moves at the cost it had when it left the sending branch, and the receiving branch's average cost updates with it, so recipe costs stay right at both ends.
When less arrives than was sent
If the receiving branch counts less than was shipped, it receives what came. The missing part is booked as Lost in transit waste at the receiving branch, with its value, so the loss shows on the Wastage page instead of vanishing.
Asking another branch for stock
A branch manager who runs short can create a transfer from another branch to their own. Under From they pick the branch that has the stock, To is their branch, and they add the items and click Send request. The other branch ships it, and when it arrives the requesting branch clicks Receive stock. A request can be taken back before it ships with Withdraw request.
Rules that keep transfers honest
- You need at least two branches, and you cannot ship to a closed branch.
- You cannot send more than the sending branch has.
- The sending branch ships and the receiving branch receives. A branch manager acts only for their own branch.
- A transfer can be cancelled any time before it is received with Cancel transfer. Stock already shipped goes back to the sending branch.
- A received transfer cannot be cancelled. To move stock back, make a new transfer the other way.
- If the two branches use different currencies, for example one in the UAE and one in Oman, you confirm an exchange rate before receiving.
What is and is not included
Transfers cover stock items between your own branches, with pending, in transit and received states, requests, cancellation and losses in transit. A transfer is a stock movement at cost, not a sale: it does not create an invoice between branches. Wink You does not track the driver or the route of a transfer. Transfers need the Manage stock, purchase orders and counts permission.
Tips for getting it right
- Ship the transfer when the driver actually leaves, so In transit shows the truth.
- At the receiving branch, count what came off the van before you confirm, instead of copying the amounts that were sent.
- Use Copy last transfer for a regular weekly run, and Fill from low stock to build the list from items running low.
- Ask branch managers to send requests in the app instead of calling, so every request is on record.
- Check Lost in transit on the Wastage page now and then. A pattern there usually points at packing or handling.
Frequently asked questions
How do I transfer stock between branches?
Create the transfer under Inventory, then Transfers, ship it when it leaves, and have the receiving branch click Receive stock when it arrives.
Why can't I create or receive a transfer?
Usually one of these: you have only one branch, a line asks for more than the sender holds, you are acting for the wrong branch, the request has not been shipped yet, or an exchange rate needs confirming.
What happens if a box goes missing on the way?
Receive what arrived. The missing quantity is recorded as Lost in transit waste at the receiving branch, with its value.
Can I cancel a transfer after it has shipped?
Yes, as long as it has not been received. Open it and click Cancel transfer; the shipped stock goes back to the sending branch.
Can I transfer stock between branches in different countries?
Yes. When the branches use different currencies, Wink You asks you to confirm the exchange rate before receiving, so the value lands correctly at the other branch.
Keep every branch in step
Transfers are part of Inventory at winkyou.com/products/inventory, and multi branch control is covered at winkyou.com/products/business-admin. Guide: winkyou.com/support/inventory/how-to-transfer-stock-between-branches.
