Example questions

“Do we have the rain jacket in a medium anywhere?”

Items by name, SKU, UPC, or part number, with stock at every store. Shop shorthand works too.

“What’s down to its reorder point at Hillcrest?”

Items down to their reorder point at each store, with a suggested order.

“Which price tags are out of date at Harbor?”

Every item whose price tag is now wrong or missing, and why: a new price, on or off sale, a new barcode, stock received, or a new item. A list to print in Lightspeed on your own labels.

“Which sizes of our best-selling gravel bike are left, and at which store?”

Every size and color with stock per store and recent sales.

“The size 10 trail shoes: when did they come in, and where did they all go?”

One item’s history: when it came in, what sold where, what was transferred, and what’s on order now.

“What’s been here 180 days without one sale?”

In-stock items that haven’t sold in that long, biggest dollars first.

“How’s today going against the same day last week?”

Today’s sales so far next to the same weekday last week, for the shop or each store.

“Northgate had a slow week. What didn’t sell that usually does?”

Each store’s week against the week before, with the categories and items that moved.

“Last week against the same week last year, store by store?”

Two date ranges side by side, overall and per store, with the change in dollars and percent.

“What were September’s ten best sellers at each store?”

Your best sellers by net sales, units, or gross profit, for the shop or each store.

“Once you take out cost, which categories actually make us money?”

Categories ranked by gross profit and margin, not just sales.

“Which jobs are past their due date?”

Work still to do with status, check-in and due dates, and what’s late.

“If a repair comes in today, how far behind are we?”

Each store’s queue: what’s ready to work on, what’s blocked, what’s overdue, and what’s due next.

“Is any job held up for a part we’ve got on a shelf somewhere?”

Jobs waiting on parts, with each part’s count at that store and which other stores have it.

“Which jobs went out the door last week, and who worked on them?”

Any job, open or picked up, by customer, store, date, or who did the work.

“Who spent the most with us this year?”

Customers ranked by net sales, with visits and last visit, at one store or all.

“Before I call a customer back, what have they bought and what work have we done for them?”

One customer’s purchases, totals, and work orders.

“Make me a call list: people who spent $500 with us in the past year and haven’t been in for three months.”

Each one’s spend, visits, and last visit, biggest spender first. Phone and email if you ask.

“What else goes on the ticket when someone buys ski boots?”

What most often sells on the same ticket as the item you name.

“What do I need to order to get through the next month?”

What to order from each vendor, based on what’s been selling.

“Which POs are still open, and did any get closed out short?”

Open purchase orders, and ones closed with items missing, with what was ordered and what’s arrived.

“When we order from a vendor, how many days until it’s here, and do they make the date they gave us?”

Days from order to receiving by vendor, and how often each one is late.

“Is our usual vendor charging us more than another one does for the same thing?”

Each vendor’s cost for the same item, and what a year’s buying would save.

“What came in last spring that’s still sitting here?”

Stock that came in and hasn’t sold, by vendor and store.

“How did the website do last month, and what sold on it?”

Web orders, their share of all sales, and the top items.

“Which transfers went out and never got checked in?”

Transfers between stores with dates, items, and quantities, and which haven’t arrived.

“A customer wants this jacket in a large. Does Northgate or Harbor have one?”

Each size and color at every store, and what’s on order.