Stock on hand, often shortened to SOH, is the number of units of a product that a business holds at a location at a given moment, according to its inventory system. It is the figure staff and online channels rely on when deciding whether something can be sold.
The system calculates SOH by starting from an opening count and then adding receipts and transfers in, and subtracting sales, returns to supplier, write-offs and transfers out. Each transaction adjusts the number automatically, so the figure is only as good as the transactions recorded.
Retailers use SOH to show availability online, trigger reorders and decide where to move stock. Hospitality venues use it for key ingredients and beverages, comparing system figures with physical counts to measure usage and loss. Some systems also separate on-hand from available stock, which subtracts items reserved for orders or held for click and collect.
The main pitfall is system SOH drifting away from physical reality through theft, damage, mis-scans, unrecorded transfers or receiving errors. Negative stock, where the system shows less than zero, is a common warning sign that sales are being rung up without matching receipts.
Accurate SOH supports fewer lost sales, fewer emergency orders and more trustworthy reports. Regular cycle counts are the usual way to keep it honest.