"View Item Shortages" in Oracle Fusion Inventory is a feature that allows users to quickly identify and manage inventory item shortages—that is, cases where demand exceeds available supply. This is especially useful for supply chain, warehouse, and inventory planners to take corrective action such as placing purchase orders, work orders, or transfers.
🔍 Purpose
To monitor and resolve supply-demand mismatches for stocked and transactable items.
📍 Where to Find It
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Navigation Path:
Supply Chain Execution > Inventory Management > Task Panel > View Item Shortages
🧰 Key Functions
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Search and Filter Shortages:
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Filter by item, organization, shortage type, source of demand (e.g., sales order, work order), etc.
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View Shortage Details:
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Item number and description
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Organization
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Demand source and required date
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Quantity short
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Available supply (if any)
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Suggested actions (e.g., expedite, reschedule)
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Perform Actions:
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Initiate a Purchase Order, Transfer Order, or Work Order to address the shortage.
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Create supply requests if integrated with Oracle Supply Chain Orchestration.
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📊 Typical Use Cases
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Inventory Planners checking what materials are short for upcoming manufacturing jobs.
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Order Management teams ensuring there’s sufficient inventory to fulfill customer orders.
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Procurement teams responding quickly to replenish stock and avoid disruptions.
⚙️ Behind the Scenes
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It pulls data from On-hand inventory, Reservations, Supply and Demand, and Material Transactions tables.
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It may involve integration with Planning Central, Supply Chain Orchestration, and Procurement for end-to-end visibility and action.
🧠 Pro Tip
If you're using Oracle Supply Planning, that module can proactively forecast and avoid shortages. However, "View Item Shortages" in Inventory is a real-time operational view, often used to act on unplanned shortages.
1️⃣ Navigate to the Task
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Go to the Home page of Oracle Fusion.
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Select Supply Chain Execution → Inventory Management.
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In the left Task Panel, click View Item Shortages.
Screenshot reference: Task Panel shows “View Item Shortages” under Inventory Management.
2️⃣ Search / Filter the Results
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Search panel appears at top:
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Organization (e.g., “HQ BU”)
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Item (you can use LOV or type partial name/number)
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Shortage Type (e.g., Sales Order, Work Order)
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From Date / To Date (planned dates for demand)
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Click Search.
Screenshot reference: Search fields above, table blank before search.
3️⃣ View the Shortage List
The result grid displays key columns:
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Item Number / Description
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Organization
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Shortage Date (when supply is needed)
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Quantity Short
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Demand Source (e.g., SO12345 or WO67890)
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Available Quantity (on-hand minus reservations)
Screenshot reference: Table rows with shortage details.
4️⃣ Drill Into a Shortage
Click on any row’s Item Number.
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Opens a detail pane or modal with tabs like Supply & Demand, Reservations, Transactions.
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You’ll see exact demand lines and any planned supply dates.
Screenshot reference: Detail view showing split demand and supply.
5️⃣ Take Corrective Action
From the detail pane or by selecting a row, available buttons include:
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Create Purchase Order – when external procurement is needed.
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Create Transfer Order – to move stock internally.
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Create Work Order – if you’ll manufacture the item.
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Reschedule / Expedite – fast-track existing orders.
Screenshot reference: Action buttons show options like “Create Purchase Order”.
6️⃣ Refresh and Track Actions
After taking action, click Refresh or rerun the search.
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Check that the Quantity Short has updated (reduced or zeroed).
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Confirm that newly created documents (PO/TO/WO) are listed in supply view.
✅ Tips & Best Practices
| Tip | Description |
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| Use Date Filters | Helps isolate upcoming shortages for immediate action. |
| Leverage LOVs | Use Lists of Values for accuracy (items, orgs, shortage types). |
| Check Reservations | The Supply & Demand tab shows conflicting or overlapping holds. |
| Monitor After Actions | Ensure that corrective steps actually reduce the shortage. |
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