---
title: Understanding Dashboard Insights
description: Learn which insights Sortly shows on your Dashboard for Inventory, Jobs, and Restock, what each one means, how severity works, and when they appear.
---
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3. [Basics](https://help.sortly.com/sb/getting-started?hsLang=en#basics)
# Understanding Dashboard Insights
Make sense of the insights on your Dashboard so you can tell what needs attention first. Each insight comes from Inventory, Jobs, or Restock, and each one has a severity that shows how urgent it is. This article walks you through the three areas insights come from, the insights each area finds, how severity works, and when insights appear.
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In this article
1. [Where insights come from](https://help.sortly.com/sb/dashboard-insights#areas)
2. [Inventory insights](https://help.sortly.com/sb/dashboard-insights#inventory)
3. [Jobs insights](https://help.sortly.com/sb/dashboard-insights#jobs)
4. [Restock insights](https://help.sortly.com/sb/dashboard-insights#restock)
5. [How severity works](https://help.sortly.com/sb/dashboard-insights#severity)
6. [When insights appear](https://help.sortly.com/sb/dashboard-insights#timing)
7. [Frequently asked questions](https://help.sortly.com/sb/dashboard-insights#faq)
### Where insights come from
Every insight on the [Dashboard](https://help.sortly.com/sb/dashboard-overview?hsLang=en) comes from one of three areas, and the Insights filter uses the same three names.
#### Inventory
Finds stock that is not moving and possible duplicate items.
Inventory
#### Jobs
Finds jobs that are not planned, are running behind, or are missing dates.
Jobs
#### Restock
Finds items that are running low or are short for a job.
Restock
💡 Insights about your Catalog appear under Inventory. There is no separate Catalog option in the Insights filter.
---
### Inventory insights
Inventory insights help you keep your stock and your Catalog accurate. There are two.
Idle stockNo transactions in 30 days
An item has had no transactions in the last 30 days. For example, a box of fittings that nobody has moved, counted, or used since last month.
Duplicate catalog itemsItems that look like the same item
Two or more Catalog items look like the same item. Right now, Sortly compares item names to decide.
If you find duplicates, [fixing duplicate items](https://help.sortly.com/sb/fixing-duplicate-items?hsLang=en) explains how to clean them up.
---
### Jobs insights
Jobs insights point to jobs that need attention before or during the work. For more on how jobs work, see [How Jobs Work](https://help.sortly.com/sb/how-jobs-work?hsLang=en).
No plan yetNothing planned and the start date is close
Nothing is planned on the job and its start date is within 14 days.
Low stock availabilityNot enough stock available before the start
Less than 70% of the stock the job needs is available, and the job starts within 14 days. The day before the start, the level rises to 90%.
Items arriving lateOrdered stock lands after the start date
Part of what the job needs is on a purchase order that is due after the job starts, or has no due date.
No stock consumedHalfway through and nothing used
The job is past its halfway point and no stock has been used.
Stalled consumptionUsage started, then stopped
After work starts, no stock has been used for 20% of the length of the job, with a minimum of 3 days.
Low consumptionBehind on using the planned stock
The job is past its halfway point and less than 70% of the planned stock has been used. In the final stretch of the job, the level rises to 90%.
Overdue to startThe start date has passed
The start date has passed and the job is still in Draft or Planning.
Overdue to closeThe end date has passed
The end date has passed and the job is still In Progress.
Missing datesNo start or end date
A job has no start date or end date one day after it was created.
---
### Restock insights
Restock insights tell you what to buy. There are two.
Job shortageItems short for your jobs
Items are short for your jobs. Sortly adds up what jobs in Draft, Planning, or In Progress still need, then subtracts the stock you have available and the units on ordered purchase orders. The result is one restock quantity for each item.
Low or out of stockAt or below the minimum level, or none left
An item's Available quantity reaches its minimum level or drops below it, or Available is 0. For example, an item with a minimum level of 30 is flagged once 30 or fewer are available.
Low stock insights depend on the minimum level you set on each item. [Setting a minimum level and reorder quantity](https://help.sortly.com/sb/setting-minimum-levels?hsLang=en) explains how, and the [Restock List](https://help.sortly.com/sb/restock-list-overview?hsLang=en) shows everything that needs ordering in one place.
---
### How severity works
Every insight has a severity. It shows as a colored dot on the row and as a badge in the detail pane. The three levels are Critical, Moderate, and Informational, and the Severity filter uses the same three names, so you can start with the most urgent insights.
Level
What it means
Critical
Needs attention soon, such as an item that is out of stock or a job that is well past a date.
Moderate
Worth acting on, such as items that are running low or a job that is missing its dates.
Informational
Good to know, with no deadline attached, such as items that may be duplicates.
Jobs insights become more urgent as time passes. An insight starts as Moderate and becomes Critical as the job gets close to a date, or passes it, without the issue being fixed. For example, a job with nothing planned is Moderate while the start date is still a while away, and becomes Critical as the start date gets close or goes by. The exception is missing dates, which stays Moderate.
When an insight moves from Moderate to Critical, the existing row is updated. A second row is not added.
If you snooze a Jobs insight, it stays hidden at its current severity. It comes back only if it becomes more severe, such as moving from Moderate to Critical.
---
### When insights appear
Insights are not all checked on the same schedule.
Area
How it updates
Jobs
Checked whenever a job changes, and again every hour.
Inventory
Idle stock needs 30 days of history. A new account sees no Idle stock insights during its first 30 days.
Restock
Shown on the Dashboard whenever an item is low, out of stock, or short for a job.
The Dashboard list refreshes on its own and whenever you select Updated. Insights are on web only. To filter, open, and snooze them, see [Dashboard Overview](https://help.sortly.com/sb/dashboard-overview?hsLang=en).
---
### Frequently asked questions
Why am I not seeing Idle stock insights on a new account?
Idle stock looks at the last 30 days of transactions, so a new account has none for its first 30 days.
How does Sortly decide that two items are duplicates?
Right now it compares item names. Items with matching names are flagged as Duplicate catalog items.
Are insights available on mobile?
No. Insights are on web only.
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