Dawastock User Manual

1Introduction

Dawastock is a pharmacy management platform. You can manage orders, products, inventory, customers, receipts, and—depending on your plan—online store, marketing, and accounting from one dashboard.

This manual explains where each feature lives and how to perform common tasks. Use the Contents list on the left (on desktop) or the section headings below to jump to a topic.

2Getting started

Logging in

Go to the Sign in page, enter your username and password, and click Sign In. Only users assigned to an organization can log in. If you see an error, contact your administrator.

First time: organization and shop

Your account belongs to one organization (your company). The organization can have one or more shops (branches). When you log in, you may need to select a shop from the top bar so that orders, products, and data are scoped to that shop. Admins and managers can switch between shops; staff see only shops they are assigned to.

Where am I?

After login you land on the Dashboard. The sidebar menu on the left lists all areas: Dashboard, Orders, Cart, Customers, Products, Inventory, and so on. Your role (Admin, Manager, Staff, Accountant) determines which menu items you see.

3Dashboard

Where: Sidebar → Dashboard (first item under Overview).

The dashboard shows a summary of your business:

• Stats cards: Total products, orders, earnings, cost, and profit (for the selected shop or whole organization).
• Revenue chart: Sales, cost, and profit by month for the current year.
• Top customers: Customers with the most orders.
• Top selling products: Best-selling products with quantity and revenue.
• Recent orders: Latest orders for quick access.

Use the shop selector in the top bar to filter dashboard data by shop. If you have only one shop, data is already scoped to it.

Understanding sales vs cash on the dashboard

The dashboard shows two kinds of figures so you can see both “how much we sold” and “how much cash moved in the till”:

• Net sales — Paid orders in the selected period, minus returns linked to those orders (by sale date). This answers “how much revenue did we book for sales in this period?”
• Gross sales / Returns on orders — Shown in the summary strip: gross before returns on orders, then the return amount subtracted for orders in the period.
• Refunds posted — Total refunds for returns posted in the period (by the day you posted the return). Shown as a negative amount. This aligns with when money left the drawer, including returns for older sales.
• Cash net — Net movement on your default cash account for the shop in the period (cash in from sales minus cash out including refunds). Use this with Cash reconciliation to see till movement; it is shop-wide, not per staff member.

The same breakdown appears on Sales and Sales report for the dates you filter. Net sales and refunds posted can differ on a given day when you refund a sale from an earlier day.

Reports hub

Where: Sidebar → Reports (under Overview, when your role has access).

One page lists every report you can open: Sales Report, Purchase Report, Financial Reports, Cash and Bank Reconciliation, and Stock Movement. Your permissions determine which cards appear.

4Sales & Orders

Orders

Where: Sidebar → Orders (under Sales & Orders).

View and filter all orders. You can filter by status (Pending, Completed, Cancelled). Open an order to see details and update status (e.g. mark as Completed or Cancelled).

Sales

Where: Sidebar → Sales.

Sales list shows completed sales with filters. Use it for reporting and reviewing past sales.

Shopping Cart

Where: Sidebar → Shopping Cart.

Create new orders from the dashboard by adding products to the cart. Select a shop (top bar), then add products, set quantities, choose a customer, and complete the order. The cart is used for in-store or manual order entry.

Customers

Where: Sidebar → Customers.

Add and manage customers (name, phone, email, address). You can link customers to orders and receipts. Create a customer before or when creating an order if you want to attach them to the sale.

Sales returns

Where: Sidebar → Returns (under Sales & Orders).

Use sales returns when a customer brings back products and you refund them. Typical flow:

1. Create a return (draft), link it to the original order when possible, and add return lines with quantities and refund amounts.
2. Submit the return for manager or admin approval.
3. After approval, a manager or admin posts the return. Posting restocks inventory and records the refund in accounting.

Returns affect cash reconciliation when the refund is paid from cash. See Returns and cash reconciliation in the Finance section for how return timing affects your till count.

5Products & Inventory

Products

Where: Sidebar → Products (under Products & Inventory).

Products are the items you sell. Each product has a name, category (Pharmaceutical or Non-Pharmaceutical), optional description, and can have multiple batches (each with quantity, buying price, selling price, expiry date).

• Add product: Click Add Product, fill name and category, save. Then add batches (stock) to the product.
• Import from Excel: Use the upload option to bulk import products or batches from a template.
• Tabs: Filter by All, Pharmaceutical, or Non-Pharmaceutical. You can search by name.

Always select the correct shop in the top bar when managing products; products are per shop.

Inventory

Where: Sidebar → Inventory.

Track stock levels, perform stock adjustments, and run stock-taking. You can see batches, quantities, and expiry dates. Use inventory to correct stock or do periodic counts.

Stock Movement Report

Where: Sidebar → Reports → Stock Movement (or Inventory users with report access).

Monthly spreadsheet-style report per shop: opening stock (buying value), purchases, COGS from sales, write-offs, calculated closing, physical count, variance, and gross margin check. Filter by year/month and optionally one shop or all shops (group total). Export to Excel from the report page.

6Procurement

Suppliers

Where: Sidebar → Suppliers (under Procurement).

Manage supplier records (name, contact, etc.). Suppliers are used when recording purchases.

Purchases

Where: Sidebar → Purchases.

Record purchase orders and receipts from suppliers. Link purchases to products/batches to update stock and costs. Use this to keep inventory and cost data in sync with what you buy.

7Receipts & Documents

Where: Sidebar → Receipts (under Documents).

Receipts are the documents you issue to customers for sales (similar to invoices). You can create receipts from orders or independently. The list shows all receipts; open one to view or download as PDF. Proforma receipts can be used for quotes or draft documents before finalizing.

Receipts include customer details, line items, totals, and your organization’s branding. Download PDFs for your records or to send to customers.

8Marketing

Where: Sidebar → Marketing (if your plan includes it).

Marketing module lets you run campaigns and integrate with Meta (Facebook/Instagram) for ads. Use it to promote your pharmacy and online store. Availability depends on your subscription plan.

9Finance

Accounting

Where: Sidebar → Accounting (under Finance, if your plan includes it).

Accounting contains your chart of accounts, transactions, journal entries, expenses, cash reconciliation, bank/account reconciliation, and financial reports. Use it for daily control, month-end checks, and compliance reporting.

Important rules used by the system

• Currency: TZS amounts are handled as whole numbers in finance dashboards and reports.
• Double-entry: Journal entries and automated posting create both debit and credit sides.
• Shop scope: You can filter by shop in accounting pages and reports.
• Default accounts: Checkout and auto-posting use Accounting Default Accounts.

A) Configure default accounts (first setup)

What: Set default cash, revenue, and accounts receivable accounts.

Why: Sales and payment posting depend on these defaults.

How:

1. Open Accounting → Default accounts.
2. Select Default Cash Account, Default Revenue Account, and Default AR Account.
3. Click Save.

Result: New sales and receipts post to the correct accounts automatically.

B) Manage Chart of Accounts

What: Create and maintain account master data.

Why: All postings and reports rely on account definitions.

How:

1. Open Accounting → Accounts.
2. Click Add Account.
3. Fill account code, name, type, optional parent and payment details.
4. Save. Use activate/deactivate controls when required.

Result: Account becomes available in posting forms and filters.

C) Record a manual Journal Entry

What: Post adjustments, accruals, and corrections.

Why: Not all financial events come from sales/purchases automatically.

How:

1. Open Accounting → Journal Entries → Create.
2. Fill date and description (plus optional reference).
3. Add debit and credit lines.
4. Ensure totals balance, then submit.

Result: System saves journal lines and posts matching transactions to the ledger.

D) Record an Expense

What: Capture operating expenses.

Why: Expenses impact profit and must be posted for accurate reports.

How:

1. Open Accounting → Expenses (or use dashboard quick action).
2. Fill date, category, expense account, amount, payment method, and description.
3. Save.

Result: Expense is stored and posted as double-entry (expense debit + payment credit, based on account mapping).

E) Review Transactions (ledger)

What: View posted debits/credits from all finance flows.

Why: This is the main audit trail and source for balances/reports.

How:

1. Open Accounting → Transactions.
2. Filter by shop, date range, and account.
3. Use references to trace transactions back to source documents.
4. Export to Excel if needed.

Result: You can verify that operations match accounting postings.

F) Perform Cash Reconciliation

What: Compare physical counted cash in the till with system cash—the amount the system expects based on your attributed cash sales (and refunds) for the period you are counting.

Why: Detect shortages and overages quickly at end of shift or end of day.

How:

1. Select the correct shop in the header.
2. Open Accounting → Cash Reconciliation.
3. Click to create a new reconciliation. The date defaults to today.
4. Use Preview system cash if available to see what the system expects before you count.
5. Enter your expected cash (physical count) and optional notes.
6. Save and review variance (expected minus system). A positive variance means you counted more than the system; negative means less.

Result: Each reconciliation stores your counted amount, system amount, and variance for audit.

F1) What system cash includes

• Cash sales attributed to you (orders you handled or that are linked to you in the system).
• Cash refunds from posted sales returns that reduce cash in the till.
• Counting is for sales-related till cash. Routine expense payouts from cash are handled separately in expenses and are not mixed into this till figure.

F2) More than one reconciliation on the same day

You can reconcile several times in one day (for example morning and evening shift).

• First reconciliation today: System cash is everything since your last reconciliation (previous days) through the date you select, including all of today’s attributed cash sales and refunds up to that moment.
• Second reconciliation later the same day: System cash counts only activity after your previous reconciliation today—new sales and any refunds posted after that run—not the whole day again.
• The form date stays today; you do not need to pick tomorrow for a follow-up count.

Returns and cash reconciliation

When a sales return is posted, the refund is recorded on the day you post the return, not on the day the product was originally sold. The original sale date is kept on the return document for your records, but the till and reconciliation follow when money actually leaves the drawer.

1. Return today for a product sold days ago

• On the original sale day: Nothing changes in past reconciliations you already saved. That day still reflects the cash you received when the customer paid.
• Today (when you post the return): The refund reduces today’s system cash. Your physical count today should be lower by the refund amount.

Example: You sold for 50,000 on Monday and reconciled Monday. On Thursday the customer returns and you post the return—the system expects 50,000 less cash on Thursday, not a change to Monday’s record.

2. Return today for a product sold today

• The sale increased expected cash earlier today; the return decreases it when posted.
• Both appear on the same calendar date in reconciliation. System cash for today is roughly: cash in from sales minus cash out from refunds (plus any other attributed cash movements that day).
• If you already reconciled once today and then post a return, the refund affects your next reconciliation run (after that earlier save), the same way as new sales after the first run.

3. Effect on the sale day vs the return day

Who is affected: The refund is counted against the staff member who posted the return. If a manager posts the return, it affects their attributed cash unless your shop agrees who should post returns for till accuracy.

Summary: Returns hit the day you post them, not the day you sold. Count refunds on return day when matching physical cash to system cash.

G) Perform Bank/Account Reconciliation

What: Reconcile asset account statement balances.

Why: Confirm ledger balances against external statements.

How:

1. Open Accounting → Reconciliations.
2. Click New Reconciliation.
3. Select asset account, statement date, statement balance, and notes.
4. Save and review from reconciliation list.

Result: You maintain period-end reconciliation evidence.

H) Run Financial Reports

What: Generate Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow.

Why: Measure performance and financial position.

How:

1. Open Accounting → Reports.
2. Choose report type.
3. Set period and optional shop filter.
4. Review totals (shown in TZS whole amounts).

Result: Finance-ready period reports for management and compliance use.

I) Recommended accounting flow

1. Set up default accounts and chart of accounts.
2. Run daily operations (sales, purchases, expenses).
3. Post manual journals for adjustments.
4. Review transactions and correct mapping issues.
5. Run cash reconciliation (daily/shift).
6. Run bank/account reconciliation (weekly/monthly).
7. Generate reports for period close.

Assets

Where: Sidebar → Assets.

Manage fixed assets such as equipment, furniture, computers, and other long-term items. Available when accounting is enabled.

Assets: what/why/how

What: Asset Register keeps each fixed asset record with cost, status, location (shop), category, and accounting link.

Why: It helps finance and operations track asset value, ownership, and lifecycle (active/disposed/maintenance).

How: Open Assets → New Asset, complete fields, save, then review from Assets List or Asset Detail.

Create Asset: required fields

• Name (required): Asset display name.
• Cost (required): Acquisition cost in TZS.

Create Asset: optional fields

• Asset code / Tag: Internal tag, serial, or identification code.
• Description: Extra context about the asset.
• Category: Grouping (e.g. Equipment, Vehicle, Furniture).
• Shop / Location: Branch where the asset is held.
• Purchase date: Date acquired.
• Status: Active / In maintenance / Disposed (based on your configured statuses).
• Residual value: Estimated value at end of useful life.
• Useful life (years): Years used for depreciation planning.
• Depreciation method: Method used by finance policy.
• Current book value: Current carrying amount.
• Accounting account: Optional link to asset account in Chart of Accounts.
• Notes: Any remarks.

Step-by-step: create a new asset

1. Go to Assets from the sidebar.
2. Click New Asset.
3. Enter Name and Cost (required).
4. Fill optional fields as needed (category, shop, status, depreciation fields, account link).
5. If category is missing, use Add category panel on the same page, then return and select it.
6. Click Create asset.
7. Confirm the success message and verify in Assets List.

What happens when you click Create

• The system saves the asset under your organization.
• The creating user is stored as created_by.
• If current book value is not provided, it is initialized from Cost.
• The record becomes visible in Assets List and totals update.

After create: normal asset flow

1. Review: Open asset detail to confirm fields.
2. Update: Edit status/book value/notes as the asset lifecycle changes.
3. Report: Use list filters and export for finance reporting.
4. Control: Keep category/account mapping accurate for consistency with accounting records.

10Administration

These areas are typically for Admins and Managers.

Users

Where: Sidebar → Users. Add and edit staff accounts, assign role (Admin, Manager, Staff, Accountant), and set organization. Each user must belong to your organization to log in.

Roles & Permissions

Where: Sidebar → Roles & Permissions. Define custom roles and assign permissions (e.g. who can edit products, view orders, access accounting).

Shops

Where: Sidebar → Shops. Create and edit shops (branches). Each shop has a name and can be set as default. Products and orders are tied to a shop.

Shop Staff

Where: Sidebar → Shop Staff (when a shop is selected). Assign which users can work in the selected shop. Staff and some roles only see data for shops they are assigned to.

Online Store

Where: Sidebar → Online Store (opens in new tab). If your plan includes the storefront, this is the public URL where customers browse and order. Configure products, prices, and payments from the dashboard and payment settings.

11Subscription & Settings

Subscription

Where: Sidebar → Subscription (under Help & Settings). View your current plan, limits (shops, users, etc.), and upgrade or change plan. Billing and plan features are shown there.

Settings

Where: Your profile/settings (e.g. from the user menu in the top bar). Update password, profile, and—for admins—organization settings, payment integration (e.g. Snippe for online payments), and landing page.

Privacy & Terms

Where: Sidebar → Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. Read the platform’s privacy and terms of use.

12Quick reference

Where things are:

• Dashboard → Overview and stats
• Reports → Hub linking to sales, purchase, finance, and stock reports
• Orders → List and manage orders
• Sales → Completed sales list
• Returns → Customer returns (draft → approval → post)
• Cart → Create new order (add products, customer, checkout)
• Customers → Customer list and details
• Products → Product list, add/edit, import
• Inventory → Stock levels, adjustments, stock-taking
• Suppliers → Supplier list
• Purchases → Purchase orders and receipts
• Receipts → Issue and download receipts (PDF)
• Marketing → Campaigns (if enabled)
• Accounting → Finance and reports (if enabled)
• Reconciliations → Bank/account reconciliation records
• Cash Reconciliation → Physical vs system cash (see returns timing in Finance §F)
• Users / Roles / Shops / Shop Staff → Administration
• Subscription → Plan and billing

Tips:

• Always select the correct shop in the top bar when working with products or orders.
• Use Search (top bar) to find products, customers, or orders quickly.
• Export or import products and batches via Excel when you have many items.
• If you don’t see a menu item, your role may not have access; contact your admin.

For more help, contact your organization administrator or refer to the FAQ on the landing page.