What is Real-time reporting?

How it works in practice

A hardware store owner in Hetauda is at a supplier’s office deciding whether to order more cement. On a phone, the owner checks current stock of that item, what sold this week and how much the store still owes that supplier. Each bill, goods receipt and payment updated the records when it was approved. So the answer shows today’s position, and the owner orders from the numbers instead of from memory.

The same data runs the daily routine: low-stock alerts in the morning, the day’s takings by payment method at close, and a list of customers with dues before a collection call.

Why a live figure can still be wrong

• Drafts and unapproved documents. A purchase bill left pending is not yet in what you owe, and goods not yet received do not show as stock.
• Work recorded late. If the counter bills as it sells but the godown enters receipts on Friday, stock is only as current as Friday.
• The wrong period on screen. Many systems read one fiscal year at a time, so check which one is selected.
• Short windows. A single day with a few sales swings widely; judge trends over weeks.

When it is not worth it