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CompuTécnicos includes professional accounting features for inventory management, enabling you to track purchases, costs, taxes, and supporting documentation in compliance with Colombian regulations.

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Accounting Fields

When registering inventory movements (particularly purchases), the system captures comprehensive accounting information:
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id_proveedor
integer
required
Provider ID - Reference to the supplier/vendor making the sale
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numero_factura
string
required
Invoice Number - Legal invoice number from the supplier for tax compliance
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precio_unitario
decimal
required
Unit Price - Cost per unit at time of purchase (used for inventory valuation)
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iva
decimal
IVA (Value Added Tax) - Amount of IVA paid on this purchase. Standard Colombian IVA rate is 19%
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retencion
decimal
Retención (Withholding Tax) - Amount of withholding tax applied to this transaction
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fecha_factura
date
Invoice Date - Date on the legal invoice document
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soporte_documental
file
Supporting Document - PDF or JPG file of the invoice or receipt. One file per product/purchase

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Recording Inventory Movements

To register an inventory purchase with accounting information:
  1. Navigate to Admin → Inventory
  2. Click ”+ New Movement”
  3. Select “Entry (Purchase)” as movement type - this activates accounting fields
  4. Fill in all required fields:
    • Product
    • Provider
    • Invoice number
    • Unit price
    • IVA (optional but recommended)
    • Withholding tax (if applicable)
    • Supporting document (PDF/JPG)
  5. Submit the form
The system validates all accounting data and stores it with transaction integrity using database transactions.

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Document Management

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Uploading Supporting Documents

The system manages supporting documents (invoices, receipts) similar to profile photos:
  • One document per product/purchase: Each inventory movement can have one associated file
  • Automatic replacement: Uploading a new document automatically deletes the previous one
  • Supported formats: PDF and JPG files only
  • File naming: Documents are stored as soporte_[product_id]_[timestamp].[ext]
  • Storage location: Files are saved in uploads/soportes/

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Viewing Documents

In the inventory table, click the “View” button in the “Support” column to open the document in a new tab.

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Cleaning Orphaned Files

Over time, orphaned files (documents without database references) may accumulate. To clean them:
  1. Go to Admin → Inventory
  2. Click “🗑️ Clean Supports” in the header
  3. Review statistics about orphaned files
  4. Execute automatic cleanup
Always backup important documents before running the cleanup tool. The deletion is permanent.

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Inventory Valuation

CompuTécnicos uses the average cost method for inventory valuation:
  • Each purchase records the unit price paid
  • The system calculates the weighted average cost across all purchases
  • Inventory value = Stock quantity × Average unit price
  • This method complies with Colombian accounting standards

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Calculating Cost of Goods Sold

When inventory is sold (exit movement), the system uses the average cost to determine COGS: 
COGS = Quantity sold × Average unit price

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Provider Management

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Registering Providers

Before recording purchases, register your suppliers:
  1. Go to Admin → Providers
  2. Click ”+ New Provider”
  3. Enter provider details:
    • Name (required)
    • Email
    • Phone
    • Address
    • Contact person
  4. Submit the form
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nombre
string
required
Provider Name - Business name or legal name of the supplier
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email
string
Email - Contact email for the provider
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telefono
string
Phone - Contact phone number
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direccion
string
Address - Physical address of the provider
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contacto
string
Contact - Name of contact person at the provider

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Provider Information for Compliance

For Colombian tax compliance, ensure you record:
  • Full legal business name
  • NIT (Tax identification number) - can be stored in the name or address field
  • Complete address
  • Contact information
Provider information is required for all purchase transactions to comply with Colombian tax regulations (DIAN requirements).

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Tax Tracking

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IVA (Value Added Tax)

Colombia’s standard IVA rate is 19%, though some products may be exempt (0%) or taxed at reduced rates (5%). IVA Paid: When you purchase inventory, record the IVA amount paid to suppliers. This is your input IVA that can be deducted. IVA Collected: When you sell products, the system calculates IVA collected from customers (if configured). This is your output IVA owed to DIAN. The accounting reports show both IVA paid and collected to help you calculate your net IVA obligation.

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Retención (Withholding Tax)

In Colombia, certain transactions require withholding tax (retención en la fuente):
  • Retención at Purchase: Record the amount withheld by your business when paying suppliers
  • Retención at Sale: Track amounts withheld by customers from your invoices
  • Common rates: 2.5%, 3.5%, 4% depending on transaction type
The system tracks withholding amounts for reconciliation and tax filing.

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Data Integrity

The system ensures accounting data integrity through:
  • Database transactions: All inventory movements are atomic operations
  • Foreign key constraints: Ensures referential integrity with products and providers
  • Validation: Required fields are enforced at both frontend and backend
  • Audit trail: All movements record user, timestamp, and are immutable (delete only)

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Installation Requirements

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Database Setup

To enable accounting features, run the database migration: 
-- Import the full database schema
source database/computecnicos_full.sql

-- Or apply incremental update
source sql/sql_actualizacion_inventario.sql

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File Upload Permissions

Set proper permissions for document storage: 
# Create directory for supporting documents
mkdir uploads/soportes
chmod 755 uploads/soportes
chown www-data:www-data uploads/soportes

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PHP Extensions

Ensure required PHP extensions are enabled: 
extension=gd       # For image processing
extension=zip      # For Excel export
extension=xml      # For spreadsheet generation
extension=mbstring # For string handling
Missing PHP extensions will prevent Excel exports and document uploads from working properly.

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