The Descriptive Inventory document is available in the Document Library, where it can be created, customized, and applied to specific job types. This document functions as an Opportunity Addendum and supports dynamic inventory data captured during a move.
Getting Document Updates
SmartMoving populates one Descriptive Inventory document per opportunity.
When your company has created a Descriptive Inventory document in the Document Library, that document is used.
When your company has not created one, SmartMoving falls back to the default template.
Updates to the layout, including the destination check columns and the signature stamping fields, arrive in the default template. A document your company created in the Document Library keeps the layout it was created with, so it has to be replaced once to pick up the updates.
To get the updated layout:
Go to Settings > Forms & Documents > Document Library.
Delete your existing Descriptive Inventory document.
If you had customizations on the old document, add a new Descriptive Inventory document and re-apply them. See "Accessing the Descriptive Inventory Template" below.
If you did not customize it, you are done. The default applies automatically the next time a Descriptive Inventory document generates.
⚠️ Warning: Deleting a document cannot be undone. Note or screenshot any customizations before you delete, since they have to be re-applied to the new document by hand.
Note: This applies to any company that created a Descriptive Inventory document in the Document Library, whether or not it was ever edited. A company that never created one already receives the default and does not need to do anything.
Accessing the Descriptive Inventory Template
You can create a new Descriptive Inventory document from the Document Library.
Go to Settings > Forms & Documents > Document Library.
Select + New Document.
Choose Opportunity as the Document Applies To value.
Enter a document title.
Select Descriptive Inventory Sheet from the Starting Template dropdown.
Editing the Document
After you create the document, it opens in the document editor where you can update text and adjust the layout as needed.
The Descriptive Inventory template includes:
A full inventory table
Pre-placed tokens for company, customer, agent, addresses, and sticker ranges
Dynamic tokens for company, customer, agent, addresses, and sticker ranges
Symbols and exception codes
Signature fields
Remarks and exception areas
To see the current layout before you replace your own document, open Settings > Forms & Documents > Document Library and preview the Descriptive Inventory Sheet starting template.
These tokens are already included on the page. They can be moved or removed, but they are not available in the token list and cannot be added from there. If you want to use a token in another part of the document, you can manually type it or copy and paste it from an existing location in the template.
Dynamic Inventory Table
The template includes the token:
@DescriptiveInventoryItemsTable(MaxRowsInTable: 40)
This dynamic row token allows the system to generate up to the maximum number of rows you specify. However, the number of rows that fit on each PDF page will vary depending on how much vertical space each row uses.
In the example shown below, the Max Rows value is 40.
However, the first page displays only 26 rows.
Why the first page stops at Row 26
Row 26 includes a longer description in the Condition at Origin column. Because this text wraps to two lines, the row becomes taller than the others. When this happens, SmartMoving automatically adjusts the layout and ends the page earlier so the content does not overflow.
As a result:
Rows 1–26 fit on Page 1
Rows 27–40 automatically continue on Page 2
Page numbers update accordingly
This behavior is expected. The dynamic table expands based on both total rows and row height, ensuring each page breaks cleanly based on available space.
💡 Unlike traditional paper inventory forms, which have fixed spacing and limited room for longer descriptions, the digital inventory sheet automatically adjusts to fit what you enter. This allows crews to document items accurately without worrying about running out of space or cramming text into small boxes.
Configuring When the Document Applies
Each Descriptive Inventory document can be configured to apply only to specific job parameters.
These settings determine when the document is attached to an opportunity.
You may configure:
Job Types
Branches
Tariffs
Pricing Types
Opportunity Types
Binding job applicability
These options work the same way as other SmartMoving documents. You can create multiple Descriptive Inventory documents and set each one to apply when needed. For example, you may have different formats for DoD moves, Van Line jobs, or standard local moves.
SmartMoving will populate one Descriptive Inventory document per opportunity. If multiple documents exist, the system uses the one that matches the job’s configuration. If no custom document applies, SmartMoving automatically falls back to the default out-of-the-box template.
That fallback is how layout updates reach your documents. The default out-of-the-box template carries the current layout, so an opportunity using the fallback always generates the current version. A document you created in the Document Library generates the layout it was created with until you replace it. See "Getting Document Updates" above.
Adding Shipment-Level Notes
Crews can add notes that apply to the entire shipment, not just individual items.
How To Add Notes
Open the descriptive inventory.
Select Add Notes.
Enter up to 100 characters.
Save your changes.
Once notes are saved, the button label changes to Edit Notes.
Where Notes Appear
On the Descriptive Inventory document
On every page of the document
Shipment-level notes are visible to the shipper.
In the Inventory Report in the Office App (Accounting tab)
How Inventory Checks Appear on the Document
Each completed Descriptive Inventory check updates the inventory document automatically. Depending on the type of check, updates may appear directly on the main inventory pages or on additional pages appended to the document.
Checkmarks on Main Inventory Pages
Each check type has a corresponding column on the main inventory pages.
Items marked as received display a checkmark
Items not checked remain blank
On a delivery across more than one stop, two columns record where each item went:
Column | What it shows |
ADDTL DEST CHECK | A checkmark when the item was delivered at an additional stop during a Destination check. The FINAL DEST CHECK cell for that item is greyed out. |
FINAL DEST CHECK | A checkmark when the item was delivered at the final destination. The ADDTL DEST CHECK cell for that item is greyed out. |
A greyed cell means the item was accounted for at the other kind of stop, so a blank cell is the only thing that indicates an item was never delivered.
Damages recorded at the final destination appear under EXCEPTIONS (IF ANY) AT FINAL DESTINATION on the item pages.
Note: The ADDTL DEST CHECK column appears on the document whether or not any Destination checks were run. On a document with no Destination checks it renders blank, with no greyed cells, and the rest of the item pages are unaffected.
Reading Items Across Multiple Stops
On a delivery across more than one stop, the item pages group items by the stop they were delivered to, with rooms nested inside each stop when the Rooms setting is enabled. Stops appear in the order they were delivered, with the final destination last.
For how rooms behave inside those groups, see Room Grouping on the Descriptive Inventory Sheet.
Additional Pages Added After Each Inventory Check
For every completed inventory check other than the Final Destination Check, SmartMoving appends a new page to the inventory document.
When Pages Are Added
A new page is generated each time one of the following checks is completed:
Driver Check
Warehouse Check
Warehouse Cross-Reference Check
Destination Check, once for each additional stop the crew delivered to
If multiple checks are completed, each check adds its own page, separated by a page break, in the order the checks were completed.
What Each Check Page Includes
Each appended check page contains a header, two tables, and signature fields.
Page header
Which check the page is for. A Destination Check page also names the stop it delivered to.
How many items remained on the vehicle after that check.
New Damages
Lists items marked with new damage during the check
If no new damages were recorded, the table displays "No new damage found for any items."
Articles Delivered
Lists the items delivered during that check
On a Destination Check page, these are the items left at that stop
Signature fields
A field for the carrier or driver and a field for the owner, to document the change of custody
Even when the tables are empty, the page still appears so the check is fully documented.
Note: A check page reflects what was true when that check was signed. An item delivered at a stop whose check was signed later still appears as not checked on the earlier check's page.
Note: Additional destination stops are numbered from 1 on the check pages, in the order they were delivered.
Signatures on Inventory Document
Signature placement depends on the type of inventory check being completed:
Signatures for Driver, Warehouse, Warehouse Cross-Reference, and Destination Checks.
Every appended check page for these check types includes signature fields to document custody changes.
On every check page, the carrier signs the field captioned Signature (required)
Contractor, Carrier, or Authorized Agent (Driver) and the owner signs the field captioned Signature (required)
Owner or Authorized Agent
These labels allow flexibility for different handoff scenarios (for example, driver to warehouse or warehouse to driver)
Signatures can be captured even if there are no missing items or new damages recorded during the check.
Signatures for Final Destination Checks
Final Destination Checks do not generate an additional check page on the Descriptive Inventory document.
Instead:
New damages appear in the EXCEPTIONS (IF ANY) AT FINAL DESTINATION column on the main inventory pages
Delivery is recorded in the FINAL DEST CHECK column on the main inventory pages
Signatures are captured in the standard At Destination section of the inventory document
During a Final Destination Check, crews may see an option to indicate that the customer is not available to sign. When selected:
The check can still be completed
The shipper receives an email with a link to review and sign the inventory later
On a job that moves items out of storage, checks are recorded on the Warehouse Release document instead. That document prints a check page for every check type, including the Final Destination Check, because it has no destination column on its intake page.
Emailing the Updated Inventory After a Check
After a check is completed and signed, SmartMoving regenerates the Descriptive Inventory Document to include all new check information.
A digital copy of the updated inventory is automatically emailed to:
The shipper
Contacts associated with the opportunity
Any additional recipients entered during the signing step
This ensures the shipper receives the most current version of the inventory, even if they were not present when the check was completed.
Activity Log and Record Keeping
Each completed inventory check is logged on the opportunity, including:
The type of check completed
The number of items marked as received
The number of items marked as missing
Any new exceptions recorded during the check
This creates a complete audit trail linking the inventory document, check history, and shipment activity.