## Zoho Inventory Documentation Index Access the complete documentation index at: https://www.zoho.com/bh/inventory/llms.txt Use this file to discover all available documentation pages before proceeding. # Material Issue A Material Issue records stock that leaves a warehouse location for internal use or consumption. Material issues help you track internal stock movement, maintain accurate inventory records, and fulfil approved material requests. **Note:** Material Returns are not a separate module. They are accessed from within the Material Issue details page. To create a material return, open an issued material issue and use the **Material Returns** tab or the **Create Material Return** action. **Scenario:** Bailey at Zylker Manufacturing approved a material request for 50 LED bulbs. To move the stock from the main warehouse to the retail location, Bailey creates a material issue and finalises it to update the inventory immediately. * * * ### Enable Material Issue Module Before you can create material issues, you must enable the module in your organisation settings. **Prerequisite:** You must have admin access or appropriate permissions to enable modules. Ensure at least one warehouse location is active in your organisation. * Go to **Settings** from the top right corner of the page. * Click **General** under _Setup & Configurations_ in the left sidebar. * Check the **Material Issue** option under _Modules_. * Click **Save**. Once enabled, the Material Issue module will appear under _Inventory_ in the left sidebar. * * * ### Create a Material Issue Create a standalone material issue to record stock that is issued for internal use. * Go to _Inventory_ from the left sidebar. * Click **Material Issues**. * Click the **New** button in the top right corner. * Fill in the issue details: Field Description **Material Issue#** A unique reference number. This is auto-generated but can be customised by clicking the gear icon. **Issue Date** The date when the stock is issued. Defaults to the current date. **Reason** Select the reason for issuing stock (e.g., Internal Use, Production, Testing, Damaged). This helps categorise issues for reporting. **Location** The warehouse or location from which stock is being issued. **Notes** Optional internal notes about the issue. This can include context, purpose, or special instructions. * In the **Item Details** section, add the items to issue: * Click **Add Row** to add an item line. * Select the item from the dropdown. * Review the **Available Quantity** displayed for each item. * Enter the **Quantity** to issue. * For serial or batch tracked items, select the specific serial numbers or batches to issue. * Repeat for each additional item. **Note:** You cannot issue more than the available stock for any item. If the available quantity is zero or insufficient, restock the location before creating the issue. * Click **Save as Draft** to save the issue for review, or **Convert to Issued** to finalise and update stock immediately. * * * ### Create Material Issue from Request Convert a confirmed material request directly into a material issue to streamline the fulfilment process. **Method 1: From the material request details page** * Go to _Inventory_ from the left sidebar. * Click **Material Requests**. * Open a confirmed request. * Click **Convert to Material Issue** in the top right corner. * Review the prefilled issue details (items, quantities, location). * Update the issue date, reason, or notes if needed. * Click **Save as Draft** or **Convert to Issued**. **Method 2: From the Material Issue creation page** * Go to _Inventory_ and click **Material Issues**. * Click **New**. * Click **Link to Material Request** if the option is available. * Select a confirmed request from the list. * The issue form is prefilled with request details. * Complete the issue and save. **Insight:** When you create a material issue from a request, the request status automatically updates to **Partially Issued** or **Issued** depending on the quantities fulfilled. You can track linked issues from the Material Issues tab in the request details page. * * * ### Material Issue Statuses Material issues have the following statuses based on their lifecycle: Status Description **Draft** The issue has been created but not finalised. Stock has not yet been updated. It can be edited or deleted. **Issued** The issue has been finalised and stock has been deducted from the source location. Issued transactions are typically locked for editing. **Note:** Once a material issue is marked as **Issued**, it cannot be edited or deleted. If you need to reverse an issued transaction, create a material return instead. * * * ### View Material Issue Open any material issue to review its details, status, and item lines. * Go to _Inventory_ from the left sidebar. * Click **Material Issues**. * Click on an issue number from the list. * Review the issue header, status, items, and any linked material requests or returns. * Click the **Activity** tab to see a log of changes made to the issue. * Click the **Material Returns** tab to view any returns created against this issue. * * * ### Edit a Draft Material Issue You can update a draft material issue before it is finalised. * Open the draft material issue you want to edit. * Click **Edit** in the top right corner. * Update the issue details, date, reason, or item quantities. * Click **Save as Draft** to keep it in draft status, or **Convert to Issued** to finalise immediately. **Warning:** Issued transactions are locked for editing to maintain data integrity. If you need to correct an issued transaction, create a material return to reverse it. * * * ### Convert Draft to Issued Finalise a draft material issue to record the stock movement and update inventory. * Open a draft material issue. * Review all item quantities and details. * Click **Convert to Issued** in the top right corner. * Confirm the action in the popup. Once converted, the stock is deducted from the source location and the status changes to **Issued**. **Insight:** Finalise the issue only when items physically leave the location. This keeps your inventory records accurate and prevents stock discrepancies. * * * ### Create a Material Return If issued items are returned to stock, create a material return to reverse the issue and restore inventory. * Open the issued material issue from which items are being returned. * Click the **More** icon (three dots) in the top right corner. * Select **Create Material Return** from the dropdown. * Enter the return details (date, reason, receiving location). * Enter the quantities being returned for each item. * Click **Save as Draft** or **Mark as Returned** to finalise. Material returns increase stock at the receiving location and are tracked under the Material Returns tab of the source issue. [Learn more about Material Returns](/bh/inventory/help/material-return/material-return.html) * * * ### Print or Download as PDF Generate a printable or downloadable copy of a material issue for offline records or approvals. * Open the material issue. * Click **PDF/Print** from the action menu in the top right corner. * Download the generated PDF or print it directly. * * * ### Clone a Material Issue Create a new material issue similar to an existing one by cloning it. * Go to _Inventory_ and click **Material Issues**. * Open the issue you want to clone. * Click the **More** icon (three dots) in the top right corner. * Select **Clone** from the dropdown. * A new issue page opens with the same details. Update the date, reason, or items if needed. * Click **Save as Draft** or **Convert to Issued**. **Pro Tip:** Cloning is useful for recurring issues with the same items and quantities. Instead of creating a new issue from scratch, clone an existing one and adjust the date. * * * ### Delete a Material Issue Permanently remove a draft material issue that is no longer needed. * Open the draft material issue you want to delete. * Click the **More** icon (three dots) in the top right corner. * Select **Delete** from the dropdown. * Confirm the deletion in the popup. **Warning:** Deleting a material issue is permanent and cannot be undone. Issued transactions cannot be deleted — create a material return instead. * * * ### Search and Filter Issues Narrow the material issue list by status, date, or keyword to find specific records quickly. * Go to _Inventory_ and click **Material Issues**. * Use the **Search** bar at the top to find issues by number, reason, or notes. * Click the **Filter** icon to apply status filters: * All * Draft * Issued * Use the date range filter to narrow issues by issue date. * Click **Apply** to view the filtered results. * * * ### Export Material Issues Download the material issue list for reporting, record-keeping, or analysis. * Go to _Inventory_ and click **Material Issues**. * Apply any filters if you want to export a specific subset of issues. * Click the **More Actions** icon (three dots) in the top right corner. * Select **Export** from the dropdown. * Choose your preferred format (CSV or Excel). * Download the generated file. **Note:** Exported files include issue number, date, reason, location, status, and item details. You can use this data for analysis or integration with other systems. * * * ### Related Topics * [Material Request](/bh/inventory/help/material-request/material-request.html) * [Material Return](/bh/inventory/help/material-return/material-return.html) * [Warehouses](/bh/inventory/help/warehouses/warehouses-overview.html)