Guidelines for Consuming Inventory

Track Product Consumption

When a mobile worker uses a product during a field visit, they can create a product consumed record from the Products Consumed related list on the related work order or work order line item. For example, a work order can have one product consumed record representing the consumption of 10 bolts, and another representing the consumption of two batteries. Products consumed are typically associated with a product item that represents where the item was stored before use.

Why to Track Product Consumption

Track product consumption so you know when and why items from your inventory are used and when your stock is running low. When you create a product consumed record on a work order or work order line item, the quantity listed on the related product item updates to reflect the consumption.

For example, suppose you have a product item representing the bolts stored in your service van. You use 10 bolts to complete a work order, so you create a product consumed record on the work order to track the consumed bolts. Creating the product consumed reduces the quantity of the product item representing bolts in your van by 10.

Note If you want to track product consumption but don’t need to track the movement of inventory between locations, you can skip creating locations and product items. Instead, complete the Price Book Entry field on product consumed records to indicate which product was consumed. However, this approach offers a limited view of your inventory.

Viewing Updates to Product Consumed Records

Product item transactions are auto-generated records that summarize changes made to product items in your org. They appear in the Product Item Transactions related list on related records. Most actions on products consumed create a product item transaction.

• Creating a product consumed: A product item transaction is created on the product item with a type of Consumed and a negative quantity equal to the quantity consumed. Because access to product item transactions is determined by product item access, you need permission to view product items before you can create products consumed.
• Changing the quantity on a product consumed: You may need to change the quantity on a product consumed to indicate that fewer or more items were consumed. In this case, a product item transaction is created with a type of Adjusted and a negative quantity equal to the additional quantity consumed. For example, if a mobile worker updates a product consumed to indicate that two more bolts were used, the new product item transaction’s quantity would be –2.
• Deleting a product consumed: Deleting a product consumed is considered an adjustment. A product item transaction of type Adjusted is created with a positive quantity equal to the quantity consumed.