Auto-deduct stock on jobs and invoices

Manual stock tracking is where inventory goes wrong. Turn on Auto-deduct for any product and Service Buddy will reduce the on-hand count automatically whenever the item is added to an invoice or job.

Steps to enable auto-deduct

1. Click Settings in the left sidebar, then click Products & Services (under Company Management).
2. Click the edit icon on the product you want to track.
3. Check Enable automatic inventory deduction.
4. Click Update.

How auto-deduct works

• Auto-deduct applies only to items with type Product (things you physically sell) or Material.
• When the item appears on a new invoice or job, a stock hold is placed (status: On Hold).
• Once the invoice is paid or the job is completed, the hold converts to a deduction (status: Success) and the on-hand quantity drops.
• If an invoice is voided or refunded before it’s marked paid, the hold is released and quantity is restored.

Example walkthrough

Say you stock 25 rolls of carpet padding, and auto-deduct is on:

1. You add 3 rolls of padding to an invoice. On-hand quantity drops to 22 when the invoice is created.
2. The client pays. The deduction finalizes.
3. A week later, another invoice uses 2 rolls of padding. On-hand quantity is now 20.
4. You receive a new shipment of 50 rolls from a purchase order. Quantity jumps to 70.

What happens next

• Your Products list always reflects real-time inventory, assuming your team uses invoices and jobs consistently.
• Low-stock items surface faster because you’re not waiting for someone to do a manual count.
• You can create purchase orders once stock crosses your comfort threshold.

Tip

Enable auto-deduct on high-volume items first — carpet padding, underlayment, tack strip, transition strips, seam tape, thinset, grout. One-off items (a single roll of carpet, a special-order hardwood lot, or a custom tile for a specific install) can be adjusted by hand as you use them.

Caution

Auto-deduct only works if your team creates invoices or jobs for the materials they use. If installers pull padding or trim from the warehouse without logging it on a job, your inventory will slowly drift out of sync.

FAQ

Should I turn on auto-deduct for everything?

No — only for items you actually want to track in inventory. Services (install labor, stair labor, binding labor, tear-out, freight) don’t have inventory and shouldn’t have auto-deduct. One-off custom items (a special-order area rug, a single-job hardwood lot, or specialty tile for a single client) usually aren’t worth the overhead either.

When does the deduction actually happen — when I create the invoice or when it’s paid?

A hold is placed when the invoice or job is created (status: On Hold). The actual deduction (status: Success) happens when the invoice is paid or the job is completed. If the invoice is voided or refunded before payment, the hold releases and the quantity is restored.

What if I add an item to a quote — does that reduce stock?

No — only invoices and jobs trigger holds. Quotes don’t reserve stock. That’s intentional: most quotes don’t close, and reserving stock against every open quote would have your inventory looking permanently empty.

Can I disable auto-deduct on an item I had it enabled for?

Yes — open the item, uncheck Enable automatic inventory deduction, and save. Existing holds and deductions on past jobs/invoices stay as they are; new uses won’t create holds.

What if my install crew pulls padding without logging it?

Your on-hand quantity will drift over time. There’s no way for Service Buddy to catch un-logged usage automatically — the answer is process: insist that any pulled material is logged on a job or invoice immediately, and run a quarterly physical count to true up the difference.

Can I auto-deduct flooring by the square yard, square foot, or carton?

Yes — auto-deduct works in whatever unit the item is set up in. Carpet by Sq Yd, hardwood/LVP/laminate by Sq Ft, tile by Box, padding by Sq Yd. Just enter the actual quantity on the invoice line and the deduction matches the unit. Be careful with rounding: 12.5 sq yd used means on-hand drops by exactly 12.5.

Why did my stock not deduct after I marked the invoice paid?

A few possibilities: the item type isn’t Product or Material; auto-deduct is off for that item; or the invoice was voided/refunded before the deduction finalized. Open the item to confirm settings and check the invoice’s activity log for any reversal events.

Related tasks

• Add an item to your catalog
• Track inventory levels
• Receive stock from a purchase order