Managing Materials
The materials list
Section titled “The materials list”Go to Materials in the main navigation to see all materials in the system.
The list shows each material’s name, SKU, categories, current stock quantity, location, unit price, and when the record was created. Click any column header to sort by that column.
Searching and filtering
Section titled “Searching and filtering”Use the search bar to find materials by name, SKU, description, location, part number, manufacturer name, or vendor name.
You can also filter by:
- Category — show only materials in a specific category (includes subcategories)
- Created by me — show only materials you added yourself
These filters can be combined with search.
Exporting the list
Section titled “Exporting the list”The list can be exported with the same columns shown on screen: name, SKU, categories, stock quantity, location, unit price, and creation date.
Creating a material
Section titled “Creating a material”Click Add material to open the creation form.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| SKU | A unique code for this material. Must be unique across all materials in your account. |
| Name | What you call this material internally |
| Description | Optional longer description |
| Manufacturer | Who makes it (select from the manufacturer list) |
| Vendor | Who you buy it from (select from the vendor list) |
| Part number | The manufacturer’s own reference number, if you track this separately from your SKU |
| Stock quantity | How many units are currently on hand |
| Unit price | Cost per unit |
| Reorder level | When stock drops to this quantity, it’s time to reorder |
| Location | Where this material is stored |
| Unit of measure | The primary unit this material is measured in |
| Common names | Other names or terms someone might use when searching for this material |
Categories
Section titled “Categories”Assign the material to one or more categories to make it easier to find. See Categories for how to set up your category structure.
Editing a material
Section titled “Editing a material”Open any material from the list to see its full record.
If you created the material, or if you’re a dispatcher, you’ll see an Edit button. Make your changes and save.
If you’re an employee and didn’t create the material, the record opens in read-only mode. You can see all the details but cannot make changes. Contact a dispatcher if something needs to be updated.
Every change is recorded in the history tab automatically.
Tabs on the material record
Section titled “Tabs on the material record”Details — the main form with all fields.
Jobs — all jobs where this material was used. Useful for understanding how quickly a material gets consumed across your team’s work.
History — a full log of every change made to the record: field changed, old value, new value, who made the change, and when.
Attachments — files associated with this material. Upload manufacturer datasheets, safety data sheets (SDS), or photos of the part to help technicians identify it in the field.
Manufacturers and vendors
Section titled “Manufacturers and vendors”Manufacturers and vendors are managed separately from materials. Each material can be linked to one manufacturer and one vendor.
To add a new manufacturer or vendor, a dispatcher can do this from the manufacturer/vendor management section in the admin area. Once added, they appear in the dropdown when creating or editing a material.
Deactivating a material
Section titled “Deactivating a material”If a material is no longer used, set it to Inactive rather than deleting it. This keeps the historical record intact — past job records that reference this material remain valid. Inactive materials are hidden from the default list view.
A dispatcher can reactivate a material at any time.