# Consumable Issue
A Consumable Issue records consumable items handed out for internal use — issued to an employee, a center, or a project. When the issue is approved, stock leaves the center and the cost of the issued items is charged to expense. Use it for non-billable internal consumption such as spares, stationery, packing materials, or workshop consumables.
Overview & List View
The Consumable Issues list shows every issue with its id, date, center, who issued it, who received it, the reason, and status. Use the quick filter tabs to switch between views, and Advanced Filters to narrow the list further. From the list you can create a new issue, open an existing one, edit a draft, or delete a draft.
List columns
| **Column** | **Shows** |
|------------|-----------|
| Id | Issue reference number. |
| Date | Issue date and time. |
| Center | Center the stock is issued from. |
| Issued By | Employee issuing the stock. |
| Issued To | Employee or person receiving the stock. |
| Reason | Reason for the issue. |
| Status | Current status of the issue. |
Quick filter tabs
| **Tab** | **Shows** |
|---------|-----------|
| Default | All issues except cancelled ones. |
| Approved | Issues that have been approved. |
| Draft | Issues saved but not yet approved. |
| Cancelled | Issues that have been cancelled. |
Advanced Filters
Id, Issued By, Issued To, Center, Reason, Notes, Project, Status, Date, and Created date.
List row actions
| **Action** | **Available when status is** |
|------------|------------------------------|
| Edit | Draft |
| Delete | Draft |
| View | All statuses |
Quick Start — Create a Consumable Issue
1. Navigate
Go to Inventory → Consumable Issues from the left menu.
2. Create new issue
Click New to open the issue entry screen.
3. Fill in details
- Set the Date *.
- Choose the Center * the stock is issued from.
- Optionally set Issued By, Issued To, Approval By, Brand, Project, and a Reason.
- Add item lines with Item, Quantity, and Unit. Use Batch and Serial Numbers where the item requires them.
4. Save
- Save — keeps the issue as a Draft.
- Save And Approve — approves the issue in one step, reducing stock and posting the cost.
- Reset / Cancel — clears or closes the form without saving.
5. Approve the issue
Approve the issue to remove the stock from the center and charge its cost to expense. A draft issue does not affect stock or accounts.
| **Field** | **Description** |
|-----------|-----------------|
| Date * | Date and time of the issue. |
| Center * | Center the stock is issued from. Required. |
| Issued By | Employee issuing the stock. |
| Issued To | Employee or person receiving the stock. |
| Approval By | Employee who approves the issue. |
| Brand | Brand for brand-wise tracking. Shown when enabled. |
| Project | Optional project the consumption is charged to. |
| Project Task | Task within the selected project. Enabled after a project is selected. |
| Reason | Reason for the issue. Picked from the inventory adjustment reasons list. |
| Notes | Remarks about the issue. |
> A Consumable Issue can also be created automatically from an approved Material Request. When created this way, item lines are pre-filled from the request, and approving the issue closes the linked material request.
Item Lines — ITEMS
| **Column** | **Description** |
|------------|-----------------|
| Sl Num | Line serial number. Auto-numbered. |
| Item * | Consumable item being issued. Only consumable items can be selected. |
| Variant | Item variant, where the item has variants. |
| Unit | Unit of measure. Defaults from the item. |
| Quantity | Quantity to issue. |
| Batch | Batch being issued. Shown for batch-tracked items; lists batches available in the center. |
| Serial Numbers | Serial numbers being issued. Shown for serial-tracked items. |
| Inv Bin | Bin within the center. Shown when bin tracking is enabled. |
Actions & Status
View toolbar actions
| **Action** | **Description** | **Available when status is** |
|------------|-----------------|------------------------------|
| Approve | Approves the issue, reduces stock, and posts the cost. Hidden when a multi-level approval template applies. | Draft |
| Edit | Opens the issue for editing. | Draft |
| Delete | Permanently removes the issue. | Draft |
| Clone | Creates a copy of the issue. | All (if permitted) |
More menu (⋮) actions
| **Action** | **Description** | **Available when status is** |
|------------|-----------------|------------------------------|
| Cancel | Cancels the issue and reverses the stock and accounting entries. | Approved |
| Update Serial Numbers | Updates serial number properties for the issued items. | Approved, Closed |
| Add/Update Note | Adds or edits a note on the issue. | All |
| Master Update | Updates selected header fields without reopening the full form. See Master Update. | Approved, Closed |
| Print | Prints the issue. | All |
Statuses
| **Status** | **Description** |
|------------|-----------------|
| Draft | Saved but not yet approved. Can be edited or deleted. No stock or accounting impact. |
| Approved | Finalized. Stock has been reduced and the cost charged to expense. |
| Closed | Issue is closed — typically once it has been fully processed by a linked document. |
| Cancelled | Issue has been cancelled and its stock and accounting entries reversed. |
Posting Behavior
When you approve a Consumable Issue:
- Stock is reduced at the Center for each item line, using its batch, serial numbers, or bin where applicable.
- The cost of the issued items is posted to accounts — the value is charged to the expense account configured on each item and offset against the inventory account.
Every item on a Consumable Issue must be a consumable item with an expense account set; otherwise approval is blocked. Cancelling an approved issue reverses both the stock movement and the accounting entries.
Master Update
Master Update lets you change selected header fields on an approved issue without editing the full document or item lines. Open the three-dot menu on the issue and select Master Update.
| **Field** | **Can be updated?** | **Notes** |
|-----------|---------------------|-----------|
| Date * | Yes | Cannot be set before the accounts closing date. |
| Center, items, quantities | No | Cancel the issue and create a new one to change these. |
Click Confirm to save changes or Cancel to close without saving.
View Tabs & Side Panels
When you open an issue in full view, the right side shows tabbed panels. Click the expand icon on a tab to open the same data in a larger modal.
Top panel
| **Tab** | **What it shows** |
|---------|-------------------|
| Summary | Documents linked to this issue, such as the source material request. |
Bottom panel
| **Tab** | **What it shows** |
|---------|-------------------|
| History | Activity log — who created, approved, edited, or cancelled the issue and when. |
| Attachments | Files uploaded to this issue. |
Best Practices
- Set the correct Expense Account on each consumable item — approval fails if an item has no expense account.
- Record Issued To so consumption is traceable to the employee, team, or project that received the stock.
- Use a meaningful Reason so consumption can be analyzed later by purpose.
- Link a Project when consumption belongs to a specific job so costs are attributed correctly.
- Approve promptly — stock and cost are only recorded on approval, so a draft issue does not reduce availability.
FAQ
Does saving a draft consumable issue reduce stock?
No. Stock is reduced only when the issue is approved (or saved with Save And Approve).
Why can I only select consumable items?
A Consumable Issue is for consumable items only. Regular stock items are moved with an Inventory Transfer or shipped with a Delivery Note instead.
Does a consumable issue affect my accounts?
Yes. Approval charges the cost of the issued items to each item's expense account and offsets the inventory account.
Why is Approve hidden on my issue?
When a multi-level approval template applies, approval follows the approval workflow instead of the direct Approve button.
Can I create a consumable issue from a material request?
Yes. An approved Material Request can generate a consumable issue with item lines pre-filled. Approving the issue closes the request.
Why won't my consumable issue approve?
Insufficient stock at the center, or the linked material request is closed when Prevent transaction approval on closed material request is enabled in Inventory Settings.
Why can't I add a regular inventory item?
Only items with consumable item type and a configured expense account can be issued on this screen.
What is the difference between consumable issue and inventory transfer?
Consumable issue consumes stock to an expense account. Inventory Transfer moves stock between centers without expensing it.
Related documentation