Set 6 reorder rule fields before your van parts run out

• Product setup first: according to Odoo, a product has to be configured correctly before it can use reordering rules.
• Buy route: in the Inventory tab's Routes field, tick the Buy checkbox, as described by Odoo.
• Route and maximum: select the route in the Route field of the rule and enter the Max, which according to Odoo is the maximum quantity at which the stock is replenished.
• Vendor and multiple: according to Odoo, the vendor at the top of the list generates the requests when rules trigger, and according to Zoho, a unit multiple of 5 limits purchases to multiples of 5.

Small firms often find out a part is missing only when a technician opens the van or walks into an empty shelf. The aim of this article is to set the fields so parts can be ordered before a van or the shop runs out, without someone counting stock by hand every day.

According to Odoo, reordering rules can be configured for each product based on the route used to replenish it. That means the work starts at the level of individual parts, not the whole van. Begin with the parts a technician cannot finish a job without, then extend the list as you find gaps. For a related setup, see low stock alert settings for field service.

The fields here are documented behaviour in Odoo, Zoho and Microsoft Learn products. They are not a description of every software tool, so check the help pages for your own system before assuming the same field names or options exist.

The table gives one exact quoted sentence from each publisher used in this article.

Odoo's documentation states that a product must be configured correctly to use reordering rules, according to Odoo.

Start with the parts your vans and shop use most. For each one, open the product record and confirm it is complete before you touch any rule. Write the results in a plain list with the part name and whether it is van stock, shop stock or both. Keep a note of any part you cannot confirm, and leave that part out of the rule round until its product record is complete. This keeps a rule from being built on a product you have not checked.

Before you start the list, pull the part names from your van stock sheets and your shop shelves, and remove duplicates so each part appears once. A part that is recorded in two places can end up with two product records. Decide which record is the working one, and mark the other for review, so that no rule is built on a record nobody uses.

Give each part a plain name that a technician would recognise from the van, such as the size and type printed on the packaging. Keep that naming the same across the whole product list, because consistent names make it quicker to find a product when you reach the Routes field in the next step.

Assign one person to sign off the product list. Owners often assume the product records are fine because the software accepted them, but a short sign-off by a team lead makes the gap visible on paper.

According to Odoo, the Buy checkbox sits in the Routes field on the Inventory tab. This is the second of the six fields, and it applies to the products your firm buys from a vendor.

Mark each part in your list as bought from a vendor or not, then go through the Routes field on every bought part in one pass. Doing the whole list in one sitting means every part is checked the same way, rather than some parts checked on the day they were added and others months later.

If a part is not bought from a vendor, leave the Buy checkbox as the product needs it and note the reason in your list. That note is useful when a team member asks why a part has no vendor-based rule.

Once the checkboxes are ticked, count the bought parts on your list and compare that count with the number of products you have marked as bought. If the two do not match, go back through the Routes field for the parts that differ. A short second look like this is a cheap way to catch a checkbox that was ticked on the wrong product in a long list.

According to Odoo, in the Route field you select the route the rule should use to replenish the item. The same source defines Max as the maximum quantity at which the stock is replenished.

To set a sensible Max, gather the record of how much of each part your vans and shop have used over recent jobs. Look for the quantity that was on hand when a replenishment was needed, and write it beside the part name. Those notes give you a starting point that comes from your own work rather than from a guess.

Choose the route first, then enter the Max on the same rule. Doing it in that order means each quantity is set against the route you picked, and it is easier to review later if someone asks why a rule behaves the way it does. Keep the route name the same across every rule, so that when you read the rules later you can see at a glance which route each part uses.

Review the Max after a busy stretch of work or a change in the kinds of jobs you take on. The figure should follow usage, so a Max entered in a quiet month may need changing once the workload picks up.

According to Odoo, the vendor at the top of the list is used to generate RFQs when reordering rules are triggered. Check the vendor order on each product before any rule runs, and move the vendor you want to the top where it is not already there.

The unit multiple needs the same care. According to Zoho, if the unit multiple is 5, you can purchase items only in multiples of 5, meaning 5, 10, 15 and so on. A technician who counts in single pieces may not expect that, so note the vendor's selling unit on the product list beside the vendor name.

Ask each vendor which unit they sell in, and record the answer. Do not assume the unit your technicians count in is the unit the vendor sells.

When a part is supplied by more than one vendor, decide which vendor should sit at the top of the list, then write down the reason. The reason might be a delivery arrangement you already use or a contact you trust. Recording it helps the next person who reads the product record understand why the order is set that way.

Compare each vendor's selling unit with the Max you set for the same part. If the two do not line up, note the difference so that anyone reading the rule knows how the order will be counted before it is placed.

Suppose a part has a Max of 10 and a unit multiple of 5, and 4 are on hand. The shortfall is 6, but purchases come only in multiples of 5, so the order would need to be 10, not 6. This example is illustrative and credited to no firm.

According to Microsoft Learn, in this scenario a customer changes a sales order from 70 to 40 pieces between two planning runs. According to the same source, the next supply Sb of 2 (another order) is already placed on the timeline, which means an order can exist before you decide to add another.

When a job's quantity changes between planning runs, check the planning line for the action message. According to Microsoft Learn, if the planning line quantity is higher than 0, the action message is Change Qty. Read that message before you place a new order on top of an existing one.

Odoo's documentation also shows a late order that is not grouped with others. According to Odoo, SO 3, which is due on Dec 25, is one day late and is not grouped with the other two orders. When a job changes, check whether its orders are grouped the way you expect, and look at the due dates alongside the quantities.

Before you alter a rule after a job change, compare the change against your field service work order checklist.

Keep a short note of each change you make to a rule after a job quantity changes, with the date and the job reference. A note like this lets a team lead see whether a rule was changed for a real job or for a one-off order, and it gives you a record to look back on when the next change comes in.

Treat a Change Qty message as a prompt to compare the figures, not as an instruction to order. The message is a reason to look at the planning line and the orders already on the timeline before you decide what to do.

The next step is to open your five most used parts and check each one for the Buy route, a replenishment route, a Max and the first vendor. Record what you find in the product list you started, and fix any part that is missing one of those four items before you set its rule.

Which vendor does a reordering rule use?

The vendor at the top of the list. According to Odoo, that vendor is used to generate RFQs when reordering rules are triggered.

What does Max mean in a reordering rule?

According to Odoo, Max is the maximum quantity at which the stock is replenished.

What does a unit multiple of 5 mean when buying?

According to Zoho, you can purchase items only in multiples of 5, such as 5, 10, 15 and so on. A part with that unit multiple cannot be ordered as a single piece, so compare the multiple with how your technicians count stock before you rely on the rule.

What does the Change Qty message mean?

The Change Qty message is the action message on a planning line.