How to Allocate Materials in Connect

Overview

When a technician uses Connect to allocate stock US: Inventory. Materials currently in your storage devices. Not to be confused with the catalogue. to a cost centre, the outcome in simPRO depends on the following factors:

• Whether the stock was allocated in simPRO before the technician started work
• Whether the storage device used to allocate stock in Connect is the same storage device used to allocate stock in simPRO
• Whether the technician allocated more than the quantity that was originally allocated in simPRO
• Whether the items being allocated are in stock or not.

Stock that was allocated in simPRO always takes precedence over stock allocated in Connect.

If a specific item of stock was allocated in simPRO, and a technician uses Connect to allocate that same item from the same storage device, the system assumes the technician is using that same exact stock allocated in simPRO. This quantity of the item does not change unless the technician allocates a higher quantity than was initially allocated in simPRO.

For example, if you allocated 20 of a stock item from the 'Warehouse' storage device in simPRO, and in Connect, the technician only allocates four from the Warehouse, the total allocated quantity remains at 20. To increase the total allocated quantity, the technician would need to allocate 24 of the stock item from the Warehouse in Connect to indicate they are using the 20 stock items allocated in simPRO, plus an additional four.

If the technician allocates stock in Connect from a different storage device, the system assumes this is not the stock allocated in simPRO and does not include it in the initially allocated quantity. For example, if there are 10 stock items allocated from the Warehouse in simPRO, and the technician allocates one stock item from their 'Van' storage device, the total allocated increases to 11.

When you allocate items to a cost centre in a job, and the items are not in stock, only billable items are updated. Learn more in What is the difference between billable and allocated?.

If you order the item directly to the cost centre, the allocated items are updated automatically when the item is received. If you order to stock, you need to allocate the item again after the order is receipted. Learn more in How to Create a Purchase Order.

What is the difference between billable and allocated?

Billable items represent an estimation of the materials required, which are charged to the customer. To view billable items in a cost centre, go to Parts & Labour > Billable. The value of items in the Billable sub-tab do not represent actual costs, or actual items taken from stock.

Actual costs are updated when items are allocated to a cost centre from a receipted purchase order or storage device. To view allocated items in a cost centre, go to Stock > Allocated.

Because of this, the billable items and the allocated items may be different.

When a technician allocates stock in Connect, there are four potential outcomes. Click the relevant outcome below to understand its circumstances:

• Billable and allocated quantities stay the same
• Billable quantity stays the same but allocated quantity increases
• Billable quantity increases, but allocated quantity stays the same
• Billable and allocated quantities increase.