Who Uses This Feature
Before You Start
- Items requested must exist in the Item catalogue
- If the request is for a transfer from another warehouse, both the source and destination warehouses must exist
Types of Material Request
Creating a Material Request
1
Open Material Request
Go to the Stock or Buying workspace and click Material Request, or access it from the Manufacturing workspace under the Production card.
2
Create a new Material Request
Click New.
3
Select the Material Request Type
Choose Purchase (to buy from a supplier), Material Transfer (to move from another warehouse), or another appropriate type.
4
Set the required date
Enter when the materials are needed. This drives urgency for the procurement team.
5
Add requested items
In the Items table, add each material you need:
- Select the Item Code
- Enter the Quantity required
- Set the UOM (unit of measure)
- Set the Warehouse where the materials should be delivered
- For transfers, set the From Warehouse as well
6
Link to a Work Order or Production Plan (optional)
If this request is for a specific production run, link it to the relevant Work Order or Production Plan. This creates traceability between the request and the production it serves.
7
Save and submit
Click Save then Submit. The Material Request status changes to Pending.
From Material Request to Fulfillment
For a Purchase Request
Once submitted, the Purchase Manager reviews pending Material Requests and creates Purchase Orders against them. The flow:For a Material Transfer
The Store Keeper creates a Stock Entry of type “Material Transfer” against the Material Request. Once submitted, the stock moves from the source warehouse to the destination, and the Material Request status updates.Field Guide
Material Request Status
Notification
When a Material Request status changes to Received or Partially Received, the system automatically sends an email to the person listed in the Requested By field. This notification includes a summary of items received and their quantities.Reports and Monitoring
Best Practices
Always use Material Requests before purchasing. Bypassing the Material Request step means there is no record of why a purchase was made, making it harder to trace costs back to a production run. Set accurate required-by dates. Vague dates lead to procurement prioritisation failures. If you need materials for a specific Work Order, set the date to match the Work Order’s planned start date. Link to the Work Order when possible. A Material Request linked to a Work Order allows full traceability from purchase to production — critical for cost analysis and audit trails. Review the Requested Items To Be Transferred report daily. This report shows internal transfer requests that are pending. If they are not fulfilled, production will stall waiting for materials.Troubleshooting
The Material Request was submitted but no Purchase Order has been created: The Purchase Manager needs to create the Purchase Order manually from the Material Request. Check with your procurement team. The Received status has not updated: Check that the Purchase Receipt linked to the Purchase Order is in Submitted status. Notification email was not received: Confirm that the Requested By field has a valid user with an email address configured in their profile.Related Features
- Purchase Order — created from Purchase-type Material Requests
- Stock Entry — handles Material Transfer type requests
- Production Plan — generates Material Requests automatically for material shortfalls
- Work Order — can be linked to a Material Request for traceability