> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bizaxl.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Material Request
> How to raise internal stock replenishment requests in Bizaxl Medical Retail to trigger the purchasing process.
A **Material Request** is an internal document that says: "We need more stock of this item." In a medical retail store, it is the formal trigger that kicks off the purchasing process - it tells your procurement team that a medicine or product needs to be ordered.
Material Requests create a clear, auditable record of who requested what and when, so nothing falls through the cracks between the person managing the shelf and the person placing orders with distributors.
***
## Who Uses This Feature
| Role | What They Do Here |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Inventory Staff / Pharmacist** | Raises Material Requests when stock is low |
| **Store Manager** | Reviews and approves requests; converts to Purchase Orders |
| **Procurement Staff** | Views Material Requests and converts them to Purchase Orders |
***
## Types of Material Request
| Type | When to Use |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Purchase** | Need to buy from an external supplier / distributor |
| **Material Transfer** | Need to move stock from one warehouse to another |
| **Material Issue** | Need to consume/issue stock internally |
| **Manufacture** | Need to produce items internally (not typical for medical retail) |
For a medical retail store, you will almost always use **Purchase**.
***
## How to Raise a Material Request
1. Go to **Stock workspace → Material Request → New**
2. Set **Material Request Type** to "Purchase"
3. Set the **Required by Date** - when you need the stock
4. Add items to the **Items table**:
* Select the item (medicine)
* Enter the quantity required
* Select the target warehouse
5. Save and Submit
***
## Field Guide
| Field | What to Enter | Required? |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| **Title** | A short description of the request (e.g. "Weekly Antibiotic Restock") | No |
| **Material Request Type** | Purchase (for buying from supplier) | Yes |
| **Company** | Your company | Yes |
| **Transaction Date** | Today - auto-filled | Yes |
| **Required by Date** | When the stock is needed by | No (recommended) |
| **Items → Item Code** | The medicine or product needed | Yes |
| **Items → Required Qty** | How many units are needed | Yes |
| **Items → Warehouse** | Where the stock should go when received | Yes |
***
## Status Flow
```mermaid theme={null}
%%{init: {'theme':'base','themeVariables':{'fontFamily':'DM Sans','primaryColor':'#e7fdf6','primaryBorderColor':'#14f1b1','primaryTextColor':'#0f172a','lineColor':'#14f1b1'}}}%%
flowchart TD
A[Draft] -->|Submit| B[Submitted / Pending]
B -->|Purchase Order raised| C[Partially Ordered]
B -->|All items ordered| D[Ordered]
C -->|Purchase Receipt created| E[Partially Received]
D -->|Purchase Receipt created| F[Received]
B -->|Cancelled without fulfilling| G[Stopped]
```
***
## Converting to a Purchase Order
Once the procurement team is ready to act:
1. Open the **Material Request** (status = Pending or Ordered)
2. Click **Create → Purchase Order**
3. Select the supplier for each item
4. Review quantities and prices
5. Submit the Purchase Order
The Material Request status automatically updates to "Ordered" when a Purchase Order is created against it.
***
## Automatic Material Requests
If you have set **Reorder Levels** on your item records, the system can automatically generate Material Requests when stock falls below the minimum level. This is triggered by the reorder check process.
To enable: set Reorder Level and Reorder Qty on the Item's reorder table (see [Items Catalogue](/retail/medical-retail/items-catalogue)).
***
## Monitoring Pending Requests
* Go to **Stock workspace → Material Request** and filter by **Status = Pending**
* Or use the **Requested Items to Order and Receive** report (Buying workspace) to see all unfulfilled requests
***
## Best Practices
* **Raise Material Requests before stock runs out.** The Material Request → Purchase Order → delivery cycle takes time. Request when you hit the reorder level, not when the shelf is empty.
* **Set the required by date.** This helps procurement prioritise urgent requests and tells you if a supplier is likely to meet your timeline.
* **Use one Material Request per replenishment cycle.** Do not raise dozens of single-item requests - group them into a weekly or twice-weekly request to make purchasing more efficient.
* **Do not bypass Material Requests.** Even if the procurement team places orders informally (by phone), always create the Material Request and Purchase Order in the system so the trail is complete.
***
## Common Mistakes
* **Raising a Material Request after stock has run out.** At this point, customers are already being turned away. Set reorder levels to get ahead of this.
* **Not specifying the required by date.** Procurement cannot prioritise without this.
* **Raising a Material Request for items that are not in the Items Catalogue.** The item must exist in the catalogue before it can be requested. Add the item first.
* **Closing requests manually before the stock arrives.** If you stop a Material Request prematurely, the pending quantity tracking breaks. Only close a request if the need is genuinely cancelled.
***
## Related Features
* [Items Catalogue](/retail/medical-retail/items-catalogue) - setting reorder levels for automatic triggering
* [Purchase Order](/retail/medical-retail/purchase-order) - the document raised from a Material Request
* [Stock Entry](/retail/medical-retail/stock-entry) - for internal stock movements (Material Transfer type)
* [Reports & Monitoring](/retail/medical-retail/reports-overview) - Material Request Trends, Requested Items to Order