# Stock rules

Stock rule document fields, condition and location options, and scheduler trigger behavior.

Source: https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/inventory/reference/stock-rules/
Updated: 2026-10-29

A **Stock Rule** pairs one item, in one condition, with one storage location, and sets the threshold (minimum) and capacity (maximum) quantity to keep there. The Inventory Scheduler reads every rule and generates purchase orders, transfers, or scrap lists depending on the rule's condition. See [Automatic Replenishment](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/inventory/overview/automatic-replenishment/) for a conceptual overview.

## Fields

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Item** | The inventory item this rule governs. |
| **Item Condition** | The item condition this rule applies to. See [Condition states](#condition-states) below. |
| **Storage Location** | The storage location where items of this condition should be placed. A given item cannot have two rules pointing at the same storage location. |
| **Threshold Quantity** | The trigger point. Purchase-type rules trigger when the forecast is at or below it; For service and For scrap rules trigger when the quantity reaches it. |
| **Max Capacity** | Target quantity the scheduler orders or transfers up to. Must be greater than or equal to Threshold Quantity. |

There is no Vendor or Active field on the rule itself: every rule is always evaluated, and purchasing/service vendor information (Vendor, Order Code, Purchase Price for purchase-type conditions; Service Vendor, Service Order Code, Service Price for For service) comes from the item, not the rule. See [Items Reference](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/inventory/reference/items/).

## Condition states

| Item Condition | Description | Scheduler behavior |
|---|---|---|
| **Brand new / Refurbished / Unused** | Stock in a normal, usable condition. | Purchase-type: forecast quantity at or below the Threshold Quantity triggers a Transfer from an ancestor warehouse's surplus first, then a draft Purchase Order for any remaining demand. Which of these three conditions the scheduler actually evaluates depends on the organization's **Purchase Order Rule** preference (Admin — Purchase Preferences): set to "Brand new," only Brand new rules trigger; otherwise Brand new, Refurbished, and Unused all do. |
| **Used** | Stock in normal, usable condition that's already been in circulation. | Not evaluated by the purchase/pull branch — the scheduler's condition list never includes Used, so a Used stock rule triggers nothing regardless of quantity. A Used rule tells return lists where used pieces go back; see [Return list destinations](#return-list-destinations). |
| **For service** | Items awaiting or undergoing vendor service. | Service-type: quantity at or above the Threshold Quantity triggers a Transfer consolidating stock up to the root warehouse, or (if this rule is already on the root warehouse) a draft service Purchase Order. |
| **For scrap** | Items at end of life awaiting write-off. | Scrap-type: quantity at or above the Threshold Quantity adds the item to a draft Scrap List for that storage device. |
| **Unspecified** | Default/unused state; not a condition rules are normally created against. | Not evaluated by any of the above branches. |

## Return list destinations

A return list started from a tool prefills each line's destination with the location of the item's stock rule, at the return list's Warehouse Access Point, whose condition matches the returned pieces:

| Returned piece | Its condition | Prefilled stock rule |
|---|---|---|
| A cutting edge item, by its cutting edge's condition | **Used** or **Unknown** | Used |
| | **Pre-warning**, **Warning** or **Expired** | For service |
| | **Broken** | For scrap |
| | **Uncut** | Unused |
| Any other serialized item, by each piece's condition | **Used** | Used |
| | **Need service** | For service |
| | **Scrapped** | For scrap |
| | **Brand new** | Brand new, or Unused if the item has no Brand new rule |
| | **Refurbished** | Refurbished, or Unused if the item has no Refurbished rule |
| Any other item | — | Used |

Several matching rules are filled each up to its **Max Capacity**, then the next. A piece no rule matches, or no matching rule has room for, gets no destination, for the user to choose. See [Destination prefill](https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/production/reference/return-lists/#destination-prefill) in the Return Lists reference.

## Scheduler behavior

The Inventory Scheduler runs automatically on the interval set in **Inventory Scheduler** (Off, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly; it runs in the last hour of the day, week, or month in the organization's time zone), or on demand with the **Run** button next to it. Both are on the organization's **Preferences** tab, under **Inventory Preferences** (**Manage Organizations** → your organization). For each item and each of its stock rules, it evaluates the rule's condition branch above and drafts the resulting document. Draft purchase orders, transfers, and scrap lists generated this way must still be reviewed and confirmed manually.