> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.fieldpulse.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How to Deduct and Count Inventory > Choose when FieldPulse deducts stock from your hubs, override it on a single record, and count items on web or mobile so on-hand numbers stay accurate. > **Who uses this:** Admins and Team Managers — the **Deduct Inventory** toggle on a record is available to those two roles. **Availability:** All regions. **Inventory Settings** and template configuration are web only; the record toggle and the inventory count tool work on web and mobile. Inventory deduction is the moment FieldPulse subtracts stock from your hubs, and you decide when it happens — when a Material List is completed, or when an [invoice](https://www.fieldpulse.com/features/estimates-and-invoices) is finalized. When the office and the field disagree about which record spends the parts, on-hand counts drift and nobody trusts the numbers. One deduction trigger, plus a per-record override for the jobs that do not fit it, keeps your hub quantities matching what is actually on the shelf and in the van. ## Overview FieldPulse deducts inventory from your hubs at one of two moments: when a Material List reaches a Completed-type status, or when an Invoice reaches the Invoiced / Finalized status. You set a company-wide default in **Inventory Settings**, carry that setting onto Material List and Invoice templates, and override it on any individual record. The inventory count tool is separate from deduction. It compares the number of an item you actually have in a hub against the number FieldPulse expects, records who counted and when, and corrects the hub quantity when the two do not match. ## Before you begin * Set up inventory in your account first, including hubs and any serialized items. See [Setting Up Item List & Inventory](/inventory-materials/item-list/adding-items). * Sign in as an Admin or Team Manager to use the **Deduct Inventory** toggle on a record. * Use the web app for your initial setup. **Inventory Settings** and template configuration live in the web app only, even if your team counts stock and flips toggles from mobile. * To control which users reach which hubs, see [Setting Up Inventory Permissions](/inventory-materials/item-list/permissions). ## On web ### Set your default deduction method The default deduction method decides which record type subtracts stock for every new record going forward. 1. Select **Company Settings** in the left-side menu, then open the **Estimates & Invoices** tab and the **Inventory** subtab. 2. Select **Inventory Settings** in the top-right corner. 3. Set **Default Inventory Deduction Record** to your preference: * **Material List** — inventory is deducted when the Material List reaches a Completed-type status. * **Invoice** — inventory is deducted when the Invoice reaches the Invoiced / Finalized status. Inventory Settings page in Company Settings with the Default Inventory Deduction Record dropdown set to Material List, above the list of inventory hubs The default applies to every new record of that type going forward. The toggle on the other record type starts off by default, and existing records are not changed. ### Set toggle defaults on templates If you build Material Lists or Invoices from templates, set the toggle on the template so every record built from it inherits the right behavior. 1. Open a Material List or Invoice template. 2. Switch on **Deduct Inventory from Material List** or **Deduct Inventory from Invoice**. 3. Save the template. You or a Team Manager can still change the toggle on individual records when a job calls for something different. ### Override the deduction method on a record When you create or edit a Material List or Invoice, the record carries a **Deduct Inventory from Material List** or **Deduct Inventory from Invoice** toggle. Use it to override your company default for that one record. For example, you might deduct from Material Lists as your default, and then hit a fast, straightforward job where you skip the material list and go straight to the invoice. The toggle lets you deduct according to that job's needs without changing your company setting. Create Invoice screen with the Deduct Inventory From Invoice toggle highlighted to the right of the invoice title and due date fields ### How the toggles behave together A few rules govern linked Material List and Invoice records: * The toggle is editable only while inventory has not been deducted yet. Once a record reaches a Completed-type status (Material List) or Invoiced / Finalized status (Invoice), the toggle locks. * If a record moves back to Draft, inventory is returned and the toggle re-enables. * When a Material List and Invoice are linked, FieldPulse keeps them in sync so inventory is never deducted twice. Turning on **Deduct Inventory from Invoice** automatically turns off **Deduct Inventory from Material List** on the linked Material List. * Items added to an already-completed record — a change order — are deducted when the record is re-completed. ### Serialized inventory behavior Serialized items follow the same trigger rules as regular inventory, with extra safeguards so the same serial number is never deducted twice: * When a record is completed, the serial numbers on it lock and cannot be edited. * If a serial number that has already been deducted on another record is added to a new record, an error icon appears next to that line item. * If you try to complete a record that still contains an already-deducted serial number, the **Serial Number No Longer Exists** pop-up appears with two options: * **Continue Editing** — keeps the record in Draft so you can swap in a valid serial number. * **Proceed Without Deducting This Item** — completes the record and deducts everything else. For more on serialized stock, see [Serialized Inventory Overview](/inventory-materials/item-list/serialized-inventory). ### Count inventory The inventory count tool tracks and corrects on-hand quantities across your hubs, one item at a time. 1. Open the inventory item you want to count from your item list. 2. Select the clipboard icon next to the hub you are counting. Inventory item panel in the item list with the clipboard icon highlighted next to the Hub 1 quantity in the item's Inventory section The **Count Item** window opens on that hub and shows the historical counts for it, including who counted and when. The count history table has four columns: * **Date & Time** — when the count was submitted. * **Count** — the number of items counted. * **Expected Quantity** — the number of items you are expected to find, based on the hub's current on-hand quantity. * **Updated By** — the team member who submitted the count. Any row where **Count** does not match **Expected Quantity** is highlighted, so variances are easy to spot. The entry field below the table starts blank every time you open the window, and the save buttons stay disabled until you type a value. 3. Enter the number of items you counted. 4. Select the button that matches what you want to record: * **Update Count & Hub Quantity** — logs the count and updates the hub's on-hand quantity to match, closing the variance. * **Update Count** — logs the count only. The hub's on-hand quantity is unchanged and the variance stays open. Count Item window for the Dan's Truck hub showing one past count with Date & Time, Count, Expected Quantity, and Updated By columns, the mismatched count highlighted in red, above the count entry field with the Update Count & Hub Quantity and Update Count buttons ### Review counts in reporting To review counts across items and hubs, select **Reporting** in the left-side menu, select **Invoices**, then select **Inventory Count**. Inventory Count report open under Reporting and Invoices, listing each item and hub with last count, last count expected quantity, and variance columns The report covers both regular and serialized inventory, and compares actual against expected levels item by item, including the dollar-value difference. See [How to Create Inventory Count Reports](/reporting/raw-data/inventory-count-reports). ## On mobile The **Deduct Inventory** toggle and the inventory count tool are both available in the mobile app. **Inventory Settings** and template configuration live in the web app only, so set those up on web first. ### Toggle deduction on a record 1. Open the Material List or Invoice in Draft status. 2. Tap the **Deduct Inventory from Material List** or **Deduct Inventory from Invoice** toggle. 3. Tap **Save**. Mobile Material List with the Deduct Inventory from Material List toggle highlighted above the Items list ### Count an item with the barcode scanner 1. Scan the barcode of your inventory item. 2. Tap the clipboard icon next to the hub you are counting. Scan Barcode screen in the mobile app showing the matched item with the clipboard icon highlighted next to the Office hub quantity 3. Enter the number of items you counted. 4. Tap **Update Count** to record the count on its own, or **Update Count & Update Hub Quantity** to record the count and correct the hub quantity at the same time. Count Item screen in the mobile app showing a previous count with actual count, expected quantity, and who counted, above the Update Count and Update Count & Update Hub Quantity buttons ## Common issues | **Issue** | **Likely cause** | **Fix** | | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | The **Deduct Inventory** toggle does not appear on a record | The user is not an Admin or Team Manager | Update the user's role, or have an Admin or Team Manager edit the record. | | Inventory did not deduct when the Material List was completed | The toggle was off, or the linked Invoice is set as the deduction record | Open the Material List in Draft, switch the toggle on, and re-complete it. Or confirm the linked Invoice will be the deduction record when it is finalized. | | New records are not using the right default | **Default Inventory Deduction Record** is not set, or it was changed recently | Confirm the setting in **Company Settings** > **Estimates & Invoices** > **Inventory** > **Inventory Settings**. | ## FAQs ### Can technicians or service agents flip the toggle? No. The **Deduct Inventory** toggle on a record is available to Admins and Team Managers. Other roles can still build Material Lists and Invoices; the toggle does not appear for them. ### Can I count inventory across multiple hubs at once? Counts are tracked per item, per hub. Work through each hub for that item, or open [How to Create Inventory Audit Reports](/reporting/raw-data/inventory-audit-reports) for a higher-level view. ### What happens if I add the same serialized inventory item to more than one record? You can add the same serial number to multiple Material Lists or Invoices. Once it is deducted on one completed record, FieldPulse flags it with an error icon on any other record it is still sitting on. From there, you can swap in a different serial number, or complete that record anyway and skip deducting that one item. ## Related articles * [Setting Up Item List & Inventory](/inventory-materials/item-list/adding-items) * [Serialized Inventory Overview](/inventory-materials/item-list/serialized-inventory) * [Inventory Hubs Overview](/inventory-materials/item-list/inventory-hubs) * [Setting Up Inventory Permissions](/inventory-materials/item-list/permissions) * [How to Create Inventory Count Reports](/reporting/raw-data/inventory-count-reports) * [How to Create Inventory Audit Reports](/reporting/raw-data/inventory-audit-reports) Your inventory is deducting correctly when stock leaves your hubs at the moment you chose — Material List completion or Invoice finalization — a linked Material List and Invoice never double-deduct, and a count you run matches the quantity on the shelf. ## Related topics - [How to Manage Purchase Orders](/inventory-materials/purchase-orders/managing.md) - [How to Create Inventory Count Reports](/reporting/raw-data/inventory-count-reports.md) - [Inventory Hubs Overview](/inventory-materials/item-list/inventory-hubs.md) - [Serialized Inventory Overview](/inventory-materials/item-list/serialized-inventory.md)