Withdrawing Consumable Items - Reduce Stock When Used

Overview

When someone uses or takes consumables from inventory, you withdraw units to reduce the quantity. This keeps stock levels accurate and tracks usage over time.

Why Withdraw Consumables

Withdraw units when:

• Employee takes items for their use (toner cartridge for their printer)
• Technician uses spare parts during maintenance
• Items damaged or expired (discarded)
• Items transferred to another location
• Items consumed in operations (cleaning supplies used, safety equipment worn out)

Purpose:

• Accurate inventory counts
• Usage tracking (who took what, when)
• Low-stock alerts trigger at right time
• Audit trail for accountability

Withdrawing Units: Step-by-Step

Single Withdrawal

1. Go to Consumables page
2. Find consumable to withdraw from
3. Click consumable name to open detail page
4. Click "Withdraw" button (top right)
5. Fill out withdrawal form:

Withdrawal form fields:

Quantity to Withdraw (required)

• How many units are being removed?
• Must be ≤ current quantity (can't withdraw more than you have)
• Whole numbers only

Withdrawn By (required)

• Who is taking the items?
• Select user from dropdown
• If giving to non-user (contractor, visitor), select yourself and note in Reason

Date (optional, defaults to today)

• When was withdrawal made?
• Use if backdating (e.g., logging withdrawal that happened yesterday)

Reason / Purpose (required)

• Why are items being withdrawn?
• Free text field
• Be specific: "Deployed to John Smith's workstation" not just "Used"

Location (optional)

• Where are items going?
• Relevant if moving between locations

1. Click "Withdraw"
2. Quantity decreases immediately
3. Withdrawal logged in History tab

Example Withdrawal

Scenario: IT tech needs 2 toner cartridges for printer repair

Consumable: HP 950XL Black Ink Cartridge
Current Quantity: 15 Each

Withdrawal:
- Quantity: 2
- Withdrawn By: Mike Johnson (IT Technician)
- Date: Today
- Reason: "Replaced failed cartridges in Printer-Floor3-ConfRoom"
- Location: Floor 3 Conference Room

After withdrawal:
- New Quantity: 13 Each
- History: "Jan 15, 2026 - Withdrawn 2 units by Mike Johnson - Balance: 13"

Bulk Withdrawal (Same Consumable)

If withdrawing many units at once:

Example: Office move, need 50 boxes of packing supplies

1. Open consumable detail page
2. Click "Withdraw"
3. Quantity: 50
4. Withdrawn By: Facilities Manager
5. Reason: "Office relocation - Building A to Building B"
6. Click "Withdraw"
7. Quantity drops by 50

Limit: Can withdraw any amount up to current quantity. No system-imposed limit if stock available.

Withdrawal for Maintenance

When technician uses spare parts during asset maintenance:

Workflow

1. Technician performs maintenance on Asset #1234 (HVAC unit)
2. Uses 2 air filters from consumables inventory

Log withdrawal:

1. Go to Consumables → "HVAC Air Filter 20x25x1"
2. Withdraw:
   • Quantity: 2
   • Withdrawn By: Dave Wilson (Technician)
   • Reason: "Maintenance on Asset #1234 - HVAC Unit Floor 5"
3. Consumable stock decreases

Log maintenance on asset:

1. Go to Assets → Asset #1234
2. Add maintenance record:
   • Type: Preventive Maintenance
   • Description: "Replaced air filters"
   • Cost: $30 (2 filters × $15 each from consumable)
   • Technician: Dave Wilson
3. Asset maintenance history shows filter replacement

Result: Both consumable withdrawal and asset maintenance logged for complete audit trail.

Withdrawal for Damaged/Expired Items

If consumables are damaged, expired, or otherwise unusable:

1. Open consumable detail page
2. Click "Withdraw"
3. Quantity: [number of damaged units]
4. Withdrawn By: [Your name]
5. Reason: "Damaged - discarded" or "Expired - disposed per policy"
6. Click "Withdraw"

This reduces inventory without giving to user. Acknowledges waste/loss.

Example:

Consumable: Nitrile Gloves - Medium
Current Quantity: 50 Pair

Withdrawal:
- Quantity: 10
- Withdrawn By: Safety Manager
- Reason: "Expired (past use-by date) - discarded per OSHA requirements"

New Quantity: 40 Pair

Quick Withdraw (from List)

For faster withdrawals without opening detail page:

1. Go to Consumables page
2. Find consumable in list
3. Click three-dot menu (actions) → "Quick Withdraw"
4. Enter quantity and reason
5. Withdrawal logged

Use when: You know exactly what you need and quantity is small. For complex withdrawals, use full form.

Viewing Withdrawal History

Every withdrawal is logged:

1. Open consumable detail page
2. Click "History" tab
3. See all withdrawals:

Example history:

Jan 15, 2026, 2:30 PM - Withdrawn
Quantity: 2 units
Withdrawn By: Mike Johnson
Reason: "Printer cartridge replacement - Floor 3"
New Balance: 13 units

Jan 10, 2026, 9:15 AM - Withdrawn
Quantity: 5 units
Withdrawn By: Jane Doe
Reason: "Setup new conference room - deployed to 5 workstations"
New Balance: 15 units

Filter Withdrawal History

Filter by:

• Date range: Last 30 days, last 6 months, all time
• User: See what specific user withdrew
• Action: Withdrawals only (hide restocks)

Use cases:

• Audit who took consumables
• Calculate consumption rate (50 units withdrawn over 3 months = ~17/month)
• Budget forecasting

Withdrawal Validation

Prevents Over-Withdrawal

System prevents withdrawing more than you have:

Example:

• Current Quantity: 5
• Attempt to withdraw: 10
• Error: "Cannot withdraw 10 units. Only 5 units in stock."

Solution: Adjust withdrawal quantity to 5 or less.

Handles Zero Stock

If quantity = 0, withdraw button disabled.

To withdraw: Must restock first.

Who Can Withdraw Consumables

Permissions:

• Owner: Yes
• Admin: Yes
• Manager: Yes
• Viewer: No (read-only - can see quantities but not withdraw)

Common Withdrawal Scenarios

Scenario 1: New Hire Onboarding

New employee needs supplies:

Items needed:

• 1 mouse
• 1 keyboard
• 1 notebook
• 1 box of pens

Withdrawals:

1. Consumables → "Wireless Mouse - Black" → Withdraw 1 (Reason: "Onboarding - John Smith")
2. Consumables → "USB Keyboard" → Withdraw 1 (Reason: "Onboarding - John Smith")
3. Consumables → "Spiral Notebook" → Withdraw 1 (Reason: "Onboarding - John Smith")
4. Consumables → "Ballpoint Pens - Box of 12" → Withdraw 1 (Reason: "Onboarding - John Smith")

Tip: Include new hire's name in Reason to track who got what.

Scenario 2: Quarterly Safety Equipment Distribution

Every quarter, all warehouse staff get new gloves:

Setup:

• 30 warehouse employees
• 2 pairs of gloves each
• Total needed: 60 pairs

Withdrawal:

1. Consumables → "Nitrile Gloves - Large"
2. Withdraw:
   • Quantity: 60
   • Withdrawn By: Safety Manager
   • Reason: "Q1 2026 safety equipment distribution - Warehouse staff"
3. Stock decreases by 60

Follow-up: If stock drops below minimum (e.g., minimum = 50, now at 40), reorder triggered.

Scenario 3: Conference Room Setup

Setting up new conference room, need supplies:

Withdrawals:

• HDMI cables: 3
• Power strips: 2
• Whiteboard markers: 2 boxes
• Dry erase eraser: 1

Log each withdrawal with Reason: "Conference Room 5B setup - Floor 3"

Benefit: Later, if auditing conference room costs, search withdrawal history for "Conference Room 5B" to see all consumables allocated.

Scenario 4: Repair Consumables Used

Technician repairs laptop, uses thermal paste and screws from consumables:

1. Consumables → "Thermal Paste Tube" → Withdraw 1 (Reason: "Laptop repair - Asset #456")
2. Consumables → "M2.5 Screws - Pack" → Withdraw 1 (Reason: "Laptop repair - Asset #456")

Then log maintenance on Asset #456:

• Description: "Thermal paste replaced, case screws tightened"
• Cost: $15 (thermal paste $10 + screws $5)

Cross-reference: Both consumable and asset records mention each other for audit trail.

Troubleshooting

"Cannot withdraw - insufficient stock"

Cause: Trying to withdraw more than current quantity.

Fix:

1. Check current quantity (consumable detail page)
2. Reduce withdrawal to available amount
3. If need more, restock first, then withdraw

Alternative: If critical need, create backorder (withdraw what you have, note remaining needed in Reason, restock when arrives, withdraw remainder).

"Withdraw button disabled"

Causes:

• No stock (quantity = 0) → Restock first
• You don't have permission (Viewer role) → Contact Manager/Admin
• Consumable archived → Restore from archive first

"Withdrawal not showing in history"

Check:

1. Refresh page (browser cache issue)
2. History tab → Ensure date filter includes today
3. Verify withdrawal completed (look for confirmation message)

"Wrong quantity withdrawn by mistake"

Fix:

1. Immediately restock the difference
2. Example: Withdrew 10 instead of 1
   • Restock 9 units
   • Reason: "Correction - accidental over-withdrawal"
3. Both withdrawal and restock appear in history (audit trail intact)

"Should I withdraw if giving to external contractor?"

Yes. Stock is leaving your inventory.

How:

• Withdrawn By: [Your name or contract manager]
• Reason: "Issued to [Contractor Name] for [Project]"

Example: "Issued to ABC Cleaning Co. for annual deep clean - 5 bottles disinfectant"

Best Practices

1. Always Log Withdrawals

Even small quantities. Untracked withdrawals accumulate, causing inventory drift.

Don't: Take items without logging.

Do: Log every withdrawal, every time.

2. Be Specific in Reason

Poor reason: "Used"

Good reason: "Deployed to Jane's laptop - toner replacement"

Why: Specific reasons enable audits, usage analysis, and accountability.

3. Immediate Logging

Log withdrawal when taken, not days later.

Why: You'll forget details. Immediate = accurate.

4. Consistent User Attribution

If someone else takes items but you log it:

• Withdrawn By: Actual user
• Or Withdrawn By: You, Reason: "Issued to [User] for [purpose]"

5. Physical Inventory Matches System

After withdrawal:

• Physically remove units from storage
• Update labels (if quantity labels on bins)

Avoid: System says 10, physical storage has 18 (8 unlogged withdrawals).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a withdrawal?

Not directly. To reverse:

1. Restock the same quantity
2. Reason: "Reversal - withdrawal was error"
3. Both transactions appear in history

What if multiple people need to withdraw same consumable?

Each logs their own withdrawal:

• Person A: Withdraw 2 (Reason: "Person A - deployed to workstation")
• Person B: Withdraw 3 (Reason: "Person B - printer setup")

All withdrawals tracked individually in history.

Do I need approval to withdraw?

Depends on organization policy. UniAsset doesn't require approval workflow, but you can:

• Implement policy: Manager approves before withdrawal
• Log approval in Reason: "Approved by Manager Jane - Purchase Req #123"

Can I withdraw on behalf of someone not in system?

Yes. Withdrawn By: [Your name], Reason: "Issued to [Person] - [purpose]"

Example: "Withdrawn By: IT Manager, Reason: Issued to contractor Bob Smith for server rack installation - 10ft Ethernet cables"

Does withdrawal send email notification?

No. Withdrawals are logged silently. If you need to notify someone (e.g., procurement to reorder), do so manually or via low-stock alert.

Related Articles

• Creating Consumables - Set up consumables initially
• Restocking Consumables - Increase quantity when purchased
• Tracking Consumable Quantity - Monitor stock levels
• Low Stock Alerts - Get notified before running out
• Maintenance Logging - Link consumables to maintenance

Need Help?

If you have questions about withdrawal workflows or inventory accuracy, contact support for assistance.