Inventory in Pulse — Part 3: the stock ledger (receiving, issuing & movements)
Every stock change in Pulse is an immutable ledger entry: opening, received, issued, adjustment, or write-off. On-hand is always their sum, movements can be attributed to a project or job, and sending an invoice can issue stock automatically.
Pulse · 14 Jun 2026
The ledger is the heart of Pulse inventory. Every change in quantity is recorded as one immutable transaction, and your on-hand is always the sum of them. Nothing is edited or deleted — corrections are new entries — which is what makes the stock figure trustworthy and auditable.
The movement types
- Opening (+) — the one-time starting count for an item.
- Received (+) — stock came in (manually, or auto-posted when you receive a purchase order).
- Issued (−) — stock went out (manually, or auto-posted when an invoice is sent or paid).
- Adjustment (+/−) — a counted correction, single-item or as part of a stocktake. Covered in Part 4.
- Write-off (−) — damaged, lost, or expired stock. Also Part 4.
- Transfer out / Transfer in (−/+) — stock moving between two of your branches. Covered in Part 5.
Record a movement
- Open an item from Inventory.
- Click Receive to add stock or Issue to take stock out.
- Enter the quantity and an optional note. Pulse checks the result can't go below zero, then posts the entry.
- The item's transaction history shows each movement with the quantity, the running balance after it, who posted it, and any reason or reference.
Attributing stock to work
When you issue stock you can attribute it to a project or a quick job, so your usage ties back to the work it was for. Open a project's Financials tab, or an existing quick job, to see a Materials used panel: every issued movement attributed to that job, with item, quantity, date, who posted it, and a running material cost total. An Issue stock shortcut on the same panel lets you post directly against that job without leaving the page. This is also what powers the usage and waste reporting in Part 6.
See every movement across your whole inventory
Switch the Inventory page from Items to Movements to see every transaction across every item in one place, filterable by item, type, source, and date — the fastest way to answer "what moved today" without opening items one by one.
Automatic movements
A few everyday actions move stock for you: receiving a purchase order posts received movements (Part 2), sending or paying an invoice can post issued movements for the items on it (your organisation chooses which, in Settings), and dispatching a branch transfer posts a transfer out at the source and a transfer in once the destination confirms receipt (Part 5). Because the ledger is the single source of truth, manual and automatic movements live side by side and always reconcile to the same on-hand.
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit or delete a stock movement?
No — the ledger is append-only. To correct a balance you post an adjustment (Part 4), which is itself an auditable entry.
Why can't I issue more than I have?
Pulse blocks any movement that would take on-hand below zero. Receive more stock or post an adjustment if your count is wrong.
How does an invoice change stock?
When an invoice is sent or marked paid (your organisation chooses which, in Settings), Pulse can auto-post issued movements for the stock-tracked items on it, so selling and stock stay in sync.
Related guides
- Inventory in Pulse — Part 1: items & stock on handPulse inventory is items-first and perpetual: you create an item, set an opening balance, and your on-hand quantity is always the sum of every stock movement — never a stored number that can drift. This part covers adding items, units, count vs measure mode, and reorder levels.
- Inventory in Pulse — Part 2: suppliers, the catalog & purchase ordersThe buy side of Pulse inventory lives under Inventory: add Suppliers, keep their products in the Catalog, and raise Purchase Orders. When you mark a PO received, Pulse posts the stock straight into the ledger for you.
- Inventory in Pulse — Part 4: stock counts, adjustments & write-offsWhen a physical count differs from the system, you post an adjustment: enter what you counted, Pulse calculates the variance, you pick a reason and confirm with your password. Write-offs work the same way. Every correction is permission-gated and permanently audited.
- Inventory in Pulse — Part 5: the catalog & cross-branch SKUsIf you run multiple branches, a head-office catalog of Shared SKUs lets each branch link its own items to a shared product. The Cross-Branch view groups stock by SKU, showing per-branch quantities and a total, and lets you transfer stock between branches — while every branch keeps its own names, costs, and ledger.
- Inventory in Pulse — Part 6: pieces, offcuts & the usage reportFor materials you cut, Pulse can track individual pieces and offcuts: each piece carries a remaining quantity and status, issuing can split a child offcut, and a usage report shows received, issued, written-off and waste. Pulse records what is left — it never calculates what to cut.