---
title: How Jobs Work
description: "Learn how jobs work in Sortly: statuses, plan limits, and how to reserve, move, use, and complete stock on a job, on web and mobile."
---
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1. [Sortly Help Center](https://help.sortly.com/sb?hsLang=en)
2. [Jobs](https://help.sortly.com/sb/jobs?hsLang=en)
# How Jobs Work
Easily plan the inventory each job needs and follow it from the shelf to the job site, so you always know what is ready, what is short, and what has been used. This article walks you through how jobs are set up, how to read a job at a glance, how to plan, reserve, move, use, and complete the stock on a job, and how to work with jobs on mobile.
Free
Advanced
Ultra
Premium
Enterprise
In this article
1. [How jobs work](https://help.sortly.com/sb/how-jobs-work#how-jobs-work)
2. [Who can use jobs](https://help.sortly.com/sb/how-jobs-work#who-can-use-jobs)
3. [Create a job and add items](https://help.sortly.com/sb/how-jobs-work#first-job)
4. [Reserve, move, and use stock](https://help.sortly.com/sb/how-jobs-work#reserve-move-use)
5. [Complete a job](https://help.sortly.com/sb/how-jobs-work#complete-a-job)
6. [Save a job as a template](https://help.sortly.com/sb/how-jobs-work#job-templates)
7. [Use jobs on mobile](https://help.sortly.com/sb/how-jobs-work#jobs-on-mobile)
8. [Frequently asked questions](https://help.sortly.com/sb/how-jobs-work#faq)
### How jobs work
A job is one piece of work you do for a customer, such as an installation or a repair. It keeps the customer, the crew, the dates, and the inventory for that work in one place.
Every job has three parts that work together:
- **Job page:** shows the job status, two progress tiles (Stock availability and Stock consumption), and the job work center.
- **Job work center:** one list of every item the job needs. Each row shows how much is required, how much is ready, and how much has been used.
- **Job location:** Sortly creates a location for each job automatically, under Job Locations. When you send stock to the job site, it moves here.
Stock on a job moves through three stages. First you **reserve** it so no other job takes it. Then you **move** it to the job location. Finally you **mark it as used** once it is consumed on the job.
### Job statuses
Every job moves forward through four statuses. A job cannot move back to an earlier status.
Status
What it means
Draft
No items on the job yet.
Planning
Items are planned, but work has not started.
In Progress
Work is underway. Stock has been moved to the job location or used.
Completed
The job is wrapped up and locked.
Sortly updates the status for you as you work. See [How status changes automatically](https://help.sortly.com/sb/how-jobs-work#automatic-status).
The Jobs list shows each job's status along with its Stock availability and Stock consumption. Use the Status filter to show or hide jobs by status. Completed jobs keep their final Stock consumption.
---
### Who can use jobs
Anyone on your team can create a job. Team members see the jobs they created or were added to as a member. Owners and Admins see every job.
Action
Owner / Admin
Job creator
Job member
Other team members
Create a job
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
View the job
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Add items, set quantities, reserve, move, and use stock
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Edit job details and members
Yes
Yes
No
No
Create, edit, or delete job templates
Yes
No
No
No
⚠️ Once a job is Completed, no one can edit it. This keeps the record of what was used on the job accurate.
### Active job limits by plan
Each plan includes a number of **active jobs** at a time. An active job is any job that is not Completed: Draft, Planning, or In Progress. Completed and deleted jobs do not count.
Plan
Active jobs at a time
Free
2
Advanced
5
Ultra
10
Premium
15
Enterprise
Unlimited
The Jobs page shows how many active jobs you are using, for example "4 of 5 active jobs in use." On paid plans, a banner lets you know when you are close to your limit, so you can complete jobs or upgrade before you need a new one.
💡 Reached your limit? Complete a job you have finished, or select Upgrade to add more active jobs.
---
### Read a job at a glance
Two tiles at the top of the job page tell you how the job is going. You will also see both numbers as columns on the Jobs list.
#### Stock availability
How much of what the job needs you already have. It counts units reserved for the job, units at the job location, units used, and free stock you could still reserve. Stock on order does not count yet, since you cannot use it until it arrives.
From this tile you can reserve the units that are available, or restock the units that are short.
#### Stock consumption
How much of what the job needs is at the job location or marked as used. Use this to see how far along the work is.
From this tile you can move items to the job location or mark items as used.
Select the line under either percentage to open a breakdown of which items are reserved, available, on order, or short.
#### Item status
Each item in the job work center has a status, so you can see what needs attention.
Status
What it means
Done
All required units are at the job location or used.
Ready
All required units are reserved, at the job location, or used.
Available
You have enough free stock to cover what is left. Reserve it so another job does not take it.
On order
What is left is covered by a purchase order linked to this job.
Short
You do not have enough stock. Restock the short units.
⚠️ Free stock is shared across jobs until you reserve it. If two jobs need the same units, whichever job reserves them first gets them.
---
### Create a job and add items
You can create a job from the Jobs page on web or mobile, or ask Sortly Assistant to create one for you on web. Then add the items the job needs, either by picking them from your inventory or by importing a spreadsheet.
The required quantity is how many of an item the job needs. Sortly uses it to work out what is ready and what is short. A job without items is a Draft, and it moves to Planning once you add items. Nothing is reserved until you reserve it. To change a quantity later, open the row menu on the item and select Change required quantity.
💡 For step-by-step instructions, including how to import items from a spreadsheet and add job details, see [Create a Job](https://help.sortly.com/sb/create-job?hsLang=en).
---
### Reserve, move, and use stock
You can run each action from the tiles, from the row menu on an item, or on several items at once by ticking them in the job work center. Sortly fills in the quantity that is still needed, and you can change it before you confirm. These actions are on web. On mobile, you can bring stock to the job with Pull Items. See [Use jobs on mobile](https://help.sortly.com/sb/how-jobs-work#jobs-on-mobile).
#### Reserve units
Want to make sure no other job takes the stock? Reserving sets units aside for this job without moving them.
1
To reserve everything that is available, select Reserve on the Stock availability tile.
To reserve specific items, tick them in the Job work center and select Reserve units in the bar that appears.
2
Check the quantity and the location it comes from, then select Reserve units.
#### Move items to the job location
Sending stock to the job site? Moving it to the job location keeps track of what is on site.
1
To move everything the job still needs, select Move on the Stock consumption tile.
To move specific items, tick them in the Job work center and select Move to job location in the bar that appears.
2
Check the quantity and where each item comes from. Units already reserved for this job are moved first.
3
Check the destination under To. It is set to the job location by default. Then select Move items.
Once you move items to the job location, the job moves to In Progress automatically, and items that are fully at the job location show as Done.
#### Mark items as used
Finished using items on the job? Marking them as used records them as consumed and removes them from your inventory.
1
To mark everything the job needs as used, select Mark used on the Stock consumption tile.
To mark specific items, tick them in the Job work center and select Mark as used in the bar that appears.
2
Check the quantities. Units at the job location are used first.
3
Confirm to mark the items as used. The units move from the At job location column to the Used column.
🗑️ Marking items as used cannot be undone. Used items leave your inventory and stay on the job as the record of what was consumed.
### How status changes automatically
As you work, Sortly moves the job forward for you:
- **Draft to Planning:** when you add any item to the job.
- **Draft or Planning to In Progress:** when you move items to the job location or mark items as used.
You can also move a job forward yourself. Select the status in the job header and pick a later status. The current status has a check mark, and earlier statuses are greyed out. Every status change is saved in the job activity history.
---
### Complete a job
Done with the work? Completing the job releases anything you did not need and locks the job.
1
Select the status in the job header, then select Completed.
2
If there are unused items at the job location, the Return items and complete job window opens. Sortly suggests a return location for each item based on where it came from. Change any location under Return to location if needed.
3
Select Return items and complete job. The job moves to Completed.
When a job is completed:
- Reserved units that were not moved or used are released and become available again.
- All unused units at the job location are returned. You choose the destination, not the quantity.
- The job is locked and cannot be edited.
If nothing is at the job location, the return step is skipped.
### Release, return, or remove items
Plans change. Tick one or more items in the Job work center and select More, or open the ··· menu at the end of an item's row, to use these actions:
- Change required quantity: updates how many of the item the job needs.
- Release reserved units: makes reserved units available to other jobs again.
- Return from job location: sends all units at the job location back to your inventory. The destination is filled in from where the units came from, and you can change it.
- Remove: clears the required quantity and releases any reserved units. Items with units at the job location or used stay on the list, so the record of what was moved or used is kept.
---
### Save a job as a template
Do the same kind of job often? Save it as a template so the items and quantities fill in the next time you create a similar job. Owners and Admins can do this from a job in any status.
1
On the job page, open the ··· menu in the job header and select Save as template.
2
In the New Job Template window, check the name, job type, duration, description, and recommended items. Sortly fills these in from the job. Add more items with the search field or Browse catalog, or add Sublocations to create under the job location of each new job.
3
Select Create template. The job itself does not change.
Your templates are listed under Setup \> Job Templates. Owners and Admins can also create a template from scratch there with New template.
Sortly also keeps each template's recommended items up to date based on what recent jobs from that template actually used.
---
### Use jobs on mobile
Working from the job site or the warehouse floor? The Sortly mobile app lets you create a job, pull stock to it, and start and complete it from your phone. Reserving units, marking items as used, releasing or returning items, editing job details, and job templates are on web.
On mobile, a job opens like a location. The top of the page shows the job status, then Sub-locations, Items here, and Items total. Below that is every item at the job location, with Pull Items and Start Job at the bottom.
To create a job from your phone, see [Create a job on mobile](https://help.sortly.com/sb/create-job?hsLang=en#create-job-mobile).
---
### Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move a job back to an earlier status?
No. Jobs only move forward: Draft, Planning, In Progress, then Completed.
What happens to reserved stock when I complete a job?
Reserved units that were not moved or used are released and become available stock again. Unused units at the job location are returned to the locations you choose.
Does stock on order count toward Stock availability?
No. Ordered stock cannot be used yet, so it does not count. It still shows in the breakdown, and once the purchase order is received, those units are reserved for the job automatically.
If two jobs need the same item, who gets the stock?
Free stock counts toward every job that needs it until someone reserves it. The first job to reserve the units gets them. Reserve early to make sure your job is covered.
Do completed jobs count toward my active job limit?
No. Only Draft, Planning, and In Progress jobs count. Completing a job frees up a spot.
What happens to my jobs if my plan changes?
Jobs you already created keep working until they are completed. The new plan's limit applies to new jobs.
Can I use jobs on mobile?
Yes. On mobile you can create jobs, view the Jobs list, pull items to a job, and start and complete a job. Creating a job with Sortly Assistant, reserving units, marking items as used, releasing or returning items, editing job details, and job templates are on web.
Can I reserve or use more than the required quantity?
Yes. The job work center always shows the true amounts. Anything beyond the required quantity does not count toward the Stock availability or Stock consumption percentage.
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