When materials are added to a job in Ply, the system needs to decide which inventory location those materials should be deducted from (for example, a technician’s truck or a warehouse).
Why This Matters
If response locations aren't configured correctly, your warehouse inventory will decrease every time a job uses materials, even when techs are physically pulling from their trucks. This causes warehouse counts to drift inaccurately over time.
What Is Location Response Mapping?
Location Response Mapping determines which inventory location Ply deducts from when materials are added to a job. Depending on how technicians are assigned to the job and how their user profiles are configured, inventory may be pulled from:
A technician's truck, or
The default warehouse (if no response location is clearly defined)
Every user in Ply can have a Response Location set on their profile, typically their assigned truck. When a technician is added to a job and materials are consumed, Ply uses this mapping to decide whether to pull from the tech's truck or fall back to the default warehouse.
At a Glance
Situation | What Ply Does | Stock Deducted From |
No technician on the job | System can't determine a truck, defaults to the warehouse | 🏭 Warehouse |
One tech, correctly configured (Response Location set) | Ply finds their truck and deducts from it | 🚛 Truck |
Two or more techs assigned | Ply can't determine which truck to use — falls back to the warehouse | 🏭 Warehouse |
How Location Response Works Today
1. No Technician Assigned to the Job
Materials are pulled from the default (integrated) warehouse
The system assigns the transfer to a system/default user
Nothing to fix here , this is correct behavior. If materials should be deducted from a truck, assign a technician to the job first.
2. One Technician Assigned, With a Response Location Set
Materials are pulled from the Response Location set on that technician (typically their truck)
This is the ideal and recommended setup. Every technician should have exactly one response location configured: their primary truck. See Configuring Location Response Mapping below.
3. Two or More Technicians Assigned to the Job
Materials are pulled from the default warehouse, this is a known limitation and a common source of confusion
Why this is an issue: Even if technicians are actually using materials from their trucks, Ply will continue deducting from the warehouse. This can cause warehouse inventory to decrease incorrectly while truck inventory remains unchanged.
Why Trucks May Not Appear as an Option
For a truck to appear in the Response Location dropdown, two conditions must be met:
The technician must be assigned to that truck
A Response Location must be set on the technician's user profile
If no users are assigned to stock locations, no options will appear in the dropdown this is one of the most common setup issues.
How to Configure Location Response Mapping
Go to Settings
Navigate to Company & Billing → Team
Use the dropdown in the Location Response column
Set the technician's Default Response Location
Once configured, materials added to jobs will be deducted from the correct location instead of defaulting to the warehouse.
📌 Inventory behavior is driven by technician assignment and response location not by job timing or scheduling.
Troubleshooting: Materials Pulling From the Warehouse Unexpectedly
If inventory is being deducted from the warehouse when you expect it to come from a truck, all three of the following must be true, if any one is missing, Ply falls back to the warehouse:
Check | Where to Look | If Not Set |
Exactly one technician is assigned to the job | Job details | 0 techs → always warehouse. 2+ techs → see the multi-tech limitation above |
That technician has a Response Location set | Settings → Company & Billing, Location Response column | If it says "Select location…", it isn't configured |
The technician is assigned to a truck in Ply | Settings → Company & Billing, Truck Assignment column | If blank, assign the truck first, then it will appear in the Response Location dropdown |
Still need help? Contact Support!