What is multi-tech sourcing?
Multi-tech sourcing is a setting that controls where Ply pulls inventory from when two or more technicians are assigned to the same job, and each has a different truck or location. You choose a strategy once, and Ply applies it automatically every time a multi-tech job syncs.
How to configure it
Go to Settings and open Workspace > Integrations tab.
Select your FSM connection (e.g. Housecall Pro, Jobber, or ServiceTitan).
Scroll to Material sourcing for multi tech jobs.
4. Choose a strategy from the dropdown. See the options below to help you decide.
5. Save your changes.
Admin only: This setting is only visible to users with an Admin role or higher.
Available strategies
🏭 Default sync location: Materials always come from your business's default sync location, regardless of who's on the job. Best for businesses with a central warehouse.
How it works:
Materials are always pulled from the default sync location.
Technician assignments are ignored for sourcing purposes.
Best for businesses that manage all inventory centrally.
Example:
A job has Alex (Location A) and Sam (Location B) assigned. The job requires 10 PVC fittings. Ply sources all 10 fittings from the Main Warehouse — location assignments are ignored.
🚚 Shared truck: Materials come from a truck that all assigned technicians share. If more than one shared truck is found, a tiebreaker rule decides. If no shared truck exists, Ply falls back to the default sync location.
How it works:
Ply checks which trucks are assigned to all technicians on the job.
If exactly one shared truck is found, materials come from it (no tiebreaker needed).
If multiple shared trucks exist, or only one technician is assigned, the tiebreaker rule you configure decides which truck to use.
If technicians have no overlapping trucks, Ply falls back to the default sync location.
Example — one shared truck:
Alex is assigned to Truck A and Truck B. Sam is assigned to Truck B and Truck C. Both share Truck B → materials are sourced from Truck B.
Example — multiple shared trucks (tiebreaker applies):
Alex and Sam are both assigned to Truck A and Truck B. Ply has two shared trucks — the tiebreaker rule picks which one.
Example — single technician (tiebreaker applies):
Alex is the only technician assigned to the job. All of Alex's trucks are "shared" with himself, so the tiebreaker rule picks which one.
Example — no shared truck:
Alex has Truck A. Sam has Truck B. No overlap. Ply falls back to the default sync location.
👷 First technician's location: Materials come from the first technician's truck. If they don't have one set, Ply tries the next tech. If no tech has a valid location, it falls back to the default sync location.
How it works:
Ply identifies the first technician listed on the appointment.
If that tech has a valid location, materials come from their first assigned location. This ends the process — it does not matter whether the second technician also has a valid location.
If the first tech has no location, Ply checks the next technician. If that tech has a location, materials come from there.
If neither has a location, Ply falls back to the default sync location.
Example:
The first technician listed on the appointment is Alex; Sam is second. Alex is assigned to Location A and Location B. Materials are sourced from Location A (Alex's first assigned location) — Sam's locations are not considered.
Example — first tech has no location:
Alex (first) has no location assigned. Sam (second) has Location B. Ply skips Alex and uses Location B from Sam.
Note: If both the first and second technician have a valid location assigned, materials are still sourced from the first technician's location — regardless of who actually completes the job.
Tiebreaker rules
When technicians share more than one truck, or only one technician is assigned, the tiebreaker rule decides which truck to use. These rules only apply to the Shared truck strategy.
Who is the "first technician"?
ServiceTitan determines the order. Ply takes the first technician from the list of techs attached to the appointment, in the same order ServiceTitan sends them.
Default sync location
Ignores all shared trucks and sources from the default sync location instead.
Example: Shared trucks are Truck A and Truck B. Ply ignores both and sources from the default sync location.
First technician's assigned location
Picks the shared truck that belongs to the first technician on the job. If the first technician has multiple shared trucks, the first one in their list is selected.
Example: Alex (first tech) and Sam share Truck A and Truck B. Alex's trucks are listed as [Truck A, Truck B]. Ply picks Truck A.
Common questions
If a different technician than the first one assigned ends up completing the job, will materials still come from the first technician's location?
Yes. The "First tech's location" strategy is based on the technician order ServiceTitan sends for the appointment — not on who actually performs or completes the work. If the first technician has a valid location assigned, materials will be sourced from there, even if a different technician is later assigned and completes the job.
Can I change this setting after the initial setup?
Yes. You can update it at any time under Settings → Integrations → your FSM connection → Material sourcing for multi tech jobs.
What happens if Ply can't find a matching location?
Ply always falls back to your default sync location. Make sure one is configured, if it's missing or archived, syncing will fail.
Where can I see which location was used for a job?
Open the material and go to the Activity tab. Each entry shows a badge with the strategy used and the location it pulled from.
We reconnected our FSM and the setting went back to default.
This is expected. A fresh connection re-runs the setup wizard with the default strategy pre-selected. Just re-pick your preferred strategy during the wizard or update it in Settings afterward.
Still need help?