Overview
Staging Areas let you create named spots inside a warehouse, a shelf, a bin, a cage, or even just "the spot by the front door" each with its own code and color. Materials placed there are marked On-Hold: they're still counted as part of your warehouse inventory, but listed separately so they don't get picked for another job by mistake.
Techs can then be told exactly where to go collect what's waiting for them.
How Materials Get On-Hold
On-Hold QTY can be generated from three sources:
Source | Description |
Field Request line | Staged and waiting for a tech to pick up |
Pick List line | Assigned to an order while it's being gathered |
Manual hold | Set aside with nothing behind it yet (e.g., "keep these four for Monday") |
Field Request Line
When a material is selected for a Field Request, it automatically goes On-Hold — no extra step needed. To learn how to create a Field Request, see: Field Requests: How To Create, Manage, and Fulfill Them
Pick List Line
Works almost the same way as a Field Request — when an available material is added to a Pick List, it automatically goes On-Hold. To learn how to create a Pick List, see: How to Create and Print a Pick List in Ply
Manual Hold
To manually place materials On-Hold:
Go to your Catalog or a specific Location.
Select the material you want to place On-Hold.
Click Transfer.
Choose the appropriate Staging Area and complete the additional fields.
Enter the quantity you want to add.
Confirm the transfer.
The material will now show on the On Hold tab under the Staging Area you selected.
💡 Why This Matters: Without a Staging Area, held materials look identical to normal available stock, which means they can get pulled for the wrong job. On-Hold status keeps them visible in your count while protecting them from being picked twice.
How Materials Get Released
Materials come off hold in one of two ways:
Manually: you release them yourself. You should go to the On-Hold location select the item and click on Release.
Automatically: the line they're attached to stops owing anyone anything (e.g., the Field Request or Pick List it was tied to is fulfilled or canceled)
How to Create a Staging Area
Go to Settings → Catalog → Staging Areas.
Click Add Staging Area.
Enter a Code for the area (this is what shows up on the On Hold tab, e.g., "Shelf-A").
Select the Warehouse it belongs to.
Add an optional Description.
Save.
Your new Staging Area will now appear in the list and can be selected whenever a material is placed On-Hold.
💡 Field tech permissions: Use the Let field techs stage materials toggle to control whether field techs can assign Staging Areas and release holds themselves. Managers and admins can always do both, regardless of this setting.
What You'll See on the On Hold Tab
Column | What It Shows |
Material | The item on hold, plus its variant (e.g., Single, Standard) |
Staging Area | The named spot holding it (e.g., "Shelf-A"), or Not staged if no spot has been assigned yet |
Qty | Quantity on hold |
Held By | The tech or user the hold is for, with a link to the source — a Job/Field Request or the default location |
Staged By | Who placed the material on hold |
Notes | Any note left on the hold |
Staged | How long ago the hold was created |
Where to Find It
Stock → select a location → On Hold tab (next to Materials)
Still need help? Contact Support!