➡️ 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 (SureStock).
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 SureStock.
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.
Under Transfer to, select the Staging tab (next to Location and Job).
Choose the appropriate Staging Area from the dropdown and complete the additional fields (Select Qty, UOM, Staging Area).
Enter the quantity you want to add.
Optionally, click Edit Note to leave a note explaining why the material is being held.
Confirm the transfer.
The material will now show on the On Hold tab under the Staging Area you selected
📌 If you haven't created any Staging Areas yet for that warehouse, you'll see a banner: "This warehouse has no staging areas to move these materials into, add them in Settings → Catalog → Staging Areas." The Transfer button stays disabled until at least one Staging Area exists for that location.
💡 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. Go to the On-Hold location, select the item, and click 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. For now this is only available from web.
➡️ 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)
➡️ Common Issues
"A material got picked for the wrong job even though it was set aside."
Check whether it was actually placed On-Hold in a Staging Area, or just left as regular available stock. Without a Staging Area, held materials look identical to normal stock and can get pulled by mistake.
"A field tech says they can't assign a Staging Area or release a hold."
Check the Let field techs stage materials toggle in Settings → Catalog → Staging Areas. If it's off, only managers and admins can do those actions. Also note this toggle only affects web, not mobile behavior.
"A material is stuck showing as On-Hold and I'm not sure why."
Check the Held By column on the On Hold tab, it links back to the source (a Job/Field Request, Pick List, or manual hold). If the underlying Field Request or Pick List was fulfilled or canceled, it should release automatically, if not, release it manually or contact Support.
➡️ FAQs
Does On-Hold stock still count toward my total warehouse inventory?
Yes, On-Hold materials are still part of your warehouse inventory, they're just listed separately so they don't get picked for another job by mistake.
Can field techs create Staging Areas themselves?
No, creating Staging Areas is done through Settings by an admin/manager. The Let field techs stage materials toggle only controls whether techs can assign an existing Staging Area or release a hold, not create new ones.
Is field tech staging available on mobile?
Not currently, the "Let field techs stage materials" toggle is only available from web for now.