Inventory alerts when parts drop below threshold?

Question

We're getting caught off guard by parts running low and it's killing our schedule. Last week we had three jobs stalled because the warehouse didn't realize we were out of 240V contactors until the tech was already on-site.

What I need is a heads up before we hit zero — like when inventory drops below a minimum threshold I set. Does FieldPulse do this natively or are people using workarounds?

Also, can different parts have different thresholds? Our thermostats move fast and we need plenty of buffer, but those specialty relays we only keep two of anyway.

Current setup: we're tracking parts in FieldPulse but no alerts configured. Open to third-party tools if that's what it takes, though I'd rather keep it simple.

Priya Nair (Staff) · Accepted Answer

Hi Gwen, great question — and yes, FieldPulse handles this natively! You can set up low-stock alerts per item with custom thresholds.

Here's how to configure it:

Go to Inventory > Parts List
Select a part, then click Edit
Find Low Stock Threshold — enter your minimum quantity (e.g., 5 for contactors, 2 for those specialty relays)
Toggle Alert When Below Threshold to ON
Save — repeat for each part you want to monitor

Notifications go to users with Inventory permissions. You can also designate specific recipients in Settings > Notifications > Inventory Alerts.

Each part maintains its own threshold, so your thermostats and relays can absolutely have different levels. Let me know if you need help bulk-setting thresholds via import!

Josh Mercer · Answer

Pro tip: if you have parts that are critical and slow to restock, set up a reservation for upcoming jobs too. Even with alerts, someone can grab the last three contactors before your buyer sees the email. We learned this the hard way during busy season. Now we reserve parts when the work order is scheduled, not when the tech shows up. Catches the problem a week earlier.