Hold and release stock

Use a hold when the recorded quantity is correct but the stock must not be used normally. A hold can stop stock from being put away, moved, allocated or picked without removing it from the warehouse balance.

Use an inventory adjustment instead when the quantity itself is wrong.

Before you start

• You have the ADMIN or MANAGER role, or a custom role with permission to manage inventory holds.
• An active reason code exists under Warehouse Configuration > Reason Codes > Hold Codes.
• You know exactly what the hold covers: one lot, one location or one container (LPN).
• You understand whether the reason should block putting stock in, taking stock out, or both.

Choose the hold scope

Each hold must use exactly one scope.

Scope	What it covers	Typical use
Lot	Every balance position that uses the lot code. This can include more than one SKU or owner when they share that code.	Quality quarantine, expiry review or customs clearance for a lot.
Location	All stock in the location while the hold is active.	Unsafe rack, damaged location or an area closed for investigation.
Container (LPN)	All stock identified by that LPN.	One suspect pallet, tote or carton.

Use an LPN hold for an open pick pallet. The system does not allow a location hold on the in-transit place used by open pick pallets.

Place a hold

1. Open Management & Control > Inventory > Holds.
2. Select New Hold.
3. Choose the Reason code.
4. Fill exactly one of Lot, Location or Container (LPN).
5. Enter Comments that tell the next person why the stock is held and what must happen before release.
6. Set Auto-release only when the hold has a known end time. Leave it empty when a person must review and release the stock.
7. Select Save.

Caption: a location hold prepared for A-04-0. Exactly one target is filled; quantity is not changed.

The hold appears in the Holds list. The list shows its reason code, scope, target, covered quantity, start time, optional auto-release time, user and comments.

What the hold changes

• The physical and recorded quantity stay unchanged.
• A hold that blocks taking makes the covered stock unavailable for new allocation and picking.
• A hold that blocks putting prevents receiving or moving stock into the covered location.
• An enforcing location hold changes the location status to Hold. A damage hold can show the location as Damage.
• The covered stock remains visible in Balances and on the On Hold view.
• Existing reservations are not silently rewritten. Resolve any work that was already released before the hold was placed.

Allocation cannot ask a person to approve a warning. Stock that is blocked from taking is therefore unavailable even when the reason code is marked Overridable.

Release a hold

1. Open Management & Control > Inventory > Holds.
2. Select one active hold.
3. Select Release.
4. Refresh Balances and confirm that the stock is available for the intended process.

The released row disappears from the active Holds list. The inventory quantity does not change. When an auto-release time is set, the system releases the hold after that time without requiring the button.

Do not switch off a reason code as a substitute for releasing holds. Switching it off changes the behaviour of every active hold that uses that code and leaves the hold records open.

Configure hold reason codes

Open Warehouse Configuration > Reason Codes > Hold Codes. Administrators and managers can edit the behaviour of a supported existing code. Do not add an arbitrary code without product support: inventory movement recognises the standard hold-code catalog, so an unsupported code can stop a move with a system error.

Caption: Hold Codes shows the two blocking directions beside Enforce, Overridable and Active. The check boxes describe what every active hold using that code will do.

Setting	What it means
Code	Stable name used by holds and warehouse rules. Do not rename a code that is already in use.
Description	Operator-facing explanation of the reason. Keep it specific enough for a supervisor decision.
Rank	Required catalog value. It has no ordering or blocking-priority effect in the current workflow.
Enforce	Controls interactive move and receiving checks and the status of a held location. When it is off, those checks do not stop on this reason. Allocation and pick confirmation still follow Active and Blocks taking.
Overridable	Allows an authorised supervisor to accept an interactive warning and continue. It does not make stock available to automatic allocation.
Blocks putting	Stops receiving or moving stock into a held destination location. This direction is evaluated for location holds.
Blocks taking	Stops stock from being used for allocation, picking or a move out of the held lot, location or LPN.
Active	Makes the reason usable and its rules effective. Retire an unused reason by switching this off; release existing holds separately.

Recommended combinations

Purpose	Best scope	Enforce	Overridable	Blocks putting	Blocks taking
Hard quarantine for a lot or LPN	Lot or LPN	On	Off	Off	On
Quarantine that a supervisor may move	Lot or LPN	On	On	Off	On
Unsafe or closed location	Location	On	Off	On	On
Stop stock entering a location	Location	On	As required	On	Off
Informational marker only	Lot or LPN	Off	Off	Off	Off

Blocks putting is a destination-location rule. A lot or LPN hold is checked on the source/taking side. An enforcing location hold also marks the whole location as Hold, so picking and putaway may still avoid that location even when Blocks taking is off.

For a truly informational code, switch off Enforce, Blocks putting and Blocks taking. Switching off Enforce alone does not restore ATP or picking when Blocks taking remains on.

Common examples

Situation	Suggested scope	Suggested behaviour
One returned pallet waits for inspection	Container (LPN)	Block taking. Make the code overridable only when a supervisor is allowed to confirm its move to the inspection area.
A complete lot waits for quality approval	Lot	Block taking; make the warning overridable only when the warehouse allows a controlled move.
A rack location is unsafe	Location	Hard block putting and taking; do not allow an override.
Goods are waiting for destruction	Container (LPN) or lot	Block taking and do not allow an override.
A temporary operational note must remain visible	Lot or LPN	Informational combination: all blocking settings off.

If an operation is refused

What you see	What to check
Stock is visible but available quantity is zero	Open Holds and check for a lot, location or LPN hold with Blocks taking on.
A move cannot leave the source	Check holds on the source location, lot and LPN. Release the hold or use an allowed supervisor confirmation.
A move or receipt cannot use the destination	Check the destination location for a reason with Blocks putting on.
The warning cannot be overridden	The reason is not overridable, the role lacks permission, or the operation has no interactive override. Release the hold after the required review.
The location picker refuses an in-transit place	Hold the pick pallet by its LPN instead of holding the shared in-transit location.

Related guides

• Move stock and manage LPNs
• Adjust stock
• Balances and availability
• Holds list