Temporary reordering rules

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Introduction

Keeping your stock levels under control is essential for smooth business operations. But what happens when a product isn’t usually restocked automatically—and suddenly it’s sold out? That’s where temporary reordering rules in Odoo come into play.

These rules are ideal for handling one-off restocks without setting up long-term automation. In this article, you’ll learn how temporary reordering rules work, when they’re triggered, and how to manage them effectively using Odoo’s Replenishment dashboard.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. When Does a Temporary Reordering Rule Get Created?

Odoo automatically creates a temporary reordering rule when all the following conditions are met:

The product uses the Buy
The product has no reordering rule set up.
The stock on hand is 0.
The product is added to a Sales Order (SO).

This rule is removed once the Purchase Order (PO) is confirmed.

2. How to Configure a Product for Temporary Reordering

Go to: Inventory app → Products → Products → Click New
(Or edit an existing product)

Then:

Enter a Product Name.
Enable Can be Sold and Can be Purchased.
Set Product Type to Storable Product under the General Information
Under the Purchase tab:
- Click Add a line under Vendor and select a vendor.
- Set a Purchase Price.

Important: A vendor is required for the temporary rule to work. If no vendor is added, you’ll see a warning when trying to replenish from the dashboard.

Next:

Ensure the On Hand stock is 00 Units.
Confirm there are no existing Reordering Rules (should display as 0).

3. Trigger the Temporary Reordering Rule

Go to Sales app → Click New to create a Sales Order.
Add a Customer.
Under Order Lines, click Add a product and choose the configured product.
Click Confirm to validate the SO.

4. Check the Replenishment Dashboard

Now go to Inventory app → Operations → Replenishment.

Here, you’ll see:

On Hand quantity
Forecasted stock (negative)
Buy route
Quantity to order

You’ll also find two options on the right:

Order Once – for a one-time PO
Automate – to create a recurring reordering rule

Click Order Once to generate a one-time purchase order.
A confirmation pop-up will appear with the new PO number.

Tip: After clicking Order Once, refresh the page. The temporary rule will disappear from the Replenishment dashboard.

5. Complete the Purchase Order

To complete the replenishment:

Go to Purchase app → Open the newly created Request for Quotation.
Click Confirm Order.
Then click Receive Products → Validate.

Now, you’re ready to deliver and invoice the original sales order.

Tips

Use temporary reordering rules for special or one-time sales that don’t need ongoing stock automation.
Always assign a vendor to ensure the rule works correctly.
Use the Replenishment dashboard to manage and act on low-stock alerts quickly.
You can always convert a temporary rule into a permanent one by setting it manually under the product’s Reordering Rules.

Temporary reordering rules

Introduction