FAQ — What Happens to Stock When I Sell a Kit vs an Assembly?
The stock behavior is fundamentally different between Kits and Assemblies. Here is exactly what happens to stock levels during a sale.
Selling a Kit
Before the sale:
- Kit item stock: (not tracked — kits have no stock)
- Component A stock: 50
- Component B stock: 30
Customer buys 1 Kit:
- Kit item stock: (still not tracked)
- Component A stock: 50 → 49 (deducted by 1)
- Component B stock: 30 → 29 (deducted by 1)
What happens: Each component's stock is individually deducted. The kit itself never has a stock count. If any component reaches zero and "Allow Orders Exceeding Stock" is unchecked for that component, the kit cannot be sold.
Selling an Assembly
Before the sale (assuming 5 units were built previously):
- Assembly item stock: 5
- Component A stock: 20 (remaining after builds)
- Component B stock: 15 (remaining after builds)
Customer buys 1 Assembly:
- Assembly item stock: 5 → 4 (deducted by 1)
- Component A stock: 20 (unchanged)
- Component B stock: 15 (unchanged)
What happens: Only the assembly's own stock is deducted. Component stock is NOT affected at the time of sale — it was already consumed when the assembly was built.
Complete Assembly Lifecycle
| Step | Assembly Stock | Component A Stock | Component B Stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting stock | 0 | 100 | 100 |
| Build 10 assemblies (2xA + 1xB each) | +10 → 10 | -20 → 80 | -10 → 90 |
| Sell 3 assemblies | -3 → 7 | (unchanged) 80 | (unchanged) 90 |
| Build 5 more | +5 → 12 | -10 → 70 | -5 → 85 |
| Sell 8 assemblies | -8 → 4 | (unchanged) 70 | (unchanged) 85 |
Stock Transaction Records
You can verify stock changes in the item's History tab:
| For Kit Sales | Transaction Type |
|---|---|
| Each component | Sale (negative quantity) |
| For Assembly Sales | Transaction Type |
|---|---|
| Assembly item | Sale (negative quantity) |
| Components | No transaction at time of sale |
| For Assembly Builds | Transaction Type |
|---|---|
| Assembly item | AssemblyBuild (positive quantity) |
| Each component | AssemblyBuild (negative quantity) |
Key Takeaways
- Kit sales deduct component stock at the time of sale — no build step needed
- Assembly sales deduct assembly stock only — components were consumed during the build step
- If you sell Kits, make sure component stock levels are accurate
- If you sell Assemblies, make sure you build enough units before they run out
- Use the Reorder Dashboard to monitor both component and assembly stock levels