Updating issue requests is a warehouse function that additionally issues goods for issue notes for which there was not sufficient stock available at the time they were created. This article describes what an issue request is, when to run the function, what impact it has on accounting, and how to proceed if it fails.
The default state in Flexi is not to create issue requests (if there is not enough stock, the creation of the issue note will fail). You can activate the generation of issue requests in the company settings (Company -> Settings -> Modules -> Goods).
What is an issue request
An issue request is an issue note item that has not been issued from stock. It is created when generating an issue note at a time when there is not enough stock (e.g., due to invoicing).
You can distinguish it from a standard issue by a positive value in the Request qty. column and a zero value in the Quantity column.
The accounting value of issue requests, until they are updated, is 0. This is another way to recognize them, though a zero value alone is not always a reliable indicator.
On the stock card, the quantity of issue requests is reflected in the Requests qty. column.
If multiple requests arise, they are settled from oldest to newest. Received goods will therefore always cover the oldest outstanding request first.
When to run the update
If you sell into negative stock, i.e., you issue invoices for goods you don't currently have in stock, it's best to run the update with every receipt. This keeps the stock status continuously reconciled, and requests don't pile up.
Additionally, check the status of requests before the end of the accounting period:
Open Goods – Stock cards and run the Status as of date function.
In the Requests column, you'll see how many issue requests have been generated. The Stock status in units with requests column shows how many of them cannot be satisfied given the current stock.
Create a receipt note for at least the exact number of missing units.
Run Update issue requests. The goal is for the stock status to be 0 or higher as of December 31.
🚨 If you perform an initialization of the following period with unsettled requests, you will see an incorrect stock status, and the goods from the invoice that generated the request will never be issued from stock. This is because requests from one accounting period cannot be satisfied by a receipt note in the following period.
You'll find the function in the Tools -> Update issue requests module.
Example: creation and settlement of a request
Let's illustrate the creation of a request and its subsequent settlement via update with a simple example.
On the stock card, we have a unit status of 0, and we need to invoice along with the automatic creation of an issue note. Flexi also informs us of insufficient stock when saving the invoice item.
After saving the invoice, which automatically created the issue note (and thus the issue request), we can return to the stock card.
Here we can see a value of 1 in the Requests qty. column and a value of -1 in the Stock status in units with requests column. The unit price of the request is 0.
We now reach the stage when the goods arrive in stock - we create a receipt note for 1 piece.
After saving it, we can observe a positive value on the stock card both in the Stock status units column and in the Requests qty. column.
However, in our case, the desired status is 0 in both columns (in reality, the stock is indeed 0).
So we run the update of issue requests - you'll find it in the Tools -> Update issue requests module. Once it's finished, the stock card will show the following values.
Accounting impact of the update
Updating issue requests is not an accounting-neutral operation. As long as a request is pending, it has an accounting value of 0. Only once updated does it become an actual issue with a price, which is then reflected in the accounts.
The size of the impact depends on what precedes the update.
You receive the goods and immediately settle the requests with them
If you receive 5 units into stock and settle 5 requests with them, the receipt and issue cancel each other out in value, and the resulting impact on accounting is zero.
If you account for inventory using method A, entries corresponding to these movements will be added to the accounts. The balance won't change, but you will see them in reports, which may not always be desirable. With method B, no entries will be added, unless you subsequently adjust the one-time year-end entry.
You already have the goods in stock and only settle the requests
Here the impact is unambiguous. The value of inventory will drop by the value of the issued goods, all at once, at the moment of the update.
⚠️ If you have already closed a period and submitted the closing statement, the update may change the balances of some accounts. Consult your accountant or tax advisor before running it. Flexi will perform the operation, but it will not decide for you whether it is permissible for the given period.
Unsettled requests from previous periods
If issue requests are not being settled in the current period and you are sure you have enough units in stock to cover them, this means you have outstanding requests from previous periods. They must be settled in the period in which they were created.
Switch back one period and open the stock cards.
Add the Requests qty. column and sort by value, highest first.
Go back through all periods this way until the Requests qty. column shows zero for the item in question. This is the last period without a request; from the following period onward, you need to settle them step by step using receipt notes and updates.
Then, from this period, perform an initialization into the following period, so that the information about the settled stock carries forward.
Repeat this process until all requests in all periods are satisfied.
🚨 If you have already closed periods and submitted closing statements, this procedure may affect the balances of some accounts in your accounting. Consult your accountant or tax advisor before performing it.
What to watch out for
Stock recalculation does not resolve issue requests
If an unsettled request is pending on a stock card, stock recalculation will not remove it. Recalculation works with prices; only this function settles requests.
The update reports a locked document
The update affects documents in the period in which the request was created. If the document is locked, the function will fail. You have three options:
Unlock the document, run the update, and resubmit the closing statement as a correction if needed. This is the standard approach.
Have an advanced parameter set up for you, which, once activated, causes locked documents to be ignored during the update (i.e., not included in it). Installing the parameter costs CZK 2,250 excluding VAT and can be arranged through customer support.
Stop using the price list item and replace it with a new one on which no request was created. This is a last-resort option for exceptional cases: the old request will remain permanently unsettled and will still appear on the stock card, but the new record won't be affected by it.
💡 Which approach is worthwhile depends on how many documents the correction affects. For a small number of items, it's usually simpler to replace the item than to file corrective closing statements. This is an accounting decision, not a technical one.
Relationship to stocktaking
Stocktaking takes requests into account (it increases the system stock counts by the issue requests). However, for smoother stocktaking, we recommend settling issue requests before performing inventory.
Requests do not carry over to the next period
All requests should be settled before initializing the following accounting period. ABRA Flexi cannot satisfy issue requests from a previous accounting period with a receipt note in the following one.
Reservation priority
A reservation takes priority over an issue request.
FAQ
Why did the account balances change after the update?
Because the update turns a zero-value request into an actual issue with a price. If you already had the goods in stock beforehand, the value of your inventory will drop by the value of the issued goods. This is described in detail in the Accounting impact of the update section.
In what order are requests settled?
From oldest to newest. You cannot choose which request should be covered first.
Does stock recalculation settle requests?
No. Stock recalculation only works with prices. Only the issue request update settles requests.
Can I run the update in a locked period?
No, as long as the document is locked, the function will fail. Possible solutions are described in the The update reports a locked document section.
Can I cover last year's request with this year's receipt note?
No. Requests must be settled in the period in which they were created, and the result must be carried forward to subsequent periods via initialization.
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