Materials are the things you buy and use but don't sell: shipping boxes, tape, thank-you cards, stickers, labels, raw materials. You keep their stock in Fabrikatör, order them on the same purchase orders as your products, and Fabrikatör takes what each shipped order used — so you know when the boxes are running low before you run out.
Info: Materials is in beta and free during the beta. To turn it on, go to Configure → Materials and click Try Material Tracking. It is turned on for everyone in your company, and from then on Materials opens straight away.
You can also open it any time with ▶ Watch walkthrough video under the description on the Materials page.
Before you start
Add the suppliers you buy materials from — see How to add a new supplier?. You can also create one while creating a material.
Count what you have on the shelf today, so you can enter it as the opening stock.
Decide how your orders use each material: per item sold, once per order, or once per parcel.
That's how it will look:
1. Create a material
Go to Configure → Materials.
Click Create material.
Enter a name and a SKU (both required), for example Kraft shipping box 30×20×15 and BOX-30.
Pick a unit. It is Piece by default; type any word that fits, such as Roll or Meter.
Optionally add a barcode and a main supplier, and enter your current stock as the opening stock.
Save.
The opening stock is saved as the material's first count, the Opening count.
Tip: If the SKU is already used by a Shopify product, you'll see a warning. You can still save; it only helps you avoid mixing them up.
2. Count and adjust stock
Open a material, or click Count on its row in the list.
Click New count and choose:
Count stock to set the total you counted (shown as Recount), or
Adjust stock to add or remove a quantity, with a note such as damaged in transit.
Save.
Every change appears under Activity, with who made it and the stock after it. Stock can have up to 4 decimals, so 12.5 Meter of tape is fine.
3. Buy materials on a purchase order
Create or edit a purchase order.
Click Add materials next to Browse (or or add materials on an empty order).
Tick the materials you need. The order supplier's materials are listed first, then Other materials.
Enter quantities. The price is filled in from the last price you paid.
Save and approve the order as usual.
Material lines carry a Material tag. Once the order is approved, the quantity shows as Incoming on the material page.
When the delivery arrives, receive the order as usual — see How to receive inventory?. Material stock goes up and Activity shows Received with the PO number.
4. Tell Fabrikatör how your orders use a material
Open the material.
In Usage rules, add a rule:
Per unit sold — for each item of the products or variants you choose. Example: 0.5 Meter of tape per mug.
Per order — once per order, on its first shipment. Example: 1 thank-you card.
Per shipment — once for every parcel. Example: 1 shipping box.
Optionally add a waste % for what gets damaged or cut off.
Save.
From now on, when a Shopify order ships, the stock goes down by itself. Activity gets a ⚡ Automatic row, Used by order, linked to the order in Shopify, with How it was calculated.
How automatic usage works
Materials are used when Shopify marks items as shipped, never when the order is placed. For the three rule types, worked examples, and what happens with refunds, bundles and rule changes, see How Fabrikatör works out the materials each order uses.
Frequently asked questions
My boxes didn't go down after an order came in. Materials are used when the order ships, not when it's placed. Once Shopify marks the items fulfilled, the stock updates within a few moments.
I changed a rule but older orders still used the old amount. That's intended: each order keeps the rule that was running when it was placed. Only orders placed after your change use the new value.
My material shows a negative stock in red. Automatic usage took more than you had recorded. Count the material with New count → Count stock, or receive a delivery, and the stock is correct again.
Can I use a material for one product only? Yes. Add a Per unit sold rule and pick that product, or only some of its variants.
Can two rules count the same product for one material? No. Each material can have one running per-order rule, one running per-shipment rule, and each product can be counted by only one per-unit rule. Fabrikatör tells you which products clash.
Why can't I change the unit anymore? The unit locks after the first count or receipt, so past quantities keep their meaning.
Will my customers see these items in my store? No. Materials live only in Fabrikatör and are never sent to Shopify.
What happens when I archive a material? It leaves the active list and the purchase order picker and stops being used by orders. Its stock and history are kept, and you can restore it from the Archived tab.