Short answer: partly. ServiceM8 can display stock levels for your materials, but it doesn't track inventory itself. The quantities come from your accounting software (Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks Online), and they only change when invoices with tracked items sync across.
For a business with a handful of stocked items in one storeroom, that can be enough. For trades running vans, a warehouse and regular supplier orders, it usually isn't.
What ServiceM8 can do with inventory
Materials on jobs. You add materials to a job card for quoting and invoicing, with codes, descriptions and prices.
Show stock levels. For tracked items, techs can see "Quantity in stock" in the app, and office staff can see it on the job's billing screen online.
Barcode lookup. ServiceM8's Smart Barcode Scan can match a scanned barcode against supplier records to add a billable item to a job. It's designed for billing, not for counting stock on hand.
Sync items with accounting. Items and invoices sync with your accounting package, which handles the stock quantity.
What ServiceM8 can't do on its own
ServiceM8's help centre is clear about where stock data comes from. For integrated items, it "displays the quantities imported from" your accounting package. That leads to several gaps.
Stock isn't calculated in ServiceM8
The stock number belongs to Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks. ServiceM8 shows it but doesn't work it out from the jobs you complete.
Updates aren't immediate
Quantities reach ServiceM8 through item syncing, and ServiceM8 notes that this may not happen straight away. Stock also won't move in accounting until the invoice is created and approved.
Edits in ServiceM8 don't stick
Changing a stock quantity in ServiceM8 doesn't update your accounting package, and a later import can overwrite it.
No locations or van stock
There's one quantity per item. ServiceM8 can't tell you how many are in the warehouse versus each technician's van.
No purchase orders
ServiceM8 says it does not have built-in functionality to create and send purchase orders to suppliers. It suggests add-ons from its developer partners.
Is ServiceM8's stock tracking enough for you?
Your situation | ServiceM8 + accounting alone |
|---|---|
Under 200 stocked items, one storeroom, jobs invoiced same day | Usually fine |
Techs carry stock in vans | Not enough: no per-van quantities |
Jobs often sit unbilled for days | Stock levels will lag behind reality |
You order from suppliers weekly or more | You'll need purchase orders |
Warehouse plus branches | Not enough: one quantity per item |
If two or more of the bottom rows apply to you, it's worth adding a dedicated inventory system. Our complete guide to inventory management in ServiceM8 walks through the options.
How to get real inventory tracking with ServiceM8
The usual approach is to connect an inventory system that owns the stock numbers and syncs with both ServiceM8 and Xero. With StockUnify:
Each ServiceM8 job syncs to StockUnify as a sales order, showing stock availability for every material.
Vans are set up as stock locations, with each technician mapped to their van.
When the job is completed in ServiceM8, materials are deducted from the right van or warehouse.
Purchase orders are raised from the job and linked to the job number. Receiving them creates a bill in Xero.
Products, prices and stock levels sync back to ServiceM8, so techs see accurate numbers.
Techs keep using the ServiceM8 app as normal. See how StockUnify works with ServiceM8.
FAQ
Can ServiceM8 track inventory without Xero or MYOB?
ServiceM8 relies on a connected accounting package to track stock levels for integrated items. Without one, stock tracking is very limited.
Why does ServiceM8 show the wrong stock quantity?
Usually because the job hasn't been invoiced yet, or the latest change hasn't synced from accounting. See why ServiceM8 stock levels don't update.
Can ServiceM8 track stock in my vans?
Not on its own. You need an inventory system that treats each van as a separate location. See van stock tracking for ServiceM8.
Get stock levels you can trust in ServiceM8. Start a 14-day free trial of StockUnify. No credit card required.
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