> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.inventory-hq.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Inventory HQ Glossary: Key Terms and Definitions > A complete reference of Inventory HQ terms and definitions, from Active Job and FIFO batches to Service Trucks and Write-back. Understand the language used across the platform. Inventory HQ uses specific terms for inventory, jobs, equipment, and workflows. Use this glossary to understand what each term means and how it applies to your daily work. | Term | Definition | | :-------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Active Job** | A job that has been created and is currently in progress, not yet audited or closed. | | **Assign Material** | Earmarking materials to a job in advance as a planning list. Carries no quantities and moves no stock. Pull Material is the action that moves inventory. | | **Audit Log** | A system-generated record of all actions taken within Inventory HQ, including who did what and when. | | **Batch** | A quantity of a material received into a location at a given price. Batches are consumed FIFO, and returns are matched back to the batch the material was pulled from. | | **Bulk Import** | Uploading multiple inventory or equipment records at once using a template. The template is unique to each company and generated from your account, so dropdown columns only show units, categories, and locations already configured. | | **Bulk Pull / Bulk Return** | Pulling or returning a list of materials on a job in one submission rather than line by line. Same rules as the single flows. | | **Category** | A grouping applied to inventory or equipment to keep filters and reports manageable. | | **Checked Out** | Equipment assigned to a person or job and currently not available in the location. | | **Digital Sign** | An electronic acknowledgement required before equipment is released or a request is fulfilled. | | **Equipment Request** | A formal request submitted by a team member to check out equipment for a job. | | **FIFO** | First in, first out. The order in which batches are consumed, so material costs reflect the oldest stock on hand. | | **Job Template** | A reusable material pull list for a repeat job type, applied from the Pull Material screen. Quantities are optional at template level. | | **KPI** | Key Performance Indicator. A measurable value displayed on dashboards to summarise performance at a glance. | | **Low Stock Alert** | A notification triggered when an inventory item falls to or below its minimum quantity threshold. | | **Minimum Stock Alert** | The reorder threshold defined on an inventory item. Drives all low stock alerts, exports, and emails. | | **Negative Inventory** | A stock count below zero, created when material is pulled that the system did not know was on hand. It is an intentional audit flag, not an error to be edited away. | | **Overdue Return** | Equipment that has not been returned by its expected return date. | | **Partial** | A leftover part-quantity returning from a job. Restocked as a new, proportionally priced inventory item rather than returned against the original pull. | | **Pull Material** | Allocating materials to a job, which deducts the quantity from the location's stock and puts the cost on the job. | | **Ready to Audit** | The step marking a job as finished and ready for its physical count to be verified. Previously labelled QC Approval. | | **Return Material** | Sending full, unused units back into stock against the batch they were pulled from. | | **Role** | A set of permissions assigned to a user that determines which modules and actions they can access. | | **Serial Number** | A unique identifier on a piece of equipment, distinguishing it from other items of the same type. | | **Service Truck** | One of your own vehicles, treated as a mobile warehouse. Can be stocked, pulled from, and returned to like any location. | | **SKU** | The unique code identifying an inventory item. Mandatory on bulk import and must be unique across all locations. | | **Soft Delete** | Removal that retains the underlying record and its history, allowing recovery. Applies to deleted team members. | | **Status** | The current state of a record, for example Active or Inactive for users, and Available, Assigned, or Maintenance for equipment. | | **Tier** | Your subscription level. Higher tiers allow more users, locations, and features. | | **Unit Type** | The unit of measurement used for an inventory item, for example Boxes, Rolls, or Sqft. Managed under Units. | | **Warehouse** | A physical location where inventory and equipment are stored. All materials and jobs must be linked to a location. | | **Write-back** | Sending the material cost calculated on a job back to the connected CRM, into the Warehouse Material Expense field. |