Odoo Reordering Rules Not Working: Causes & Solutions
A reordering rule that "does nothing" is usually missing one of its three fuel lines: a vendor on the product (no vendor = no RFQ), sane min/max values, and a running scheduler. Check those three and replenishment starts breathing.
First, confirm the symptom
- Stock hits zero and no RFQ ever appears
- Some products replenish automatically; others never do
- RFQs appear but for the wrong quantity or wrong warehouse
- Everything worked until a migration or server move
1. No vendor (or no vendor price) on the product
The Buy route needs to know whom to buy from. A product without a vendor line on its Purchase tab silently generates nothing — no error, no RFQ, no log.
- Product → Purchase tab: add at least one vendor with price and minimum quantity.
- Audit in bulk: export products having a reordering rule but no seller line — that list is your gap.
2. Min/Max values that can never trigger
Min 0 / Max 0 fires only at negative forecast; min set below realistic consumption means stock-outs before triggers. Rules copied across products without thought behave randomly.
- Set Min = safety stock (lead-time consumption + buffer), Max = Min + economic order quantity.
- Review quarterly against actual consumption — we generate this from sales history during tuning.
3. The scheduler is not running
Rules are evaluated by a scheduled action, typically nightly. After migrations, server moves or worker misconfigurations, the cron dies quietly — and with it, all replenishment.
- Test instantly: Inventory → Operations → Run Scheduler. RFQs appear? Rules are fine, cron is dead.
- Check the scheduled action's next-run date and server cron workers — on our managed hosting this is monitored so it cannot silently stop.
4. Rule on the wrong location or route
Multi-warehouse setups: a rule watching WH-A while sales drain WH-B triggers never (or wrongly). Products preferring Manufacture over Buy route create MOs when you expected RFQs.
- One rule per product per warehouse that stocks it, with the location field checked.
- Verify route priorities on the product (Buy vs Manufacture vs MTO) match how you actually source it.
5. Lead times not modelled
Rules without vendor lead time order material to arrive exactly when you run out — which means you already ran out. Forecast horizon and vendor delays make triggers early enough to matter.
- Set Delivery Lead Time on each vendor line, plus security days in Inventory settings.
- Sanity-check with the Forecasted report: the trigger should fire lead-time days before projected zero.
We tune min/max from your real consumption history, wire vendors and lead times, and monitor the scheduler — so stock-outs stop being a surprise. Written plan first.
Frequently asked questions
Reordering rule exists but nothing happens — fastest test?
Run Scheduler manually (cause #3). If RFQs appear, your cron is the problem. If nothing appears, check vendor line (cause #1) and min/max (cause #2) on one product.
Can rules trigger manufacturing orders instead of purchases?
Yes — with the Manufacture route, the same mechanism creates MOs. Route priority on the product decides which.