--- title: "Snow Purchasing and Material Allocation" slug: "snow-purchasing-and-material-allocation" updated: 2026-11-13T19:43:10Z published: 2026-11-13T19:43:10Z canonical: "guide.youraspire.com/snow-purchasing-and-material-allocation" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://guide.youraspire.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Snow Purchasing and Material Allocation ## Overview Salt, ice melt, and other snow materials cost you money every storm. To see what each job really costs, and to bill T&M customers correctly, those materials have to land on the right work tickets. Most companies buy snow materials in bulk ahead of the season, keep them in inventory, and allocate them to tickets as crews use them. This article covers buying snow materials, allocating them to tickets from the office, and cleaning up the Purchasing Assistant after a storm. For subcontractor costs, visit [Paying Snow Subcontractors](/docs/snow-subcontractor-purchasing). Use the following chart to decide how to record each material. ![Decision chart: inventory materials go on the work ticket or through the Purchasing Assistant. On-the-spot buys get a purchase receipt.](https://cdn.document360.io/5942a8d7-f3b1-4919-bdfa-d477d8498fe3/Images/Documentation/Snow_Material_Allocation_Decision_Chart_Oct2026.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-15T01%3A07%3A14Z&se=2026-11-15T02%3A07%3A14Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6CMuLpOabs8Tv5e%2FjSKLKyPq8Xs7XRzepxYtD53vUQ0%3D) ### Things to know - Materials you buy and stock need **Inventory Item** selected in the Item Catalog, so they can be received into inventory and allocated from Aspire Mobile, the Purchasing Assistant, or Time Entry. To use one in Aspire Mobile, it also needs **Available to bid** selected. Equipment, and materials your subcontractors supply, use **Allocate from Mobile** instead, so crews and subcontractors can allocate them in Aspire Mobile without stocking them. - Inventory materials post to a ticket when they're allocated. Materials bought directly for a ticket post when you receive the purchase receipt. - On T&M tickets, allocated materials add to the price your customer pays. On Per Service and Fixed Payment tickets, they add to your cost only. - If you have more than one inventory location, check the location every time you allocate. Materials come out of the location you select. - Items stay in the Purchasing Assistant after you put them on a purchase receipt or allocate them. Remove them yourself after each storm. ## Requirements - To open the Purchasing module, you need the *View Purchasing* permission. - To create a purchase receipt, you need the *Add Receipt* permission. - To receive a purchase receipt, you need the *Receive Receipt* permission. - Your snow materials must be in the Item Catalog with **Inventory Item** selected. For more information, visit [Adding a Material Item to the Item Catalog](/docs/adding-a-material-item-to-the-item-catalog). ## Steps How you add a material decides when its cost shows up on the ticket. ![Diagram shows material costs posting when inventory is allocated or a purchased receipt is received.](https://cdn.document360.io/5942a8d7-f3b1-4919-bdfa-d477d8498fe3/Images/Documentation/Snow_Material_Cost_Timing_Oct2026_1.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-15T01%3A07%3A14Z&se=2026-11-15T02%3A07%3A14Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=6CMuLpOabs8Tv5e%2FjSKLKyPq8Xs7XRzepxYtD53vUQ0%3D) ### Buy snow materials into inventory Do this before the season and whenever you restock. 1. Open the Quick Menu, then select **New Purchase**. 2. Select the **Branch**. 3. Select the **Inventory Location** where the materials will be stored. 4. Select the **Vendor**. 5. Add each item, such as bulk salt, and enter the quantity and unit price. 6. Select **Save**. When the materials arrive, enter the **Received** date, then select the three-dot icon and select **Receive**. The quantity on hand updates in the **Inventory** tab. > [!TIP] > **Tip:** If your vendor delivers a big salt order in loads, use **Receive Partial** for each load. Aspire creates a back order for the rest, so you don't have to write a new purchase receipt every time. For more information, visit [Different Ways to Create a Purchase Receipt](/docs/different-ways-to-create-a-purchase-receipt). ### Allocate materials from the Purchasing Assistant Use this to allocate estimated materials to many tickets at once, such as salt on every deicing ticket from a storm. 1. Go to the **Purchasing** module. The Purchasing Assistant opens. 2. Filter the list to the storm's materials, such as by **Category** and **Scheduled Start Date**. 3. Select the items to allocate. 4. Select **Bulk Actions > Allocate from Inventory**. Aspire allocates each item's quantity to its work ticket. To check an allocation, open the ticket and review its costs. > [!WARNING] > **Important:** If any selected item isn't an inventory item, Aspire shows an error and doesn't allocate anything. Clear those items and try again. ### Allocate materials on a single ticket Use this when a crew didn't enter materials in Aspire Mobile, or entered the wrong amount. 1. Open the work ticket. 2. In the **Cost** pane, select **Add**. The **Item Allocation** tab opens. 3. Select the **Inventory Location**. 4. Search for the item. 5. Enter the **Quantity to Allocate**. 6. Select **Add +** and set the **Allocation Date**. 7. Select **Save**. 8. Select **Done**. Crews usually enter materials themselves. For more information, visit [Reporting Time and Materials in the Field](/docs/reporting-time-and-materials-in-the-field). ### Buy materials for a specific ticket Use this when a crew buys something on the spot that isn't in inventory, such as extra ice melt from a hardware store. 1. Open the Quick Menu, then select **New Purchase**. 2. Select the **Branch** and **Vendor**. 3. Enter the **Received** date. 4. Select the magnifying glass icon next to **Ticket**, then select the ticket. 5. Add each item from the crew's receipt. 6. Select the three-dot icon, then select **Receive**. > [!WARNING] > **Important:** Set the **Received** date on or before the date the material was used. If it's after the ticket's completed date, the cost can post to warranty instead of the job. For more information, visit [Create a Purchase Receipt from the Quick Menu](/docs/create-a-purchase-receipt-from-the-quick-menu). ### Clean up the Purchasing Assistant after a storm 1. In the Purchasing Assistant, filter to the storm's dates. 2. Select the items you've already bought or allocated, and any you won't need. 3. Select **Bulk Actions > Remove from List**. > [!TIP] > **Tip:** Save a default list that filters **Quantity to Order** does not equal *"0"*. Items you've fully purchased drop off automatically. ## What happens next - Allocated materials show in each ticket's costs and in job costing. - T&M tickets include the materials when you invoice them. For more information, visit [Snow Invoicing by Contract Invoice Type](/docs/snow-invoicing). - Pay your subcontractors for the storm. For more information, visit [Paying Snow Subcontractors](/docs/snow-subcontractor-purchasing). ## Troubleshooting For help with common snow material problems, such as a material crews can’t find in Aspire Mobile or a cost that posted to warranty, visit [Snow Troubleshooting](/docs/snow-troubleshooting). ## Related articles - [Snow Season Overview](/docs/snow) - [Reporting Time and Materials in the Field](/docs/reporting-time-and-materials-in-the-field) - [Paying Snow Subcontractors](/docs/snow-subcontractor-purchasing) - [Recommended Reports for Snow](/docs/recommended-reports-for-snow) - [Snow Troubleshooting](/docs/snow-troubleshooting)