Quarantine and Quality Hold in Odoo#
When products fail inspection or are suspected of defects, they must be physically and systemically segregated - preventing them from being picked for orders or used in production. Odoo quarantine locations enforce this separation at the system level.
Creating a Quarantine Location#
Inventory → Configuration → Locations → New:
- Name: WH/Quarantine
- Location Type: Internal (product remains in inventory but at a separate location)
- Active: Yes
- Scrap Location: No (don't confuse with scrap - quarantine is a holding area)
Optionally restrict access:
- Set the location to be selectable only by QC staff (via user group restrictions on the location)
Moving Products to Quarantine#
When a product fails inspection:
Option 1 - From the quality alert:
Quality → Quality Alerts → [Alert] → Move to Quarantine:
- Creates an internal transfer: WH/Stock → WH/Quarantine
- Product is now at the quarantine location - cannot be picked for delivery orders
Option 2 - Manual internal transfer:
Inventory → Operations → Transfers → New:
- From: WH/Stock (or WH/Input or wherever suspect goods are)
- To: WH/Quarantine
- Products: the suspect items with lot/serial numbers
Systemic Effect of Quarantine Location#
Products at WH/Quarantine:
- Are not available for delivery orders (Odoo only picks from WH/Stock or configured pick locations)
- Are not used in MRP replenishment calculations (unless explicitly configured)
- Do appear on stock reports - visible but segregated
This prevents accidental use while keeping the product on the books.
Disposition Decisions#
After investigation, QC decides what to do with quarantined goods:
Acceptable with concession: internal transfer WH/Quarantine → WH/Stock (return to use)
Repairable: transfer to WH/Rework → create repair order
Scrap: validate a scrap order from WH/Quarantine → product removed from inventory
Return to vendor: create a vendor return from WH/Quarantine → delivery order to vendor
Quarantine Register#
Track all quarantine events:
Inventory → Reporting → Inventory Adjustments → filter by WH/Quarantine:
- What went in and when
- How long it stayed (time in quarantine)
- Disposition: released / scrapped / returned
Long residence times in quarantine indicate delayed decision-making - set a 5-day SLA for quarantine disposition.