> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://hub.equipme.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://hub.equipme.io/equipme/main-menu/approvals/using-existing-stock-before-ordering.md).
# Using Existing Stock Before Ordering
The cheapest device is the one you already own. Before a new order goes out, equipme shows you whether a matching item is sitting in your warehouse — at two points in the ordering flow, so the information reaches you before the decision is made rather than after.
### Stock is visible while browsing the Marketplace
Products that are currently in stock are labelled directly in the Marketplace. You see this while searching or browsing, without opening each product first.
Stock label on a product in the Marketplace.
You can also filter the catalog down to products that are available from stock, or keep browsing everything. Which of the two makes sense depends on the situation: if the request is urgent, stock is often the deciding factor.
### Exchange for Stock in Order Requests
The second checkpoint sits in the Order Requests view. When an order request is created, equipme checks the inventory in the background and shows the available quantity for matching items directly in the list.
Available stock shown for a requested product.
There is no separate workflow for this and no extra step. The availability appears in the list you are already working in, so you can decide right there whether to place the order or use what is already available.
If you only want to see items that match the requested product exactly, you can narrow the list down with filters.
### Why this matters
Without this visibility, the default behaviour is to order. A returned laptop sits in the warehouse while a new one is bought for the next hire, simply because nobody knew the first one was there.
Seeing stock at the moment of the decision changes that. Teams can cover a request from existing assets, avoid the purchase, and keep the warehouse from turning into storage nobody looks at.
What happens to an item once you decide to use it from stock is handled in the warehouse, where you can reserve it for a team or request its provision to a location or employee. See [Warehouse management](/equipme/assets/warehouse-management.md) for those actions.
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