# Retire or Delete an Item Safely

### How to Retire or Delete an Item Safely in Muhasib ERP

### Overview

This guide will help you stop an item from ordinary use or remove it only when every dependency has been resolved and deletion is approved.

Source blocks deletion when location inventory exists, the item is a BOM ingredient, or it parents variation items. Other historical dependencies and the global delete-after-transaction setting still require verification.

### Who can do this

You need access to Item Update for deactivation where supported; Item Delete and explicit business approval for deletion.

### Before you start

Back up the database. Review stock at every location/batch/serial, open orders, transactions, BOM ingredient use, parent/variant relationships, integrations, prices, and reports.

<div id="bkmrk-%F0%9F%9A%A8-importantmake-sure" style="border-left: 4px solid #dc2626; background: #fef2f2; padding: 12px 16px; margin: 15px 0; border-radius: 4px;">Before saving, check that the correct company is open and that you have permission to complete this task.</div>### Where to find it

Back Office → Items &amp; Advanced Inventory → Manage Items.

### Retire or Delete an Item Safely

#### Step 1: Select the item by stable ID/barcode

#### Step 2: Prefer disabling/retiring it when the runtime provides a supported status

#### Step 3: Transfer/adjust stock through approved transactions until reconciled zero

#### Step 4: Remove it from BOMs and resolve child variants through supported updates

#### Step 5: Close or correct open transactions/orders

#### Step 6: Choose Delete only after approval and confirmation

#### Step 7: Stop on any dependency warning

### Check your work

Confirm history remains reportable, stock/GL compare and confirm, the item is not selectable for new work, and no orphan BOM/variant/price/image/serial rows remain in a clone.

<div id="bkmrk-%F0%9F%92%A1-tipcheck-the-saved" style="border-left: 4px solid #2563eb; background: #eff6ff; padding: 12px 16px; margin: 15px 0; border-radius: 4px;">Take a moment to check your work before closing the window. This small check can save time later.</div>### If something goes wrong

- Do not delete to hide wrong stock or free licence capacity.
- Use corrections/returns/transfers/adjustments for business data.

### Related guides

- [Update an Item Safely](https://docs.muhasiberp.com/link/324)
- [Create an Inventory Adjustment](https://docs.muhasiberp.com/link/291)
- [Transfer Stock Between Locations](https://docs.muhasiberp.com/link/293)
- [Create and Verify a Manual Backup](https://docs.muhasiberp.com/link/201)

### What to do next

<div id="bkmrk-%E2%9C%85-next-actioncontinu" style="border-left: 4px solid #16a34a; background: #f0fdf4; padding: 12px 16px; margin: 15px 0; border-radius: 4px;">[**Update an Item Safely**](https://docs.muhasiberp.com/link/324).</div>