The ItemMaster is the interface for adding, editing, and referencing all Items/Parts in the system. The ItemMaster can be opened from the Main Switchboard, or from the ItemMaster main menu.
Click on Add Items from the ItemMaster main menu when entering new Items into the system. There is also an Add New button in the ItemMaster column on the Switchboard that opens the ItemMaster in Add Items mode.
Click on Edit Items from the ItemMaster main menu for viewing and editing existing items, and adding new items. Generally, you want to use the Edit Items link to work with your Items. There is also an Edit button in the ItemMaster column on the Switchboard that opens the ItemMaster in Edit Items mode.
Here is a screenshot of the ItemMaster Screen:
Basic Tab <Top>
This is the main screen for viewing and entering Item information. Each area of the basic screen is displayed independently and described in this section of the ItemMaster Overview. There are 6 grouped areas on the Basic Screen:
Basic - Identifying Data
The information at the top of the Add/Edit Items form tells you the reference number and description of the Item being entered or reviewed:
Internal Num
A unique internal part number for each Item.
Description
An Item description for reference.
ItemMaster Notes
Extra information about the Item can be entered here for reference.
PartType
Groups Items into categories based on what type of Items they are.
ActivePart
Defines whether an Item is active or not.
LastUpdate
The last time this record has been changed.
Update By
Employee initials.
Basic - Search By
In versions prior to 5.74, the SearchBy Description Menu is located in the Identifying Data, above the Item Description. In versions 5.74 and newer of BusinessMaster, you can search by Description or Part#. These menu's are located below the Customer/Vendor Priority List:
Basic - Product Data
Codes listed here are for defining and referencing the Item. The Product Data codes are added and edited from the forms found at the bottom of the ItemMaster Main Menu, except for GLAcct#'s. The default GLAcct number that will display with the Product Data is edited from the ProductCode form, but the the form to add and edit all of the GLAcct#'s is found at the bottom of the Accounting Main Menu. For more information on adding and editing codes, click on the corresponding links below:
Product Code
Product Codes are for defining Items, and are managed from the Product Code Table. These codes are useful for filtering and sorting with reports. You can double-click this field to bring up the Product Code Manager, used for managing your Product Codes.
Inventory Code
Inventory Codes are for defining Items from the Inventory Code Table. You can double-click this field to bring up the Inventory Code Manager, used for managing your Inventory Codes. These codes are useful for filtering and sorting with Inventory Reports. Additionally, each Inventory Code must have a default Inventory Location. This is for debiting inventory using the Production Scheduling in the Projects Manager, when automatic materials debiting is being used.
Inventory UOM
Unit Of Measure Codes are for defining Items from the Inventory UOM Table. This can basically be understood to be the unit of measure that the item is purchased by, or sold by. You can double-click this field to bring up the Inventory UOM Manager, used for managing your Inventory Unit of Measure Codes.
Ea UOM
This field is for further definining the unit of measure that makes up the Inventory UOM. This is helpful when you want to see the UOM in a different breakdown on reports. For instance, if the Inventory UOM is "Box", and each box contains 12 Rolls, for example, then "Rolls" would be the EaUOM. and the Ea field would be 12. This is optional, so we generally recommend just using "Ea" for the EaUOM field, and "1" for the Ea field. This is only really necessary when you want to get into breaking things down in order to get to deeper levels of detail for reporting. They are required fields though, so something needs to be entered initially, and they can always be detailed later.
Ea
The count for the EaUom.
COGS GL and Sales GL
General Ledger Numbers can be associated with Items for Accounting. Associate your parts with the GLAccounts they belong to. If you need to add or edit the GLAccounts as present in BusinessMaster, use the GLAcct Manager that is accessed from the Accounting menu, or you can just double-click either of the two GLAccount fields here to bring up the GLAcct Manager, used for managing your GL Accounts.
Basic - Costing Data
This section of the form lists the specific pricing information for the Item:
Cost Button
Clicking this button copies the listed StdCost into the CurrCost and Avg Cost fields.
Labor Cost
Enter the Labor Cost from the Labor Requirements Total Cost Estimate on the ItemMaster Labor screen. This total, added to the MatlCost from the ItemMaster BOM screen, gives you the Total Production Cost Estimate for the Item. If you use the ItemMaster Labor screen and enter in Department Level estimates for your assemblies there, you can then use the Update Assembly Labor Cost Data Processing tool to update the Labor Cost field for all your assemblies to reflect their Labor Cost estimates.
Matl Cost
Enter the Material Cost from the Bill of Materials Total Assembly Cost on the ItemMaster BOM screen. This total, added to the Labor Requirements Cost from the ItemMaster Labor screen, gives you the Total Production Cost Estimate for the Item.
Total Cost
The Total Cost here is automatically calculated when you enter the Labor Cost from the ItemMaster Labor screen, and the Material Cost from the ItemMaster BOM screen, showing you the Total Production Cost Estimate for the Item.
Std Cost
Standard Cost of the Item. For assemblies, you can run the Update Assembly Standard Cost Data Processing Tool, which will update all Assemblies Standard Costs based on the BOM Total Cost.
CurrCost
The most recent Cost paid for the item. You can click the Cost button to update this field with the Standard Cost, or you can enter the Current Cost manually, or run the Update Current Costing Data Processing Tool to update all current costs based on your Receivings.
Avg Cost
The average Cost paid for the item. You can click the Cost button to update this field with the Standard Cost, or you can enter the Average Cost manually, or run the Update Average Costing Data Processing Tool to update all Average costs based on your Receivings.
SalePrice
The Sale Price for the item. You can enter the Sale Price manually, or for Assemblies, you can run the Update Assembly Sale Price Data Processing Tool, which will update all Assemblies that have Profit %'s and update the Sale Price based on the percentage and Standard Cost.
Profit %
The Profit Percentage for the item, which used in determining the Sale Price. This is where you enter your realistic desired profit percentage.
Basic - Mfg Data
These fields are specifically tied to manufacturing data about the Item at issue:
LeadTime
The necessary lead-time for Purchasing the item (in days).
Yield
The amount of product that is available for production.
Updateable
Allows the item Yield to be changed globally according to Product Code.
Thick, Width, Length, OD (Outer Diameter), ID (Inner Diameter)
Measurement in inches to seven decimal places.
Basic - Inventory Data
This is information about the Item that relates to Inventory:
CycleCount
The code for cycle counting inventory.
Last Cycle
The last time a cycle count has been preformed.
Cross Reference #
Any other reference for this item.
EOQ
Economic Order Quantity when placing an order. (EOQ is the suggested amount for an Item that should be built or bought in oder to obtain the best price break.)
Safety
Minimum Safety Stock amount.
StockItem
Defines the particular part as a Stock Item when checked.
Basic - Customer/Vendor List
If you choose to limit SalesOrder and PurchaseOrder lists of Items to the Customer or Vendor specified, you can assign them here on the ItemMaster screen. This will allow you to display only the Items associated with a Customer or Vendor to be on that form. Whoever has the lowest number in the priority field will be the primary vendor.
BOM Tab <Top>
Pressing the BOM tab from the ItemMaster brings up the BOM screen, displayed below. The Bill of Materials screen (BOM) is used for manufacturing assemblies. Currently, this version of BusinessMaster uses only single level BOM's. Each Bill of Material references the internal part number in the ItemMaster section. Click here for simple instructions on creating BOM's.
Internal Part#
The Internal Num of the Item from the ItemMaster.
Description
A description for reference.
QPA
Quantity per Assembly (up to 3 decimal places).
UOM
The Unit of Measure for the Item.
StdCost
Standard Cost of the Item.
Tot Cost
Total Cost of the Item at the quantity.
StockBill Tab <Top>
Pressing the Stockbill tab from the ItemMaster brings up the Stockbill screen, displayed below. Use this screen to view and edit stockbills for this Item. Click here for simple instructions on creating Stockbills.
Qty
Quantity of the Item
ItemPart# Button
Jump to the Item in the ItemMaster with this button.
Import BOM Button
Clicking this button imports the BOM of the Item if one exists.
Internal Part#
The Internal Num of the Item from the ItemMaster.
Description
A description for reference.
Thick
The thickness dimension of the Item.
Width
The thickness dimension of the Item.
Length
The thickness dimension of the Item.
File
You can associate files with the Item here.
Notes
An open field to enter work instructions or any applicable notes for the Item.
S/O Tab <Top>
Pressing the S/O tab from the ItemMaster brings up the Sales Order Reference screen, displayed below. Use this screen to find where the displayed part number is on any open Sales Orders. It will show you the Sales Order number, the Customer, the quantity on order and the date that it is due to be delivered by:
SONum
The Sales Order Number.
CustID
The Customer ID for the Sales Order.
Qty B/O
The quantity of the Item on BackOrder for the Sales Order.
MasterDate
The Master Date for delivery of the Item for that Sales Order.
P/O Tab <Top>
Pressing the P/O tab from the ItemMaster brings up the Purchasing Reference screen, displayed below. Use this screen to find where the displayed part number is on any open Purchase Orders. It will show you the Sales Order number, the Vendor, the quantity on order and the date that it is due to be received by.
W/O Tab <Top>
Pressing the W/O tab from the ItemMaster brings up the Work Order Reference screen, displayed below. Use this screen to find where the displayed part number is on any open Work Orders. It will show you the Work Order Lot number, the quantity on back order and the release and finish dates.
P/O History Tab <Top>
Pressing the P/O History tab from the ItemMaster brings up the BOM screen, displayed below. This screen shows you all the historical purchases that have been completed for a part and the vendor that is was purchased from.
MRP Tab <Top>
Pressing the MRP tab from the ItemMaster brings up the MRP Reference screen, displayed below. This screen shows you the current MRP for a part number based on current inventory, open Purchase Orders, open Work Orders, Open Sales Orders and Job Phase Materials. This is a convenient place to do a quick check on whether or not you have enough of a certain product/material.
If an item has any demand, there will be listings on this screen. The current inventory is always listed first. Any open Work Orders and open Purchase Orders will be listed next with there Demand Quantity listed in blue to indicate a push. Any Safety Stock will be listed and then open Sales Orders after that with their Demand Quantities listed in red to indicate a pull. Sales Order Materials will only be listed if The Projected Inventory is calculated line by line with the final projected amount in the bottom listing. It is best to always click the Refresh button when you first view the list to make sure it is a current reading.
Here are descriptions for the fields and buttons found on this screen:
PlanDate
The Plan Date for Current Inventory is always "1/1/1900" to include everything. Supply and Demand are then listed by Plan Dates. The Plan Date for open Purchase Orders is the Vendor Promise Date. The Plan Date for open Work Orders is the Work Order Due Date. The Plan Date for open Sales Orders is based on the Master Date. The Plan Date for Sales Order/Phase Materials is the Start Production Date for the Job/Phase.
DemandQty
The demand for the Item based on the Source for that demand. For example, if there is a demand for an Item from a Job, then it will show the Demand Quantity, and the Source will be "SalesOrderDetails".
ProjInv
The Projected Inventory for the Item. This is the Current Inventory minus the Demand Quantities and plus the supply quantities.
Refresh button
The refesh button updates the list to include all supplies and demands for the item. It is best to always click this button when first viewing the list to make sure it is a current reading.
Source
This indicates the source of the supply or demand. Current Inv is the Current Inventory on hand. Work Order is an open Work Order for the item. Purchase Order Details is an open Purchase Order for the item. Sales Order Details is an open Sales Order for the Item. Sales Order Materials is a Job Materials listing for the item. Safety Stock is the Safety Stock Demand for the item.
Discounts Tab <Top>
Pressing the Discounts tab from the ItemMaster brings up the Discounts screen, displayed below. This screen is for setting and viewing discounts for your customers/vendors that get discounts for a specific part number. This screen is also for setting alt part numbers that can be listed on PO's and SO's.
CrossRef Tab <Top>
Pressing the CrossRef tab from the ItemMaster brings up the CrossRef screen, displayed below. This screen allows you to create cross reference numbers in the system for the specific part number. Then you can go to the CrossRef Search when you need to find a part based on its Cross Ref Number.
Labor Tab <Top>
Pressing the Labor tab from the ItemMaster brings up the Labor screen, displayed below. The ItemMaster Labor screen is where you define Labor Requirements to manufacture an Item. This will contain a default list of labor requirements for an item. For every one unit of measure for an item, you will have a certain amount of labor required in different departments.
Part%
Enter in the percentage of the Production that a department represents for manufacturing the Product to see how much each department is as a percentage of making of the Product. This assists in Production costing and reporting.
Files Tab <Top>
Pressing the Files tab from the ItemMaster brings up the Files screen, displayed below. Here is where different related files/documents for an Item can be linked and displayed (Blueprints, QC Charts, Pictures etc…). These are then accessible from within BusinessMaster. Click here for information on how to add and edit files with this form.
BOM Where Used <Top>
This screen shows every assembly (BOM) where the Item is being used.
Enter the component Item number and the result will be every assembly (BOM) that uses that component.
CrossRefSearch <Top>
Use this screen to search for items with cross reference numbers.
Master Items Import <Top>
The Master Item List is a set of predetermined part numbers to help you enter new part numbers faster. This form is identical to the ItemMaster form, with the exception of the Export field.
Export - When this button is checked, the InternalPart# will be imported into the ItemMaster. Any Bill of Materials will be imported along with the InternalPart#.
Part Type Manager <Top>
The Part Type form is accessed from the ItemMaster main menu.
Part Types group Items into categories based on what type of Items they are. This form is accessed from the ItemMaster Main Menu. It is used to add and edit the part types that are used for reference in the Identifying Data section in ItemMaster. The following convention exists: P = Parts, A = Assemblies, L = Labor, and O = Other. NOTE: This "Part Type" convention must be maintained to use MRP.
Here is what the Part Type form looks like:
Part Types may not be edited or added, but the descriptions may be modified.
Product Code Manager <Top>
Product Codes define Items from the ProductCode Table. They are used in ItemMaster to differentiate groups of products. This form is accessed from the ItemMaster Main Menu. It is where the Product Codes are added and edited that are used for reference in the Product Data section in ItemMaster.
Examples: 01 = Test (as below) 02 = Case Parts 03 = Lumber 04 = Moldings 05 = Hardware
Product Code
A Numeric code.
Description
The description for that Product Code.
DefaultProfit%
This is the default Profit % for global updates to the ItemMaster. Profit% designates how much profit you want to make. It ishould be the difference between Cost and Sale Price. All Items with this code will have this defaut Profit%. This is purely a multiplier ie… 100% is 1.00, 110% is 1.10, 250% is 2.50 etc.
Default GLAcct
All Items with this code will belong to the same GLAcct by default, and used for reference in purchasing and vouchering.
DefaultYield
All Items with this code will have the same Yield by default, for global updating in the ItemMaster. This is measured as a percentage, ie. 92% is a 92% yield of each Unit of measure for the product.
Update Partmaster Profit Percentages Button
Pressing this button updates the default Profit% for all Items in Itemmaster that have the code being updated.
Update Partmaster Default Yield Button
Pressing this button updates the default Yield for all Items in Itemmaster that have the code being updated.
Print Product Codes Button
The Print button will run a report for printing all Product Codes.
To edit a Product Code, scroll through the records from the Record Selector to the desired entry, and simply close the form to save the changes.
To add a new Product Code, click the Add Button, enter the desired Product Code and Description. Close the form when finished to save the new code.
Inventory UOM Manager <Top>
InventoryUOM's define the Items according to their basic Units of Measure.
For example: Ea = Each, Ft = Foot, Gal = Gallon.
This form is accessed from the ItemMaster Main Menu. It is where InventoryUOM's are added and edited for reference in the Product Data section in ItemMaster.
To edit an InventoryUOM, scroll through the records from the Record Selector to the desired entry, and simply close the form to save the changes.
To add a new InventoryUOM, click the Add Button, enter the desired InventoryUOM and Description. Close the form when finished to save the new code.
Inventory Code Manager <Top>
Inventory Codes define Items from the InventoryCode Table. The Inventory Code manager is accessed from the ItemMaster Main Menu. It can also be opened by double-clicking the Inventory Code field in the ItemMaster itself. Inventory Codes are added and edited here. They are referenced for your Items in the Product Data section of the ItemMaster. Use these codes to categorize various inventory references or other subdivisions of your own creation. Inventory Codes are used for organizing, sorting and filtering the Part on the Inventory reports. Additionally, each Inventory Code must have a default Inventory Location. The location link is for debiting inventory using the Production Scheduling in the Projects Manager, when automatic materials debiting is being used.
Example Inventory Codes: 05-DOHNG = Door Hinge, 05-DOHND = Door Handle
To add a new Inventory Code, click the Add Button, enter the desired Inventory Code, tab over and enter a Description, then select it's default Inventory Location. Close the form when finished and your changes are automatically saved.
To edit an Inventory Code, scroll through the records from the Record Selector to the desired entry, and simply close the form to save the changes.
For more information and adding and editing Inventory Codes, click here.
Concepts
A possible concept for assigning Inventory Codes is to associate them with Product Codes. For example, you could assign a Product Code to be "02" for "Doors". Then you could make Inventory Codes of "02.1", "02.2", "02.3" for specific categories of Doors. See the example of the Inventory Manager below that reflects this concept.
ItemMaster Command Buttons <Top>
Here is a brief description of the command buttons that are found on the ItemMaster form.
Copy Record
When entering a new record that is similar to the one you are currently working with, use this button. It will go to the end of the recordset, and duplicate the current record. The only field you have to change is the Internal Part# Field. This allows you to keep consistent Product Codes, etc from Item to Item for faster data entry.
Copy and Paste (At the top right of the ItemMaster screen, next to the Description menu)
This button is used to copy the current InternalPart# and exit the form automatically and Paste it into the open PO or Sales Order. This is useful for entry of new items into Purchase Orders or Sales Orders, since the new record will not be in the list until you reenter that PO or Sales Order.
Print Button
Prints a parper copy of the current Data.
Update SO Mat No Cost
This will update all 0 or empty cost fields for this part in Sales Order/Job Phase Materials Lists.
EditInternalItemNum
Clicking this button highlights the Internal Item Number for editing.
Datasheet View
The ItemMaster is designed to primarily be used in Form View. This is the default view when you open the ItemMaster. The ItemMaster can also be viewed in Datasheet View. This view gives you a Spreadsheet/table view of the Items from which to work in. In this view you can move columns around and quickly view and edit groups of items and their fields. It does not give you access to all the fields, features and functions that are accessible in the Form View, but it may be helpful in certain circumstances.
Here is a screenshot of the ItemMaster Screen in Form View:
To switch to Datasheet View, click the Datasheet View button (while you are in the Form View of the ItemMaster):
Here is a screenshot of the ItemMaster Screen in Data View:
To switch back to Form View, click the Form View button that is located next to the Datasheet View Button:
