Item
Items are the foundation of your inventory management in ianaiERP. This guide centralizes how you can track, price, categorize, and account for your products, raw materials, and services.
Overview
- Items centralize key data (basic info, pricing/tax, accounting, shipping, tracking) in one place.
- System-tracked quantities (On Hand/Available/On Purchase/On Sales/On Build) support visibility over inventory status.
- Attributes, options, custom fields, files, notes, and history help maintain complete, searchable records.
- Best practices (naming consistency, regular updates, categories/tags, minimum stock, periodic reconciliation) support accurate reporting and stock control.
Where to Access
Inventory ▸ Item in the left sidebar. Click Add New (top-right) to create a record.
See It in Action: Creating an Assembly Item
Watch how to create an Assembly item from scratch — from naming and categorizing it, through Shipping and Inventory settings, to adding a custom Attribute and configurable Options. Turn on audio for the sound.
Key Attributes
Basic Information
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Name | Primary label displayed across all modules, documents, and transaction forms |
| Type | Dictates how the system handles the item's quantities and accounting logic |
| Category | A folder used to group items for reporting and filtering — not an item type itself |
| SKU | Unique alphanumeric code used for precise inventory tracking |
Item Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Inventory Item | Physical goods that you stock, count, and sell |
| Assembly | Items built from other items (components) via a Bill of Materials |
| Non-inventory Item | Physical items you buy and sell but don't track stock counts for (e.g., office supplies) |
| Service | Non-physical items representing billable labor or services |
| Expense | Business operational costs not tied to physical goods |
| Bundle (Item Group) | Multiple items grouped and sold together under one package SKU |
| Other | Catch-all for items that don't fit standard categories |
⚠️ Important: Once an item is saved as Assembly, the Type field is locked — you cannot convert it to any other type afterward. Choose carefully before your first save.
Only Inventory Item and Assembly track stock quantities. For a new Inventory Item or Assembly with no option template, the create form also asks for an opening Date, Quantity, and Total Value — enter 0 for quantity and value if you're starting empty. These opening-stock fields only appear while creating; afterward, stock changes go through adjustments and transfers instead.
General Tab
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Description | Extended product text pulled onto invoices, quotes, and purchase orders |
| Barcode | Unique UPC/EAN string used for warehouse scanner lookups |
| Link | Reference URL to external spec sheets or vendor product pages |
| Base UOM | Fundamental unit of measure (e.g., Each, Box, Lbs) |
⚠️ Important: The Base UOM cannot be changed once the item is saved and used in transactions. Additional conversion sizes can be mapped under Custom UOMs.
Shipping Tab
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Physical Metrics | Weight and dimensions used to calculate live freight rates and shipping labels |
| Customs Harmonization Code | International HS code used to calculate duty rates |
| Country of Origin | Declared country where the item was manufactured |
| Customs Valuation | Declared customs value, currency code, and official description for international paperwork |
| Customs Description | Text for customs paperwork |
Inventory Tab
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Track Location | Tracks stock by warehouse location |
| Track Bin Location | Tracks stock by bin |
| Track Lot Numbers | Tracks by batch/expiry |
| Serial Tracking | Tracks unit-by-unit, one serial number per unit on hand |
| Default Vendor | Prefills vendor on POs/bills |
| Default Expiry | Days until item expires |
| Minimum Stock | Reorder threshold |
| Default Class | Reporting/analysis tag |
| Default Location | Prefill for work orders/inventory moves |
| Default Bin Locations | Prefill bins when bin tracking is on |
Turn tracking on before the item starts moving stock — switching Location, Lot, or Serial tracking on for an item that already has activity requires re-initializing its stock.
Attributes Tab
Add custom item attributes with a label and data type (Number / Boolean / Date / List). Master record only.
Item Options
Custom options at transaction entry — useful for custom manufacturing/assembly, plus Custom Fields, File Attachments, and Internal Notes. See Item Options for details.
Accounting
Which accounts are required depends on the item's type and its Salable/Purchasable flags:
| Account | Required when |
|---|---|
| Income Account | The item is Salable |
| COGS Account | Type is Inventory Item or Assembly |
| Asset Account | Type is Inventory Item or Assembly |
| Expense Account | Type is Expense, or the item is Purchasable and is not Inventory Item or Assembly |
If you save and get an account error, check the item's type and flags against this table.
Status & Tracking
| Flag | What it does | Use when | Affects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salable | Makes the item selectable on sales documents | You sell this item/service | Shows Sales Price, requires Income Account, enables Sales Tax Code if Taxable |
| Purchasable | Makes the item selectable on purchasing/receiving documents | You buy this item | Shows Purchase Price, requires Expense Account (non-inventory/service), enables Purchase Tax Code |
| Component | Allows the item to be consumed in manufacturing | Item is a raw material or sub-assembly | Unlocks selection in BOM/Manufacturing screens |
| Taxable | Applies tax on sales and/or purchases | Item is taxable under your rules | Shows Sales/Purchase Tax Code and "tax included in price" toggles |
Changing the item's Type resets these four flags to that type's standard combination — set the type first, then adjust flags, not the other way around.
Key Functions
- Define item type and basics: Create items with Name, Type, Category, SKU; fill Description/Barcode/Links; set Base/Custom UOMs.
- Set status & pricing: Mark Salable/Purchasable/Component/Taxable; set Sales/Purchase Price and tax inclusion.
- Map accounting: Assign Asset, COGS, Income, Expense accounts as required by the item's type.
- Enter shipping data: Weight/Dimensions; customs code, origin, value/currency, description.
- Control inventory behavior: Enable Location/Lot/Serial Tracking before the item starts moving; set Default Vendor/Expiry/Minimum Stock/Class/Location/Bin.
- Extend the record: Add Item Attributes, Item Options, Custom Fields, File Attachments, Internal Notes.
- View change history: Use History to see changes and who made them.
- Assembly Items: Set type to Assembly → create basic info → add components to BOM with quantities. Remember: the type locks once saved.
- Bundle Items: Set type to Bundle → create basic info → add items to bundle with quantities.
System-tracked quantities on inventory items: Quantity on Hand, Available, on Purchase, on Sales, and on Build.
Retiring and merging items
Don't delete an item you've already transacted with — Archive it instead from the row menu. Archiving is refused if the item is still referenced by an open document; the message names what's holding the reference. Deleting an item with non-zero stock asks for confirmation twice and permanently removes its stock quantities and value, so use it only for records that were created in error.
Duplicate items can be merged from the Items list: pick a Primary and a Merged record. Bundle items can't be merged, and both items must share the same type and option template. The merged record disappears — double-check which one you picked as primary before confirming.
Related Features
For more detailed information on managing items, please refer to the specific sections in this documentation.