Units of Measure (UOM)

ianaiERP supports multiple units of measure for each item, allowing you to manage inventory with flexibility. This feature is particularly useful when you purchase items in one unit (e.g., cases) but sell them in another (e.g., individual units), or when dealing with different weight or volume measurements.

Defining Units of Measure

ianaiERP provides a set of default units of measure, even without setting up custom UOMs. These include:

1. Length units: m (meter), km (kilometer), cm (centimeter), mm (millimeter), in (inch), ft (foot), yd (yard)

2. Volume units: l (liter), ml (milliliter), m3 (cubic meter), in3 (cubic inch), ft3 (cubic foot), qt (quart), gal (gallon), floz (fluid ounce), pt (pint)

3. Weight units: mg (milligram), g (gram), kg (kilogram), oz (ounce), lb (pound), st (stone)

4. Quantity units: ea (each), dz (dozen)

To add custom units of measure:

1. Go to Miscellaneous > Units of Measure.

2. Click the Add New button on the top right to create a new UOM.

3. Fill in the following fields:

   • Abbreviation : The short code used everywhere for this unit (e.g., "case", "plt"), up to 20 characters.

   • Description : A short label describing the unit (e.g., "Case", "Pallet").

4. Click Save to add the new UOM.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 for all required custom units of measure.

Assigning UOMs to Items

1. Navigate to Inventory > Items.

2. Set the Base Unit : This is typically the smallest unit you use (e.g., "ea" for individual items, "g" for weight-based items).

3. Click the Custom UOMs button next to the Base Unit.

4. On the Units of Measure page for the item:

   • Click the Add UOM button to add a new UOM.

   • Fill in the following fields:

     • UOM : Select the unit of measure from the dropdown.

     • Conversion : Enter how many base units are in this UOM (e.g., 24 if a case contains 24 individual items).

     • Sales Price : (Optional) Set a specific price for this UOM.

     • Purchase Price : (Optional) Set a specific cost for this UOM.

5. Click Save to apply the changes.

Example

For light bulbs sold individually but purchased in cases of 24:

• Set Base Unit to "each"

• In Unit of Measure table:

  • UOM : case

  • Conversion : 24

  • Purchase Price : [cost of a case]

Using UOMs in Transactions

Once configured, you can use different UOMs in various transactions:

• Purchase Orders : Select the appropriate UOM when ordering from vendors.

• Sales Orders : Choose the UOM that matches how you're selling the item.

• Inventory Adjustments : Adjust stock levels using any defined UOM.

• Manufacturing (BOM, Build, Work Order) : Component lines also carry their own UOM, so a bill of materials or build can call for a component in a case or box even though the item's base unit is "each."

Best Practices

1. Consistency : Use consistent naming conventions for your UOMs across all items.

2. Base Unit : Always set the smallest commonly used unit as the base unit.

3. Accuracy : Double-check conversion ratios to ensure inventory accuracy.

4. Review : Periodically review and update UOMs, especially for items with changing purchase or sales patterns.

Alternative Approach

For some scenarios, you might consider creating separate items for different units (e.g., a "case of light bulbs" as a distinct item from individual bulbs). This can provide more granular tracking but may require more setup and management.

Related Features

• Item Management

• Purchase Orders

• Sales Orders

• Inventory Adjustments

For more detailed information on using UOMs in specific processes, please refer to the respective sections in this documentation.