Item Management

Effective item management is the foundation of inventory control. This guide covers comprehensive product and item management in Angage ERP.

Understanding Items

Item Types

Physical Products

• Finished goods
• Raw materials
• Components/parts
• Consumables
• Packaging materials

Digital Items

• Software licenses
• Digital downloads
• Service codes
• Vouchers
• Subscriptions

Product Variants

• Size variations
• Color options
• Material types
• Configuration options
• Regional versions

Kit/Bundle Items

• Product bundles
• Assembly kits
• Gift sets
• Promotional packages
• Bill of materials

Creating Items

Basic Item Setup

1. Navigate to Inventory → Items
2. Click New Item
3. Enter basic information:
   • Item Code: Unique identifier
   • Item Name: Descriptive name
   • Category: Product category
   • Type: Stockable/Non-stockable/Service
   • Unit of Measure: Base UOM

Detailed Configuration

General Tab

• Description (short/long)
• Brand information
• Manufacturer details
• Model/part numbers
• Status (Active/Inactive)

Inventory Tab

• Track inventory: Yes/No
• Stock locations allowed
• Reorder settings
• Lead times
• Safety stock levels

Sales Tab

• Can be sold: Yes/No
• Sales price
• Sales unit of measure
• Customer description
• Sales categories

Purchase Tab

• Can be purchased: Yes/No
• Preferred vendors
• Purchase price
• Purchase UOM
• Vendor item codes

How-To Guides

How to Set Up Product Variants

Creating Variant Attributes

1. Go to Settings → Product Attributes
2. Create attributes:
   • Size: S, M, L, XL
   • Color: Red, Blue, Green
   • Material: Cotton, Polyester
3. Set attribute type:
   • Single select
   • Multi-select
   • Numeric range

Generating Variants

1. Open master product
2. Go to Variants tab
3. Select attributes to use
4. Click Generate Variants
5. System creates all combinations:
   • SKU-RED-S
   • SKU-RED-M
   • SKU-BLUE-S
   • etc.

How to Configure Units of Measure

Base Unit Setup

1. Define base unit (e.g., "Each")
2. This is the storage unit
3. All conversions reference this

Conversion Units

1. Add alternate units:
   • Box = 12 Each
   • Pallet = 10 Box
   • Case = 4 Box
2. Set conversion factors
3. Enable for:
   • Sales
   • Purchase
   • Inventory

How to Manage Item Categories

Category Hierarchy

Create logical structure:

Electronics
├── Computers
│   ├── Laptops
│   ├── Desktops
│   └── Tablets
├── Audio
│   ├── Headphones
│   └── Speakers
└── Accessories

Category Settings

For each category:

• GL accounts
• Tax settings
• Attribute templates
• Costing method
• Valuation rules

How to Set Up Barcode Management

Barcode Configuration

1. Go to item record
2. Navigate to Identifiers tab
3. Add barcodes:
   • Primary barcode (UPC/EAN)
   • Alternate barcodes
   • Internal barcodes
   • Vendor barcodes
4. Set scanning rules

Multiple Barcodes

Handle scenarios:

• Different packaging
• Regional variants
• Vendor-specific
• Legacy codes
• Promotional codes

How to Configure Reorder Rules

Automatic Reordering

1. Open item record
2. Go to Planning tab
3. Set parameters:
   • Minimum Stock: 100
   • Maximum Stock: 500
   • Reorder Point: 150
   • Reorder Quantity: 200
4. Select procurement method:
   • Purchase
   • Transfer
   • Manufacture

Advanced Planning

• Lead time consideration
• Seasonal adjustments
• Safety stock calculation
• Economic order quantity
• Vendor minimums

How to Track Batch/Serial Numbers

Batch Tracking Setup

1. Enable batch tracking on item
2. Configure requirements:
   • Mandatory on receipt
   • Track expiry dates
   • Quality parameters
   • Certificate tracking
3. Set batch naming:
   • Auto-generated
   • Manual entry
   • Vendor batch

Serial Number Tracking

1. Enable serial tracking
2. Define when required:
   • On receipt
   • Before delivery
   • On production
3. Configure format:
   • Sequential
   • Random
   • Vendor serial

How to Manage Digital Items

For non-physical products:

1. Set type as "Digital"
2. Configure delivery:
   • Download link
   • License key
   • Access code
   • Email delivery
3. Set limitations:
   • Download attempts
   • Time validity
   • User restrictions

Advanced Features

Item Relationships

Substitute Items

Define alternatives:

• Primary substitute
• Conditional substitutes
• Customer preferences
• Automatic suggestion
• Inventory-based

Related Items

Cross-sell/upsell:

• Accessories
• Consumables
• Spare parts
• Upgrades
• Bundles

Attribute Management

Dynamic Attributes

• Custom fields by category
• Conditional visibility
• Validation rules
• Search filters
• Reporting dimensions

Specification Tables

• Technical specifications
• Compliance data
• Performance metrics
• Comparison features
• Marketing attributes

Cost Management

Costing Methods

• Standard cost
• Average cost
• FIFO
• LIFO
• Specific identification

Cost Components

• Material cost
• Labor cost
• Overhead
• Freight-in
• Duties/taxes

Best Practices

Data Quality

• Consistent naming conventions
• Complete descriptions
• Accurate dimensions
• Proper categorization
• Regular updates

Standardization

• Code structure
• UOM definitions
• Attribute values
• Category hierarchy
• Template usage

Maintenance

• Regular reviews
• Obsolete item handling
• Duplicate prevention
• Data cleansing
• Archive policies

Configuration

Item Settings

Navigate to Settings → Inventory → Items:

• Code Format: Auto/Manual
• Code Pattern: ITM-00000
• Variant Separator: "-"
• Default Category: General
• Duplicate Check: Code/Name/Barcode

Master Data Rules

• Required fields
• Validation rules
• Approval workflow
• Change control
• Audit settings

Performance Optimization

Search Performance

• Index key fields
• Cache popular items
• Optimize queries
• Limit result sets
• Progressive loading

Data Management

• Archive inactive items
• Compress images
• Purge old history
• Optimize storage
• Regular maintenance

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Cannot create item

• Check code uniqueness
• Verify required fields
• Review category setup
• Check permissions

Barcode conflicts

• Search existing barcodes
• Check all variants
• Review alternate codes
• Verify format

Variant generation fails

• Check attribute setup
• Verify combinations
• Review limits
• Check existing variants

Reorder not working

• Verify rule active
• Check stock levels
• Review lead times
• Confirm vendors

Next Steps

Learn about Location Management to organize your warehouse structure.