Manufacturing, Distribution, and Warehouse Management

Warehousing

Item Master

Configure-to-order feature...

The configure-to-order (CTO) flag is a convenient feature that allows BOM and routing configuration during order entry. Whenever a CTO item is added to a quotation or sales order, the Item Configuration window appears letting you change sub-assembly items and quantities. 

Various parameters within the BOM Maintenance screen (a sub-screen of the Items Maintenance screen) control how the BOM can be altered, such as restricting substitutions to items in the same item category, or preventing certain items from being deleted.

Track ‘non-inventory’ items...

Cost items track sales and purchases of non-inventory items. When an item is set up as ‘cost,’ unnecessary fields (e.g., weight and dimensions) are disabled, simplifying the data entry process.

Group goods together in ‘kits’...

You can use kits without the GBMS SFC module to group together finished goods that are commonly sold together. A kit provides a recommended selling combination for finished goods that are split into individual line items once a quotation is converted to a sales order.

Track ‘purchase’ items…

Purchase type items are items that are purchased from an outside vendor and (as opposed to ‘cost’ and ‘service’ items) create inventory transactions when received and shipped. Purchase items can be raw materials, sub-assembly items, or finished goods.

A purchase-on-order flag allows requisitions or purchase orders to be automatically issued for non-stock items when a sales order is approved.

Set up vendor-specific information...

A Vendor section within the Items Maintenance screen lets you define purchasing information for each item and allows for an unlimited number of vendors. Rank vendors according to purchasing preference, and define vendor-specific details, such as vendor’s part number, purchasing unit of measure (UOM), UOM conversion, and vendor price.  

Record inventory dimensions and levels...

For inventory items, the Details and Inventory sections let users record key information, such as an item’s dimensions and desired inventory levels. You can define a safety level for each warehouse where a specified buyer can be notified whenever on-hand inventory drops below the specified level. Notify buyers via email, or automatically generate requisitions and place them in the buyer’s queue.

Containerization functionality...

Use the item’s Packaging section to enter containerization details. Containerization refers to the process of packaging loose items (an item’s base UOM level) into pre-defined containers (e.g., pallet, case), and assigning a unique container ID that is tracked through inventory.

There are two levels of containerization: packaging loose items into ‘primary containers,’ and packing ‘primary containers’ into ‘secondary’ or ‘master’ containers.’ Define containerization so that the user is prompted to identify or generate the container ID during the receiving process or (when integrated with GBMS SFC) work order delivery.

View item history…

Each item record provides a History section that lets users quickly query any purchase orders or sales orders for a particular item. A link on the document ID opens a pop-up window that displays the order details. Items that have corresponding sales, purchase or inventory histories cannot be deleted from the database. Instead, an ‘Inactive’ flag prevents users from seeing the item in other data entry screens, but lets the system retain the detailed historical information.

Simplify the data entry process…

GBMS offers several tools that let you simplify item entry. For example, ‘Item Categories’ group together items with common attributes. You can assign ‘template’ items to item categories, copying all the values from the template item to new items added within that category. Finally, a Copy button (located on the item’s Options tab) can duplicate all the item details, except the Item Number and Scan Code.

Use the item record’s General tab to store basic information, including category, item type, description, and pricing information. (Click here for more examples.)

See GBMS in action...

To learn about the Item Master functionality’s step-by-step procedures, view the training videos. Training Videos

 

· Create up to 11 different item configurations that control how items are treated in the Front Office, WMS and SFC modules

· Define Item Categories to group together similar items, and speed up data entry for new items

· Track both ‘active’ and ‘inactive’ items with detailed historical information

· Specify a default purchase order type (regular vs. drop-ship) for purchase-on-order items

· Assign default routing for any inventory item type

· Flag purchase items for inspection upon receipt

· Set a default put away method (manual vs. automatic)

· Assign serial or lot tracking for an item, with the option of capturing the manufacturer’s lot/serial number, and or generating an internal tracking number

· Capture cost and suggested resale prices

· User-defined units of measure

· Track a separate internal item number, manufacturer's item number, UPC number, EAN number, vendor part number, and internal scanning code

· UPC number configuration and generation for companies that manufacture their own items

· Capture dimensions, cube and weight for inventory and shipping purposes

· Define safety levels for each warehouse to prevent stock items from dropping below minimum quantities with optional, automatic buyer notification via email

· Assign default label formats for events, such as receiving and (when used with the GBMS SFC module) work order delivery

· Enter vendor information for purchase items with ranking and vendor-specific ordering details

· BOM configuration available for build, purchase and kit type items

· Assign default put away locations for each warehouse facilitating automatic put aways or directing users to suggested locations

· For serial and lot tracked items, define up to 5 user-defined prompts that allow users to capture lot or serial specific data that is not otherwise tracked via standard item fields

· Use the Containerization feature to track items via a container ‘license plate’ that moves packaged items through inventory

Key Features

Related Documents & Reports

· Item List — Lists items with ID, description, purchasing information (if applicable), UOM, cost, suggested resale price, and tax flag. Sort data by item category, item ID, and item description. Filter the report by category, vendor and status

· Category List — Lists item categories with the category code and description, assigned serial and lot sequence keys, and item number setting (auto-generated vs. manual entry)

Image 1: Items—General tab

Image 2: Items—Vendors tab

Assign multiple vendors to the item and set up related part, pricing and quantity information. (Click here for more examples.)

Manage every type of inventory...

Correctly setting up your items is key to effectively using GBMS to record and track your inventory. The item types drive almost everything else in the system, including purchasing, receiving and reporting.

Depending on the GBMS modules in place, there are up to 11 different item types that control system transactions, such as auto-generation of PO’s, work orders, etc. The main types are Build, Cost, Kit, Purchase, and Service.

Use ‘build’ type items for work orders...

When used with the GBMS SFC module, you can use build type items for work orders, and link them to a bill of material (BOM). Build items are used for both sub-assembly (components) and finished goods.

GBMS’ flexible inventory features let you break down build items into three categories: build-on-order, build-to-stock, and configure-to-order. For example, items flagged as ‘build-to-order’ prompt the system to automatically generate work orders when sales orders are approved.

Image 3: Items—History tab

Record and track each item's inventory transaction information. Use this tab to quickly view or edit all the orders for a particular item.  (Click here for more examples.)

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