Items

Use the Items function to enter and maintain your inventory items at the item level.

• Click the New button on the toolbar to open a blank item record.
  • Enter an Item ID. Note: Do not use the following characters in the Item ID: | " ' & # *
  • If applicable, select an item ID to Copy From. This field is only available when you are entering a new item.
  • Enter a Description for the item.
• Attachments
• Use the Import button on the toolbar to create or update the pricing on multiple items in a batch-type process. For more information and instructions on data imports, read the Data Import Tutorial in the Traverse Knowledge Base.
  Item Pricing Import screen

  

  1. Select a Map ID from the drop-down list to use for the import. See SM Import Map Definitions for more information.
  2. Enter or browse for the file to import in the File Name field.
  3. To import the pricing to all inventory locations, mark the All Locations check box.
  4. To import the pricing for all item units of measure (by default, the base unit of measure will be used), mark the All Item Units check box.
  5. Select an option for the import: 
  • Create Only will create item prices only for items that do not currently exist.
  • Update Only will update pricing for items that currently exist.
  • Both will update a record that already exists, or create the record if it does not already exist.
  6. Click a command button to

     Click	To
     Import Data	Begin processing.
     Activity	View the Activity Log for processing.
     Reset	Set all fields to their default values.

• Use the Update Price button on the toolbar to open the Item Price Change function. See the Item Price Change topic for more information.
• Use the Assign Labels button on the toolbar to open the Assign Item Labels function. See the Assign Item Labels topic for more information.

 

Creating a New Item -- Item tab

1. Click the New button on the toolbar to create a blank item record.
2. Enter an Item ID.
3. To copy item information from a similar record for a new item, select the existing item record from the Copy From field.

When the Copy from screen appears, select the values you want to copy to the new item, then click OK.

Copy from Item screen



4. Enter a Description.
5. Select the Item Type from the drop-down list.
Item Types

Select	To
Serialized	Define the item as having a serial number identifier. These items require you to enter a serial number for each piece when purchasing, and selecting from available serial numbers when selling.
Nonserialized	Define the item as not having a serial number identifier. These are just plain items and can include lot numbers.
Service	Define the item as a service provided instead of a physical item. Service items are specifically defined as not having physical characteristics or quantities. The intent of service items are to be used for purposes of pricing and standardized reporting. For example, you could set up a service item called Training with a UOM of hours with a certain price per hour. You don’t “stock” training hours. Now you can use this item to sell 6 hours of TRAINING to someone and have the pricing be done correctly and know that you can query on history using TRAINING as a keyword and get consistent results regarding how much TRAINING you’ve sold.

6. Select the Item Status from the drop-down list.
Item Statuses

Select	To
Active	Items you can purchase and sell.
Discontinued	Items you can sell but not purchase.
Superseded	Items you can sell but not purchase. If you change an item status to superseded, the location status also changes to superseded. You are required to enter a superseded alternate item ID.
Obsolete	Items you cannot purchase or sell.

7. If the status of the item is 'Superseded', select an item ID to use as a Superseded Alternate as a replacement for the item that is no longer available for purchase or sale. This field is displayed if the item has a superseded status.
8. Select the appropriate check box(es) to indicate if the item is Kitted Select if the item is a kit, and set it up in Bill of Material/Kitting. No quantity or cost information is stored for the Kit item ID, Lotted Select if the item is part of a lot. A lot number is required for all purchases and sales., and/or set to Automatically Reorder Select if the system automatically calculates the reorder point for the item. This field will be used with the Purchase Order application..

Note: You cannot use any of these options if the item is a service item.

9. For serialized items, the Costing field will appear. Select the type of costing to use for your serial numbers, General or Specific Item. General will use the costing method selected in the business rules when making a sales transaction. If you are using the FIFO or LIFO costing method the cost of each serial number will be brought into the sales transactions. Specific item will look at the cost of each individual serial number to bring in the cost of a sales transaction. The default when setting up a new serialized item will be the selection you made in the business rules function for the option serialized cost default. The default is set to specific item. When an upgrade or data migration is done from a prior version the default will be set to specific item, which is how it works in older versions of Traverse.
10. Enter a Base UOM (Unit of Measure), which should be your smallest unit of measure. This becomes the first record on the Units tab. NOTE: Once you save the item, the Base UOM cannot be changed.
11. The Default UOM field displays the default unit of measure for the item. For serialized items, the base unit of measure you entered in the Base UOM field appears. For nonserialized items with multiple units of measure, you can select the default unit of measure on the Units Defaults tab. The default unit of measure can be selected from the combo box once alternate units of measure have been set up.

    The default unit of measure will default into the unit field in Accounts Receivable/Sales Order and Accounts Payable/Purchase Order transactions, if unit defaults are not set up on the Unit Defaults tab.

12. Select a Sales Category from the drop-down list.
13. Enter or select a commodity code for the item, as applicable, in the Commodity Code field. NOTE: This field is only applicable if you utilize Level 3 credit card processing. If you are unsure whether you use Level 3 processing, contact your credit card processing provider. If you do not use Level 3 credit card processing, you can leave this field blank.
14. Select an item Product Line from the drop-down list.
15. Select a Price ID from the drop-down list. Note: You can also assign a location level price ID on the Item Locations screen. If the price IDs are different, the location level price ID becomes the default.
16. Select a Tax Class from the drop-down list.
17. Select a hazardous material code to be used on the bill of lading printed from the warehouse management application from the HazMat Code drop-down list, if applicable.
18. Select a picture to correspond with the item from the Picture ID drop-down list. After you make your selection, you can use the View Picture button to see the image.
19. If applicable, add any additional information about the item in the Additional Description field. The additional descriptions can be copied to the Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Sales Order, and Purchase Order applications to be used during transaction entry by selecting the Copy Additional Descriptions From SM/IN Items option in the Business Rules function of the application.
20. Save the item using the Save button on the toolbar.
21. On the Units tab

    

    1. Enter a unit of measure in the Unit field. Typically, the first record is the base unit of measure in the Base UOM field above.
    2. In the Conv Factor field, enter the conversion factor for the unit of measure, the portion of the base unit that is the alternate unit. For example, the base unit of measure is EACH and the alternate unit of measure is DOZEN. The conversion factor is 12 because there are 12 base units of each in one dozen.

    Note: The conversion factor for the base unit of measure is always 1.

    3. In the Penalty Type field, select whether the price of the penalty when you sell fractional parts of a unit are an $ (Amount) or % (Percent).

    A percent penalty applies to the fractional parts of units sold, resulting in a unit penalty. An amount penalty applies to the inventory item, regardless of the quantity sold, resulting in a penalty per sale rather than per unit.

    Note: A Penalty (Percent and Amount) is not related to the Minimum Sale Quantity. If you have a Minimum Sale Quantity of 4, a penalty will not be applied if a quantity of 2 is sold, but it will be applied if 2.5 is sold.

    4. Enter the amount or percent of the penalty in the Penalty field.

    For example, the unit of measure CARTON is set up to assess a 10 percent penalty when a fraction of a carton is sold. If the price of a carton is $500 and a customer orders 2.5 cartons, the price is calculated as follows:

    2 cartons x $500 = $1000
    0.5 cartons x $500 = $250
    Broken (fractional) case penalty ($250 x .10) = $25
    Total price: $1275

    5. In the UPC field, enter the identification number for the unit of measure to use as a reference. You can set an IN business rule to enforce a unique UPC for each item/UOM combination, if necessary.

    Note: The UPC capability is only used in the Point of Sale module. Traverse does not use the information in this field. Use this field as a reference only if you do not use the Point of Sale module.

    6. Enter the Weight of the item, if applicable, to be used on the bill of lading in the warehouse management application. The weight entered here must be in the default weight unit set up in the Business Rules function..

    Note: This field is for your information only; it is not used in freight charge calculations and does not appear in reports.

    7. Enter a Minimum Sales Quantity for the item unit, if applicable.
    8. Use the Append button () to add additional units.
22. On the Unit Defaults tab

    Use this tab to set different default units of measure for various transaction types. The Unit of Measure will use the Default UOM if you leave the Unit Defaults tab blank.

    

    1. In the Type field, select a transaction type of: Reporting, Sales, Purchases, Manufacturing, or Service.
    2. In the Type field, select a transaction type of: Reporting, Sales, Purchases, Manufacturing, Service, or Count. (The Count type unit is utilized for the WM Physical Inventory Freeze Quanitites function.)
    3. In the Unit field, select the default unit to associate with transactions of that type.

    Note: You must first set up the unit of measure you choose in the item's Units tab.

    4. Use the Append button () to add additional defaults.
23. On the Alternates tab

    Use this tab to enter items that are comparable to or can be substituted for other items. An alternate item is used when you sell an item with insufficient quantities.

    

    1. Select a comparable item to substitute for the selected item in the Alternate Item ID field.
    2. Use the Start Date and End Date fields to enter a date range to start and end using the alternate item.

    Note: Leave the field blank to not implement a specific start and end date.

24. On the Aliases tab

    Use this tab to enter another name for the item that can be specified to a user, vendor, or customer. For example, item 700873920PS has an alias of PS. When you enter PS in the item ID field, the full item number is displayed and a message indicates that PS is an alias for item 700873920PS. This can be used to set up vendor and customer item IDs, so you can enter the vendor or customer item ID for a specific vendor or customer and your item ID will be brought into the transaction. The same alias can be used for a category of items.

    Note: The system does not recognize aliases in the Location Transfers function.

    

    1. Enter an Alias for the item.
    2. In the Type field, select whether to reference this alias as a User, Customer, or Vendor. For example, choosing Customer allows you to create an alias that is the customer's part number.
    3. In the Reference field, select the user, customer, or vendor ID for a user-, customer-, or vendor-specific alias. Enter an asterisk (*) to use the alias for all users, customers, or vendors.

    Customer Type Item Alias

    An item alias of type 'Customer' may be used on sales orders, AR transaction, blanket orders, or any transaction in which an item number is entered as part of a customer transaction. This means if a customer is initiating or instrumental in generating a transaction, you have the option to utilize the customer's item number as an alternate method to select the item. This does not apply to internal, or non-customer transactions such as production, location transfers, physical inventory, etc.

    See the Item Alias -- Customer topic for more information.

Creating a New Item -- Location tab

Use the Item Locations tab to add and maintain the following item-specific information at the location level:

• General Default
• Location Status
• Price
• Cost
• Vendor
• Location Defaults
• Location History
• Cost Detail
• Bin Numbers
• Lot Numbers
• Serial Numbers

1. Use the Add and Delete buttons to add or delete an item location. When adding an item location, the Add Item Location screen will appear. You can add multiple locations at once. Use the Delete button to remove locations where the item is no longer stored.
Add Item Location screen



When adding a location, you can copy the location information from another item or from another location. The Add Item Location prompt allows you to also include other information for the location. Mark the check boxes for each location ID you want to set up for your item. Use the All button to select all locations, or the None button to clear all location check boxes. You can select a different Account Code for each location by selecting a location account code from the drop-down list, or use the same account code for all locations by leaving the Account Code column blank. Select the values from which you want to copy in the drop-down lists as applicable. Click OK to continue.

2. Select the Location Status from the drop-down list. The location status is dependent on the item status.
Location Status

Item Status	Location Status Options available
Active	Active, Discontinued, Obsolete, Superseded
Discontinued	Discontinued, Obsolete, Superseded
Superseded	Superseded, Obsolete
Obsolete	Obsolete
Note: When you enter transactions, the system checks the item status and then the item location status. You cannot purchase an obsolete, discontinued, or superseded item, and you cannot sell an obsolete item.

If an item has a status of Superseded, select an alternate item ID to use from the Superseded Alternate field that displays.

3. Select a Forecast Type to use to calculate the reorder point for the location. Reorders are calculated by the Purchase Order application.
4. Select the Account Code for the item and location. Use the account code to indicate which general ledger accounts you want to use when you post.
5. If you use the average costing method, in the Average field of the Costs group, enter the average weighted cost of the item over time.

In Manufacturing, if you use the average costing method, the cost is updated with the most recent data when you put assembly items into Inventory and the order is completed.

The formula for calculating the average cost is:

Total cost for item/Total qty purchased where 'Total' means the sum from the very first item purchase

This cost is calculated every time items are added to the quantity on hand. If you use the average costing method, see the Traverse IN Average Cost COGS Adjustments Knowledge Base article for more information.

6. In the Last field of the Costs group, enter the last cost of the last purchase transaction in Inventory, Accounts Payable, and Purchase Order for the item. This cost is updated each time items are added to the quantity on hand.
7. In the Base field of the Costs group, enter the base cost of the item. Use the base cost for calculating prices in the Sales Order pricing setup as a markup from cost.
8. In the Standard field of the Costs group, enter the standard cost of the item if you use the standard costing method.
9. In the Valuation group, select the Currency to use when calculating the values.
10. Use the Calculate button to calculate the extended cost, COGS adjustment amount, and adjusted value amount in the Valuation group. The Ext Cost, COGS Adj, and Adj Value fields are view-only.
11. On the Loc Defaults tab

    The information on this tab is used in the Purchase Order application.

    

    1. Select the most frequent/default supplier of the item in the Vendor ID field. The combo box is only available when you have PO or AP interfaced to Inventory.
    2. In the Bin Number field, select the default bin where the item is most often stored. If you have Warehouse Management installed, you will see the bins set up in that application.
    3. Select a Procurement Method from the drop-down list:
       • NA: No quantity tracking items (kitted, service)
       • Make: IN item exists as MFG BOM or BM BOM
       • Buy: Item does not exist as either MFG BOM or BM BOM
    4. Select the default Price ID you want to use to calculate the price that the item is sold at the most often. You can also assign an item level price ID on the Items screen; if the price IDs are different, the location level price ID is the default. The combo box is only available when you have SO interfaced to Inventory.
    5. In the Lead Time field, enter the default number of days it usually takes the vendor to ship the item to you. This field is used in the Purchase Order application to calculate the order point for the location.
    6. In the Prep. Lead Time field, enter the number of days in addition to the lead time for the item to arrive or be produced. This field is added to the lead time to get a more accurate timing of purchase dates and production timing. Prep lead time could represent time needed for activities such as quality inspection of raw materials, internal handling (large moves between campuses), service or any inspections, supplier shifts in delivery time frames, or any other time that can be added to the lead time between receipt and the start of production.
    7. In the Carrying Cost Percent field, enter the percentage of the total value of your inventory to use in the EOQ (economic order quantity) calculation in the reorder process. You can also enter a carrying cost percent on the Locations screen. If the carrying cost percentages are different, the item location percentage overrides the location percentage.
    8. In the Ordering Cost Amount field, enter the total cost of shipping, stocking, and labor to use in the EOQ calculation in the reorder process. You can also enter an ordering cost amount on the Locations screen. If the ordering cost amounts are different, the item location amount overrides the location amount.
    9. As applicable, select a Buyer/Planner for the item at the selected location. This allows the buyer/planner to run RP data for a specific grouping of items.
    10. Enter the maximum number of units you want to have on hand at one time in the Maximum Qty field. This quantity appears on the Overstock Report. This amount is also used in the Min/Max reorder calculation. It is used to determine the quantity to order while keeping your on hand quantity at or below the Maximum Qty.
    11. Enter the Order Point to use. This number is an estimate of the quantity you use during the order process added to the safety stock you maintain. If you want the system to calculate reorders, you must enter an order point for the item. When the number of units in stock reaches this point, the item is listed in the Safety Stock Alert Report. This quantity is also used in the Min/Max reorder calculation when the on hand quantity drops to the order point quantity, it triggers the item to be included in the reorder calculation.
    12. Enter the minimum number of units to keep on hand at all times in the Safety Stock field.
    13. In the EOQ (economic order quantity) field, enter the quantity at which it is most economical to place an order.
    14. In the Minimum Order Qty field, enter the minimum quantity to order. This quantity is also used in the Min/Max reorder calculation to determine a minimum quantity to suggest as a reorder. A quantity below this minimum will not be calculated using the reorder processing. If an Accounts Payable invoice or Purchase Order transaction is entered with a quantity below this minimum quantity, a message box will be displayed stating that the quantity is below the minimum.

        NOTE: Make sure the difference between your Order Point and your Maximum quantity is greater than your Minimum quantity. If the difference is less than the minimum you will not get a reorder calculated for the item at the order point.

    15. From the drop-down lists, select the Status of the adjacent item.
    Status

    Select	To
    Manual	Show the adjacent number was entered manually.
    Frozen	Not recalculate the adjacent number.
    Calculated	Show the system calculated the adjacent number.

    16. Enter or select an ABC Class for the item if your company uses ABC analysis or classification of inventory items. If you use cycle counting, the ABC class determines the frequency of cycle counts of the item. See ABC Class for more information. Double-click on the field to open the IN ABC Codes screen to review or add new codes for cycle counting.
    17. Edit the unit of measure for the item from the UOM drop-down list, if necessary.
12. On the Loc History tab

    

    The information on this tab is updated when you post transactions from the appropriate applications. The last purchase and last purchase return dates will be updated when you save PO receipts or return authorizations or AP transactions.

    If you are creating a new item, enter the appropriate dates in the Last Sale, Last Sale Return, Last Purchase, Last Purchase Return, Last Transfer, Last Adjustment, and Last Material Req fields, as applicable.

13. On the Price Info tab

    The price numbers entered on this tab are used for Accounts Receivable and Sales Order transactions. The Base Price is the default price used when selling the item from the selected location. The other pricing fields are used as adjustment bases when using the Sales Order Pricing calculations.

    

    Multi-currency

    If you use multi-currency functionality, you can set up multiple entries for the same unit of measure, one for each currency used.

    

    1. Select the currency for which you want to enter price information in the Currency ID field.
    2. Select the unit of measure for which you want to enter price information in the Unit field.
    3. In the Average Price field, enter the average selling price of the item at the selected unit of measure. This field is updated when you enter a sale. This price amount can be used as an adjustment base in the Sales Order pricing setup.
    4. Enter the Base Price of each unit. Accounts Receivable and Sales Order use this number to calculate price breaks and customer pricing. This is the default price used in Inventory Sales transactions, Accounts Receivable transactions, and Sales Order transactions without custom pricing.
    5. Enter the List Price of each unit, which is the basic, published price without any discounts applied to it. This price amount can be used as an adjustment base in the Sales Order pricing setup.
    6. Enter the Minimum Price at which you want to sell the item. If the Sales Order calculated price or the price you enter into an Accounts Receivable transaction is lower than this price, a message box will be displayed stating that the price is below the minimum. You will then be prompted if you want to continue. This price amount can be used as an adjustment base in the Sales Order pricing setup.
    7. In the Qty Break ID field, select the ID of the quantity a customer must purchase to receive a discounted price.
14. On the Cost Detail tab

    This tab is not available for serialized items. The information on this tab is view-only because this information is updated when you post purchase transactions within Traverse and you cannot manually change it. There is no edit option on this tab as a safeguard to keep those quantities synchronized with your transactions that affect those fields.

    FIFO and LIFO costing methods calculate costs based on the initial date.

    

    The Initial Date, Base Quantity, Unit Cost, and Extended Cost fields are view-only fields for non-serialized items.

    The Total Qty view-only field displays the total amount you have on hand for the item.

    The Total Ext Cost view-only field displays the total value of the quantity you have on hand.

    When a Lotted item is selected, the Cost Detail tab will display a Lot Number column with the Lot Numbers currently with quantities on hand.

15. On the Vendor tab

    The date, quantity, and cost information fields on this tab are updated when you post transactions from Accounts Payable or Purchase Order. A vendor is automatically added when you post transactions from Accounts Payable or Purchase Order if you have selected yes to the option to automatically create vendor purchase information. If you selected no to this option you can manually add vendors.

    

    1. Select the Vendor ID. If this is the default vendor for the item, click the Default button to use the vendor information on the Loc Defaults tab when generating purchase requisitions. The search box is only available if you have the Accounts Payable or Purchase Order option to interface to Inventory turned on.
    2. Enter the vendor’s name, or accept the vendor Name brought in from Accounts Payable, if interfaced.
    3. Enter the last Quantity ordered from the vendor. This field will be updated when you post transactions from Accounts Payable or Purchase Order. The next time this item is purchased from this vendor this quantity will default into the quantity to purchase.
    4. Enter the Unit of measure used for the last purchase of the item from the vendor. This field will be updated when you post transactions from Accounts Payable or Purchase Order. The next time this item is purchased from this vendor this unit of measure will default into the unit for the purchase.
    5. Enter the last Unit Cost charged by the vendor. This field will be updated when you post transactions from Accounts Payable or Purchase Order. The next time this item is purchased from this vendor this cost will default into the unit cost field.
    6. Enter the Date of the last purchase from the vendor. This field will be updated when you post transactions from Accounts Payable or Purchase Order.
    7. Enter the number of days is usually takes the vendor to ship the item to you in the Lead Time field. This field can be used to select a vendor when generating purchase orders from purchase requisitions.
    8. Enter the number of the last purchase order from the vendor in the Order Number field. This field will be updated when you post transactions from Accounts Payable or Purchase Order.
    9. Select a Landed Cost ID used for the vendor for purchase orders, if applicable. This field is only available if you use landed cost in purchase order.
    10. The Currency ID and Exch Rate field are view-only fields, and only appear if you use multicurrency.
16. On the Bin Info tab

    

    Select a Bin Number. The last physical inventory information for that bin will appear in the remaining fields, including the physical inventory Tag Number, the Date of the count, the quantity of the item counted, the Unit of measure counted, and the count Batch ID.

    If you have Warehouse Management installed you will only be able to select from the bins set up in Warehouse Management.

    • Tag number assigned to the bin
    • Last Date a physical count was taken
    • Quantity counted during the last physical count
    • Unit of measure the last physical count was based on
    • Batch ID used in the last physical count

    Use the Default button to set the Bin Num, on the Loc Defaults tab. This is used when you print physical inventory tags and worksheets, if you don’t have Warehouse Management installed.

17. On the Quantity Info tab

    The information on the Qty Info tab is view-only because this information is updated when you post transactions within Traverse and you cannot manually change it. There is no edit option on this tab as a safeguard to keep those quantities synchronized with your transactions that affect those fields.

    

    Base item quantity information appears:

    • The number of units On Hand at the location is displayed.
    • The Committed number of units reserved for customers at the location is displayed. This field is updated when a new order is entered in the Sales Order application or a new work order is generated in the Bill of Material application or a Manufacturing Production order is released.
    • The quantity Available for sale at the location (Base Qty Available = Base Qty On Hand - Base Qty Committed - Qty On Hold) is displayed.
    • The quantity On Order from vendors at the location is displayed. This field is updated when a new order is entered in the Purchase Order application, a new work order for an assembly is entered into bill of material, or a manufacturing production order for an assembly is released.
18. On the Serial Info tab

    This tab is available only when you select a serialized item. The information on this tab is updated when you post transactions from the appropriate applications.

    

    1. The Serial Number of the item is displayed.
    2. The unit Price and unit Cost of the serialized item are displayed and the price can be edited.
    3. The Status of the serialized item is displayed and cannot be edited: the status will be updated when the item is sold or adjusted.
       • Available items are ready for sale.
       • In Use items are sold but not posted.
       • Sold items are posted.
       • Lost items have decreasing adjustments, which are usually made when you update perpetual inventory.
       • Sale Returned when a credit memo has been posted.
       • Purchase Returned when a debit memo has been posted.
       • In Transit, if you have warehouse management and you have a warehouse transfer entered with a quantity picked.
19. Click the Save button, on the toolbar, to save the item information.

Editing an Item

1. Select an Item ID to edit.
2. Edit fields as necessary.
3. Click the Save button, on the toolbar, to save your changes.

Deleting an Item

If history exists for an item, you will not be able to delete the item.

1. Select an item to delete from the Item ID field.
2. Verify the item has zero quantities and no transactions entered and posted for it.
   
3. Click the Delete button, on the toolbar, to delete the selected item.
4. Click Yes at the "Are you sure you want to delete selected record(s)?" prompt.

Producing Item Lists

• Use the Item Detail List function to view detail information about the items you have set up. Use the Items function to change item information.
• Use the Item Summary List function to view summary information about the items you have set up. Use the Items function to change item information.
• Use the Item Locations List function to view location, price, cost, vendor, bin, lot, and serial information about the items you have set up.
• Use the Item Labels function to print basic inventory information. You can define the label size you want to use and whether to include bar code information.

Back to top of page