Units of measure are the package sizes that you use when
buying and selling items. You may sell rubber bands by the box or by the carton,
for example. Boxes and cartons are both units of measure.
InDDMS,
each item has two common units of measure: a buying unit and a selling unit.
Buying units are the minimum package sizes you can specify
when purchasing items. If you must buy at least a dozen pens, for example,
the buying unit is a dozen.
Selling units are the smallest package you sell. If you
sell individual pens, the selling unit is an each.
On this page, we'll explain how to set up units of measure
for your inventory. We will cover the following:
When you load an item file update from O/PUS, you can specify which unit
of measure will be loaded into the Sell UOM box in the Inventory Master tab.
You have three choices:
Retail unit: This is the smallest packaging
available for the item. It's often a single item. (As a unit of measure,
a single item is called an each.)
List unit: This is the next size up from the
retail unit. Depending on the item, it may be a box, a pack, a carton, or
something similar.
Buy unit: This is the smallest package size you
can purchase from a vendor. The buy unit is often the same as the list unit.
However, there are some items where the buy unit may be the same as the
retail unit. For example, the retail unit for rubber bands is a box, and
the list unit is a carton. Some vendors will sell you rubber bands by the
box, however, even though this is the retail unit.
When you load an item file update, the cost and price match the selling unit.
Suppose you load retail units as the selling unit. The retail unit for a pen
is an each, so the pens in your database will display costs and list prices
for individual pens. However, if you load buy units as the selling unit, then
the cost and price will be for a buy unit. For pens, therefore, the cost and
price will be for a dozen pens, not for an individual pen.
DDMS recommends that you load the buy unit as the selling unit.
There is one exception: if you sell only retail, it makes sense to
load the retail unit as the selling unit.
However, if you are a commercial dealer, load the buying unit, since you
sell more items that way. This lets you manage by exception: you need comparatively
few items set to a retail selling unit, and you can add an additional selling
unit for these items before you go live.
You
should change these items before going live, because after you begin taking
orders withDDMSyou will build a sales history for each item. This sales history will be lost
if you change the item's selling unit of measure.
When you load an item file update from O/PUS, you use fields called parameters
to customize the update, and tailor it to the needs of your business. There
are two parameters that control unit of measure. The following parameters
appear during the O/PUS installation:
Specify Your Selling Unit of Measure: This
parameter determines which unit you load as the selling unit of measure.
Specify one of the following codes:
R
Retail unit
L
List unit
B
Buy unit
If you intend to follow DDMS' recommendation, and load the buy unit as the
selling unit, set this parameter to B.
Create I-UOM File: This parameter gives
you the option of loading multiple units of measure for your items.
If you load the buy unit as the selling unit, set the Create I-UOM File
parameter to Y. Doing so makes it much easier to change the selling
unit for items that you sell in packages smaller than the buy unit.
Since you need to set your units of measure before going live, carefully
consider how you want to set these parameters before loading O/PUS for the
first time.
If you are strictly a commercial dealer, and always sell in the buy unit,
you do not need to customize this aspect of your inventory database. Load
the buy unit as the selling unit, and your units of measure will be correct.
However, if you have some items that you sell in smaller units, you need
to set up an additional selling unit for these items. After you do so, you
will be able to sell these items in either unit.
Most
dealers set up multiple units of measure only for items they stock. If you
have multiple units for non-stock items, and create a purchase order for the
smaller units, you may pay an upcharge to the wholesaler for broken units.
The
instructions that follow assume that when loading O/PUS, you set the Create
I-UOM File parameter to Y.
The procedure for changing units of measure lets you add a selling unit for
a single item or for a range of items. (Ranges may be from item 123 through
item 145, for example, or you may specify a range that includes all items
with ACME in the Company box.)
To add selling units for one or more items, follow these steps:
Call DDMS Support, and tell them you need authorization for multiple units
of measure. You need to obtain this authorization before you can continue
with this procedure.
Adding
units of measure is a dedicated procedure. This means that no one else can
useDDMSuntil you finish the procedure.
Make a backup
of your inventory files, or of your entire system, before you add selling
units. You should always back up before making major changes to your
system.
From the DDMS Master Menu, click the
icon.
Click the icon.
Remember
that all text-based screens require capital letters; press the Caps Lock
key.
In the (+) Special Programs screen, select the (+E) Modify Inventory Records
screen by typing E.
In the (+E) screen, select the (+EW) Multiple Units of Measure screen
by typing W.
At the By Item field, enter the appropriate response.
Type Y to verify the unit of measure change for each item. Choose this option
if you intend to specify a range of items to change, and there are some
items within that range that you do not want to change.
Type N if you do not want to verify each unit of measure change. Choose
this option if you want to change every item within the range you will specify.
When the limiting screen appears, you indicate which items you want to
add a selling unit for. Notice that the screen has two columns, a From column
and a To column.
To begin setting limits, tab to the first field you want to limit by, and
specify the first item to include.
Suppose that all of the items you stock are in four stock classes: A, B,
C, and D. You can limit to these stock classes, so you set up multiple units
of measure only for the items you stock. Tab to the Class field in the To
column, and type A.
You can set more than one limit. For example, you may want to limit by
wholesale vendor in addition to limiting by stock class. An item must meet
every limit you set to be included.
If you want to set another limit, tab to the appropriate field, and specify
the beginning of the range. To limit to Sparco, for example, tab to the
Vendor# field under the Wholesaler heading, and type Sparco.
After you finish setting the beginning of each limit, press Enter.
In the To column, specify an ending limit for each beginning limit you
set. Do this by tabbing to the corresponding field for each limit. If you
set beginning limits in the Class and Vendor# fields, for example, set ending
limits in the Class and Vendor# fields. In the figure below, we're limiting
from stock class A through stock class D, and we're also limiting to Sparco.
After specifying limits, press Enter.
In the Source Location field, type 1 and press Enter. Since you're
setting up the inventory database for the first time, you need to create
multiple units for location one first. Later, you may want to create different
item information for various locations. If so, you would specify the appropriate
location here.
At the Are You Sure prompt, type Y
At the Create Based Upon O/PUS Update prompt, type Y
In the Printer field, specify the logical name of the printer you'll use
(P1, for example). When the process is complete, the system prints an Exceptions
Report, which lists any items that met your limits but could not be set
up with multiple selling units.
Tab to the Multiple or Info field, and type M
At the Are You Sure prompt, type Y
If you specified N in the By Item field, go to Step 20.
If you specified Y in the By Item field, go to Step 19.
If you specified Y in the By Item field, the system displays the
first item that meets your limits, along with the Process This Record prompt.
Type Y to set up two selling units for this item.
Type N if you do not want to setup two selling units for this item.
Go to Step 21.
The system sets multiple units of measure for each item that meets your
limits. It displays a scrolling list of the items that are being set up.
After processing the last item, you'll see the message End of Records
Any Key to Continue. Press Enter, and then press Esc until the text-based
Master Menu appears. Close the window.
You
should change these items before going live, because after you begin taking
orders withDDMSyou will build a sales history for each item. This sales history will be lost
if you change the item's selling unit of measure.
For
more information about loading O/PUS, see the O/PUS
documentation. 
Most
dealers set up multiple units of measure only for items they stock. If you
have multiple units for non-stock items, and create a purchase order for the
smaller units, you may pay an upcharge to the wholesaler for broken units.
icon. 
icon.
Remember
that all text-based screens require capital letters; press the Caps Lock
key. 
