Groups, manufacturers and units
Three small reference screens defined once and used in every item. Arranging them well makes reports, cashier scopes and promotions easier.
On this page
Item groups
Under Items, then Item groups. A group is a tree: "Drinks" with "Soft drinks" and "Juices" below it. Each group has a Name, an English name, Under (the parent group) and a Group image shown on the cashier screen buttons.
Why care about the tree?
- Reports: sales, balances and valuation by group, with children rolled up under the parent.
- Cashier scope: "Item groups they sell from" in the user form includes the group and all its children. See Scopes.
- Posting accounts: in advanced accounting, a group's sales can be routed to a different revenue account. See Advanced accounting.
- Stocktakes: the "group" scope limits the count to one group. See Stocktakes.
- Promotions: an offer on a whole group instead of picking every item.
A group that contains items or sub-groups cannot be deleted; move its contents first. A disabled group disappears from selection and stays on its items.
Tip
Build the tree the way the customer thinks, not the way the supplier does: "Cleaning, then Laundry, then Liquid" serves the cashier and the reports better than grouping by distributor. The manufacturer has its own field.
Manufacturers
Under Items, then Manufacturers: the manufacturer name only. It is chosen in the item and appears in search and reports. Use it for the trade brand (the product's parent company), not the supplier; the supplier is a party in Accounts and may supply several brands.
Units
Under Items, then Units. Each unit has a Code, a Name and the number of Decimals allowed in its quantity: 0 for piece and box, 3 for kilogram, litre and metre. The common units ship with every store, and the Restore base units button adds back any that were deleted.
A unit used by an item cannot be deleted. The factor between units is not set here but on each item, because "carton" means 12 for one item and 24 for another. See Barcodes and units.
Who can edit
The three screens sit under one permission in the Catalog module: Groups, brands and units with view and update actions. The warehouse keeper sees them but cannot edit in the default template; the purchasing officer edits items but not groups. See Roles and permissions.
Warning
Renaming a group or moving it under another parent changes past reports immediately, because they are computed at request time. If you want year-on-year comparisons, fix the tree before the fiscal year starts.
Frequently asked questions
How many levels can the tree have?
No technical limit, but three levels serve most shops and keep the tree readable on the cashier screen.
Why can I not delete a group?
Because it contains items or sub-groups. Move them first, or disable the group instead of deleting it.
Does the unit "carton" need a factor when defined?
No. The factor is entered on each item because a carton differs from one item to another.