Item F/M (ICF910)

Main Sales Alternate IDs Service User-Defined Back to top

Use this program to create and maintain records in the item file. Each record contains an item number and general and packaging information relevant to the item.

Access this program by choosing Inventory Control-->File Maintenances-->Item F/M.

The Item File is the backbone of the Inventory System and is referenced and/or updated by programs in the Inventory, Sales Orders, Purchase Orders, Sales Analysis and Manufacturing Control Systems.

Ü Before entering items, make sure you have set up at least one item class, item price class, unit of measure, vendor and GL posting table.

$image\OPEN.gif$ See Using File Maintenances

$image\OPEN.gif$ See New item entry shortcuts

$image\OPEN.gif$ See Tips on deleting items

$image\OPEN.gif$ See Import catalog items

To access this program, choose Inventory Control-->File Maintenances -->Item F/M.

Default Items

A default item can be set up to hasten entry of new items. The new item should have many of the same characteristics as the default item. Entering new items using a default item saves time because it minimizes fields - default values are automatically entered into many fields.

To enter a default item:

When initially accessing the screen, enter S in the item field, the system displays the Default Item window. Enter an existing item number to be set as the default number or press F2 or $image\find_shg.gif$ to search items.

If you enter an item number the system returns to the item# field and displays the Default Item number. If you enter an item number that is not on file, the system prompts you with "Set defaults from item 'Default Item' for new item 'New Item'?"

If you answer Yes, the system displays the default item's information and you can continue adding the item. If you select No to the default item, the system displays the message: "Record Not Found. Create New Record" and all data fields are empty and ready for entry. The default item can be changed to another item at any time by again selecting "S" and changing the item #.

The default item will remain set until the user either exits Item F/M or select "C" at the Item # prompt to "clear the default item". Even when a default item number is set, you can edit or delete existing items.

Note: When setting up a new item with a default item, the new item takes on all of the default item’s units of measure that have been set up as a default UM for stocking, pricing, selling, costing or buying.

eCatalog Note: When a catalog item is imported into Item F/M, the system adds a record to the eCatalog log file for the new item master record. Because catalog items also upload, a record must be written to remove the catalog item from the eCatalog database if the item number is changed in the import. Import of a catalog item requires the item number to be changed. Once imported, it is removed from the catalog file.

Use the following fields to create and maintain items in FACTS:

*. Item

Enter the item number (up to 20 characters). Press F2 or $image\find_shg.gif$ to search. Press F3 $image\excl_right_shg.gif$ to default to the next record. Press S to enter a default item. Press I to import a catalog item.

Main Screen

1. Description 1

Enter the first line of the item description (up to 30 characters). In all inventory reports, the user selects whether to print item description 1, 2 or both.

Note: Due to space limitations, the description may appear abbreviated on various reports, forms and screens.

2. Description 2

Enter the second line of the item description (up to 30 characters). In all inventory reports, the user selects whether to print item description 1, 2 or both.

Note: Due to space limitations, the description may appear abbreviated on various reports, forms and screens.

3. Alpha

Enter the alphabetic sort key for this item to be used to sort items alphabetically for printouts and searches (up to 10 characters). Users determine the alpha. However, pressing Enter (CR) defaults to the first 10 characters of Description 1.

4. Vendor

Enter the primary vendor number. The entry must be a valid vendor number. Press Enter (CR) to initially default to the vendor of the item just entered (otherwise the first vendor on file). This vendor entered is used to sort items by vendor for reporting purposes. All inventory reports may be printed in vendor order. The vendor entered is the primary vendor. Secondary vendors may be assigned for purchasing purposes in the purchase orders module. Press F2 or $image\find_shg.gif$ to search.

5. Item Class

Enter the item class for this item. The entry must be a valid class. Press Enter (CR) to initially default to the item class of the item just entered (otherwise the first item class on file). Press F2 or $image\find_shg.gif$ to search. The item class entered is used to sort items by item class for reporting purposes. All inventory reports may be printed in item class order.

6. Item Type

Enter whether this is a Stocked, Nonstocked, or Uninventoried item. Press Enter (CR) to default to S. This flag may be changed only if the item is not in process of an inventory update. Additionally, to change an item type to U-univentoried, there must be no existing quantities for the item.

$image\pinpurpl_shg.gif$ If you change the item type from stocked to non-stocked or uninventoried, the system reads all ICWHSE records and changes the Replenish setting (located on the Main tab if Warehouse/Item F/M) to No.
If item type is changed from non-stocked or uninventoried to stocked, the system makes no change in ICWHSE table and displays a message advising you to review the Replenish setting on the Main tab if Warehouse/Item F/M and ensure the setting allows for proper replenishment of the item.
When changing an item from Non-stocked to any other type, the system sets all item/warehouse records for this item’s "Allow purchase of non-stocked items w/o SO" flag to "No".

7. Conversion Factor Mask

Enter the conversion factor mask. This field allows you to format conversion factors throughout the system. Nine characters are used (including an optional decimal). Options: ########0, #######.0, ######.00, #####.000, ####.0000, ###.00000, ##.000000, #.0000000. Press Enter (CR) to initially default to ########0.

8. Serial/Lot

Enter whether this is a Serialized item, item stored in Lots or Not applicable (neither). Press Enter (CR) to initially default to the item last entered (otherwise N). If serial/lot items are not used (as set in the IC static control record), this field is skipped.

9. BOM/Formula

Enter whether this is a Bill of material finished item, Formulation finished item or Neither. Press Enter (CR) to initially default to the last item entered (otherwise N). BOM and formulation items are used in the manufacturing module.

10. Active

Indicate whether an item is active. If an item is inactive, the item may not be purchased. The item may be sold through sales orders and may be transferred between warehouses. Press Enter (CR) to initially default to the active flag of the item just entered (otherwise Y). If the item is stocked, the system will prompt "Is the item active for purchasing and replenishment?". If the item is nonstocked or uninventoried, the system will prompt "If the item active for purchasing?

11. Sequence Number

If sequence numbers are used, enter the sequence number for this item (up to 5 characters). Sequence numbers are used as a way of determining the order items are to print within the same item class. For example, items 100, 300, 400 and 200 are all assigned the same item class. Without the use of sequence numbers, the items print in the following order: 100, 200, 300, 400. If the same items are assigned sequence numbers 100-#10, 300-#5, 400-#20 and 200-#15, the items print in the following order: 300, 100, 200, 400.

12. Standard Pack

Enter the standard pack size (1-99999). The entry should be a multiple of the buying unit of measure.

13. Freight Class

Enter the freight classification of this item (up to three characters). Press Enter (CR) to default to the freight class of the item just entered. (This does not print anywhere.)

14. Default Item

The system displays the designated default item to use for item creation.

Sales Screen

1. Taxable

Indicate whether this item is taxable. This flag is used in the Sales Orders and Purchase Orders systems. In SO and PO the flag may be overridden for individual sales orders and purchase orders respectively. Press Enter (CR) to initially default to the item last entered (otherwise Y).

2. Miscellaneous Sales

Indicate whether this item is to post to the miscellaneous sales GL account number in the SO to GL Posting F/M rather than the merchandise sales GL account number. Press Enter (CR) to initially default to the item last entered (otherwise N).

3. Use default prices?

Indicate whether to use calculated prices from default pricing, and quantity break units of measure for other pricing and quantity break UMs that do not have prices. You may not want to duplicate pricing records for each unit of measure if all prices for all units of measure calculate to the same price per the default price unit of measure. For example, if there are 10 each per box and the price per each is $1.00 and the price per box is $10.00 then you can simply set up the ‘each’ price allow the system to always calculate the box price for when the item is sold per box. If this flag is set to Y, the system will calculate the price of an item being sold based on the default pricing unit of measure. Press Enter (CR) to default to N.

4. Item Price Class

Enter the item price class for this item. This item price class is used to group items by different price types for use in contract pricing, costs and prices updates, and reporting purposes. Some inventory reports may be printed in item price class order. Press F2 or $image\find_shg.gif$ to search.

5. GL Table

Enter the General Ledger posting table to which this item is assigned. The entry must be a valid General Ledger posting table. This GL table determines how the item is to post to the General Ledger module. Press Enter (CR) to initially default to the General Ledger posting table of the item just entered (otherwise the first GL table on file). Press F2 or $image\find_shg.gif$ to search.

6. Commission Percent

Enter the commission percentage for this item (0-99.99). This percentage is used if the commissions calculated by item are a priority. Press Enter (CR) to default to the commission percentage of the item just entered (otherwise 0). Press F1 or $image\none_shg.gif$ to default to NO PRIORITY.

7. Allow Web Purchase

Indicate whether or not an item will be available for sale from the web. An example of products that are not available for sale from the web might be products that are not allowed to be purchased over the web or products that you have in your inventory that you do not sell like boxes or bubble-wrap. The system sends these item records to eCatalog but they will not be presented for purchase to a customer in Storefront. When first adding a new item, the field will default based on the Item Type field. It is set to "selected" for stocked items and "unselected" for non-stocked and uninventoried items (Item F/M sets the item type in code to "S" so this field will be set to "selected"). Once the initial value is set, the system will no longer change this field. The user is free to set it as desired.

When a new item is added or certain fields are changed, the system adds a record to the eCatalog log file for the next update to the eCatalog database. A record is also added to the eCatalog log file whenever an item is deleted.

When a new item is added with substitute items or the substitute items are changed and the Company Control flag "substitutes to catalog" is "selected", a record is added to the eCatalog log file for the next update to the eCatalog database.

There is currently no way to remove substitute item records from eCatalog. When a substitute item is removed, any unprocessed records for this transaction will be deleted from the log file.

Field changes that trigger an eCatalog update are:

Description 1

Description 2

GL Table

Item Class

Active Flag

Vendor-Item

Allow Web Purchase **new field

Price Class

Primary Vendor

Substitute Items **note: this is special case

Alternate IDs

Ü The UPC field no longer exists in this program. Create UPC numbers using the standard part number instructions. Standard part numbers can be created manually or electronically through the EPU system.

1-3. Substitute

Enter up to three substitute item numbers (one for each field). The entry must be a valid item number. Substitute items are displayed while in the sales orders entry programs. Substitutes may be used if the item being ordered is out of stock and a substitute is offered. A blank entry assumes no substitute item is available. Press F2 or $image\find_shg.gif$ to search.

4. Model #

Enter the model number for the item. Press Enter (CR) to leave this entry blank.

5. MSDS ID

If this item requires a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), enter a valid MSDS ID. If this item does not require an MSDS sheet, leave this field blank. Press F2 or $image\find_shg.gif$ to search. Press F3 to default to the item number. Any MSDS ID entered here must first be defined in the MSDS ID F/M (SOF987).

6. DOT Code

If this item is a hazardous material item, enter a valid DOT Code (up to six characters). Press F2 or $image\find_shg.gif$ to search. For more information on hazardous materials and regulations, please refer to the DOT’s Hazardous Materials Guide.

7. Vendor-Item

Enter the manufacturer’s vendor-item number (up to 20 characters) for this item. This number is used in purchase orders to order an item using the vendor’s item number. F1 assigns the same number as the item number entered in the Item field.

Service Entry screen

1. Item

Enter the sales item number if the item is to be associated with a single inventory item.

2. Service Type

Indicate whether the item is a: Service item, Labor item, Not a service item or create Equipment records at the time of the Daily Sales Register.

3. Model

Enter the model code for this item (up to 15 characters). The model code must be valid but may be generic or specific in nature (i.e., one model for all service items or one model for each item).

4. Service Sell Item #

Enter the sales item number if the item is to be associated with a single inventory item.

5. Pricing

Indicate the pricing method to use: Standard FACTS Pricing or Actual Parts and Labor Pricing. Press ` to default to A.

6. Warranty For Parts

Enter the number of default days for parts warranty. The days entered here will be used as the default to calculate the parts warranty expiration date. For example, if the installation date is 3/21/97 and the default number of days is 20, the parts warranty expiration date in the equipment record will be calculated by the system as 4/10/97.

7. Warranty For Labor

Enter the number of default days for labor warranty. The days entered here will be used as the default to calculate the labor warranty expiration date. For example, if the installation date is 3/21/97 and the default number of days is 20, the labor warranty expiration date in the equipment record will be calculated by the system as 4/10/97.

8. Metered

Indicate whether this item will have an associated meter record used for tracking purposes.

9. Meter um

Enter the default unit of measure to track this meter. This field will be skipped if the item is not metered.

10. Meter Track

Indicate whether the meter tracking will be an incremented (Up) or decremented (Down).

After all fields have been entered, select SAVE or CR to add this record to the Item File. If Cancel or F4 is entered, the user may change or delete necessary information.

User-Defined Screen

Many users have a few pieces of information about customers, vendors, and items that are unique to their business that they would like to enter into FACTS for reference purposes. The User-Defined screen displays user-defined fields in the major file maintenances and makes them available in FACTS Inquiry programs for information only. There are 5 user-defined fields available to any user that has access to Item F/M.

You will be able to configure these fields within the following constraints:
If the user has administrator privileges for User-defined Fields setting on the Security tab of User Code F/M (SMF410): Each field can be designated by a type--text, numeric, validated list, and date, as well as a label that can be edited in the F/M to create custom labels for each field. This allows the user to have a meaningful label other than "User Defined 1" and so on.

To configure user-defined fields:

After you select the administrator privileges for User-defined Fields setting on the Security tab of User Code F/M (SMF410).above, exit FACTS and log back in to allow this change to take effect.
Access the desired file maintenance program: Item F/M (ICF910), Vendor F/M (APF910), Ship-To F/M (ARF920), or Customer F/M (ARF910).
Access the User-Defined screen of the selected file maintenance.
Select the Configure icon or press F1, and the system displays the User-Defined Field Characteristics Entry (SMC996) program, where you can enter up to five user-defined fields and the characteristics associated with the field.

Item UM FM (ICF912)

After you save a new item record, the system automatically displays the Item/Unit of Measure F/M (ICF915), so that you can enter unit of measure details for the item.

Quick Item Entry (ICF911)

After you complete the UM F/M (ICF912) program for the new item , the system displays the Quick Item Entry (ICF911) program so you can enter pricing information for the new item.

Importing Catalog Items

Importing catalog items works much like setting up default items. When you first access the screen, press I at the selection prompt. Enter the catalog item number that you want to import or press F2 or $image\find_shg.gif$ to search catalog items. After you enter a catalog item number, information for that item will display. You can then change any information or CR through the fields to keep them. Information for the catalog item includes the cost class based on the setting in the vendor file.

As warehouse/item records are created, the program populates the replenishment flag with the default value. For stocked items, the replenishment flag is set to Yes. For non-stocked items, the flag is set to No.

$image\pinpurpl_shg.gif$ Note: When you import catalog items, the system does not allow you to import alternate bin locations for items.

If you want to clear the imported catalog item information before you add the new item number, press C.

Deleting items

When an item becomes dead stock or is discontinued, and there are no quantities in the warehouse, the item may be deleted. However, the sales history for the deleted item needs to be maintained in Sales Analysis to ensure accurate sales figures. To do this, set up at least one replacement item to which you can transfer sales history when deleting an item from the system. FACTS automatically prompts you for the alternate item number and then transfers sales history to the replacement item number in Sales Analysis.

The item must be removed from all of the following records and documents in the system before it can be deleted.

Warehouse/Item F/M	Bills of Materials
Item Interchange F/M	Formula Records
Purchase Orders	Formula Finished Item Records
Vendor Item Records	Remote Customer Item Records
Sales Orders

Procedure

1. Remove it from Warehouse/Item F/M first.

2. Use Item Inquiry to identify where the item is used. For Suggested Purchase Orders, review the contents of Suggested PO Entry program.

3. Once you identify the documents that included the item number, update them in their respective registers or delete them.

4. Delete the item from Item F/M by selecting the item record and choosing Delete. The system will scan the above locates to make sure it is not still in use. If FACTS finds the item in use, it displays a message to that effect.

5. Transfer the sales history to an alternate item number for Sales Analysis purposes. During initial set up, an alternate item number should have been created for this purpose. If not, make sure you create one under which you can store the item’s sales history.