Materials are components used to make products. Together with Labor and Machines, they are used to create Assemblies. The system comes preloaded with some basic Materials; however, additional Materials can be added directly as needed.
Note: It is recommended to clone an existing Material that is similar instead of adding entirely new Materials from scratch.
Table of Contents
Creating New Materials
Use this process when you need to add a brand-new Material that does not closely match an existing one.
Navigate to Settings / Components.
1. Select the Materials – Search and manage materials and inventory items tile.
2. On the Materials screen, click the dark charcoal Material button in the upper-right of the grid toolbar to open a new Material record.
3. On the format selection screen, choose Material for a single material with one set of values, or Material with Variants for a parent material that supports multiple variations. The form will open based on your selection.
4. On the Material Details tab, enter the information about the material in the Details section.
Note: All fields with a red asterisk are required in order to save the material. Additional information will be needed for the material to be used in assemblies.
a. Upload Image – Add an image of the material if desired.
b. Name – The part name; it is recommended to start with the type of material then physical attributes (such as thickness, color, and sizes), as this name appears in your material list.
c. Name on Documents – How this material will display on customer-facing documents such as estimates and invoices.
d. Internal SKU – A unique Stock Keeping Unit used for internal inventory and tracking purposes if available.
e. GTIN – A Global Trade Item Number is a universal identifier used to recognize the same product across different brands and suppliers.
f. Description – A broader description of this material for internal purposes.
5. Enter the information about the material in the Settings section.
a. Hide in Order Entry – Selecting this option hides the material from the available choices when adding line items during order entry.
b. Material Categories – Categories help organize materials in the system. The list can be managed from Settings / Components / Component Categories if more categories are needed.
c. Default Line Item Category – An optional field used to organize components for better sorting and reporting. It can be managed in Settings / Sales / Line Item Categories.
6. Attributes are physical attributes of the material used for layout, stocking units, and calculations. Enter the information where applicable.
a. Material Type – Such as Roll, Sheet, or Other.
b. Width and Unit.
c. Height and Unit.
d. Thickness/Depth and Unit.
e. Weight and Unit.
f. Volume (Liquid) and Unit.
g. Color and Finish.
h. Quantity in Set – For example, a box of 500 business cards has a quantity of 500 in one set.
7. Consumption defines how the material is consumed, rounded for usage, and used in scrap calculations.
a. Consumption Unit Type – By Area, Length, Discrete, or Countable Units.
b. Consumption Unit – How this material will be consumed in production.
c. Round Up To – To the Next 10, Next Whole, or No Rounding.
d. Minimum Consumption in Each – Enter 0 unless a minimum amount of this material is used regardless of what the assembly calls for (for example, 0.25 of a sheet or feet off a roll every time).
8. In the Cost & Price section, enter the cost of the material and how it will be accounted for.
a. Costing Method – Determines how costs are calculated for the item.
b. Cost Per Each – The cost of the material used for job costing and accounting.
Note: In cost-based pricing, this will be marked up for pricing.
c. Lead Time – If this material is not readily available or is special order and requires lead time, enter the days. This will affect the production due date on the order.
d. Retail Per Each – The price of the material used for pricing out the job. In a cost-based pricing structure (marking up cost), this field does not need to be entered.
9. Accounting Details define how this material is categorized for billing, income, and tax purposes.
a. COGS / Expense Account – Where the material cost will be accounted for (Cost of Goods Sold or expense).
b. Income Account – The income account when this material is sold.
c. Taxability Code – Goods, Service, or Tax Exempt.
10. Optionally, use the Custom Fields tab to add or review custom fields for the material. Custom fields can be configured under Settings / Components / Custom Fields.
11. When you have finished configuring the material, click Save at the bottom of the page.
Note: Files and Notes can be added on the main material screen using the tabs next to the Material Details tab.