Items, item groups and units of measure

Every product, raw material and packaging material you buy, make or sell must exist as an Item in OLY ERP. Set up an item once and use it on every order, receipt and invoice.

Before you start

You need the Stock User or Item Manager role (ask your system admin).
Check that the right Item Group exists, for example "Raw Material", "Packaging" or "Finished Goods". Item groups form a tree. They help you filter lists and reports.
Check that the units you need exist as UOM (unit of measure), for example Kg, Bag, Roll, Pack and Carton.

Steps

Create an item

Go to Stock in the sidebar and open Item, or type "New Item" in the search bar.
Click + Add Item. If a short form opens, click Edit Full Form.
Enter the Item Code, for example RM-CORN-GRITS. Use a short, clear code. You cannot easily change it later.
Enter the Item Name, for example "Corn grits".
Select the Item Group, for example "Raw Material".
Select the Default Unit of Measure. This is the stock unit: the unit in which OLY ERP counts and values the stock. For corn grits use Kg.
Keep Maintain Stock ticked for anything you hold in a warehouse. Untick it only for services, for example "Transport charge".
If you track lots, tick Has Batch No. For food products also tick Has Expiry Date and enter Shelf Life In Days, for example 180.
Click Save.

Add other units (UOM conversion)

You often buy or sell in a bigger unit than the stock unit.

Open the item and scroll to the Units of Measure table.
Add a row: UOM = Bag, Conversion Factor = 50. This means 1 Bag = 50 Kg.
For "Corn snack 50 g, cheese" (stock unit Pack), add UOM = Carton, Conversion Factor = 48.
Click Save.

Now Dawit can order 20 Bags of corn grits, and OLY ERP adds 1,000 Kg to stock.

Set item defaults and valuation

In the Item Defaults table, select the Default Warehouse for your company, for example "Raw Materials - EF". Documents will then fill in this warehouse for you.
Valuation Rate is the cost of one stock unit. OLY ERP normally calculates it from your purchase receipts. You only enter it by hand for items that have no purchase yet, for example 45 ETB per Kg.
Click Save.

Good to know

Do not delete an item that has been used. Tick Disabled instead. It disappears from selection lists but your history stays.
Choose the stock unit carefully. Once stock transactions exist, you cannot change the Default Unit of Measure.
"Has Batch No" is also hard to change after stock exists. Decide before the first receipt.
Printed film is usually counted by Roll. Use the unit your store actually counts.