Name units as generically as possible so that you can use them for multiple items. For example, 12oz Beer Bottle is too specific. 12oz Bottle is specific, but it could be 12oz bottle of anything. 5lb cheddar wheel is too specific, 5lb cheese wheel or 5lb wheel, or simply 5lb is more versatile. The more generic the name, the more its possible uses and the less item units you create to compensate for all units.
An item’s base unit must coincide with the unit’s own base unit. For example, if an item is purchased in a 0.35l bottle using the unit Bottle 0.35, the item’s base unit must be pint.
Standard base units, such as each, pint, pound, and portion, are already in the system when it is installed. Generally, items fall into three categories: those that are sold whole (bagel), solids that are sold in fractions (1 lb. of ground beef turned into 4 - 4 ounce hamburger patties), and liquids that are broken into pints (quart of milk turned into glasses to be served). Once a base unit is assigned, it cannot be changed.
The QTY/BU and Base Unit fields auto-populate when you save the unit.
Parent topic: Master Data