Item Records for Data Tracking

You can use item records to track data for many business management needs. Item records are designed to be flexible and identify the information you need about each type of item.

Item record types can be categorized as follows:

• Inventory Management Item Types

  • Track stock and materials you keep on hand for inventory

  • Group separate items that you sell together

  • Track items that drop ship from vendors or custom special order items

• Pricing and Billing Item Types

  • Create items that discount, markup, subtotal lines on transactions

  • Create items for types of payment

  • Create items associated with expense categories for use with Charge-Based Billing

• Other Item Types

  • Add text on transactions with descriptions

  • Track non-inventory items such as gift certificates, downloads and services

Inventory Management Item Types

The following are inventory management item types:

• Assembly/Bill of Materials

  The Assembly/Bill of Material item record represents an item you build with raw materials and track the inventory of the assemblies and raw materials separately. Track the amount and value you have on hand and profit. To use this item record type, enable the Assembly Items feature. For more information, see Assembly Items.

• Lot Numbered Assembly Item

  The Lot Numbered Assembly Item record lets you track a group of inventory items by assigning a lot number to a group of assembly items. To use this item record type, enable the Lot Tracking and Assembly Items features. For more information, see Lot Numbered Items.

• Serialized Assembly

  The Serialized Assembly record lets you track physical inventory items by assigning a serial number to each assembly. To use this item record type, enable the Serialized Inventory and Assembly Items features. For more information, see Serial Numbered Items.

• Inventory Item

  The Inventory Item record lets you track the amount and value you have on hand and profit. To use this type of item record, enable the Inventory feature. For more information, see Inventory Items.

• Serialized Inventory Item

  The Serialized Inventory Item record lets you track physical inventory items by assigning a serial number to each item. To use this type item record, enable the Serialized Inventory feature. For more information, see Serial Numbered Items.

• Lot Numbered Inventory Item

  The Lot Numbered Inventory Item record lets you track a group of inventory items by assigning a lot number to identify the group. For example, you can identify an item lot by its expiration date. To use this type of item record, enable the Lot Tracking feature. For more information, see Lot Numbered Items.

• Item Group

  The Item Group record lets you identify several member items that are sold together as one unit. The price of the group depends on its components' prices. For more information, see Item Groups.

• Kit/Package

  The Kit/Package record lets you identify several member items that are sold together as one unit. The price of the kit is not dependent on its component prices and can be assigned several price levels. For more information, see Kit/Package Items.

• Matrix Items

  An item matrix consists of a parent item and subitems. Matrix items let you track your items by available options. For example, you sell a shirt in different colors and sizes. You can set up a parent item for the shirt, and subitems for each size and color combination available. Each combination is tracked separately and you do not have to create an item record for each combination. For more information, see Matrix Items.

• Special Order Items

  Use Special Order Items to purchase and track items that do not follow regular inventory processing, such as just-in-time orders or orders for customized items. For example, a retailer sells a custom engraved sign. The order is not fulfilled with regular stock, but is fulfilled only when the customized item is received from the vendor. For more information, see Special Order Items.

• Drop Ship Items

  When you drop ship an item, the item is sent directly from your vendor to your customer and is not processed in your inventory. For more information, see Drop Ship Items.

Pricing and Billing Item Types

The following are pricing and billing item types:

• Subtotal Items

  A subtotal item can be inserted on any line of a transaction. It subtotals the items above it, up to the next subtotal line, which provides added flexibility when calculating markups and discounts. For example, to calculate a discount on the entire transaction, you can enter a subtotal line and then enter a discount item after it. For more information, see Subtotal Items.

• Payment Items

  Create payment items for types of payments that are made to invoices that should appear separately. For example, you can create a payment item to specify a down payment amount. For more information, see Payment Items.

• Markup Items

  You can use markup items to apply an additional charge to an order. Using markup items lets you track markup amounts without affecting inventory valuation. For example, you can charge a rush fee for expediting a service or delivery. You can choose to markup the amount for this charge by a flat additional fee. For more information, see Markup Items.

• Expense Items

  If you use Charge-Based Billing, you can create items used to charge tracked project expenses back to customers. For more information, see Expense Items.

• Discount Items

  You can create discount items to apply to sales that reduce the line-item amount that precedes the discount item. You can use either a percentage or flat rate. A discount item can also be used to reduce the total amount of a transaction. For more information, see Discount Items.

Other Item Types

The following are other item types:

• Other Charge Items

  Other charge items can be used to designate items or services you purchase, sell or resell that do not fall into another item type category. For example, you can set up other charges as:

  • Other charge for sale – to charge for gift wrapping or alterations

  • Other charge for purchase – when your company must pay a vendor a rush charge

  • Other charge for resale – when you receive free boxes with a wholesale purchase but sell the boxes for a profit

  For more information, see Other Charge Items.

• Description Items

  Description line items let add descriptions on items you are not selling. For example, you can enter special shipping instructions or a disclaimer. Description items have no amount field and are used only to add text to transactions. They can be used on both purchase and sales transactions. For more information, see Description Items.

• Gift Certificates

  You can create gift certificate items that allow customers to purchase store credit they can send to someone as a gift. The recipient uses the gift certificate code when placing an order through your web store or entering a transaction with a sales representative. For more information, see Gift Certificates.

• Non-Inventory Items

  Non-inventory items are not stocked. These are items that you always drop ship, or other items that you sell or purchase that you want to record and track. For more information, see Non-Inventory Items.

• Download Items

  Create download item records for files that you want customers to be able to purchase and download in your web store. Customers are charged per download item, as opposed to per item. For example, if you want to charge customers for music downloads per song, you would create an item for each song. For more information, see Download Items.

• Service Item

  Service items track time and record billable hours. Service items are classified as Services for Purchase, Services for Resale, or Services for Sale. For more information, see Service Items.

Related Topics

Groups, Assemblies, and Kit/Packages

Customizing Lot or Serial Numbered Item Records

Item Types

General Notices