How Units of Measure, Unit of Measure Classes, and Base Units of Measure Relate to Each Other

Units of measure, unit of measure classes, and base units of measure are used for tracking, moving, storing, and counting items.

Units of Measure Classes

Units of measure classes represent groups of units of measure with similar characteristics such as area, weight, or volume. For example, Ounces, Grams, and Milligrams could all be units of measure for a class called Weight.

Units of Measure

Units of measure are used by a variety of functions and transactions to express the quantity of items. Each unit of measure you define must belong to a unit of measure class.

Base Units of Measure

Each unit of measure class has a base unit of measure. The base unit of measure is used to perform conversions between units of measure in the class. The base unit of measure should be representative of the other units of measure in the class, and must be the smallest unit. For example, you could use cubic inches as the base unit of measure for a unit of measure class called volume.

Primary Units of Measure

Primary units of measure represent the UOM that is most often used for an item. The primary UOM of the item may or may not be the base unit of measure. It also may not be the smallest UOM of the item class. For example, your business sells boxes of surgical gloves. While each glove may be the smallest unit, your company is concerned with the number of boxes ordered.