Purchase Units Tab
The "Purchase Unit" tab in the Product Library plays a pivotal role in storing a product's purchasing details. This includes vital information such as the vendor its purchased from, number of units, price, and how the expense should be categorized. Having multiple purchase units per Product Format allows you to store unique pricing information for differing amounts of product ordered at one time, like buying a bottle versus a case. Like Product Formats, Purchase Units seamlessly inherit top-level data from Products, as well as Purchase Units.
Purchase Unit Name
Every Purchase Unit requires a name in order for vendors to understand how much of something is being ordered. Typically, the name will be a shorthand for the actual number of units being ordered, like "bottle" or "case."
Unit Amount
The amount of units received when ordering the purchase unit. Obviously, ordering a "bottle" will mean 1 units is received, but 1 "case" can be 6 or 12 units, depending on how the vendor sells the product.
Price
The cost of the Purchase Unit. In situations where you have two Purchase Units, obviously the one with the higher Unit Amount will be more expensive.
SKU
SKU stands for "Stock Keeping Unit" and its a code that vendors use internally to differentiate products from each other. Ensuring you have the correct SKU stored helps to avoid confusion between you and your vendors.
Expense Group and Subgroup
Similar to many personal budgeting softwares, Spec allows you to indicate how you would like purchases to be categorized in a two tier system. Expense Groups and Subgroups can be changed according to how your business tracks spending.
Status
Like Product and Product Formats, the "Status" field determines the visibility of the Purchase Unit, primarily in Ordering. By default, it is set to "Active," but can be changed to "Inactive" for Purchase Units that are no longer used.
Remember that if the "parent" Product or Product Format is marked as inactive, this will likewise render the Product Format inactive.
Article: Optimizing Purchase Units in the Product Library
Within the Product Library, the "Purchase Unit" tab serves as a central repository for a product's procurement details, encompassing crucial information like the vendor, quantity, pricing, and expense categorization. Multiple Purchase Units per Product Format enable the storage of distinct pricing information for varying order quantities, facilitating flexibility in managing purchasing dynamics. Much like Product Formats, Purchase Units seamlessly inherit top-level data from both Products and their Product Formats.
Purchase Unit Name
Assigning a name to each Purchase Unit is essential for effective communication with vendors, conveying the quantity of the ordered product concisely. This designation typically takes the form of a shorthand term, such as "bottle" or "case."
Unit Amount
This metric signifies the quantity of units received when the Purchase Unit is ordered. For instance, ordering a "bottle" results in receiving 1 unit, while ordering a "case" can yield 6 or 12 units, depending on the vendor's packaging.
Price
The cost associated with each Purchase Unit. In scenarios involving multiple Purchase Units, the one with a higher Unit Amount naturally costs more.
SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)
SKU, or Stock Keeping Unit, serves as an internal code used by vendors to distinguish between different products. Accurate storage of SKUs is crucial to prevent confusion in transactions between you and your vendors.
Expense Group and Subgroup
In alignment with common budgeting practices, Spec enables the categorization of purchases through a two-tier system: Expense Groups and Subgroups. This flexible system allows customization based on your business's financial reporting preferences.
Status
Similar to Product and Product Formats, the "Status" field governs the visibility of the Purchase Unit, primarily within Ordering. By default, it is set to "Active," but can be adjusted to "Inactive" for Purchase Units that are no longer in use.
It's important to remember that marking the "parent" Product or Product Format as inactive will also deactivate the associated Purchase Units, creating a seamless synchronization in the Product Library.