Inventory Concepts

Product Organization

Inventory is a listing of goods held in local storage or bailment, which may be organized by:

Data Name Other descriptions or uses
IDENTIFIER Master identifier used by inventory system
PRODUCT Product code, stock number, catalog code, buyer’s number ...
CONTROL Lot number, batch, job, production code, date code, ...
UNIT Handling unit: pallet, roll, coil, bundle, bag, billet, ...
PACKAGE Countable sub-unit: case, carton, box, sack, ...
INNER Enclosed items: inner pack, each, piece ...

Each product and lot is categorized by an array of codes and values to describe the item. Links to the code lists for products and lot control follow:

Data Name Code list
PRODUCT Product Identification Codes
CONTROL Lot Control Codes

Units of Measure

Product inventory is measured by countable packages (PACKAGE), which may be accumulated into handling units (UNIT), and subdivided into inner elements (INNER). The basis for inventory counts or measures is specified with Units of Measure (UOMs) particular to each product. For further reference, see this Table of Industry Standard Units of Measure.

The classic case of inventory is a pallet (unit) of cartons (packages), with each carton uniformly filled with inner packs or eaches. Products deviate from this ideal configuration, and so the dimensional analysis of UNIT, PACKAGE, and INNER, along with weights and measures, must be entered separately for each product. Further, the inventory of lots and units of a product may deviate from the product definition, and so inventory documents must record the exact counts and measures for every transaction.

When defining products, the units of dimension are built up from the smallest shippable quantity to the largest handling unit. The master product entries generate default values for content and unit weights and sizes as follows:

Qty UOM Count Net Weight Tare Wt Dimension
INNER EA,... PCS WGHT (N/A) ISIZE
PACKAGE CA,... CNT NET = PCS X WGHT TARE SIZE = ISIZE X PCS
UNIT PL,... 1 UNET = CNT X ( NET + TARE ) UTARE USIZE = SIZE X CNT

Individual units may be received with unique values for the inner PCS count, WGHT, and ISIZE, the package CNT, NET, TARE, and SIZE, or handling/shipping unit UNET and UTARE weights and the USIZE.

Quantity Setup Considerations

Almost every product can be tracked with proper setup, with rare exceptions. The following table shows example product setup values for a variety of product categories commonly stored in warehouse inventory:

  INNER – – – PACKAGE – – – – – UNIT – – – –
Description UOM PCS WGHT UOM CNT NET TARE UOM UNET UTARE
innerpacked cartons PK 12 1.2 CA 96 14.4 1.0 PL 1382 65
each packed cartons EA 144 .12 CA 54 17.3 2.0 PL 1041 65
cartons on pallets CA 48 21.0 1.0 PL 1056 65
knock-down cartons CT 810 2.1   BD 1701 20
sack/bag product BG 40 50.0 0.5 PL 2020 75
empty soda cans EA 6000 0.1   PL 600 200
pails on pallets PA 36 50.0 1.5 PL 1854 75
dbl-pack paper roll FT 550   RL 2 1157   PK 2315 55
measured paper roll FT 1100     RL 2315 55
flooring roll FT 500 5.0   RL 2500  
steel coil FT 1000 6.0   CI 6000 200
liquid drums GL 55 8.3 DR 4 457 47 PL 2016 75
liquid tote tank GL 300 8.34   TE 2502 75
machinery SF 30     EA 2913  
bulk tank GL 50000 8.34   BN    
bulk pallets EA   75   BN    

Product Setup

A product’s Unit of Measure (UOM) entries are set on the Product masterfile record, but masterfile quantity entries (PCS, WGHT, CNT, NET, TARE, SIZE, UNET, UTARE, USIZE) are defaults of values which may be entered separately for each received unit.

Products and Varieties provides a detailed description for entering products.