Unit of measure

Use this function to define measurement units, and conversions from the quantity of one measurement unit to the same quantity in a different unit.

Standard measurement units are supplied with your system. You use this function to define additional measurement units that are used in your organisation, and custom conversions for your organisation for your additional and the standard measurement units.

User type

Administrator

Manager
Permissions

Admin (full rights)

Manager (full rights)

Employee (read only)
Prerequisites

Item

Customer

Supplier

Tip Standard units of measure are supplied with your system. All supplied units of measure are active, by default.

When unit conversions are used in your system the most appropriate conversion factor is selected using a descending order of priority. Where you define a custom conversion for a specific item you can further refine the conversion to apply to a sales or a purchase transaction. The most specific conversion can be for a named customer or supplier, for a specific transaction type and a specific item.

Create a unit conversion

General tab

  1. If the measurement unit you want to define a conversion for is listed in the Selection panel select the unit and amend the details, if necessary.

    Skip the following steps and go straight to the Conversion tab.

  2. To add a new unit of measure, select Add.
  3. Enter the Description of your unit, then give your unit a Name such as bag or box.
  4. Enter the ID.
  5. Enter the number of applicable Decimal digits.
  6. The Unit type defaults to the most appropriate type, but you can change this.

Conversion tab

The Conversion tab automatically sorts your list of unit conversions into a descending order of priority.
  1. Select Add. Your current unit becomes the Target unit measurement. Select the Base unit measurement.

  2. Enter the conversion Factor.

    The conversion Reverse factor is calculated automatically.

After a basic unit-to-unit conversion the next priority level is an item specific conversion. You define these conversions on an item-by-item basis. The conversion factor is applied when the specific item is referenced such as with a goods receipt or on a sales order.

Refer to the Use case examples.

  1. Select the Item. Your unit conversion is now an item-specific conversion.

    A conversion from l (litre) to kg (kilogram) depends on the density of the item, for example.

An item-specific conversion can be assigned to the next priority level by making it a transaction specific conversion. These are conversions that apply when the item is used with a transaction such as a sales or purchase transaction. You also define transaction-specific conversions on an item-by-item basis.

  1. Set the Flow type. Your unit conversion is now a transaction-specific conversion.

A transaction-specific conversion can be specific to a customer or a supplier. This is the final level in the order of priority. These are conversions that only apply when the item is used with sales to a specific customer, or with purchases from a specific supplier. You also define item-customer and item-supplier specific conversions on an item-by-item basis.

  1. If the Flow type is Sale and the conversion is an item-customer conversion, select the Customer; select the Supplier if the conversion is an item-supplier conversion and the Flow type is Purchase. You cannot define a customer and a supplier.
  2. Save your custom conversions.

We have two units Each and Box. The stock unit is Each. The purchase, sales, and production unit is Box.

The standard conversion factor from Each to Box is 12.

For item Product A the conversion factor is 11.

We buy Product A from supplier SUPPLIER1. The conversion factor is 10.

We sell Product A to customer CUSTOMER1. The conversion factor is 8.

The data records defined in the Conversion tab are as follows:

Record number Base unit Target unit Item Flow type Supplier Customer Conversion factor
1 Each Box         12
2 Each Box Product A       11
3 Each Box Product A Purchase     6
4 Each Box Product A Sale     24
5 Box Each Product A Purchase SUPPLIER1   10
6 Each Box Product A Sale   CUSTOMER1 8

Purchases

Use case 1: Enter a purchase order from supplier SUPPLIER1 for product Product A. From the table, record 5 provides the specific item-supplier conversion. The conversion factor is 10.

Use case 2: Enter a purchase order from supplier SUPPLIER2 for product Product A. From the table, record 3 provides the transaction-specific conversion. The conversion factor is 6.

Use case 3: Enter a purchase order from supplier SUPPLIER2 for product Product B. From the table, record 1 provides the most specific conversion. The conversion factor is 12.

Sales

Use case 1: Enter a sales order for customer CUSTOMER1 for product Product A. From the table, record 6 provides the specific item-customer conversion. The conversion factor is 8.

Use case 2: Enter a sales order for customer CUSTOMER2 for product Product A. From the table, record 4 provides the transaction-specific conversion. The conversion factor is 24.

Manufacturing

Use case: Enter a work order for product Product A. From the table, record 2 provides the item-specific conversion. The conversion factor is 11.

Edit or delete a unit conversion

You can edit all the fields on the General tab.

You can delete any unit of measure conversion on the Conversion tab.

You can delete any unit of measure. If you delete a measurement unit, all unit-specific conversions are deleted. This includes all item-specific conversions, all transaction-specific conversions, all item-customer conversions, and all item-supplier conversions.

Before you delete a unit of measure you should ensure that it is not being used in a different unit conversion.