Creating Product Records

Use Product Maintenance to create records for products. The product record includes all information needed to sell, purchase, and maintain products.

In addition, you can use Product Maintenance to create records for miscellaneous charge placeholders on orders, such service charges and lot billing items.

Edit individual product records through Product Maintenance. Use Mass Load to update multiple product records simultaneously when those records share the parameters needing updated.

To create a product record:

From the Files menu, select Product to display the Product Maintenance screen.
In the Product ID field, enter new to create a new product record.

The system assigns an internal product ID number which displays to the far right of the Product ID field.

Complete the following fields, as required:

Field	Description
Description	Product name, along with details that help users differentiate it from similar products. The product description can be up to 99 lines of 35 characters each. You can use any information entered here for product searches. Important: We do not recommend using special characters, such as carets (^) or tildes (~) in your product descriptions. Special characters can cause your reports to run incorrectly. For example, the system considers the tilde character a delimiter. Using a tilde in your descriptions eliminates the product from inventory value report calculations. To prevent customers from using the detailed product description on a bid or other printed form for comparison shopping, do the following: Use the Ades hot key to display the Alternate Description screen. Assign a generic description to the product. Note: This function works only if your printing program is set up to print alternate product descriptions.
Additional Key Words	Additional product information to use for product searches that does not display in the description. When searching for a product, the system looks at data in both the Description and Additional Key Words fields in the Product Maintenance screen. By including additional key words, you increase the ways by which you can access a product record. For example, use the Additional Key Words field to enter the following identifiers for the product: Common nicknames or abbreviations. Vendor catalog numbers. Competitor catalog numbers.
lbs/	Product's weight in pounds. If you assign the product to a buy line with a vendor target based on a weight limit, you must enter the product's weight. After you enter a price line, the system attaches the purchase order unit of measure to the weight, for example, lbs/ea. If left blank, the system assigns a value of 0.0000.
Load/	Product's load factor. If you assign the product to a buy line with a vendor target based on the load factor, enter how much of the item can fit on a truck. After you enter a price line, the system attaches the purchase order unit of measure to the factor, for example, Load/ea. If left blank, the system assigns a value of 0.0000.
GL Acct / Product Type	GL product type code used to group products for sales analysis and reporting purposes. Authorized users can define G/L product types in the G/L Product Types screen. Note: When creating a product record for a miscellaneous charge, assign the G/L account instead of a G/L Product Type. Note: Some companies do not assign G/L product types to nonstock products. If you are creating a nonstock product, ask your supervisor if this field is required.
Prc Line	Price line to assign to the product. Note: The system assigns the product to a sell group with the same identifier as the price line, unless you override it in the Price Group Maintenance screen.
Budget Group	Budget group to assign to the product.
Commodity Code	Standard industry code used to group products in different price lines or buy lines for selection, sorting, and reporting purposes. Authorized users can define these codes using the Valid Product Commodity Codes control maintenance record.
Buy Line	Buy line to assign to the product. Assign secondary buy lines to the product, as needed. Products with a status of MiscChrg do not require an associated buy line. If you are creating a nonstock product, you cannot assign a super buy line. Note: The system assigns the product to a buy group with the same identifier as the buy line, unless you override it in the Price Group Maintenance screen.
Procure Group	Procurement group to assign to the product.
Status	Current inventory/receiving status of the product. Stock is the default value.
Idx Type	Whether the product is indexed in the primary product file or in a secondary catalog. The default value for stock items is Primary.
Sort Code	Sort code for the product. When products are re-sequenced in a price line or buy line, the system populates this field with the sort code for the product. Authorized users can define these codes using the Valid Product Sort Codes control maintenance record. Note: You can enter a user-defined sort code, but if anyone renumbers the price line or buy line, the system-assigned sort code overrides your entry.

In the UM/Quant/S P T A I columns, assign the units of measure (UOMs) in which you distribute the product for the associated quantity and transaction. For more information, see Setting Units of Measure for Product Records.

Press Esc to save your changes and exit the screen.

More Options from the Product Maintenance Screen

The Product Maintenance screen also offers these options:

Hot Key	Function
Log	Displays the Maintenance Log Viewing screen. Use this screen to view the maintenance log for the product record.
MSDS	Displays the Product MSDS / Hazardous Information screen. Use this screen to add MSDS and hazard information to the product record.
Inven	Displays the Primary Inventory Maintenance screen. Use this screen to enter and view the product record's demand information, such as the product's projected inventory level.
Kit	Displays the Product Kit Maintenance screen. Use this screen to create a product kit.
Prices	Displays the Product Price Maintenance screen. Use this screen to maintain pricing, commission groups, and serial number tracking information for the product record.
Tax	Displays the Product Tax Exception Groups screen. Use this screen to assign a tax exception group to the product record.
Del	Delete the product record. At the prompt, enter Delete. You cannot delete a product record if the product has an on-hand quantity, open orders, or history. Do not delete any product record created by your installer, such as AR Conversion Product or History Conversion Product.
Points	Displays the Points Program screen. Use this screen to assign customer points to the product record.
Cert	Displays the Certification Codes screen. Use this screen to assign certification codes to the regulated product record.
ADes	Displays the Alternate Description screen. Use this screen to enter an alternate description for the product record. If defined, the system uses a product's alternate description on bids or other printed forms so that customers do not know the product's brand name, and therefore, cannot use the product's brand name to comparison shop..
Copy	Displays the Copy Item prompt. Use this prompt to copy the information from the current product record to a new product record. To create a copy of an existing product record: Select a product similar to the new product you are creating. Use the Copy hot key. The system prompts whether you want to copy the item. At the prompt, enter Y. A copy of the product record displays with New Item highlighted in the upper left corner. The new product ID displays to the far right of the Product ID field. Update the information in the required fields to reflect the new product. Press Esc to save your changes and exit the screen.
Loc	Displays the Product Location Maintenance screen. Use this screen to edit and view a product record's location information
Remind	Displays the Order Entry Reminder screen. Use this screen to attach product reminders to the product record. Product reminders display on Order Entry screens when the product is added to an order.
Seq	Re-sequences the product record in either the product's corresponding buy line or price line.
Notes	Attaches pre-defined notes to a product record.
Subs	Displays the Product Substitute Maintenance screen. Use this screen to define substitute and add-on items for the product record.
UPCs	Displays the UPC Codes Maintenance screen. Use this screen to assign UPC numbers, special vendor or manufacturer codes, or reference numbers to the product record.
UET	Displays the UET Parameter Maintenance screen. Use this screen to assign unquality event tracking parameters.
XRef	Displays the Product External References Maintenance screen. Use this screen to define a path to access product information on a vendor web site.
Add'l	Displays the Additional Data menu. Use this menu to access additional screens for assigning further information to the product record.
PDW	Displays the following PDW menu items: PDW Data Viewer The PDW Data View screen displays. PDW Batch Update The Eclipse Product File Batch Update screen displays. PDW / Product File Sync The PDW / Eclipse Product File Sync Utility screen displays. PDW / Product File Un-Sync The PDW Unsync screen displays. Product Master Upload to PDW Displays the PDW Master Upload prompt. Use these menu items to maintain product records through PDW. Note: You must have the PDW companion product to use these features.