Products

A product in Acctivate represents anything your business buys or sells. This includes tangible products such as inventoried or non-inventoried products and non-tangible products such as shipping, labor, an other charges. Once you've setup a product in Acctivate you are able to buy, sell, view history and track information for the product.

Creating a New Product

There are three ways to begin creating a new product in Acctivate:

  • Start in the Products List found in the left menu.
    1. In the left menu of Acctivate, click on Products to open the Product List.
    2. In the bottom left of the Product List, click + New Product.
    3. The Edit Product window will open in edit mode allowing you to begin entering data.
  • Start in the Edit Product window.
    1. Using the top menu, navigate to Inventory → Edit Product.
    2. The Edit Product window will appear, click New in the upper left hand corner.
    3. You will be able to enter product data.
  • Import in products from a text or data file.

Editing a Product

There are three ways to begin editing an existing product in Acctivate:

  • Start in the Products List found in the left menu.
    • In the left menu of Acctivate, click on Products to open the Product List.
    • Search for the product you want to edit.
    • Click the Edit button.
    • The Edit Product window will open in edit mode allowing you to edit data.
  • Start in the Edit Product window.
    • Using the top menu, navigate to Inventory → Edit Product.
    • The Edit Product window will appear, type in the Product ID or use the magnifying glass lookup to find and select your product.
    • Click Edit.
    • You will be able to edit the product data.
  • Import in product updates from a text or data file.

Product Data Fields

The Edit Product window has required fields which appear as a different color. The available fields and their definitions are below.

Note

Certain fields that affect how the product's cost is calculated or how the product is tracked cannot be changed once the product has been used on sales, purchasing or inventory transactions.

Primary Product Attributes

A product has several attributes that determine how the product is used, tracked and classified. The top half of the Edit Product window contains these fields.

Field Field Type/ Length Definition
Product ID Text / 42 Characters Required. This is the unique name for a product.
UPC Text / 159 Characters This is the primary UPC associated with this product.
Description Text / 4095 Characters The full description of the product.
Item Type List Required.
  • Non-Inventoried: Used to track the usage of tangible products, but costs and on hand quantities will not be tracked.
  • Inventoried: Acctivate will track costs and quantities for the product. You can drop ship or special or an Inventoried item if licensed for Advanced Purchasing.
  • Drop Ship Only: Drop Ship Only products can only be drop shipped, you cannot inventory them.
  • Special Order Only: Special Order Only products can only be special ordered, you cannot inventory them.
  • Labor: Used to record labor / service on non-posting and posting sales and purchasing transactions.
  • Other Charge: Used to record charges on non-posting and posting sales and purchase transactions. For example, a Restocking Fee.
  • Shipping: Used for shipping charges.
Product Type List Required. Product Types are defined in the Inventory section of the Configuration Manager.
Product Class List Required. Product Classes are defined in the Inventory section of the Configuration Manager.
Sales Category List Sales Categories are defined in the Inventory section of the Configuration Manager.
Bill of Materials List
  • None (or blank): If set to None or blank, the product does not have a Bill of Materials (BOM) that make it up.
  • Assembly (Standard): An assembly product in which the components that make it up cannot be modified per assembly transaction.
  • Assembly (Custom): An assembly product in which the list of components and component quantities can be modified per assembly transaction.
  • Assembly (Process): An assembly product in which the list of components and component quantities can be modified per assembly transaction and the yield of the assembly product can vary.
  • Assortment: A non-inventoried product that is related to an assortment of components.
  • Kit (Standard): A non-inventoried product that represents a group of products (its components). The components and their quantities cannot be altered per order
  • Kit (Custom): A non-inventoried product that represents a group of products. Unlike a standard kit, a custom kit can have components and component quantities changed per order
Color Text / 25 Characters A searchable text field for recording product color.
Size Text / 25 Characters A searchable text field for recording product size.
Active Checkbox If checked, the product is active and will appear in product lookup results. If unchecked, the product will be made inactive.
Discontinued Checkbox If checked, the product remains Active, but you'll receive a popup notification when adding the Product to a Sales or Purchase Order.

Used when you have quantity on hand, but product will not be purchased or sold after the remaining quantity is depleted.

Discontinued products are excluded from the Reorders tab of the Business Alerts window.
Available On Web Checkbox If checked, the product's inventory quantities will be synchronized to any web store that has the Export inventory web store template option enabled. Product information will also be exported to a flat file when using the File → Export Product List function.
Alt Product ID Text / 159 Characters This is the primary Alternate Product ID associated with this product.
Alt Description Text / 4095 Characters An alternate description of the product.
Keywords Text / 80 Characters A searchable text field for recording keywords related to the product.
Tax Code List Displays the full list of active tax codes.
Not for Resale Checkbox If the product has a taxable tax code and this option is enabled, tax will be charged even if the customer is non-taxable. Since the product is not for resale, the non-taxable customer is the 'end-user' and therefore tax will be charged. This option cannot be enabled if the product has a non-taxable tax code.
Stocking Unit List Required. The unit in which the inventory is stocked. The products on hand quantities and unit costs are in this unit.
Sales Unit List This is the default unit used for non-posting sales transactions (Quotes, Sales Orders, Service Orders, Credit Memos). See Unit of Measure configuration.
Purchasing Unit List This is the default unit used for non-posting purchasing transactions (Purchase Orders) See Unit of Measure configuration. Units that have a weight or length relationship with the stocking unit are used for sales pricing and therefore not available as a purchasing default.
Packaging Unit List This is the unit used by the Packaging Manager when using the Package Shipment function. See Unit of Measure configuration.
View Alternates Button / Grid The sales, purchasing, and packaging units are the default units to be used, however if you've setup units in the Configuration Manager that use a "Product Specific" relationship to your stocking unit then you can define those additional unit relationships in this section.

Inventory

The Inventory tab exists for all products, regardless of their Item Type. However, the inventory tab may not show all the field below depending on the product's Item Type. With the exception of the Control Type, Cost Method and Count Cycle, the other fields can be defined for each warehouse associated with the Product.

Field Field Type/ Length Definition
Control Type List Required for Inventoried Items. See Product Control Type for options and definitions.
Cost Method List Required. See Cost Method for options and definitions.
Location field Text / 80 Characters The Location text field can be used to store the warehouse location. If Multiple Location Control module is enabled this field will not display, instead use the Locations tab to manage the multiple locations for this product.
Count Cycle Text / 5 Characters The Count Cycle field allows you to enter an arbitrary value that can be filtered on when preparing Inventory Counts.

Inventory grid

The inventory grid displays the warehouses the product is stocked in as well as the inventory quantities related information. The fields displayed will depend on the products Item Type and Cost Method. This grid is read only and cannot be edited.

Field Definition
Warehouse The warehouse that product is stocked in.
Available The available quantity, calculated as:
  • On Hand Qty - Reserved Qty - Scheduled Qty - Backordered Qty - Assembly WIP Qty - Transfer Qty - PO Returns (vendor)
If the Included quantities on POs for available quantity option is enabled, then availability is calculated as:
  • On Hand Qty - Reserved Qty - Scheduled Qty - Backordered Qty - Assembly WIP Qty - Transfer Qty - PO Returns (vendor) + On PO Qty
On Hand The On Hand quantity is the physical quantities you have. This quantity reflects the all invoiced and posted quantities.
On PO The outstanding quantity on purchase orders in an Issued PO status.
WIP If the product is a component of an assembly, the WIP quantity represents the component quantity that is on an unposted assembly session.
Assy If the product is an assembly product, the Assy quantity represents the assembly quantity that is is on an unposted assembly session.
Sched The Sched quantity on scheduled sales orders.
B/O The B/O quantity on open sales orders.
Special The quantity ordered on a special order line type on a sales order.
Transfer The quantity on unposted inventory transfer sessions. This column only appears if the product is stocked in more than one warehouse.
Avg Cost The avg cost of the product. Calculated as total valued divided by the on hand quantity. This will display for all inventoried products regardless of their cost method, except for "Standard" cost method.
Value The total value of inventory on hand.

Warehouse Management tab

The Warehouse Locations tab can be found on the right side of the Inventory tab. The options here can be defined per warehouse this product is stocked in.

Field Field Type/ Length Definition
Mgmt Cost Numeric The Management Cost is defined per warehouse can be used in sales pricing formulas and as a default purchase order price. Otherwise, it is not used in any inventory calculations. Kit products will have a Management Cost that is the sum of the kit component's Last Cost. For non-kit products, the Management Cost is user defined.
Last Cost Numeric The Last Cost shows the cost of the last transaction that added inventory. This includes:
  • Inventory Receipts
  • Inventory Assemblies
  • Inbound Transfers
  • Balance Adjustments used to set the initial on hand quantity and cost (Balance Adjustments used to adjust existing quantity on hand and/or costs do not update the Last Cost field)
Kit products, which are non-inventoried, will have a Last Cost that is the sum of the kit component's Last Cost.

Used as a reference and can be used in sales pricing formulas.
Reserved Numeric The Reserved quantity is a user defined quantity that is removed from the Available quantity. Typically used to reserve a quantity of the product for internal use.
Min Ord Qty Numeric The Minimum Order Quantity is a user defined quantity that is used in the Suggested Reorder Quantity formula. The formula will return a reorder quantity that is at least equal to or greater than the Minimum Order Quantity.
Min Stk Qty Numeric The Minimum Stock Quantity is used in the Suggested Reorder Quantity formula. Also known as the Reorder Point.
Max Stk Qty Numeric The Maximum Stock Quantity is used in the Suggested Reorder Quantity formula. It must be equal to or greater than the Min Stk Qty. Also known as the Stocking Level.
Warehouse Note Text Text field for storing a warehouse specific note

Warehouse Locations tab

The Warehouse Locations tab can be found on the right side of the Inventory tab if Locations are enabled. The location options can be defined for each warehouse this product is stocked in.

Field Field Type/ Length Definition
Primary Location List A Primary stocking location can be defined for this product. This will be the location that defaults on inventory transactions and non-posting sales transactions (unless using Picklists).
Primary Stock Level Numeric If the location's On hand quantity is below the Primary Stock Level, this product will appear in the Primary Location Restocking Report (Reports → Inventory management → Warehouse).

Prices

The Prices tab of the Edit Product window allows users to define a List Price. The list price is the price used when a customer is not eligible for any other pricing rules. The Price Code definitions for a product can be defined here as well. For more information on configuring standard unit pricing, standard length/weight pricing, and variable length/weight pricing (including catch weight pricing), review the Pricing Configuration documentation.

Field Field Type/ Length Definition
List Price Numeric The price or percentage to be used to calculate the List Price. Depends on the price Type selected.
Unit List The List Price's unit. Displays all "Standard" relationship units and "Product Specific" relationship units that have been configured for this product.
Type List The Price Type is the type of calculation used for the List Price:
  • Price: When selected, the number in the Price field is the price that will be used for the List Price.
  • Mgmt Cost + Percent: When selected, the number in the Price field is the percentage that will be added to the Mgmt Cost in order to come up with a List Price. Mgmt Cost is defined per warehouse.
  • Mgmt Cost + Amount: When selected, the number in the Price field is the dollar amount that will be added to the Mgmt Cost in order to come up with a List Price. Mgmt Cost is defined per warehouse.
  • Last Cost + Percent: When selected, the number in the Price field is the percentage that will be added to the Last Cost in order to come up with a List Price. Last Cost is tracked per warehouse.
  • Last Cost + Amount: When selected, the number in the Price field is the dollar amount that will be added to the Last Cost in order to come up with a List Price. Last Cost is tracked per warehouse
  • Average Cost + Percent: When selected, the number in the Price field is the percentage that will be added to the Average Cost in order to come up with a List Price. Average Cost is tracked per warehouse.
  • Average Cost + Amount: When selected, the number in the Price field is the dollar amount that will be added to the Average Cost in order to come up with a List Price. Average Cost is tracked per warehouse.
Price Category List/Text / 25 Characters A Price Category is an arbitrary pricing categorization that allows you to apply pricing rules to all products that are a part of the same Price Category. You can select an existing price category or type in a new Price Category. To manage pricing for a Price Category, use the Price Code Maintenance window.
Code List The Price Code field displays the distinct list of Price Codes setup in the Sales section of the Configuration Manager.
Currency List If multi-currency is enabled in QuickBooks, Acctivate will display the currency codes available.
Price or % Numeric The Price or Percentage to be used to calculate the Price Code's price. Depends on the Price Type selected.
Unit List The Price Code's unit. Displays all Standard relationship units and Product Specific relationship units that have been configured for this product. If you tab through this field, the price unit will default to the Sales Unit.
Type List The Price Type is the type of calculation used for the Price Code's price:
  • Price: When selected, the number in the Price field is the price that will be used for the Price Code price
  • List Price - Percent: When selected, the number in the Price field is the percentage that will be subtracted from the List Price in order to come up with a Price Code price. The List Price Unit will be used and the price code's unit will be left blank.
  • List Price - Amount: When selected, the number in the Price field is the dollar amount that will be subtracted from the List Price in order to come up with a Price Code price. The List Price Unit will be used and the price code's unit will be left blank.
  • Mgmt Cost + Percent: When selected, the number in the Price field is the percentage that will be added to the Mgmt Cost in order to come up with a Price Code price. Mgmt Cost is defined per warehouse.
  • Mgmt Cost + Amount: When selected, the number in the Price field is the dollar amount that will be added to the Mgmt Cost in order to come up with a Price Code price. Mgmt Cost is defined per warehouse.
  • Last Cost + Percent: When selected, the number in the Price field is the percentage that will be added to the Last Cost in order to come up with a Price Code price. Last Cost is tracked per warehouse.
  • Last Cost + Amount: When selected, the number in the Price field is the dollar amount that will be added to the Last Cost in order to come up with a Price Code price. Last Cost is tracked per warehouse.
  • Average Cost + Percent: When selected, the number in the Price field is the percentage that will be added to the Average Cost in order to come up with a Price Code price. Average Cost is tracked per warehouse.
  • Average Cost + Amount: When selected, the number in the Price field is the dollar amount that will be added to the Average Cost in order to come up with a Price Code price. Average Cost is tracked per warehouse.
Low Qty Numeric Customers who are eligible for this price code will automatically receive this price if the ordered quantity meets or exceeds the Low Qty (based on the Price Unit).
Hi Qty Numeric Customers who are eligible for this price code will automatically receive this price if the ordered quantity is greater than the Low Qty and does not exceed this High Qty. If the High Qty is blank then it's interpreted as no max quantity.
Effective Date The Effective date is the earliest date in which this price code will be eligible for use. Based on the order date.
Expiration Date The Expiration date is the latest date in which this price code will be eligible for use. Based on the order date.
Note Text An internal note explaining the price code.

Substitutions

A product can have defined substitution options which allow a user to quickly view and select a substitute from the Enter Sales Order window.

Field Field Type/ Length Definition
Pref Checkbox When checked, the substitution is the preferred substitution for this product. Only one substitution can be defined as the Preferred substitute.
Substitution ID Lookup Field Required. You can select an existing product as a substitution for this product.
Effective Date This is the earliest date in which the substitution is available.
Expires Date This is the date the substitution is no longer valid or selectable.
Reference Text / 30 Characters A short reference text.
Note Text A lengthy text field for recording notes regarding the substitution.

Vendors

The Vendor's tab of the Edit Product window allows you to manage the vendors associated with this product. You can manually add vendors, otherwise Acctivate will automatically add vendors based on Purchase Orders you create for this product.

Field Field Type/ Length Definition
Pref Checkbox When checked, the vendor is the preferred vendor for this product. Only one vendor can be defined as the preferred vendor.
Vendor Lookup Field Required. You can lookup and select from a list of vendors. Vendors are added in QuickBooks.
Vendor Product ID Text / 25 Characters The Vendor Product ID is product identifier used by the vendor. If filled in, the purchase order in Acctivate will display the Acctivate Product ID and the Vendor Product ID.
Lead Time Numeric The Lead Time is the vendors lead time in days. E.g., "14" represents a 14 day lead time.
Price Numeric The purchase price for this product. If defined, Acctivate will use this price for the purchase order price.
Unit List The unit for the purchase price.
Last PO Date The date of the last issued purchase order. Not editable.
PO Qty Numeric The quantity ordered on the last issued purchase order. Not editable.
PO Price Numeric The price used on the last issued purchase order (not the last receipt price or invoice price). If no vendor price is defined, Acctivate will use this price for new PO's. Not editable.
Unit (Price) Text The price unit used for the price used on the last issued Purchase Order. Not editable.
Last Rec'd Date The date of the last inventory receipt for this vendor. Not editable.
Rec'd Qty Numeric The quantity received on the last inventory receipt for this Vendor. Not editable.
Unit (Received) Text The unit used for the last inventory receipt for this vendor. Not editable.
Address Text The vendor's address. Not editable.
Note Text A note specific to the vendor. When this product is added to a purchase order for this vendor, this note will appear in a pop-up window.

History

Tip

Check out the Open, Sales, and Purchasing buttons in the Transactions tab of the Product List which provides more information, the ability to hide/show certain columns, and includes advanced filtering options.

The History tab of the Edit Product window shows the non-posting transactions where the product has been used. This includes the sales, purchase, and assembly history. The data on this tab is not editable, however you can "drill-down" by double clicking a sales or purchasing row. Additionally, there are filters for the Warehouse, Type of transaction, and a Look for search box that searches the entire history grid.

Field Definition
Checkbox If checked, this means the non-posting transaction is not open, e.g. it is completed or canceled.
Number The non-posting transaction number as it corresponds to the Type. E.g. the sales order number or purchase order number.
Type The non-posting transaction type, e.g. Sales Order, Sales Quote, Credit Memo, etc.
Branch The Branch of the non-posting sales transaction (this will be blank if the type is not a non-posting sales transaction.
Date Date of the non-posting transaction.
Status The current status of the non-posting transaction.
Requested The requested ship date of the non-posting transaction.
Promised The promised ship date of the non-posting transaction.
W/H The warehouse for the non-posting transaction.
Ordered The quantity ordered on the non-posting sales or purchasing transaction.
Unit The ordered quantity unit used on the non-posting sales or purchasing transaction.
Stk Qty The quantity in stocking unit.
Stk Unit The stocking unit.
Shipped The qty shipped in stocking units for a non-posting sales transaction and the qty received in stocking units for a non-posting purchase.
Scheduled The qty scheduled on a non-posting sales transaction in stocking units.
Backordered The qty backordered on a non-posting sales transactions other than Quotes and Booked orders.
Outstanding The qty remaining on a non-posting sales or Issued purchase orders in stocking units.
Location The warehouse location selected for the sales order.
Name The customer or vendor name for non-posting sales and purchase transactions.
By The user who entered the non-posting transaction.
Price The sales or purchase price.
Unit The sales or purchase price unit.
Reference The Reference field data from the non-posting transaction.
Reference 2 The Reference 2 field data from the non-posting transaction.
Note The sales note or purchase note from the Popups tab.

Transactions

Tip

Check out the Transactions button in the Transactions tab of the Product List which provides more information, the ability to hide/show certain columns, and includes advanced filtering options.

The Transaction tab of the Edit Product window shows all the transactions that add or remove quantity and affect cost. Only posted inventory transactions will appear in this list. Additionally, there are filters for the Warehouse, Type of transaction, inventory Location and a Look for search box that searches the entire transaction grid.

Field Definition
Date Date of the inventory transaction.
Session The session number of the inventory transaction.
Type The transaction type, e.g., Sale, Receipt, Adjustment, etc.
Quantity The quantity added or removed as a result of this transaction.
Unit The unit of the transaction. Always the stocking unit.
Invoice Invoices remove quantity (the Type is Sale) and don't have a session number. Instead, you can search for the Invoice Number.
Order The order number relating to the invoice.
PO Number The purchase order number related to the inventory receipt.
Unit Cost The unit cost calculated for the inventory transaction.
Amount The total inventory value added or removed as a result of the inventory transaction.
Location The inventory location in which the inventory was added or removed from.
Note An editable note for the transaction. To add a note, click Edit at the top of the Edit Product window and begin typing in the note field.
Reference The Reference text field from the inventory transaction.
Document The Document text field from the inventory transaction.
Vendor The vendor related to the inventory receipt transaction.
Description The Description field from the inventory transaction.

Popups

A product can be configured to popup a message when the product is added to a Sales Order or Purchase Order.

Field Definition
Sales Order Note The text entered into this field will "pop up" in a separate window when this product is added onto a sales order and the "Popup" checkbox below it is checked.
Purchase Order Note The text entered into this field will "pop up" in a separate window when this product is added onto a purchase order and the "Popup" checkbox below it is checked.

Lot/Serial

The Lots or Serial #s displays a list of lot/serials for the product. Use the Edit button to open the Lot Number Information or Serial Number Information window.

Wh Used, Components, Comp/Wh Used

Products that have a Bill of Materials will have a Components tab that allows a user to add the components that make up the product. Products that are used in another product's Bill of Materials will have a Wh Used (Where Used) tab that lists which products are using this product as part of its bill of materials. If the product has its own components and is also used as a component of another product, the tab will read Comp/Wh Used. Use theView drop down menu on this tab to see the list of components, where this product is used as a component, and a Usage Graph.

Field Definition
# The numeric sequence of the components. You can re-number the components to put them in the sequence you'd prefer.
Product ID The Product ID of the component.
Warehouse The warehouse the assembly component should be removed from. Kit components come from the warehouse assigned to the kit on the sales order.
Description The component product's description.
Color The color of the component product.
Size The size of the component product.
Quantity The quantity of this component that is required to make one stocking unit of the assembly or kit product.
Unit The stocking quantity of the component product.
Variable If the Bill of Materials is set to Assembly (Custom), Assembly (Process), or Kit (Custom), the components can be marked as Variable which allows them to be removed or have their quantities changed per transaction.
Available The available quantity of the component product.
On Hand The on hand quantity of the component product.
Last Cost The last cost of the component product.
Mgmt Cost The management cost of the component product.
Avg Cost The average Cost of the component product.
Note A user defined note specific to the component.

Specs

The Spec tabs of the Edit Product window is used to records product specifications. In addition to product metrics, a product image can be added using the + sign.

Field Field Type/ Length Definition
External Document Text This field can be used to store a URL, local file path or network file path. Once populated you can use the globe icon to the right to navigate to that location.
Landed Cost factor Numeric The Landed Cost Factor is used when calculating the Landed Cost per item.

A Landed Cost Factor of 1 is the default and means that the metric by which the landed cost will be allocated (i.e., Quantity, Value, Weight, Volume) will first be multiplied by 1, then the result will be used to determine the Landed Cost allocation.

For example, let's assume you are allocating a $100 Landed Cost to an Inventory Receipt which includes two products. 10 Ea were received for each product. The first product has a Landed Cost Factor of 1 (the default) and the second product has a Landed Cost Factor of 2. If the $100 Landed Cost was allocated by Quantity, the allocation quantity for distributing Landed Cost would be calculated as:
  • Product 1: 10 Ea * 1 = 10 (allocation qty)
  • Product 2, 10 Ea * 2 = 20 (allocation qty)

The Landed Cost factor results in the $100 being allocated as if the total quantity was 30 (no quantity change is actually made however), with more cost being allocated towards Product 2. This results in a distribution of $33.33 for Product 1 and $66.67 for Product 2.
Technical Specifications Text A text field for recording the product's specifications.
{Stocking Unit} Metrics tab
Weight numeric The weight for a single stocking unit in either Lbs or Kgs (based on Dimension Metrics in the Inventory Options section of the Configuration Manager).
Variable (weight) Checkbox If checked, the weight field on a sales order can be manually changed.
Length numeric The length for a single stocking unit of the product.
Variable (length) Checkbox If checked, the length field on a sales order can be manually changed.
Height numeric The height for a single stocking unit of the product.
Variable (height) Checkbox When checked it indicates the height is variable.
Width numeric The width for a single stocking unit of the product.
Variable (width) Checkbox When checked it indicates the width is variable.
Volume numeric The volume for a single stocking unit of the product.
Variable (volume) Checkbox When checked it indicates the volume is variable.
Inner Pack Qty numeric The quantity of stocking units that occupy the inner packaging when shipping.
Outer Pack Qty numeric The quantity of inner packaging that occupy the outermost packaging when shipping.
{Packaging Unit} Metrics tab (visible if the Packaging unit is different then the Stocking unit.
Weight numeric The weight for a single packaging unit in either Lbs or Kgs (based on Dimension Metrics in the Inventory Options section of the Configuration Manager).
Variable (weight) Checkbox If checked, the weight field on a sales order can be manually changed.
Length numeric The length for a single packaging unit of the product.
Variable (length) Checkbox If checked, the length field on a sales order can be manually changed.
Height numeric The height for a single packaging unit of the product.
Variable (height) Checkbox When checked it indicates the height is variable.
Width numeric The width for a single packaging unit of the product.
Variable (width) Checkbox When checked it indicates the width is variable.
Volume numeric The volume for a single packaging unit of the product.
Variable (volume) Checkbox When checked it indicates the volume is variable.
Inner Pack Qty numeric The quantity of packaging units that occupy the inner packaging when shipping.
Outer Pack Qty numeric The quantity of inner packaging that occupy the outermost packaging when shipping.

Notes

The Notes tab allows saving product specific notes. These notes can be used to document something or a note can be assigned to a user for follow-up. You can also add a note to a product by opening the Product List in the left menu, locating the product and clicking +Create...→ Note.

Activities

The Activities tab of the Edit Product window displays all the Business Activities which have this product as a "Related Item". Use the "Look for" search box to search the list of related Business Activities. This data is read only and can not be edited from this window. To edit the Business Activity, double click the Activity ID to open the Business Activity.

Field Field Type/ Length Definition
Activity ID Text / 40 Characters The Business Activity ID which has this product as a related item.
Priority List The Priority of the Business Activity.
Opened Date The date the Business Activity was created.
Status List The current Status of the Business Activity. A completed Business Activity will have an "X" in the far left column.
Description Text / 255 Characters The description of the Business Activity, used to summarize the Activity.
Type List The Type of the Business Activity.
Code List The current Code for the Business Activity.
Due Date The due date of the Business Activity.
Promised Date The date the Business Activity is promised to be completed.
Closed Date The date the Business Activity was set to a completed Status.
Assigned To List The Acctivate user that the Business Activity is assigned to.
Contact Text / 120 Characters The contact name from the Contact section of the Activity.
Phone Text / 50 Characters The Contact Phone from the Contact section of the Activity.

Alt IDs

A product can have multiple Alternate Product ID's associated with it, which function as an alias for the product. When typing or scanning an Alternate Product ID, Acctivate will recognize it and convert it to the related Product ID. Likewise, importing Sales Orders with an Alternate Product ID will result in the order being created with the related Product ID.

Field Field Type/ Length Definition
ID Text / 159 Characters Required. This is the alternate ID. It can be an alternate name for the product or a UPC number.
Description Text / 4095 Characters A description for the alternate ID. This is only a descriptor or reference relating to the alternate ID and not used anywhere else.
Type List An Alternate Product ID must have its typed identified.
  • Alt Product ID: An alternate name for this product.
  • UPC: A UPC code for this product
  • Web Store: You can set an alternate specific to a web store. Used by the related Web Store template during import, but not by other forms of data entry such as typing or scanning
Primary Checkbox One Alternate Product ID can be defined as the Primary Alternate Product ID and one UPC can be defined as the Primary UPC. All Alternate Product ID's and UPC's are evaluated equally, designating a primary only aids in visibility as they are displayed at the top of the Edit Product window.

Product labels can be printed from either the Edit Product window's toolbar or from the Print Product Labels window.

  1. From the Inventory menu, choose Print Product Labels.
  2. Lookup the Product ID.
  3. Enter the Quantity to be printed.
  4. Select the Label to be used. (Reports configured with the "Product Label" Document Type are available for selection).
  5. Optionally, select the Preview checkbox before clicking Print.

Product List

The Product List can be found by clicking Products in the left menu of Acctivate. The Product List window is made up of four primary sections:

  • Search Bar, Sort and Filters
  • List of Product ID's
  • Product Attributes
  • Product Information
Tip

When viewing the list of products, this window is commonly referred to as the Product List. It's also acceptable to refer to this window as the Product window when viewing a single product. The Edit Product window, previously mentioned, is a separate window that is used for entering or editing product information. In order to eliminate any confusion, it's best to use the appropriate name when referencing either of these windows.

Search Bar and Sort

The upper left-hand corner of the Product List contains a Search bar which will filter down the Product List as you type. The following fields are searched:

  • Product ID
  • Description
  • Primary Alternate Product ID
  • Primary UPC
  • Primary Class ID
  • Keywords
  • Status ("Discontinued" or "Inactive")

You can also sort the Product List by clicking the "Sort" text. The arrow next to the text will point up or down to indicate whether the list is sorting ascending or descending.

Filters

Above the search bar is a drop-down menu allowing you to select standard or custom filters. The Product list has two standard filters which are visible to all users:

  • Active Only: Displays all the products which are active (including discontinued products).
  • All Products: Displays all active and inactive products.

You can also create custom filters:

  1. Click the Filter button.
  2. In the Filter Editor window, click the + symbol to add filter expressions.
  3. Once you've added all the filter expressions, click one of the buttons:
    • OK: This will apply your filters and close the Filter Editor. This filter will not be saved, but it will remain in place until you select another standard or custom filter. The filter menu will display "Custom Filter..." to indicate a custom filter is applied.
    • Apply: This will apply your filters, but it keeps the Filter Editor open so you can further adjust the filters.
    • Save As: This allows you to save this filter for use again in the future. When you choose this option, you must enter a Filter Name and you have the option to select the Available for all users checkbox. If left unchecked, this filter will only be available for the user who created it.

Edit, delete or share an existing filter
Once you've created a filter, you can edit, delete or make the filter shared with everyone.

  1. In the saved filter drop down list, select your filter.
  2. Click the Filter button to open the Filter Editor.
  3. Click the downward arrow next to the Save button to see a list of options:
    • Save as New Filter...: Use this to copy this filter as a new filter. You can add additional filter expressions before or after this step.
    • Share filter with everyone: This option is available if the filter is not already shared with everyone. If a filter is shared with everyone, the text Shared will appear next to the Save button.
    • Rename Filter...: If this option is selected, you will be prompted to enter the new filter name.
    • Delete Filter: This will delete the saved filter.
Note

Once a filter is shared with everyone, it cannot be un-shared. However, you can copy the shared filter as a new filter that is not shared, then delete the original shared filter.

List of Products

There are three key pieces of information on display in the list of Products.

  • Product ID
  • Product description
  • Product list price

If the list price is based on a warehouse cost field, the list price displayed will be based on the cost of the first warehouse (alphanumerically) the product is stocked in.

Product

The Product tab shows primary product information grouped into different cards for easy viewing of product information.

Timeline

The Timeline tab gives a list of all activity for the product, sequenced by date. You can use the Type list and Look for search box to filter the list of activity.

Inventory

The Inventory tab displays the quantities, unit costs, and locations per warehouse.

Transactions

The Transactions tab displays the Sales, Purchasing, and Inventory transactions.

  • Open: The Open button shows open sales orders, purchase orders, and certain Draft inventory transaction types (Adjustments, Assembly and components transactions, Issues, Receipts, and Transfers).
  • Sales: The Sales button shows all sales activity.
  • Purchasing: The Purchasing button shows all purchase activity.
  • Inventory: The Inventory button shows posted inventory transactions of all types.

System administrators can use the Columns button to choose which columns are visible to Acctivate users.

Prices

The Prices tab will display price codes assigned to this product.

Insights

The Insights tab gives you an overview of a product's performance. use the Warehouse filters to only look at activity for a warehouse. Use the date slider to determine how much activity to include.

The insights tab will give the Top 5 Customers who've purchased this product (based on quantity ordered). You can also see how often certain price codes are used so that you can better understand if this product is sold when certain price conditions are met.

The Analysis section will recommend a minimum stocking level based on how quickly this product sells (average daily demand) and what the preferred vendor's lead time is. For example, if you are selling one a day and your vendor's lead time is 7 days, the suggested minimum stock quantity will be calculated as 7. You must define a preferred vendor and lead time to get this suggestion. This is only a suggestion, and you would need to update the min stock quantity per warehouse. The average daily demand is calculated as the invoiced quantity from the 1st of the earliest month in the evaluation period and up to the current date. E.g., if the current date is April 15th and you choose the analysis period of "Over last 1 months", the average daily demand is calculated for the period of March 1st through April 15th.

The following values calculated from the current date to the same date of the first month to include. E.g., if the current date is April 15th and you choose the analysis period of "Over last 2 months", the average daily demand is calculated for the period of February 15th through April 15th.

The Average Sales Qty per month and (vendor) PO Qty per month is calculated based on the period being analyzed. These are based on the sales order and purchase order's ordered quantity.

Likewise, a Turnover Rate is calculated for the period analyzed. The turnover rate is a numeric value indicating how frequently inventory is moving. The calculation for turnover rate is: Cost of Goods Sold / Mean Inventory Valuation. You can take this value and perform further analysis using it. By dividing the number of days in the period by your Turnover Rate, you will know how many days before you completely 'turnover' your inventory.

For example, if your turnover rate is 9 for a 12 month period, then you would divide 365 (the number of days in a 12 month period) by 9 (your turnover rate). The result is 40.56, therefore you sell through your entire stock of this product every 40.5 days, or roughly month and a half.

The Customer Service Level is defined as the percentage of shipments that are on time (on or before the requested or promised ship date).

The Vendor Service Level is defined as the percentage of shipments (receipts) that are on time (on or before the requested or promised date).

Tip

On the insights tab, you can hover your mouse over some of these metrics to see an explanation of the data being presented.

Vendors

The vendors tab shows the vendor information associated with this product.

Lot/Serial

If the product is lot or serial numbered, you will see a list of the lot or serial numbers here. You can filter by warehouse and you can also include inactive serial numbers.

The right sidebar of the Product window includes the product's recent activity (last three orders, POs, and invoices), and created/updated info.

Product Export

Your product list can be exported to a .csv file using the Export Product List function:

  1. First, select the Product fields to be included in the export.
  2. From the menu bar of Acctivate, select File → Export Product List to open the Export Product List window.
  3. The Export Destination field will default if configured, otherwise use the lookup to enter a name and select a location for export.
  4. The Only export "Available on Web" products option will default based on the default configuration setting. When checked, only products configured as Available on Web will be exported. When unchecked, all products will be exported.
  5. Click Export.
Tip

You can also export some grids, export Reports, query data in Excel.