Catalogue Management

OBJECTIVE

The Catalogue Management function defines items that will be used for sales and purchases.

Catalogue items are very important elements of maestro*. They can be used with Stock Order from Catalogue, sales, Work Orders, Customer Orders, Point of Sale, requisitions, Resource List by Project, Estimating, Concrete and Quarry Tickets, and Service Management.

Based on how they are used, catalogue items can be managed in inventory if desired. The item’s definition depends on this.

 

PREREQUISITES

 

Steps

 

maestro* > Purchasing > Maintenance > Catalogue > Catalogue Management

 

Create an item

  1. Enter the basic information of the item:

Field

Description

Code

Code that identifies the catalogue item.

Classification

Classification of the item from Define Item Classifications.

NOTE: When using the search by item classification (available by clicking ) it is also possible to display the classification by alphabetical order. Click the Configuration icon of the window to do so.

Description

Description that identifies the item. A button allows you to toggle between the English and French description of the item.

NOTE: You can enter three lines of details. This description is displayed in searches and is included on printed reports.

Available in Mobile

If this box is checked, the item becomes available in maestro*MOBILE.

Creation Date

Date on which the item was created in maestro*.

NOTE: This date can be changed, if necessary.

  1. Enter the required information in the ClosedItem Description tab:
  1. ClosedIdentification section:

Field

Description

Type

Identifies the type to which the item belongs.

NOTES: This field is used to select a type using the Define Item Types option.

You can produce reports by item type or update the various prices (unit price, fixed cost, selling price) using the Cost Adjustment option.

Category

Category Lev. 2

Category Lev. 3

Identifies the category to which the item belongs. Various options in maestro*allow you to filter items by main category. We can create up to 3 new category levels to facilitate searches when using the search by category functionality.

For example: Framing > Pine > 2x10 or Framing > Pine > 2x6.

NOTES: This field is used to select a category using the Define Categories option.

Status

Status of the item in maestro*. ClosedAvailable values:

NOTE: The status restricts choices in certain options.

Site

Used to enter a default site for the item - this is the warehouse address. If a site is entered, maestro* displays the site in its various options.

NOTE: This field is used to select a site using the Define Sites option.

Location

Where the item can be found on the site.

NOTE: This location is the default value in the various options of maestro*.

UPC

Used to specify the universal product code (UPC).

NOTE: The universal product code is always written in upper case. You cannot enter the same universal product code for two different products.

Manufacturer

Manufacturer of the item from Define Manufacturers.

Manuf. Part No.

Used to enter the manufacturer's part number.

Item Type

Used to determine the type of expense to which this item belongs.

The choices are: Labour, Material, Equipment, Misc. (miscellaneous) and Subs (subcontractors).

NOTES: This type is primarily used for Invoice Preparation (W/O).

The type is also used in the Invoicing option of the Service Management module to determine the group and general ledger revenue accounts that are assigned at the time of invoicing. This applies to the material and items to invoice entered in the Return From a Service Call.

Example: If the Item Type is subcontractors, the income group is the one identified in the Subcontractor field in Configuration in the Service Management module.

Subtype

Used with the Labour item type and is printed on sales invoices.

The choices are: A, B, C and D.

NOTE: In summary mode, maestro* prints a subtotal by item type and by subtype if a Labour item type is involved.

Kind of Item

Specifies the kind of item to which the item belongs, mainly for quotations.

NOTE: The kind of item can be used in formulas used to define tax calculations, in Define Tax Code Usage.

  1. ClosedUnit section:

For more information on using this section, please see the Selecting the Item Management Mode topic.

 

Field

Description

Item Management Mode

Allows you to determine how the item’s quantity will be managed in the inventory. ClosedAvailable values:

Default Size

Most common size in inventory when used with management method Variable Size.

NOTE: This size is defaulted when entering the item in a breakdown grid.

Example: For option Technical batch, an item may be managed by volume in the inventory (250 gallon Freon bottle); the unit’s nominal quantity (250) should be entered.

For option Variable size, if the item is a cloth roll usually bought in a 2 m x 75 m format, the quantity should be entered as 2 x 75.

Unit

Abbreviation of the item referring to the format used to measure the quantity. For example, m2, ft, etc. ClosedAvailable values:

Factor

Value used to calculate quantity and unit price conversions if the item is purchased in a format different from the inventory format. ClosedAvailable values:

NOTES: For example, the purchase of a box of filters (box of 20) from a supplier. The filters are kept in units in inventory and on the project. The inventory and project factor is 1 because the filters are managed by unit, but the supplier factor must be the result of 1 divided by 20 or 0.05.

If a Default Size is entered, the factor is the result of multiplying the sizes.

Precision

Precision displayed when using decimals for quantities.

NOTES: If no precision is specified, maestro* displays 0 as the default value. If 0 is entered, no specification will be made. For two decimals, enter 0.01, and for three decimals, enter 0.001. By entering 1, maestro* will round off the value to the nearest whole number. To round to the nearest tenth, enter 0.1, and so forth.

Invoicing Method

Used to specify the invoicing method when the item is used for equipment rentals.

NOTE: This field is only available if timesheet drilling is installed.

Three values are available for time drilling: Billable, Automatic (Best Cost) or Non Billable.

  1. ClosedAccounting Defaults section:

This section identifies default values for the Stock Order from Catalogue and Sales Invoicing options.

 

Field

Description

Expense Activity

Default activity used when entering a Stock Order from Catalogue.

NOTE: This activity is used when creating the sales cost entry generated by converting a sale into an expense.

Cost Group

Default expense group for the item.

Billing Activity

Default activity used when entering a sale.

Revenue Account

Default revenue account for this item when invoicing.

NOTES: When you enter a revenue account, it is suggested by default when invoicing transactions and will have priority over default revenue accounts defined in activities and groups.

This account does not apply to sales from the Service Management module.

Revenue Group

Default revenue group for this item for invoicing purposes.

Tax Codes

Tax codes for the item for purchasing and sales purposes.

NOTES: We recommend entering tax codes for specific tax situations. The latter have precedence over those in Supplier Management (purchasing) and Customer Management (sales).

To determine the source of the tax code and applicable tax rates, refer to Reading Tax Codes in maestro* topic.

Asset Account

Inventory account if different from the one defined in Configuration.

NOTE: For example, you can have an inventory account for raw materials and another for components.

Inventory Activity

Used to determine the activity to which the inventory will be posted. This field is useful to manage exceptions that must not be covered by the default values in the Configurations.

NOTES: If a general ledger account is defined in the activity of the item, this account is used for the transfer.

Maestro* will use the activity defined in Configuration of the inventory if no activity has been defined for the item.

This field is optional and will only be used if a project and a group exist in Configuration, in the Inventory panel.

Cost Management

Used to determine the method for managing costs for using the item. ClosedAvailable values:

  1. ClosedPurchases and Sales section:

Field

Description

Fixed Cost Price

Fixed cost of the item. Four values can be entered in this field:

  • =0: Nothing is affected. Takes the value from the average cost.
  • >0: The amount replaces that of the average cost.
  • -1: Basic function that shows there is no cost management.
  • -2: Indicates then management of quantities, but not of amounts.

NOTES: the -1 value cannot be applied to the inventory-project transfer or the work orders.

In accordance with Configuration, this field can be used to select the unit price (UP) for inventory transactions and requisitions.

When operating in multidimensional mode, an icon located to the right of the field lets users select the appropriate company prefix.

Quotation Price

Default quotation price.

NOTES: In accordance with Configuration, this field can be used as the unit price (UP) for sales transactions.

It can be used to calculate the selling price using a discount table.

When operating in multidimensional mode, an icon located to the right of the field lets users select the appropriate company prefix.

Selling Price

Default selling price. This function would be used in the case of a generic item that has no cost price or selling price in Catalogue Management. ClosedMeaning of the codes:

NOTES: When using Invoice Preparation (W/O), the selling price is calculated based on the cost if -1 or -2 is entered as the value in this field.

When operating in multidimensional mode, an icon located to the right of the field lets users select the appropriate company prefix.

Std Purch.Price

Default list price.

NOTES: In accordance with Configuration, this field can be used as the unit price (UP) for stock order from catalogue, inventory transactions and requisitions. This field can be used in Maintain Price Lists.

When operating in multidimensional mode, an icon located to the right of the field lets users select the appropriate company prefix.

Modification Date

Date on which one of the four price fields has been modified.

NOTE : Each time a field is modified, maestro* automatically updates the Modification Date field. The recorded date is the day’s date, as defined by Windows.

Last Purchase

Automatically displays the date of the last transferred purchase.

NOTE: This date can be changed, if necessary.

Last Cost

Used to enter the last price paid.

NOTES: In accordance with Configuration, this field can be used as the unit price (UP) for Stock Order from Catalogue, inventory transactions and requisitions.

This field is automatically updated when the order is transferred.

Last Discount %

Used to enter the percentage of the last discount paid.

NOTE: This discount is suggested when entering a Stock Order from Catalogue.

Internal Profit Rate

Rate of profit on the item when sold internally.

Internal Return Rate

Depreciation rate used when returning an item from a project to inventory.

NOTE: If the field is empty, maestro*uses the value in Configuration.

Supplier Code

Lets you enter up to four supplier codes from Supplier Management to specify where the item can be purchased.

NOTE: Maestro* always saves the last four suppliers used after transactions are transferred.

Item’s ID code

Supplier's item code.

NOTE: If the item code is used, it is recommended to display the company's item code AND the supplier's code on the order, to avoid any misunderstandings.

Unit Price

The unit price of an item can be manually entered or be automatically updated by maestro* every time the item code is purchased at the supplier.

%Disc.

Percentage of discount granted for the purchase.

Currency

Currency to be used.

Update Date

Date of the last update.

Fixed

Used to indicate that maestro* should not update the following information when an order is transferred (supplier, price, discount, currency, date updated).

Three available values:

  • Checked: The supplier will never be replaced, but the price, discount, currency and date will be updated.
  • Greyed out: No values will be updated by the maestro*on this line.
  • Blank: Do not necessarily keep the information for this supplier.

When an order is transferred, maestro* searches for the supplier on the list of four suppliers for each part ordered. According to the result, several actions are possible.

If the supplier code is not checked on one line, maestro* updates the price, discount, currency and date updated.

If the supplier code is not found and a line is available, maestro* updates the supplier code and the supplier's information.

If the supplier code is not found and no lines are available, maestro* replaces the entire line with the oldest update date.

Pack Size

Used to specify the number of units of an item included in a package based on the supplier.

NOTES: When a catalogue order is created, maestro* confirms so that the number of units ordered is a multiple of the number of units included in a package, if the pack size field is completed.

If orders are generated automatically by maestro*, the quantity ordered will be changed to a multiple of the packaging, for items for which Pack Size is specified.

This function should only be used for items whose method for managing elements is set to U-Unit and the factor is 1.

  1. ClosedInventory Status section:

Field

Description

On Order

Quantity and value of items ordered.

NOTE: A purchase order has been entered for this item and this order has been transferred.

Not Invoiced

Quantity and value of items received, but not invoiced.

NOTE: The invoice from the supplier for the purchase order has not been entered.

To Deliver

Quantity and value of items to be delivered to customers.

NOTE: A sales order has been entered for this item and this order has been transferred.

Stock

Quantity and value in stock.

  1. Enter the required information in the ClosedMiscellaneous tab:
  1. ClosedProcurement Management section:

It is strongly suggested to use the Procurement Management (MRP 1) option to work with these functionalities.

This function requires training adapted to the requirements of companies. We recommend contacting one of our instructors for additional details.

 

Field

Description

Minimum Threshold

Minimum threshold for this item in inventory.

Maximum Threshold

Maximum threshold for this item in inventory.

Economic Order Qty

Minimum quantity to obtain a volume discount.

Daily Consumption

Quantity used per day.

Delivery Days

Number of days for delivery. This field does not trigger "pop-up" alerts - you must instead launch the MRP.

Production Cost Rate

Used to set a production cost rate, which is added to the cost of the item.

NOTE: For example, the time required to cut an item before the sale.

Quantity for recipe

Total quantity required for assembly.

NOTE: Maestro* calculates the quantities required for the order on a pro rata basis, or the quantity deducted from stock based on this quantity and those entered for each of the items in the Breakdown.

Production Cost Activity

Activity to which the production cost is charged.

  1. ClosedVarious section:

This section is used by thermos windows contractors to enter measurements in square millimetres. Maestro* calculates the quantity in square meters. You can enter the quantities ordered by number of windows and maestro* will calculate the correct unit price. When the different values are entered, maestro* converts the units when a Stock Order from Catalogue is entered. To ensure this works properly, when you enter a Stock Order from Catalogue, the size of the window must be entered in the description of the selected item. For example, 1,078 x 2,018 thermos windows.

 

Field

Description

Divided by

Value used to calculate the conversions when the item is purchased in a format different from the inventory format.

Precision

Precision displayed when using decimals for the item.

Rounding

Quantity from which the value must be rounded.

Substitute

Maestro* indicates the item must no longer be used and must be replaced by the part number indicated in this field.

NOTES: Maestro* makes sure when saving that certain important data entered for the original item are identical for the substitute.

The validated fields are:

Item Description Tab

  • Status (except when inactive)

Identification section

Units section

  • Item Management Mode
  • Default size
  • All the units
  • All the factors

Accounting Defaults section

  • Cost Management

Miscellaneous Tab

Various section

  • Divided by
  • Precision
  • Rounding

In Stock Order from Catalogue, maestro* automatically replaces the part code by its substitute when a number is entered in this field.

Document Required at Receipt

Indicates that a document needs to be joined to the item at its reception. This information is displayed in the Receipt of Goods and Enter a Requisition options when an item from the catalogue is entered.

Description

Description of the required document. For example, a Material Safety Data Sheet.

Special Notes on Purchase Order

Used to tell maestro* that a special note should be printed on the purchase order for this item, if the box is checked.

NOTE: When the order is saved, maestro* tells you that the order contains a special note. Consequently, the purchase order form should include a condition that specifies that if the Special Notes on Purchase Order box is checked, a specific message must be displayed. The content of the message should be configured in a form.

Kit

Displays an O (Yes) if the item is an assembly from Define Bill of Materials. Displays an N (No) if it is not.

Old code

Displays the old item number if the Merge Inventory Codes option has been used.

  1. ClosedWarranty Details section:

This section is used with the Preventive Maintenance options in the Equipment module.

 

Field

Description

Number of Months

Number of months guarantee on the item.

Meter 1:

Available values:

Type

Type of meter that applies to the warranty. Example: Kilometres or hours.

NOTE: The meter code must be created in advance using the Define Usage Meter Types option.

Value

Meter number.

Meter 2:

Available values:

Type

2nd type of meter applicable to the warranty.

NOTE: The meter code must be created in advance using the Define Usage Meter Types option.

Value

Meter number.

  1. ClosedEquivalent Items section:

Equivalent items are provided for information purposes so that the user can determine which other products could replace the item. Up to four items can be proposed as equivalent.

  1. ClosedEstimation section:

Field

Description

Resource

Default resource code linked to the item from the Resource Management.

Overhead fee

If checked, indicates that the item is non transferable from a quotation.

The item will never be transferred, even if it is part of a lot.

Labour ratio

Used to establish the labour ratios to be used for various scenarios (A, B, C or D).

NOTES: This ratio affects the quantity of the resource. The scenarios can represent working conditions that are more difficult than usual, resulting in a higher quantity. For example, if scenario 1 is 1, it means that the quantity of the resource is the same as the item to which the resource is linked. If scenario 2 is 1.5, the quantity of the resource is 1.5 times that of the item to which the resource is linked.

This function is used to establish a quantity based on the employee's hourly rate. For example, for work conducted per foot, you can calculate the hourly capacity of the employee times his or her hourly rate. To access the scenario, the resource must be linked to a catalogue item.

Quotation Description

Description that will be displayed on the quotation (advanced quotation) to identify the catalogue items.

NOTE: If no quotation description is entered, maestro* displays the item description on quotations.

  1. ClosedTicketing section:

This section is used with the Tickets module.

 

Field

Description

Hourly Table

Code from the Transport Rates table which is used to invoice transportation.

Ton-km Table

Used to identify the rate code from Transport Rates.

Internal Revenue Activity

Revenue activity used for raw materials.

NOTE: When entering internally invoiced A/P tickets, maestro* uses the internal revenue activity in the following order: the internal revenue activity from Catalogue Management, the external revenue activity from Catalogue Management, or Configuration for Quarry Tickets.

External Revenue Activity

External revenue activity used for raw materials.

NOTE: This field can be modified according to the invoicing activity in the Item Description tab in Catalogue Management.

Transport Revenue Activity

Revenue activity used for the transportation of quarry tickets.

NOTE: When invoicing for the transportation of quarry tickets, maestro* uses the transport revenue activity in the following order: the transport revenue activity from Catalogue Management or the external revenue activity from the catalogue.

Transport Cost Activity

This field identifies the transport cost activity that will be used to enter tickets (A/P) from Project Management.

Billable Quantity Source

Lets you define whether the transportation item will be invoiced based on quantity or the fixed price of the ticket.

Internal Sales Amount

Amount used for information purposes in the Inventory Adjustment summary report of the Invoicing and Quarry Tickets modules.

Surcharge

Product code representing a surcharge that needs to be added to the invoice when the product is sold.

NOTE: When invoicing quarry tickets, maestro* checks if a code is entered in the field and if so, adds a line on the invoice to include the surcharge. The invoiced quantity is the same as the product quantity and the sell price is determined in the usual method.

Keep imported prices and taxes

If this box is checked, for one or more products on the ticket, the system will keep the price given in the ticket at the moment of the importation of those products, instead of using the price indicated in maestro*.

NOTE: By default, this box is not checked.

  1. ClosedService Call section:

This section is used with the Service Management module.

 

Field

Description

Billable

Default setting used to determine whether an item is billable or not when returning from a service call. Available values:

Depending on the Type of Call

Default value.

For a Service or Installation call, the item is always billable by default.

For a Maintenance call, the item is never billable by default.

0-Always

The item is always billable by default, regardless of the type of call entered.

2-Never

The item is never billable by default.

  1. Click Save.

 

See also

 

Last modification: November 07, 2024