Product Extended Unit Conversion Setup field descriptions

Fields are presented in alphabetical order within each section.

General

Conversion Factor

This nonenterable field shows the calculated conversion factor based on the entries made in the Unit Conversion Type and Stocking Units in This Unit/Units in a Stocking Unit fields.

If the conversion factor calculates to a repeating decimal, the system extends to ten decimal places. If it is not a repeating decimal, the system stores the standard five decimal format. Refer to the examples in this topic for illustrations of the different conversions available.

Note: The closer the ratio between the unit and the SKU, the more accurate the conversion. An acceptable error range occurs when the ratio is less than 470:1.

Description

Description for the new unit of measure or conversion factor.

EDI Unit of Measure

This is a required field if you are sending orders or purchase orders using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). EDI requires a two-character unit of measure from the Element Table, Element 355, in the EDI code book. If you are an EDI user, this field equates EDI's two-character unit of measure with the system’s four-character unit of measure.

Product

Product SetupSpecify the product. The product name and stocking unit are displayed. The product must exist in .

Stocking Unit

The stocking unit for this product as defined in Product Setup.

Stocking Units in This Unit / Units in a Stocking Unit

The label that is displayed for this field depends on the option selected for the Unit Conversion Type.

• If you selected a Multiple conversion type, the Specify the product. The product name and stocking unit areStocking Units In This Unit label is displayed. Specify the number of stocking units that make up the new unit being defined. For example, if you are defining a unit of dozen and there are 12 stocking units in the dozen, specify 12 in this field.

• If you selected Fraction as the conversion type, the Units in a Stocking Unit label is displayed next to the field. Specify the number of units that are sold as fractions of the stocking unit. For example, if you stock cases of 12, but allow selling 1 each, specify 12 in this field.

Unit Conversion Type

The Unit Conversion Type is based on the number of stocking units in the new unit and on the selection you make for this field. If you have multiple stocking units in the new unit, choose Multiple. For unit conversion factors that are multiples of the stocking unit, numbers with decimal points are enterable in the Stocking Units in This Unit field.

If you are dealing with units smaller than the stocking unit, choose Fraction. If you specify a number with decimal points in the Units in a Stocking Unit field, this message is displayed: You Have Entered A Decimal Value in a Fractional Unit Of Measure (6381)

This is only a warning. The unit of measure is allowed, and the Units in a Stocking Unit and Conversion Factor field is calculated. You can accurately handle conversions where the unit being defined is a fraction of the stocking unit as long as the ratio is approximately 470:1. Beyond this, either the error factor must be accepted or the stocking unit must be adjusted to reduce the ratio. Refer to the examples in this topic.

Unit

Specify a new unit of measure for this product, or select an existing unit. This field is enterable. If you, instead, use the lookup, be aware that all existing units previously set up in Product Extended Unit Conversion Setup or SA Table Code Value Setup-Unit Conversion are displayed.

Examples of setup scenarios

Example 1: The stocking unit for an item is each and the buying unit is box of 12. It can be sold by the stocking unit or by the buying unit.

Example #2: The stocking unit for an item is spools. There are 90 feet in a spool and the selling unit of measure is feet. In this case you must set up a unit of measure smaller than the stocking unit, so the fraction is used. The ratio is 90:1 which is within the acceptable error range.

Example #3: This item is ceramic tile that measures 4.25 by 4.25 inches. Although it is usually sold in either a case or half case, individual tiles are also sold. The SKU for this product is one tile. The most common selling unit is a square foot since walls and floors are usually measured by the square foot. There are multiple SKUs in a square foot. The number is not a whole number, so the entry is as a multiple with a fraction entered.

There are 7.97232 tiles in a square foot. This is calculated by dividing the number of square inches in a square foot (144) by the number of square inches in a tile (18.0625).

Example #4: This scenario is similar to Example #3. Italian floor tile comes in 13 x 13 inch tiles. The selling unit is square foot, but the base unit for stocking is one each. In this case, the SKU is larger than a square foot, and the fraction is used to set up the conversion.

There are 1.1736111 square feet in a tile. This is calculated by dividing the number of square inches in the tile by the number of inches in a square foot. The number of square inches in the tile is calculated as: 13 x 13 = 169 square inches. The number of inches in a square foot equals 144 square inches. This is calculated to be 169/144 = 1.17361111.

Example #5: This illustration is the most complex of the scenarios presented. It involves defining several units of measure for one product. The product is a 2"x4"x8’ piece of lumber. The lumber is stocked in MBF and sold in these units:

• MBF (1000 board feet)
• LF (lineal feet)
• or by the piece (each), relative to the MBF

The item is purchased in MBF. A board foot is equal to 144 cubic inches of lumber. A piece of lumber measuring 2 inches by 4 inches by 8 feet would be 5.333333333... board feet. This is calculated by multiplying 2 x 4 x 96, which equals 768 cubic inches, and dividing by 144 (5.333333333...). These conversions are set up as a Fraction since we are dealing with units smaller than a stocking unit.

Each is set up as a fraction with 187.5 eaches in 1 SKU. A conversion factor of .00533 is not sufficient to round accurately. It is recognized as 187.61726 eaches in one MBF. This equates to an error of .0006 or 2% of one board. If you sell 187.5 boards, you are selling 999.999375 board feet. The prices and costs at the unit level are accurate. There is no difference in rolling up and down between the units.

The conversion for lineal feet is:

LF is set up as a fraction with 1500 LF in 1 SKU. Because the ratio is 1500:1, errors are bound to happen. It is greater than the 470:1 ratio. An error of 4.975 board feet or a .5% error occurs with this conversion. A conversion factor of .00067 calculates to 1,492.53731 lineal feet in a stocking unit. This is a larger error than each unit previously illustrated.

You can purchase in MBF and have the system convert each MBF receipt to board feet as the stocking unit.

You can sell in MBF, LF, or each, and have the price, cost, and inventory units accurately reflected.