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Work with Assemblies Screen

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Overview

Assemblies are special inventory SKUs which are comprised of two or more individual inventory products used to create a finished product. However, the individual components an Assembly can be sold by themselves as well as part of an Assembly.

This screen is accessible from the Assemblies link on the  Inventory & Suppliers tab of the Maintenance Menu.

The process involves the definition of an inventory record, identifying its components and building the Assembly SKU. When an Assembly SKU is built, the QOH of its component parts decreases while the quantity on hand of the Assembly increases, effectively transferring  inventory from the component SKUs to the Assembly SKU. Likewise, when an Assembly SKU is "broken-down", the inventory counts of the component SKUs increase, as the QOH of the Assembly SKU decreases. The cost per unit of the Assembly SKU can be derived from just the parts or it can include the cost of the parts plus labor, packaging and handling fees, etc.

To define an Assembly SKU, first create a normal inventory record via the Inventory screen. Then open the Work with Assemblies (Assemblies) screen to add the components that will be part of the Assembly SKU, and finally "build" the Assembly in the inventory system.

Unlike a Kit SKU, orders for an Assembly SKU will never show the individual components as line items, and the quantity on hand and cost information is tracked by the Assembly SKU, itself, not by its component SKUs. Another difference between Kits and Assemblies is that it is possible to breakdown an Assembly SKU into its parts in order to satisfy order demands for the individual components if necessary. Kits do not have any cost or QOH values associated with them; that information is tracked or obtained from the individual component SKUs instead.

Just as with Kits, it is a best practice to create a new Assembly SKU if the component part list should change after the finished Assembly has been sold. Until that time it is fine to alter the component list of the Assembly SKU.

 

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Description of the Work with Assemblies Screen

Figure 1: Work with Assemblies Screen - default view when first opened  

Radio Buttons at the Top of the Screen

These buttons tell the program which action is to be performed. The other fields that appear on the screen varies depending on the radio button that is selected. Choose one of the following:

Build Assemblies

Figure 2: Work with Assemblies screen - Build Assemblies radio button selected

Break Assemblies

Figure 3: Work with Assemblies Screen - Break Assemblies radio button selected

Define Assemblies

Figure 4: Work with Assemblies Screen - Define Assemblies radio button selected

Add Button

Assembly SKU Combo Box

Build Assemblies Button

Clear Pick List Button

Close Button

Copy from another SKU Button

Delete Button

Get cost from parts Section

Add'l Cost: labor, etc.

Per Assembly

Divide evenly

Item Name Field

Parts in this Assembly Section

Part SKU Column

Quantity Column

Item Name Column

On Hand Column

Print Column

Print Labels

Print Pick List Button

Quantity on Hand Field

Qty to Add/Build/Break Field

Qty. that can be built Field

Search Button (by the Assembly SKU combo box)

Search Button (by the SKU to Add combo box)

Show: Radio Buttons

SKU to Add Combo Box

Create an Inventory Record that will become an Assembly SKU

  1. Go to the Inventory screen from the Main Menu or the Maintenance Menu, Inventory & Suppliers tab, [Inventory] activity.

  2. Click the [Add] button to create a new record for a SKU that will be designated as an Assembly in a later step. While it is possible to select an existing inventory record and define it as an Assembly, the recommended practice is to create a new SKU whenever a new combination of products will constitute an Assembly.

The minimum fields on the Product Info tab that need to be completed before the new inventory record can be saved are as follows:

 

  1. Click the [Save] button to create the new inventory record.

  2. Click [Close] to exit the Inventory screen.

Define an Assembly SKU

  1. Go to the Work with Assemblies screen by clicking the [Assemblies] activity on the Inventory & Suppliers tab of the Maintenance Menu.

  2. Select the [Define Assemblies] radio button.

  3. The [Show: All] radio button should already be selected.

  4. Select the product SKU (inventory record) that was just created in the previous section from the Assembly SKU combo box, or use the [Search] button to locate the correct inventory record and enter it into the combo box. The Item Name field will be populated with the name that was previously assigned to the inventory item, at that time.

  5. Next, enter or select an inventory item that will be part of the Assembly in the SKU to Add combo box. The adjacent [Search] button can also be used to add a SKU to the SKU to Add combo box.

  6. Once a SKU has been entered in the SKU to Add combo box, enter the number of units of the selected component that are needed for the Assembly in the Qty field.

  7. Click the [Add] button. The component SKU will be listed in the Parts in this Assembly section of the screen.

  8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 as many times as necessary until all components have been added to the new Assembly SKU.   

  9. Click the [Close] button to exit the Work with Assemblies screen.

Build an Assembly (perform inventory adjustments related to the Assembly)

  1. Go to the Work with Assemblies screen by clicking the [Assemblies] activity on the Inventory & Suppliers tab of the Maintenance Menu.

  2. The [Build Assemblies] radio button should be selected.

  3. Select the Assembly SKU (inventory record) that was just created in the previous section from the Assembly SKU combo box, or use the [Search] button to locate the correct inventory record and enter it into the combo box. The Item Name field will be populated with the name that was previously assigned to the inventory item, at that time.

  4. Next, enter or select an inventory item that will be part of the Assembly in the SKU to Add combo box. The adjacent [Search] button can also be used to add a SKU to the SKU to Add combo box.

  5. Once a SKU has been entered in the Assembly SKU combo box, the program will calculate the number of Assemblies that can be built from the existing QOH of all components, which will be displayed in the field of the same name.

  6. Decide how the program should determine the cost of the assembly:

    1. leave the Get cost from parts box unchecked to have the cost equal the sum of the cost of all of the components

    2. check the Get cost from parts box and enter an additional value that should be added to the cost of each Assembly or divided equally among all of the Assemblies that are about to be built

    3. FIFO must be enabled to see the cost, and information from the oldest unit is displayed at this screen

  7. If the program should print barcode labels for each of the Assemblies being built, click the [Print Labels] check box.

  8. Choose the number of Assemblies to build, up to the value of the Qty. that can be built field, and enter that number in the Qty to Build field. The Up and Down arrows can also be used to alter the contents of the Qty to Build field.

  9. Click the [Build Assemblies] button. The program will calculate the new quantity on hand figures for the Assembly SKU and each of its individual components and the displays on this screen will be updated.

  10. Click the [Close] button to exit the Work with Assemblies screen.

Break an Assembly (perform inventory adjustments related to the Assembly)

  1. Go to the Work with Assemblies screen by clicking the [Assemblies] activity on the Inventory & Suppliers tab of the Maintenance Menu.

  2. The [Break Assemblies] radio button should be selected.

  3. Select the Assembly SKU (inventory record) to be broken-down into its components from the Assembly SKU combo box, or use the [Search] button to locate the correct inventory record and enter it into the combo box. The Item Name field will be populated with the name that was previously assigned to the inventory item, at that time.

  4. If barcode labels should be printed for each of the component SKUs, so they can be sold individually, check the [Print Labels] box.

  5. Once a SKU has been entered in the Assembly SKU combo box, the program will display the current QOH of the selected SKU  in the Quantity on Hand field.

  6. Based on the available QOH of the Assembly SKU, enter the number of Assemblies that should be broken into their components in the Qty to Break field.

  7. Click the [Break Assemblies] button.

  8. Click the  [Close] button to exit the Work with Assemblies screen.

 

Created: 5/31/11

Revised: 10/22/12

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