Material Categories

Overview

In BOS Professional, materials are classified into Categories for reporting purposes. Users are free to create as many categories as they need. Categories can also have Subcategories.

The Edit Categories interface is also used to create Checklists, set up Point-of-Sale options, and enter Specification Notes.

Navigation: Main Menu > Materials > Setup Materials > Menu (button) > Edit Categories

List View

Every material item must be linked to a Category. 

Subcategories are created in the same interface as categories. 

Allocating a material to a subcategory is optional.

Buttons Explained

• Refresh: Refresh the categories list.

• New: Creates a new Category.

• Close: Closes the popup.

Fields Explained

• Field Chooser: Allows users to add or remove columns.

• ID: System-generated number for each category.

• Description: The category's description.

• Type: The Type of category.

• Price Type: The default Price Type for the category.

• Location: The default location for the category.

• Unit: The default Unit for the category.

• Customer: A checkbox indicating if the category is applicable to customers (e.g. finished goods)

• Menu (...): Submenu to edit or delete the record.

Edit View

Buttons Explained

• ∧ ∨: Arrow keys to navigate between the Categories.

• New: Creates a new Category.

• Delete: Deletes the existing Category.

• Save: Saves any changes.

• Close: Closes the Category pop-up.

Header

• Description: A field to type in a description.

• Location: Option to select a location from the dropdown list of locations.

• Type: Option to select a Type of Category from a predefined dropdown list.

• Price Type: Option to select a default Price Type for the category from this list:

  • • Unit Price

    • Fixed Qty

    • Price Range

• Unit: Option to type in a Default Unit for the category

• Customer: Checkbox to tick if the category applies to Customers (e.g. finished goods).

Checklist (tab)

Checklists are fields you want users to fill in to protect your data integrity.

If the fields specified on the checklist are left blank, they will show up as failed items in the list view.

Checklists are optional.

• Add Checklist Item (button): Creates a new Checklist.

• Field Chooser (*): Allows users to add or remove columns.

• ID: The system-generated number allocated to the checklist.

• Order: A sequential number allocated to each record.

• Description: A field to type in a Description.

• Code: A field to type in a Code.

• Type: A dropdown list of available checklists to choose from:

  • Manual: Manual approval for specified users.

  • Auto - SQL: Right-click on the checklist item > select Edit SQL from the context menu > click the Template (button) for an outline of the required SQL.

  • Auto - SQL (Override): Custom checklist created with SQL including an Override for specified users.

  • Auto - Description is blank: Ensures a user enters a Description.

  • Auto - Code is blank: Ensures a user enters a Code.

  • Auto - Reference is blank: Ensures a user enters a Reference. 

  • Auto - Base Unit is blank: Ensures a user selects a Base Unit.

  • Auto - Subcategory is blank: Ensures a user selects a Subcategory.

  • Auto - Supplier Price error/s: The check includes: Unit is blank, Price is blank, Supplier is blank, VAT Type is blank, VAT Type does not match the Supplier VAT Type, Currency does not match the Supplier Currency. 

  • Auto - Cost Price is blank: Ensures a user enters or selects a Cost Price.

  • Auto - Sell Price is blank: Ensures a user enters or selects a Sell Price.

• Updated: Auto filled with the User and Date of the last update.

• Menu (...): Submenu with these options:

  • Edit SQL: Only available if SQL was selected as a type. Allows users to write their own SQL checklist query.

  • Delete: Option to delete the checklist item.

  • Move Up: Move the record up in the hierarchy.

  • Move Down: Move the record down in the hierarchy.

Subcategories (tab)

Subcategories are optional components of the main category (e.g. if the main category is Plates, the subcategories can be Litho Plates and Polymer Plates)

A field to type in subcategories

1. Click in the block.

2. Type a subcategory (one per line).

3. Use Enter to navigate to the next line.

Formats (tab)

Formats are variations of the same product (e.g. glossy paper 80 gsm, glossy paper 100 gsm).

• Description: A field to type in a description.

• Edit (button): Opens a text editor to type in specifications.

• Block

  • The entered specification.

  • The text can also be edited directly in the block.

Point of Sale (tab)

These are the actions taken when a material item is scanned at the point of sale.

• Printer: Option to select a printer from the dropdown list (click the arrow). The list is populated by the installed local printers.

• Template: Option to select a template from the list of QuickEasy templates (click Browse).