Stock Facets
Dimensions Only - This feature is not available in Dimensions Lite
Stock Facets allows you to assign attributes to each stock record in order to speed selection of a stock item, and to prevent the need to hold stock codes that may never be used.
You are able to assign separate attributes to a product: this then enables a range of options to be assigned to each attribute.
Example
Your business sells furniture. The facets applicable to chairs and sofas are: Manufacturer, Fabric, and Colour. The facets applicable to tables are Manufacturer, and Finish.
When entering a Sales Order for a sofa, you select the relevant Manufacturer, Fabric, and Colour. If the selected values relate to a sofa that already exists then that stock code is pulled through to the order detail line; if the selected values do not relate to an existing stock item then a new sofa stock item is created. Similarly, when entering a Sales Order for a table, you can select the relevant Manufacturer and Finish.
Pre-requisites
Unlock Conditions
Stock Facets are available as part of the Stock Unlock.
Security Profiles
In order to set up and/or edit Stock Facets, you must have the appropriate Security Profile access.
This security setting determines whether or not you can access Stock Facets from the main Stock ribbon and then whether you can edit facet values when entering Sales and Purchase Orders. If you do not have Edit permissions, you may still select existing facets when entering orders.
System Options
This functionality is only available if enabled in System Control Stock Options.
The Use Stock Facets option can only be selected if using the combined detail and total transaction window.
Set up
Stock Control > Records > Facets
Having selected to use Stock Facets in System Options, the appropriate facets then need to be set up. You can define an appropriate name for each Facet, and then define the list of available options for each.
Using the above example, the Facets needed for each stock item are: Manufacturer, Fabric, Colour and Finish. Having named the facets, you can then define the values applicable to each Facet. You then create a Product Group for Seating and define the applicable facets as Manufacturer, Material, and Colour. You can then create another Product Group for Tables with the applicable facets being Manufacturer and Finish.
Stock Record > Template
Open the Info screen and set the Apply Facets option to on. Having defined the relevant facets, a stock record needs to be created for each type of item; this acts as a template.
Continuing with the example, you create a stock item for a 2 Seat Sofa and flag it as a Facet Template item in the Seating Product Group.
Order Transactions
When a SOP or POP transaction detail line is created for a Stock Item where Apply Facets is set to on, the system prompts you to select the relevant facets. Having specified the facets, the system then checks whether or not a stock item already exists that uses these facets.
If only one stock item exists that uses this combination of facets then that item is returned to the detail line.
If multiple stock items exist that use this combination then you are presented with a list of all those items so that one can be selected.
If no stock item exists that uses this combination of facets, then the system opens the screen for creating a new stock item. All details except Code are copied from the item selected on the detail line; when the new record is created, the selected facets are saved to it.
If multiple stock items are added to the order together and one or more items are flagged for using facets, you are prompted to ensure that you specify the relevant values for each detail line.
You now need to specify the facets applicable to each item just added to the order. Go to each detail line and a Facets option is available. Click on this option and you may now specify the required facets; the system will validate and retrieve stock items.
Select the 2 Seat Sofa stock item on a Sales Order detail line. The system prompts you to select the Manufacturer, Fabric, and Colour. You select the values and click OK: the system checks whether a 2 Seat Sofa using these values already exists. If it does not exist, you enter a unique stock code and save and the system creates the new record, which is linked to the Sofa Facet Template, and returns the new record to the order detail line. If it does exist, the system returns the existing item to the order detail line.
Stock Record > Facets
The Facets tab on the stock record allows you to view the facets applied to this stock record. These cannot be changed once the stock record is used, but you can select to manually create stock items and assign the facets here as an alternative to creating the stock record on the fly from a transaction.
Reporting
The Stock List has been extended so that you can choose to show the report with Facets.