About the Catalog Screen
The catalog has information about all items that are sold in your store. It includes both items that you maintain in stock and non-stock items such as training and other services. Any item that appears on a receipt or invoice must be in the catalog.
Before loading information into the catalog, other information should be in the database. Categories should be loaded so each catalog item can be assigned a category. Vendors should also be loaded so one or more vendors can be specified for each catalog item. Finally sales tax information should be loaded in the store location record so sales tax can be specified for each catalog item.
Introduction
Screen help is available on many items on this screen. move the cursor over an item and a short description is displayed after a second or two.
Click the new button (highlighted) to add a new catalog item.
The remainder of this chapter covers details about sections of the catalog screen.
Search Fields
The catalog may contain thousands of items. Search fields provide a way to quickly find items in the catalog.
Entries in "Item Id", "Barcode", "Field1", and "Field2" search fields display all records that begin with characters entered in each field. Entries in the "item Description" search field display all catalog items containing the characters entered. Entries in the "Price" and "To Sell" fields display all catalog items meeting criteria selected in the popup. Selecting a category with the category popup displays all catalog items within that category.
If all search fields are blank, all catalog items are displayed. More then one search field may be used to create complex search criteria. Listed catalog items change with each character entered in search fields. Note that the number of records meeting search criteria is displayed to the far right of the search fields.
Browser
The browser contains the list of all catalog items meeting search criteria. Click the bottom bar of the browser and drag to increase or decrease the size of the list. Click on the arrows to the far left of the bottom bar of the browser to quickly expand or collapse the browser.
Click on a column heading to sort by that column. Click again to reverse the sort (ascending or descending).
Catalog Information
Item Id: Entered by user. Search field.
Item Description: Entered by user. Search field.
Category: Entered by user. Enter either category code or select category from popup. Search field.
Target Margin: Entered by user. Enter 40 for 40%.
Current Margin: Calculated from selling price and unit cost from Vendor Items panel.
Suggested Price: Calculated from information in the Vendor Items panel.
Selling Price: Entered by user. Search field.
Selling Unit: Entered by user.
Fields 1 & 2: Entered by user. Search fields.
Date Created: Updated automatically when item is created.
Last Cost: Updated automatically when item is received from a purchase order.
Shipping Cost: Entered by user. Flat rate shipping cost for this item if applicable.
Vendor Item Information
This panel has a record for each vendor from which this catalog item may be purchased. The primary vendor is selected from the popup, and that information is used to calculate catalog pricing and margin values. Enter information as described below.
Click the "New" button then the "Find Vendor" button. Select a vendor from the Find Vendor dialog. Enter information for each column of the browser in the fields immediately below the browser.
Vendor Item Id: If available enter the vendor's id for this item. This value is printed on purchase orders.
Unit Cost: Enter the unit cost for the order unit.
# Sell Units: Enter the number of selling units in each order unit. For example, if this item is ordered by case of 24 and sold individually, Enter 24 in # Sell Units. In this situation select "Case" from the "Order Unit" popup and "Each" from the "Selling Unit" popup. If you are going to sell this item by case, another catalog record must be created with "Case" for both Order Unit and Selling unit. The "# Sell Units" for this catalog record should be 1 since the item is sold by case.
Order Unit: Select the appropriate order unit (each, case, dozen, etc.).
Min Order Qty: If the vendor specifies a minimum order quantity, enter that value here. You may also enter a value here to take advantage of a price break from the vendor. This is used when purchase orders are prepared to make sure that at least this number is ordered.
Primary Vendor: Select the vendor from the list that is your primary vendor. The "Save" button may need to be clicked for a value to appear in the popup. When selected, the values for this vendor are used to calculate catalog pricing and margin information.
Sales Tax Information
Sales tax information is entered in the Store Location screen for each location. Each rate group consists of one or more tax rates which cumulatively make up the total group rate. Each rate group is given a name.
In this panel, a location is selected and then the rate group that applies to this catalog item is selected. The total group rate is then displayed at the bottom of the panel. Repeat this process for each location. If an item is not taxable, leave this panel blank.
Barcodes
Enter any barcodes that identifies this catalog item. Barcodes are unique and a message is displayed preventing you from entering a duplicate barcode.
The barcode can be used in the search field for this screen and to look up items in the transaction screen while making sales.
Item Type
An Item Type must be specified for each catalog item. Drag cursor over the checkbox to see help.
Stock: An item that is maintained in stock to resell. Included in subtotal on sales transaction.
Service: A non stocked items such as training or other services. Included in subtotal on sales transaction.
Labor: A non stocked item that is included in the labor total on sales transaction.
Shipping: A non stocked items that appears in the shipping total on sales transaction.
Other: A stocked or non stocked item where description and price can be changed during sales transaction. Included in subtotal on sales transaction.
Web Status and Item Status
Web status panel is used to support the Web Store application. The item status information below the web panel applies to the catalog item.
Web Item: If selected, this catalog item appears in the Web Store application.
Featured Item: If selected, this catalog item also appears in the featured items list in Web Store application.
Avail To Sell: Shows total quantity in stock less stock committed to customer orders.
On Order: Shows the total number of this item currently on order. Includes only purchase orders that have been issued.
Bottom Buttons and checkboxes
Deleted: Displayed if selected item is a deleted item.
Retain Data: Retains data in fields from last entry.
Show Deleted: Select to show deleted catalog items. Deselect to hide.
Enable Add Stock.: Select to enable adding stock record after save button is clicked.
Close: Closes the window.
Stock Info: Displays the stock screen for the selected catalog item.
Web: Displays a screen with a short and long description for this item. This information is displayed in the Web Store application when this catalog item is selected.
Show Photo: Displays a dialog panel used to add or change a photo of this catalog item.
Print: Prints a report of items currently displayed in the browser.
Save: Saves information entered in the catalog screen.