Create Style and Stock Keeping Units

This document explains how you create style and Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) used by the fashion industry.

Outcome

Basic data and alias for style and SKUs are created. The master table for style is MMODMA.

Style is a comprehensive term for a number of similar items and is used in the fashion industry.

SKU is the item connected to a certain style.

When the SKUs are created, a number of tables are created in 'Item. Open' (MMS001), 'Item. Connect Warehouse' (MMS002), 'Item. Connect Facility' (MMS003), and 'Product Structure. Open' (PDS001). Fashion specific data are created for 'Item. Connect Alias Number' (MMS025) and 'Product Variant. Open' (PDS060).

Before you start

The settings in Settings for Style and Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) must be done.

Follow these steps

These steps require that you have an item type with connected item template, numbering rules, and auto create for warehouse and facility.

See Settings for Style and Stock Keeping Unit (SKU).

Creating item (style item) and connecting to warehouse and facility

  1. Start (MMS001).

    You do not have to specify the panel sequence. The template item's panel sequence is valid and will be used.

  2. Select the Item type you have created for your style and SKUs. It must have specified numbering rules (one for the style and one for the SKUs) and also an item template connected.
  3. Select option 1='Create'.
  4. Press Enter to display the E panel. Specify name and description.
  5. Press Enter again.

    The created style values will be the same as the template values

  6. Depending on the settings, data in (MMS002), (MMS003) and (MMS025) are also automatically created with the template values.
  7. If you have not activated the 'Auto creation' field in 'Item Type. Connect Warehouses' (MWS042), you must connect the style to warehouse and facility manually.

Creating optional information about style

  1. 'Style. Open' (MMS016) lets you connect styles to different seasons so the style can be used different times during the year. The 'Season' field is optional and can be left blank if the style is not seasonal, that is, the style is therefore valid year-round as a so-called 'basic' item.
  2. Select option 2='Change' for your style and open the E panel.
  3. Specify 20='Definite' in the 'Status' field.
  4. The 'Season control' field indicates whether the season is checked during customer order entry. This sets how the item is processed during entry. When the order type (OIS010/F) has the field 'Season' in use = 0, then only items with Season control = 0 can be entered. This check is not done for other values in the 'Season in use' field.
    'Season control' field (Only Season Orders) alternatives:
    • 1=Yes, all SKUs in this creation can ONLY be ordered as part of a season specific order.
    • 0=No, SKUs are not seasonal OR if they may be sold as part of a season specific order AND on non-seasonal orders.
    'Season Select' alternatives:
    • 1=Yes, SKUs being generated or changed in this creation run must be attached to a season.

      The attachment is done in 'Style. Create Item' (MMS276). This flag must always be 1 if the 'Only season orders parameter' is 1.

    • 0=No, SKUs being generated or changed in this run are not to be attached to a season.
  5. The User defined field – Heading 1 – 20 are used for user defined information about the style. The field headings are defined in 'Settings - User-def Style Fld Headings' (CRS759).

Attaching features to the style

  1. Start 'Style. Connect Feature' (MMS017).
  2. The 'Sequence number' field indicates the order in which features and valid options are displayed. This sort order is only valid for style related full screen views (MMS016/P).

    The sequence number is entered manually or set automatically. The interval is defined on the (MMS017/P) panel.

  3. The 'Feature' field is entered. At least two features are normally attached to a style (one X and one Y feature), thereby creating the matrix.
  4. A style can be connected to several features within the same feature groups.

Attaching feature options to the style

  1. Start (MMS017).
  2. Select option 11='Options/Feature' to start 'Feature. Connect Options' (PDS056) where you change the options for a feature.
  3. The 'Include' field indicates whether to include the option in the style creation proposal, worktable MMM076.

    If you specify 1, the feature option is included in the MMM076 worktable.

    If you specify 0, the feature option is excluded. You can still create items in a subsequent generation.

  4. Select all feature options from all features and all feature groups connected to the style in (MMS017) to enable SKU creation.
Note: The work table is cleared when you exit (MMS017). A warning message "WARNING - Options selected in (PDS056) will be cleared" is displayed. If you accept the message, the work table is deleted.

Creating SKUs

(MMS276) displays the combination of the selected options (work file MMM076).

  1. From (MMS017), use function key F17='View Proposal' or the button with the same name in program (MMS017) to start (MMS276).
  2. Everything included in the style creation proposal, work table MMM076, is displayed. The SKU creation proposal, worktable MMMS076, can be reviewed and changed from here before SKUs are created.
    1. The 'Include' field indicates whether to create an item for the current combination of options.

      Specify 1 to include the item in the SKU creation.

      Specify 0 to exclude the item from the SKU creation. You can still create items in a subsequent generation.

    2. Optionally, include more feature options in the work table MMM076 by using RO 11 that starts (PDS056) where you can select which options to include.
    3. Optionally, clear the work table MMM076 and start over using the function key F16='Delete Proposal' in (MMS276) or use the button in the program header with the same name.
  3. Select F14='Create items' or the button 'Create' to create all accepted item proposals.
    Note: If you activated the 'Season select' field in (MMS016), the season selection will be prompted. This process is described in the document Connect a Season to an Item Number (see related topics).

Maintaining and recreating options on variant items (MMS069)

Use this function to rebuild variant options, sorting sequences, or descriptions to ensure consistency across style‑related tables. You can synchronize variant structures after changes are made in feature sequences or option descriptions.
  • Run (MMS069) to:
    • Rebuild the option sorting sequences: SQNX, SQNY, SQNZ (in MITMAH) with values from 'Valid options per feature' (MPDVOF).
    • Refresh the option description fields in 'Style' (MITMAH) from 'Options main file' (MPDOPT).
    • Update the item description in 'Item Master' (MITMAS).
  • Run (MMS069) if:
    • Sorting sequences for variants are wrong or inconsistent.
    • Updated feature or option definitions are not reflected in the item.
    • Descriptions shown in 'Items' (MMS001) do not match selected options.
    • You need to correct style (MITMAH) without regenerating all SKUs.
How to Run (MMS069)
  1. Start 'Re-create options on items – select' (MMS069).
  2. The program has no selections, click Submit.
  3. The system performs these actions:
    • Reads feature and option definitions from ‘Options per feature’ (PDS056)
    • Rebuild variant structure in 'Style' (MITMAH)
    • Update description fields in 'Items Master' (MITMAS)
    • Verify updated data on panel (MMS001/L), 'Connect features to Style' (MMS017), or 'Options per feature' (PDS056) as required.
Note: SKU creation does not automatically rerun after (MMS069); regeneration requires (MMS276) if SKUs need recreation.

Viewing created SKUs (in matrix)

The program 'Style. List Created Items by Matrix' (MMS277) displays the created SKUs in matrix form.

  1. Start the program (MMS277) to display all combinations of X and Y options for already created SKUs in a matrix form. If there is also a Z option, it is displayed in the header of the program, retrieved from (PDS056).
  2. You can also start (MMS277) by:
    1. Using function key F16='Created' or the button with the same name in (MMS017).
    2. Using function key F18='Created' or the button with the same name in (MMS276).
    3. Include it in the panel sequence on (MMS016).
  3. The 'Created items' field in the matrix indicates whether to create an item for the current combination of options.

    The valid alternatives are:

    • 2 = Only alias, can only be set by the system
    • 5 = Create composition information

    This field can be changed per SKU, per line, and per column.

Recreating MITPOP

If the item alias in 'Item. Connect Alias Number' (MMS025), table MITPOP, needs to be recovered, re-run the SKU creation process in (MMS276). Alias category 88 will always be created (if missing) and alias categories 84-87 are created for any missing item aliases based on the set up in 'Item type. Connect Alias' (MWS043).

  1. In (PDS056), select the options for each feature where MITPOP should be recreated. This selection setup is saved in the worktable (MMM076) and is used in the recreation process.
  2. Recreate MITPOP using function key F14 in (MMS276) or using button with the same name in the program header.
  3. Open (MMS025) and check that all aliases 84-88 have been created for the selected SKUs.
Related topics