What are Unit Conversions?

Unit conversions define how one unit of measure is converted to another. This is used, for example, when an item is bought in one unit, stocked in another unit, and sold in a third.

Example 1

A goods item is stocked in bottles but bought in boxes that contain twenty bottles. It is then sold in cases containing eight bottles.

Example 2

Consultancy services are costed in days. If a large amount of consultancy is to be bought or sold, then it could be bought or sold in weeks, with five days defined as a week.

More than one conversion can be set up between the same two units. For example, lemonade and cola may both have the same unit of measure of bottle, but the bottles may be different sizes. A case may then contain either eight lemonade bottles or twelve cola bottles. In this case, it is necessary to set up two units of conversion between bottle and case. That is, one for eight and one for twelve. The relevant conversion is then applied to the lemonade and cola items.

Once unit conversions have been created, they need to be linked to a conversion method.

Unit conversions can be defined at three levels:

• By Item - used in the Item Master.
• By Product Group - used in Product Groups.
• Globally - used in Standard Units.

When SunSystems searches for a unit conversion it uses this three level hierarchy in the following order:

1. Item level - if set at this level, the conversion is used. If not, the next level is searched.
2. Product Group level - if set at this level and not at the previous level, the conversion is used. If not, the next level is searched.
3. Standard Units level - if set at this level and not at the previous levels, the conversion is used. If not, the system cannot continue and an error message is displayed.

Scenario

• An item has a base unit of case. It can be bought and sold in bottles and barrels.
• A conversion between barrels and cases can be defined at the standard units level.
• A conversion between cases and bottles can be defined at the product group level.
• A default-to-default (case to case) conversion must be defined at one of the levels. In this example, it is defined on the item.

A transaction is entered for the item using cases, the system searches for a case to case conversion. The item level is searched first, the case to case conversion is located, and the transaction is processed.

A transaction is entered for the item using bottles, the system searches for a case to bottle conversion. The item level is searched first, then the product group level, the case to bottle conversion is located, and the transaction is processed.

A transaction is entered for the item using barrels, the system searches for a case to barrel conversion. The item level is searched first, then the product group level, then the standard units level, the case to barrel conversion is located, and the transaction is processed.