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Consumable items

Consumable items

Overview

The Items screen is the consumable catalog: which supplies your company handles, how they are counted and at what quantity they should be restocked. It is the first thing to set up in the module; without items, nothing can be received or issued.

How to get there

Consumables > Items

Direct URL: /Consumables/items

Key concepts

Term Definition
Consumable A supply that is handed out and used up. It does not depreciate and is not recorded as a fixed asset.
Code The consumable's unique identifier within the company. It cannot be changed once created.
Unit of measure How the item is counted and handed out: each, box, ream. Each item has one unit only: a box of 500 sheets and a single sheet are two different items, not a conversion.
Reorder point The quantity at or below which the item is reported below minimum and enters the daily alert. 0 switches the alert off.
Active (status) Inactive Consumables keep their stock and history, but cannot be received or issued.

How to use it

Create a consumable

  1. Click New.
  2. In the New Consumable dialog, fill in:
    • Code (required): the unique identifier, for example TON-26A. It cannot be changed later.
    • Name (required): for example HP 26A Toner.
    • Unit of measure (required): how it is counted.
    • Manufacturer (optional): reuses the manufacturer catalog.
    • Reorder point (optional): the minimum quantity before an alert. It is used as the starting value in each storeroom where the item has stock; it can be adjusted per storeroom afterwards.
    • Description (optional).
    • Active: ticked by default.
  3. Click Save.

Edit a consumable

Click the Code in the table, or use Edit from the context menu. The Code is disabled: it is not editable.

Delete Consumables

  • One at a time: right-click the row, choose Delete, and confirm.
  • Several at once: tick the checkboxes and use Delete (N).

To retire a consumable without losing its history, untick Active instead of deleting it.

Fields

Field Type Required Description Validation
Code Text Yes The unique identifier. Entered only at creation. Cannot be empty; must be unique within the company.
Name Text Yes The consumable's name. Cannot be empty.
Unit of measure Text Yes How it is counted and handed out. Cannot be empty.
Manufacturer Drop-down No The consumable's brand. It must exist under Master > Manufacturers.
Reorder point Number No The minimum quantity before an alert. 0 switches the alert off.
Description Text (multiline) No Detail or specification. None.
Active Checkbox No Inactive items cannot be received or issued. None.

Table columns

Column Description
Code The consumable's code. Click it to edit.
Name The consumable's name.
Unit of measure How it is counted.
Manufacturer The associated brand.
Reorder point The default restock threshold.
Active The record's status.

Permissions

Action Permission
View the screen Consumables.View
Create Consumables.Create
Edit Consumables.Edit
Delete Consumables.Delete

Notes

  • One unit of measure per item. If you buy by the box and hand out by the unit, create two items and use a transfer or an adjustment when the box is opened. ActivoHQ does not convert units, and that simplicity is deliberate: conversions are the main source of discrepancies in a storeroom.
  • The item's reorder point only seeds each storeroom's the first time. To adjust it in a specific storeroom, do it from Stock.
  • A deactivated consumable does not appear under Issue or Receipt, but its stock and history stay intact.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Likely cause Resolution
Access denied appears. The Consumables.View permission is missing. Ask your administrator for it.
The consumable does not appear on the Issue screen. It is inactive, or it belongs to another company. Tick Active and check the active company.
The code cannot be changed. The code is immutable once created. Create a new item with the right code and deactivate the old one.
The item never appears in the Replenishment report. Its reorder point is 0 in that storeroom. Set a reorder point above zero under Stock.

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