Introduction
In Empress, an Item Variant is simply a version of an item that has different attributes. These attributes can include factors like size, color, or even who manufactures the item. Think of a t-shirt you’re selling in your business. This t-shirt, in multiple sizes and colors, is an example of Item Variants.
This guide will guide you through the process of creating and managing Item Variants in Empress, helping you to streamline your inventory management and get the most out of your Empress experience.
The Basics of Item Variants
Let’s stick with our t-shirt example. We’ll call the basic t-shirt an Item Template. The different versions of the t-shirt - say, small, medium, large, red, blue, or green - are all Item Variants. If we didn’t have the Item Variant feature, we would need to treat each size and color of the t-shirt as a separate item.
How to Create and Use Item Variants
Item Variants in Empress are based on two main factors: Item Attributes (like size or color) and Manufacturers.
Setting Up an Item Variant Template
Here’s how you can set up an Item Variant Template:
- Create an Item and select the ‘Has Variants’ option under Variants. This Item will now serve as a ‘Template’.
- Keep in mind that this Template won’t be used directly in any transaction (like Sales Order, Delivery Note, Purchase Invoice).
- Remember that only the Variants of the Item will be used in transactions, so decide whether an item ‘Has Variants’ or not when creating it.
- When you choose ‘Has Variants’, a table will appear. Here, you can specify the variant attributes for the Item. If the attribute has Numeric Values, specify the range and create intervals based on the increment values.
Note: You cannot carry out transactions against a ‘Template’.
Generating Item Variants Based on Item Attributes
To create ‘Item Variants’ for a ‘Template’, click on ‘Create’. You’ll have the option to create a single variant or multiple variants. Single creation lets you create one or more attributes, and one Item will be created. When choosing multiple variants, select the attributes and multiple items will be created.
For example, if you choose Color: Red, Green and Size: Small, Medium, Large, six variants will be created.
Generating Item Variants Based on Manufacturers
To set up variants based on Manufacturers, set “Variants Based On” as “Manufacturers” in your Item template. To create variants, click on Create > Make Variant. You can select a Manufacturer and optionally put in a Manufacturer Part Number.
The name of the variant will be based on the name (ID) of the template Item with a number suffix. For example, “Screwdriver” could have a variant named “Screwdriver-1”.
Updating Item Variants Using a Template
To update Item Variants using a Template, navigate to: Home > Stock > Items and Pricing > Item Variant Settings. The fields displayed here will be copied over to the variants as well. You can delete any rows you don’t want to be updated from the Item Template to the Variants.
Recap and Additional Resources
Mastering Item Variants in Empress can significantly improve your inventory management, saving you time and simplifying your workflow. Whether you’re creating a single variant or multiple variants, Empress makes the process straightforward and efficient.
For additional assistance, we have video resources that guide you through each step of creating and managing Item Variants in Empress. These include:
- Creating Item Variant one by one
- Creating Item Variants in bulk
By fully understanding and utilizing Item Variants, you can take your business operations to the next level with Empress.