Introduction
Welcome to this guide! We will be exploring the Item Alternative feature in Empress, a powerful tool that allows you to identify and use similar items when the original ones are unavailable. This feature is particularly beneficial for businesses involved in manufacturing processes, where sometimes the specified raw materials may not be available.
What is Item Alternative?
Item Alternative in Empress is a feature that allows you to use a substitute or alternative item in place of the original one specified in the Bill of Materials (BOM). This capability is especially useful when the original item is not available, and an alternative is required to complete the manufacturing process.
How to Enable Item Alternative
To use the Item Alternative feature, you need to enable the “Allow Alternative Item” option in the item settings. Here’s how you can do that:
- Navigate to Home > Stock > Items and Pricing > Item Alternative.
- From the Item master dashboard, click the plus sign next to ‘Item Alternative’.
- You can enable two-way replacement between an item and its alternative if both can serve as alternatives to each other.
Using Item Alternative in Work Orders
To apply alternative items in the manufacturing process, you must configure the ‘Allow Alternative Item’ setting in the BOM/Work Order. Here’s how you can do it for both:
In the BOM
- Enable ‘Allow Alternative Item’ in a BOM.
- You can then select the alternative item in the Stock Entry.
In the Work Order
- You can enable/disable the ‘Allow Alternative Item’ option for individual Work Orders.
- By checking the ‘Allow Alternative Item’ box, an ‘Alternate Item’ button will appear. Click on this to set the Item Alternative in the Work Order.
If the ‘Allow Alternative Item’ checkbox in the Item table is disabled, you cannot set an Alternate Item for this Item.
Item Alternative for Subcontracting
In scenarios involving subcontracting, you may need to transfer raw materials to the subcontractor to get the finished goods. If the raw material is unavailable, you can transfer the alternative item of the subcontracted raw material to the supplier using the Stock Entry. When you create a Purchase Receipt from the Work Order later, the alternative item will be displayed.
Summary
The Item Alternative feature in Empress offers a flexible and effective solution for situations where the original items specified in the BOM are not available. This functionality considerably enhances the efficiency of your business operations, ensuring that work continues unhindered even in the absence of specific materials.
For more information on how to use Empress effectively for your business, visit our support page or reach out to our dedicated support team.