Become an Expert in Item Master Data
Learn:
What is Item Master Data Management in ERP Software?
Why is Part Management Important in ERP Software?
Why Do I Need Part Definition in ERP Software?
Considerations when Choosing an ERP Software Solution?
The Flexibility and Options included in SimpleManufacturing™ ERP Manufacturing Software
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What is an Item Master?
An item master is a list of unique item numbers for all materials purchased, items included within a product, or items used in the manufacturing of an item. Furthermore, how it is used, what it will contain, and who manages the list are all questions that vary from business to business. An item master may include things like:
- Tangible items (parts) used in your products, such as electronic components, raw materials, such as metals and textiles, to items that could be used during manufacturing, such as fluids, glue, mills, drill bits, etc.
- Non-tangible items such as Gerber’s, CAD Data, NRE costs, labor costs, and Quality Management System procedures, forms, work instructions.
- Manufacturing and Test Equipment, such as ovens, compressors, CMM Machines, oscilloscopes, and other equipment assets for inventory tracking, calibration records, and depreciation.
An item master is a comprehensive collection of all the essential details about a specific item, whether it is inventoried or not.
Why is an Item Master Important?
When it comes to item information, this is the one place within any ERP software where supply chain analysts, engineers, sales, and operations employees alike can look to find everything about an item, from the item’s suppliers and unit inventory to usage and the rest of the item’s essential attributes.
Additionally, a well-maintained item master data helps businesses stay on top of inventory management, avoid overstocking and shortages, and provide information to facilitate high-level decisions. Item masters require a lot of data — carefully collected and analyzed — but creating them doesn’t have to be a complicated process. SimpleManufacturing™ makes it Simple!
Why do I Need An Item or Part Master?
Item Data is the Single Source of Truth:
The one place for all manufacturing, engineering, and ongoing operations to go to for information.
Relevant Information:
Organizations need to determine which information and attributes of an Item are relevant to their business. As expected, Manufacturers have a lot of information about their product. The Item Master can include information pertinent to the Item’s use and definition within the organization.
Simplifies Supply Chain and Reduces Inventory Overhead:
An item master helps facilitate the re-use of standard parts. As the number of items increases over time, the item master becomes the primary location for sourcing items for new designs or changes. It is more efficient to identify existing items to use than to search the various supplier websites for items. Additionally, using existing items may utilize existing inventory, thereby reducing inventory overhead.
An Item provides Business Intelligence:
When an Item Master is used within SimpleManufacturing™, it provides real-time data on any Item, such as:
- Approved Manufacturer / Vendor / Suppliers and Purchasing Part Numbers
- Outstanding (Open) Purchase Orders
- Purchase Order History
- First-In, First-Out (FIFO) Inventory Levels,
- Actual, Last, Average, and Standard Costing
- Work Orders Item Has Been Issued To
- Customer Part Numbers Associated with Item
- Where-Used List
- Material Requirements Planning Demand
- Manufacturing and Purchasing Lead Times
Item Master Facilitates the Everyday Processes:
Having an item master that is accurate and well-maintained results in:
- Single-click solution to email suppliers’ request-for-quotes and Purchase Orders.
- Demands, generated by the Material Requirements Planning function, are clearly displayed, so surprise shortages become a thing of the past.
- Bill of Materials management becomes straightforward.
- The Work Order item kitting process can now be automated, clearly identifying shortages.
Considerations of Item Master Data when choosing an ERP for your business.
Common attributes of an Item are:
- Part Number,
- Description
- and the Revision Level is minimal and critical to identifying the Item / Part.
SimpleManufacturing™ Item Master module accommodates different business types by providing additional attributes, such as:
Physical Attributes
- Dimensions,
- Material Type,
- Size,
- Value,
- Tolerance
Plethora of Unit of Measures
- Each,
- Kgs,
- Lot,
- Inches, feet, meters, millimeters, etc.
Compliancy Classifications
- ROHS,
- FCC,
- UL, etc.
Type of Item
- Sales Item,
- Purchased Item,
- Make Item
- Phantom Item
Financial Classification
- Expense,
- Inventory,
- WIP,
- Finished Goods,
- COGS
Inventory Classification
- Raw Material,
- Assembly,
- Finished Goods,
- Expensed Item
Compliancy Classifications
- ROHS,
- FCC,
- UL, etc.
Classification of Item
- Raw Material,
- Assembly,
- Tooling,
- Jig,
- Fixture,
- Programming File,
- Test File,
- 3D Printing File,
- Procedure,
- Policy,
- Form, etc.
Supply Chain Classifications
- Minimum Buy,
- Production, Purchasing, and Kitting Lead Times,
- Minimum Stock Levels,
- Standard, Actual, and Last Costs,
- Approved Suppliers and Supplier Part Numbers
- Production Lead Times
Serialization
Using Customer or Internal Part Number
Unlimited Number of Files can be linked to an Item and viewed with a single click
- Datasheet,
- BOM,
- Drawing,
- Specification
Choosing SimpleManufacturing™ as your next Item Master Solution
Maintaining an effective item master data in SimpleManufacturing™ is Simple! Creating item masters is indispensable, even in a small product-based business. To maximize the value of their item master data, companies require software that focuses on efficiencies, such as streamlining inventory management processes, automating key analyses, and optimizing purchasing, production planning, and execution.
Spreadsheets and ad hoc analysis can only get a business so far. Whereas the amount of data increases and the timeliness of the information becomes critical, a system like SimpleManufacturing™ provides the flexibility to grow with the business.