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Creating Items – Expense

Items can be defined as those things that you buy and sell as part of your business. Items can be equipment that you sell to your customers, supplies, parts or expense items such as sales brochures. Items can also be non-stock things like freight or advertising expenses. Occasionally, dealers sell labor as a non-stock inventory item. As a general rule, if you can hold an item in your hand, e-automate handles it as an inventory item; if not, e-automate handles it as a non-stock item.

The way you intend to use an item in e-automate is an indicator of the way the item should be set up. If you will use an item as an equipment item it should be set up with an equipment code, make and model. Different items should be set up in different ways depending on their intended use. Each item type can have different fields, codes, and settings depending on how you intend to use it. Use this topic to set up an expense item.

Expense items allow you to order an item on a purchase order, and then to receive the item as an expense, rather than tracking it in your inventory. An example of an expense item is a freight item that can be added during the creation of a purchase order invoice, or an item such as a restocking fee that can be added on a purchase order credit memo.

Getting to the TransactionGetting to the Transaction

On the e-automate toolbar, click [Items] to open the Items window.

Click [New] to open the New Inventory Item window.

Basic InfoBasic Info

Complete the following fields as appropriate:

Item number: Number to be assigned to the new item.

Description: Brief description of this item.

Category: Required designation used to categorize inventory for reporting purposes.

Unit of measure: Unit of measure typically used to sell the item.

Standard cost: How much this item cost you to purchase initially. Applicable to items like brochures, tools, etc. Not applicable for items such as freight or restocking fees.

Serialized: Unchecked for expense items.

UPC: Not applicable for an expense item.

Unit of weight: If applicable to this expense item, use the lookup to select the unit of measurement that, together with the value in the Weight field, indicates how heavy this item is (e.g., if you want to indicate this item weighs 10 pounds, set the Unit of weight field's value to Pound and enter 10 in the Weight field).

Weight: If applicable to this expense item, the number of units of weight that indicate how heavy the base unit of this item is (e.g., if you want to indicate this item weighs 10 pounds, set the Unit of weight field's value to Pound and enter 10 in the Weight field).

Note: E-automate uses this field's value for reference purposes only and does not push this value to be used in other areas of e-automate. Other programs that integrate with e-automate may use this value outside of e-automate.

Tax as: This field will be inactive and defaulted to ITEM until you select a sales code. The tax category under which this item will be taxed.

Usage limit meter type: Not applicable for an expense item.

Use contract usage limits for this item: Not applicable for an expense item.

Active: When checked, this item is active in your system.

E-info enabled: Not applicable to an expense item; leave unchecked.

Codes & Settings TabCodes & Settings Tab

In the Codes region, do the following:

Complete the following fields as appropriate:

Item type: Selecting the Expense item type will expense the item for internal use when it is received. Some expense-coded items are not used in the purchase order area and are only used during purchase order invoice creation.

Expense code - GL: Code that links the item to an expense account through the expense code.

Note: You can change the expense account when creating a purchase order invoice.

Sales code - GL: Not applicable for an expense item.

Service code - GL: Not applicable for an expense item.

Equipment code: Not applicable for an expense item.

Make: Not applicable for an expense item.

Model: Not applicable for an expense item.

OEM number: Enter the original equipment manufacturer number.

To see the history of the OEM numbers used for an item, click [History].

To identify and track an item as compatible, click the OEM compatible item checkbox.

In the Equipment Settings region, complete the following fields as appropriate.

Tracking Configuration: Not applicable for an expense item.

Copy yield: Not applicable for an expense item.

In the Out cost settings region, complete the following fields as appropriate:

Out cost group: Use the lookup to select the out cost group with which you would like to associate this item. For more information on out cost groups, see the Creating Out Cost Groups topic.
Base out cost: Choose one of the following:

Use actual cost: When chosen, the system will use the actual cost of the item as the base cost when calculating the out cost percentage. For more information see the Creating Out Cost Codes topic.

Base cost: When chosen, you must enter an amount in the currency field to the right. The system will use the amount you entered as the base cost when calculating the out cost percentage. For more information see the topic, Creating Out Cost Codes.

Important: Because costs can change, it is very important that you use this option with caution. If you choose the Base cost option it is essential that you remember to adjust the cost as necessary.

Note: Other tabs are not applicable for expense items.

In the Return settings region, complete the following fields as appropriate:

Returnable: When checked, this item this item can be returned.

Core charge item: If applicable, use the Lookup to select the core charge item that indicates the core charge amount you want charged with this item when the item is sold.

In the Other settings region, complete the following fields as appropriate:

Serviceable as item: When checked this item can be added to a service contract and/or service call for recurring billing.

Note: This option is only available if you have enabled this functionality in the Contracts Options settings window.

Contract base distribution code: Code used to default deferred and contract revenue distribution to the contract item.

Note: This option is only available if you have enabled this functionality in the Contracts Options settings window. This code can be changed on the service contract if necessary.

Custom Properties TabCustom Properties Tab

The Custom Properties tab is available if you have custom properties enabled. For more information on custom properties see the Setting Custom Properties topic.

On the Custom Properties Tab, in the Configuration field, use the lookup to select the custom property you want to assign to this item.

Completing the TransactionCompleting the Transaction

Click [OK] to save the new inventory item.

For additional information on Expense Items, refer to the following topics:
Additional Info - More Information
Additional Info - Attachments