Before you start
Make sure you are signed in to ERPat and can see an Inventory group in the left-hand menu. If you cannot see it, ask your administrator to confirm two things: that the Inventory module is switched on for your company, and that your role has the inventory permissions. The permissions are explained in the Permissions reference in this guide.
It also helps to gather a little information before you begin, such as the units of measure you use (for example Piece, Box, Kilogram), the brands you carry, and a short list of the products you want to load first. Having this ready makes your first hour much smoother.
First-time setup
Set up your building blocks before adding items, so the item forms already have the right options to choose from.
- In the left menu, open Inventory.
- Go to Inventory > Units and add every unit of measure you use. Give each one a clear name and a short abbreviation. If a larger unit is really a package of a smaller one, use the "Is a package of?" option to link them.
- Go to Inventory > Brands and add the brands you carry. Mark whether each brand is available for items, and set its status to Active.
- Open Inventory > Items and click the Categories tab. Add a few categories that match how your team thinks about stock, such as "Beverages" or "Cleaning Supplies".
You only need to do this once. You can always add more units, brands, and categories later.
Your first task
Now add a real item so you can see the whole flow.
- Go to Inventory > Items and stay on the Entries tab.
- Click Add entry at the top right.
- Fill in the Title, choose an Item type (Product for something you stock, Service for something you only sell), and pick one or more categories.
- In the Default Variant section, enter the Cost Price and Sell Price, choose the Unit, and optionally pick a Brand and Suppliers.
- Click Save.
Your new item now appears in the Entries list with an Active status. If it is a storable product, you can move on to recording stock for it, covered in the stock adjustments how-to.
Where to get help
If a page will not load or a menu item is missing, contact your administrator first, since access is controlled by roles and module settings. For step-by-step instructions on the everyday tasks, use the "Manage items" and "Record stock adjustments" how-to guides. For the meaning of the coloured labels you see in the lists, see the Item status legends. For any issue the guides do not cover, reach out to the ERPat Team through your usual support channel.