Documentation
Inventory
AkshaERP Inventory starts with controlled classification and Item master data, extends Items with governed Organization-specific Custom Attributes where needed, can add Item Sets / Kits / Bundles for reusable composition, and then uses that foundation across stock receipt, storage, issue, transfer, adjustment, reconciliation and connected commercial processes.
AkshaERP supports
AkshaERP Inventory provides shared item-classification and stock-control capability used by purchasing, sales, manufacturing and other material-moving processes. Public evidence is published function by function from reviewed behavior.
- Organization-scoped Inventory master data
- Hierarchical Item Categories with stable Category Codes
- Category-level Business Unit and Cost Center defaults
- Active / inactive lifecycle and safe delete controls
- Downstream category use by Items and connected ERP functions
- Stock-control documentation expanded only after each active function is reviewed
What AkshaERP Inventory controls
Inventory is the shared material and Item-control layer used by processes that buy, receive, store, move, issue, sell, manufacture, publish or otherwise account for Items.
The control model starts before the first stock movement. Categories define reusable classification, Items define the governed identity and operating setup that downstream transactions reference, Item Custom Attributes add governed business-specific characteristics where the standard Item master is intentionally generic, and Item Sets can add controlled reusable composition when the business works with kits, bundles, assortments or packs.
Item Categories
Build Organization-scoped Item classification, hierarchy and reusable Business Unit / Cost Center defaults.
Items
Maintain Item identity, UOM, tracking, planning, costing, suppliers, sales references, barcodes, logistics, Books/Textbooks, Ecommerce and governed cross-Organization access.
Item Custom Attributes (UDA)
Extend the Item master with Organization-scoped typed characteristics, controlled values, UOMs and applicability by Item Type or Category.
Item Sets / Kits / Bundles
Group an owned Set Item with governed components and control single-line, exploded or parent/component transaction behavior plus Set, component or allocated pricing.
Build the Inventory master-data foundation before stock movement
| Stage | Business question | AkshaERP function |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Classify | How should this material, product, service or title be grouped? | Item Categories |
| 2. Extend the metadata model where needed | Does this product family need governed characteristics that are not standard Item fields? | Item Custom Attributes (UDA) |
| 3. Identify | What exactly is the reusable Item, SKU, service or title? | Items |
| 4. Compose when required | Does this Item represent a governed kit, bundle, assortment, pack or reusable component grouping? | Item Sets / Kits / Bundles |
| 5. Control | How is it measured, tracked, replenished, costed, sourced, sold or shared? | Item master sections and related Inventory masters |
| 6. Transact | How does quantity enter, move, leave or get corrected? | Receipts, requisitions, issues, transfers, adjustments and connected documents |
| 7. Verify | Does recorded stock still match the operational position? | Reconciliation and Inventory reporting |
How Categories, Items, Custom Attributes and Item Sets work together
Item Categories provide reusable hierarchy and category-level defaults. Item Custom Attributes defines optional or required characteristics that can be scoped to Item Types and/or Categories. The Item master then stores the specific Item identity, standard operating controls and the values of applicable UDAs.
Item Sets sits on top of existing Items. It does not replace the Item master. One owned Set Item can be associated with a controlled list of component Items, and Explosion/Pricing settings determine how that composition participates in supported transactions.
An Item can provide more specific Financial Dimension defaults than its Category, while the Category remains a reusable fallback where the applicable transaction uses it. The final transaction context can still be more specific.
When Item Custom Attributes belongs in the design
UDA is useful when a product family needs characteristics that AkshaERP cannot reasonably make standard fields for every industry. Examples include Paper GSM for books, Steel Grade for metals, Fabric Composition for textiles and IP Rating for motors.
Do not create a UDA when the same meaning already has a standard AkshaERP field or dedicated function, such as SKU, Category, UOM, dimensions, weight, HSN/SAC, supplier setup or barcode maintenance.
Current reviewed Inventory documentation
Public Inventory documentation is published function by function after the active implementation is audited, cleaned up where required and tested. The guides below are the current reviewed Inventory functions.
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Item Categories | Organization scope, category hierarchy, codes, Active lifecycle, Business Unit / Cost Center defaults, safe Delete versus Deactivate and downstream impact. |
| Items | Item identity, Item Type, UOM, batch/serial choices, Inventory planning, stock visibility, costing, purchasing, sales, barcodes, logistics, tax, Books/Textbooks, Ecommerce, Access sharing and Item lifecycle. |
| Item Sets / Kits / Bundles | Set identity, Set Types, component eligibility, UOM rules, explosion modes, pricing modes, allocation, optional/mandatory selection, effective dates, transaction behavior and safe retirement. |
| Item Custom Attributes (UDA) | Organization-scoped custom Item metadata, stable Attribute Code/Name, Label, Data Types, Free/Static/Value Set entry, numeric UOM, Required rules, Item Type/Category applicability, examples, Item behavior and safe lifecycle. |
Inventory control principles
- Use active Organization context to establish master-data ownership.
- Prefer one governed Item identity over duplicate Items for the same business object.
- Use Item Access when another Organization needs the same governed Item instead of transferring ownership informally.
- Create a UDA only when the characteristic is genuinely missing from the standard Item model.
- Use Item Type/Category applicability so custom metadata is relevant instead of global clutter.
- Build Item Sets from existing governed Items; do not use Set Type as a substitute for Item identity or UOM conversion.
- Treat UOM, batch/serial policy, tax classification and governed custom attributes as operational controls, not merely descriptive labels.
- Use inactive lifecycle states to retire historically used masters instead of deleting valid business history.
- Use stock transactions to change quantity; changing Item planning values, UDA definitions or Item Set composition does not itself receive, issue or transfer stock.
- Review downstream purchasing, sales, manufacturing, Ecommerce, documents, conversions and finance effects before materially changing mature Item setup.
How to use the Inventory documentation
Begin with Item Categories when designing the classification structure. Review Item Custom Attributes when the Item model needs industry-specific characteristics, then use Items to create and maintain the actual products, materials, services or titles used by the business. Use Item Sets when those existing Items need a reusable kit, bundle, assortment, pack or other component grouping.
As additional Inventory functions complete the same implementation-review process, they will appear in this module navigation and will connect the Item master to stock movement, storage, control and reporting guides.
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
Where should I start in AkshaERP Inventory?
Start with Item Categories to establish controlled classification. If product families need characteristics that are not standard Item fields, define the relevant Item Custom Attributes with appropriate applicability. Then create Items with the correct Item Type, Category, UOM, tracking and operating setup. Add Item Sets only when an existing Item needs governed component composition before processing related transactions.
Are Item Categories and Items the same thing?
No. A Category is reusable classification such as Books, Raw Materials or Bearings. An Item is the actual reusable product, material, service, book/title or SKU that transactions reference.
What is the difference between a standard Item field and a UDA?
A standard Item field is part of the common AkshaERP Item model. A UDA is an Organization-defined additional characteristic for a specific product family or implementation when that meaning does not already have a standard field.
Is an Item Set another Item master?
No. Item Sets uses an existing Set Item plus existing component Items. It adds governed composition and transaction behavior without replacing those Item masters.
Should I create duplicate Items for different Organizations?
Not automatically. An Item has an owning Organization and can be shared through Item Access. Create separate Items only when the business identities genuinely need to be separate.
Does changing a UDA definition, reorder quantity, safety stock or Item Set setup change stock quantity?
No. These are master-data controls. Quantity changes through the appropriate receipt, issue, transfer, adjustment or other Inventory transaction.
Why are only some Inventory functions documented in detail?
AkshaERP public guides are added after each active function is implementation-reviewed and tested. This prevents the public Help Center from documenting unfinished, legacy or merely visible controls as guaranteed product behavior.