In Katana, we offer three main ways to create a new material:
Click on the global "+" button and select + New material card.
On a Purchase order card or Product recipe.
Type the name of a new material into an item field and select Create new "material name" from the drop-down list. This will open a pop-up window where you can enter basic details of your material (name, unit of measure, variant code, purchase price). When you click Done, a new material will be created and also automatically added to the Purchase order (PO) or Product recipe. To enter more details about the material you just created, go to the Items screen and click on this material in the material list to open a full material card.
Import materials in bulk using our spreadsheet template. Learn more.
General Info
Material name (required) - unique name of your material. If your material has multiple variants, we do not recommend including material attributes in the material name (like color, size etc.). You can use our variants feature to create these variations. Read more.
Recommended example: Table leg
Not recommended example: Table leg white with black lines
Category - group your materials into distinct categories. These are useful for better organization and analysis of similar materials inside Katana. Read more about what are categories, creating categories, editing, and deleting categories.
Example categories: Tables, Chairs
Unit of measure - the unit you use to measure the quantity of your material (e.g. pieces, kilograms, meters). You can manage the list of units (add, edit and delete) in the Settings screen.
Default supplier - the supplier from whom you are purchasing the material by default. This supplier is added to a purchase order automatically when the related material is added to the order.
Supplier currency (only available on Standard or higher subscription plans) - The currency that your supplier does their business in and the currency your purchase prices are set in (Read more about setting supplier currency).
Batch tracking (the Full Traceability Add-on is required to use this feature) - you can choose whether you wish to track batch information for the item (all variants of the item). Read more about Batch tracking in Katana.
Variant code / SKU - a unique identifier for your material variant. If you have not enabled multiple variants, then the material is considered to have a single variant. You can use it to create your own material identification system. Read more about Variant Codes
Default purchase price - purchase price of your materials from suppliers. This is a default purchase price added to Purchase orders but can be changed manually on each purchase order. Different purchase prices can be assigned to each material variant.
If you are on an Standard or higher subscription, then you can set purchase prices in the default currency of your supplier.
Bin - The default storage bin of a material in your warehouse. It is shown on put-away and picking list PDF printouts. This is an Standard or higher plan feature. Read more about Storage bins.
Variants - groups of the same material, categorized by specific attributes. Attributes could be color and size, for example. Using the variants feature (compared to creating separate material items for each variant) can save you a lot of time, as they enable changing supply terms globally for all variants of the material. Activating the variants check box opens a 'Variants setup', where you can enter Variant options (e.g. color, size) and Option values (e.g. red and blue for 'color' option). Variant options will appear as new columns in the table at the bottom of the material card and Option values can be chosen from the drop-down menu in the text fields of those columns. If you have not enabled multiple variants, then the material is considered to have a single variant.
Note: Reorder points for material can be set in the Stock screen. It's the inventory level for a material that indicates a need to replenish its stock. It is used to ensure that you always have sufficient stock to protect the business against spikes in demand. Read more about Reorder Points and determining the appropriate level for Reorder Points.