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What is an item?

Understand the concept of items in Katana, including their roles, types, and how they integrate into inventory management.

Dayvid Lorbiecke avatar
Written by Dayvid Lorbiecke
Updated this week

In Katana, items are the fundamental elements of your inventory and production management. They encompass everything from raw materials to finished goods and services. Understanding how items function within Katana is crucial for efficient inventory tracking and manufacturing processes.


Items overview

An item in Katana represents any entity you manage within your inventory system. This includes:

  • Products: Finished goods ready for sale.

  • Materials: Raw inputs used in production.

  • Subassemblies: Intermediate products used in the creation of final products.

  • Services: Non-physical items like labor or consulting.

Each item is detailed in an item card, which contains essential information such as SKU, cost, stock levels, and supplier details.


Types of Items

Products

  • Finished goods that are sold to customers.

  • Can be manufactured in-house or purchased.

  • May include subassemblies and materials in their composition.

Materials

  • Raw components used in manufacturing processes.

  • Tracked for availability and consumption.

  • Not usually sold, but can be made sellable.

Subassemblies

  • Intermediate products used in the assembly of final products.

  • Treated as products within Katana.

  • Can be manufactured or purchased.

Note: In Katana, subassemblies are considered products, not materials. This classification allows for better tracking and management within production workflows.

Services

  • Non-inventory items that represent tasks like installation or consulting.

  • Used in sales orders but not tracked in stock.


Navigating the Items screen

The items screen has an active tab and archive tab. The Active tab is broken up into Product, Material, and Service tables

Access the Items screen from the main top menu to manage your inventory.

Here, you can:

  • View all items under the Active tab.

  • Access archived items under the Archive tab.

  • Filter items by type: Products, Materials, or Services.

  • Create new items or edit existing ones.

Tip: Subassemblies are listed under the Products tab, aligning with their classification in Katana.


Item cards

An item card displaying all of the general fields an info on item cards

Each item card can contain vital information, including:

  • Name: The item's identifier.

  • Category: Grouping for organizational purposes.

  • Variants: Different versions of the item (e.g., size, color).

  • Variant codes/SKU: Stock Keeping Unit for tracking.

  • Sales Price: Price at which the item is sold.

  • Purchase Price: Cost to acquire or produce the item.

  • Default Supplier: Preferred vendor for procurement.

  • Product Recipe: Bill of Materials (BOM) for manufacturing.

  • Production Operations: Steps involved in producing the item.

Advanced: Utilize custom fields to add specific information to items, enhancing data management and reporting.

Note: You can export recipes/BOMs and operations from the Items screen. To export products and/or materials, go to the Stock screen.


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