In Katana, a variant represents a specific version of a product or material, distinguished by attributes such as size, color, or configuration.
Variants are used to track and manage different types of the same item, ensuring precise inventory control and easy navigation.
Why use variants?
Utilizing variants in Katana offers several advantages:
Efficient management: Instead of creating separate product or material cards for each variation, you can manage all versions under a single item, saving time and reducing complexity.
Centralized updates: Changes to product recipes or production operations can be applied centrally, automatically updating all associated variants.
Accurate inventory tracking: Variants allow for precise tracking of stock levels for each specific version of a product or material.
Example: Suppose you manufacture a leather wallet available in five colors and three textures, resulting in 15 variants. If you need to change a common component, like a thread type, updating it in the parent product's recipe will automatically apply the change to all variants. This approach is more efficient than updating each variant individually.
Managing variants in Katana
Variants are managed on the product or material card. A product or material can have one or multiple variants. If you enable multiple variants, you can define variant codes, safety stock levels, and sales or purchase prices for each variant.
To enable and configure variants:
Navigate to the Items screen and select a product or material.
On the item card, check the option "Yes, this product/material has multiple variants."
In the Variant configuration window, define:
Variant Options: Attributes like color, size, or type (up to 10).
Option Values: Specific values for each attribute (up to 40 per option).
Click "Generate product/material variants" to create all possible combinations.
Note: You can also copy a variant structure from another product or material to streamline the setup process.
Variant codes / SKUs
Each variant can be assigned a unique Variant Code or SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) to facilitate identification and inventory tracking. These codes can be customized to reflect specific attributes of the variant.
Examples:
Simple code: "C01" for a specific chair model.
Descriptive code: "TBL-WH-BL-70" indicating a white table with black legs and a 70 cm height.
Variant-specific recipes and operations
Katana allows you to create variant-specific product recipes and production operations, enhancing customization and efficiency.
Product recipes: Assign different materials or components to specific variants within the same product card.
Production operations: Define distinct production steps for each variant, accommodating variations in manufacturing processes.
This approach streamlines production management and reduces the need for duplicate entries.
Importing variants
You can import product and material variants into Katana using structured templates.
Product variants: Utilize the import template to add new products and their variants efficiently.
Material variants: Group variants under the same material name and define variant options and values in the template.
Ensure that the template fields are correctly filled to prevent import errors.
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