Units of measure
This screen lists every unit your business unit can use. Built-in units are always there; you can change how many decimals each allows, and you can add your own.
Video coming soon: Units of measure in 2 minutesWhere to find it
Configuration › Item Central › Units of Measure. Units belong to the business unit chosen in the header.
What you see
A list sorted by code, with a Add Unit button on top and four filters.
Fields in this section
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Code | The unit's identity, in lower case. |
| Name, Symbol | Its label and short symbol. |
| Category | Count, Weight, Length, Volume, Area or Packaging / Other. |
| Decimals | How many decimal places a quantity may have, with the default in brackets. |
| Type | System (built in), Custom (yours) or Overridden (built in, decimals changed by you). |
| Conversion, UQC, Active | Conversion factor, statutory unit code and whether the unit is offered. |
Filters: Search (code, name or symbol; press Enter), Category, Active (active only, inactive only) and Type. Use the column selector to show or hide columns. There is no export and no import.
Add a unit
- Click Add Unit.
- Enter Unit Code (for example spool) and Unit Name.
- Pick the Category and the Decimals.
- Optionally add a Symbol and a Conversion Factor.
- Click Add.
Done. A green message says the unit was created and it appears in the list as Custom.
The unit form
Fields in this section
| Field | Required | What to enter |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Code | Yes | Saved in lower case. It is the unit's identity on every item and line, so it cannot be changed later. Cannot match a built-in code. |
| Unit Name | Yes | Display name. |
| Category | Yes | What the unit measures. Picking one suggests its usual decimals: Count 0, Weight 3, Length 3, Volume 3, Area 2, Packaging 0. |
| Symbol | No | Short symbol. |
| Decimals | Yes | 0 to 3. Three is the most the statutory rules allow. |
| Conversion Factor | No | Shown for every category except Packaging / Other. How many of the category's reference unit one of these equals, for example 200 for a 200-litre drum against litres. Must be above zero. |
| Statutory UQC | No | Leave blank and the unit reports as OTH, with the quantity as entered. |
| Active | Untick to stop offering the unit when picking a unit. |
Text fields are capped at the length your organisation's address limit allows (100 if none is set).
Change a built-in unit
For a System or Overridden unit, the pencil opens a small box, Change decimals, with only the Decimals choice. Saving makes an override for this business unit ("Decimals for ... saved for this business unit."). An overridden unit shows a reset icon: Reset to default asks for confirmation, then removes the override ("... is back to its default decimals.").
Built-in units cannot be deleted. Custom units have edit and a bin; deleting asks "Are you sure you want to delete this unit?" and refuses a unit still used by items or transactions.
What changes for your team
Active units appear wherever a unit is picked on items and document lines. Decimals decide how many decimal places a quantity in that unit accepts.
When changes take effect
New entries use the new decimals and new units straight away. Quantities already saved are not rewritten. A custom unit's code cannot be renamed, so nothing already pointing at it breaks.
What is not on this screen
No export or import, and no way to rename a code. There is no Save button: each add, edit, reset and delete saves at once.
On mobile
There is no units screen in the phone app. Manage units in the admin portal in a web browser; the phone offers the same units. The Android app is on Google Play. The iPhone app is coming soon to the App Store. Same on iPhone and Android.
Problems and fixes
"... is a built-in unit. Change its decimals from its row in the list instead."
You typed the code of a built-in unit. Use the pencil on its row.
Delete is refused
The unit is used by an item or a document. Untick Active to stop offering it instead.
"Could not load the units"
Click Try again. The screen shows an error rather than a partial list.