Attributes

Build and manage hundreds or thousands of 'like' products in logical groups
Efficiency in the processing of sales orders is essential for customer satisfaction and overall productivity. Companies that carry a wide variety of products often run into difficulty obtaining the correct product numbers (SKUs) or IDs for invoicing purposes. These numbers must be found by manually flipping through inventory lists, resulting in lost time and decreased efficiency. Sentai has developed a concept of 'attributed' inventory to reduce the time required to process a customer invoice. 

Attributed products are those that share a common factor but differ in the variations thereof, while non-attributed products are those that are unique. Attributes are qualities that define a product. There can be an unlimited number of attributes.

For the following example, we will use a shirt as an attributed product. This is just one example of how attributes can be used.

A shirt has different attributes such as size, color, and style. Each attribute then contains a set of values or options. For example, shirts may come in colors of red or white; styles of t-shirt or polo; and small, medium, or large sizes. Products that use attributes do not necessarily have all combinations of attribute values as valid. Validation rules allow products to be created with only specific attribute values as being valid and the rules of combining those attributes will be respected during transaction entry and reporting.

Consider the following example:

Product-ID

SHIRT    
Attribute-ID SIZE COLOR STYLE
Attribute Values Small Red Polo
  Medium Blue T-shirt
  Large White  
  Extra Large    


In the above example, certain combinations of attributes are not valid. For example, the shirt manufacturer has determined that t-shirts are not available in the extra large size.

Benefits at Order Entry 
One of the significant benefits of attributes is their use at the point of sale level. Instead of obtaining the product number for the picking slip from a binder containing a product number list, your associate can enter the shirt product-ID or synonym and is prompted to input values for the product attributes. Clicking the help key provides lists of product-IDs, synonyms, attribute values, etc. to choose from.

The chosen attributes must be a valid combination or the system will not recognize the product. If the system fails to recognize the product, the user will be prompted for another entry. This on-line mix and match process, including complete data verification, permits the sales order clerk to get the job done without referring to product catalogues or other reference lists.

Another method to increase order entry efficiency is the selection of default values. An operator may choose default values for attributes that will appear when a product is entered. This is beneficial when a product is most commonly sold with certain attribute values, for it saves the clerk the time and effort that would be required to re-enter the same values time after time when placing orders for that particular product.

For example, if blue t-shirts are the most commonly sold color of t-shirt, then the appropriate attribute values could be assigned to automatically appear when a t-shirt is ordered. If the customer does not wish to place an order for that particular product, the operator can override the default values.

Inventory Management Benefits
In our example, pricing may be the same for all t-shirts regardless of color. The size of the t-shirt may be the only attribute value that impacts the price. Combinations of attribute values can be used to determine both price and cost. A price or cost can be applied to all shirts of a particular color (attribute) with a single entry. Since price and cost can be determined by attribute values, maintenance of the product file is minimized.

Dimension is a special attribute that exists at a different level from other attributes on the system. Attributes can be related to each in other in various multiplication relationships. For example, a product can have both length and width attributes where a price is derived when these attributes are multiplied. Sentai's Trax Distribution:Solutions minimize the maintenance associated with price and perform all calculations in the background in order to free up the order desk from routine tasks, thus allowing full concentration on the customer in front of the counter or on the telephone.

The creation of new products and product lines is also streamlined with the use of attributes.  An operator can simply specify the new attribute value(s) and validate them, and voila,... an entire new batch of products has been created that can optionally inherit all of the product file values such as price and cost.

Sentai customers have used attributes to help with products such as hot tubs, computers, racking systems, pumps, motors, clothing, flooring, and much more.  Ask your Sentai representative how attributes can work for you.