Material Groups

Material Groups are a way to categorize and organize materials in your inventory management system. They provide a logical structure to group similar materials together, making it easier to manage, search, and report on your inventory.

• Logical Grouping: Group similar materials together based on common characteristics, purposes, or any other criteria that makes sense for your business.
• Hierarchical Structure: Materials must belong to exactly one material group, creating a clear organizational structure.
• Flexible Categorization: Create as many material groups as needed to properly organize your inventory.

• Descriptive Details: Each material group has a name and an optional description to help users understand its purpose.
• Inventory Overview: Quickly view all materials that belong to a specific group, helping with inventory assessment and decision-making.

• Simplified Search: Filter materials by group when searching your inventory.
• Streamlined Reporting: Generate reports based on material groups to analyze inventory performance by category.
• Improved Purchasing: Organize purchase orders and procurement processes by material group.

• Enhanced Organization: Keep your inventory neatly categorized for better clarity and management.
• Improved Efficiency: Find materials faster by narrowing searches to specific groups.
• Better Decision Making: Analyze inventory metrics by group to identify trends and make informed decisions.
• Standardized Processes: Apply consistent procedures to materials within the same group.
• Simplified Training: Help new employees understand your inventory structure more quickly.

1. Navigate to the Inventory Management section
2. Select "Material Groups"
3. Click "Create New Group"
4. Enter a clear, descriptive name
5. Add an optional detailed description
6. Save the new material group

1. Find the material group in the list
2. Click on the edit icon
3. Update the name or description as needed
4. Save your changes

Material groups can only be deleted if no materials are currently assigned to them. To delete:

1. Ensure all materials have been reassigned to other groups
2. Navigate to the material group
3. Click the delete option
4. Confirm deletion

If materials are still assigned to the group, you'll receive an error message.

Instead of permanent deletion, you can archive material groups that are no longer in active use:

1. Select the material group
2. Click "Archive"
3. The group will be hidden from active view but can be restored if needed

To restore an archived group:

1. Navigate to "Archived Material Groups"
2. Find the group you want to restore
3. Click "Restore"

• Use clear, consistent names that reflect the actual nature of the materials
• Avoid overly technical terms if non-technical staff will use the system
• Consider including a numbering or prefix system for easier identification

• Group materials by function, location, supplier, or other relevant criteria
• Avoid creating too many groups with very few materials
• Similarly, avoid having too few groups with hundreds of materials each
• Review your grouping strategy periodically as your inventory needs evolve

• Start by defining your most common or important material groups
• Create a standardized process for assigning new materials to groups
• Train all inventory personnel on your grouping system and its importance
• Regularly review and maintain your material group structure