Go to the Inventory screen and click the Create Product button. The system opens the Create Product screen:
Below is the list of fields you can enter on the Create Product screen:
Code (Required): here, you can enter alphanumeric values to identify the product, in other words, product SKU. If you don’t have your product numbering scheme, the system will generate sequential numbering for you (by default).
Name (Required): enter the full name of the product.
Type (Required): you have to select the product type here. The system offers four predefined product types: Beverage, Food, Hot Drink, and Ingredient, but you can create an unlimited number of your product types from the screen Configuration | Product Types.
Barcode (Optional): Enter the product’s barcode number.
Units per Case (Optional): enter the number of bottles/cans per case for drinks or the number of items in a box for Snacks, for example. This number is used when you create your Purchase records: you can enter the number of cases you bought and the price per case, and the system will calculate the number of single units in the Purchase and the cost per single unit.
Reorder Point (Optional): here, you can enter the stock level at which you should consider replenishing this product. When product stock in the warehouse drops below the specified reorder point, the product will be displayed on the Reorder screen. Enter the quantity in single units.
Initial Inventory Setup section:
Quantity (Optional): Enter the quantity on hand (in single units) in your warehouse. This quantity is entered at initial Product creation and can be changed only by the Adjust Quantity functionality after that.
Unit Cost (Optional): The price per unit of the product you buy from the supplier. This is the price for the initial quantity. This cost, together with the data from the purchases, is used by the system to calculate the product’s Average Cost.
Total Value: calculated automatically by the system: Total Value = Quantity * Unit Cost.
When you finish entering product data, click the Save button. Your new product will be available on the Inventory screen.
Inventory: Initial Quantity vs. Purchases
When creating a product, you have two options for adding the initial stock to your warehouse:
Option 1: Creating a Purchase
If you have past invoices or know when and how much of a product you received, it’s best to leave the Initial Quantity field blank and instead record the stock in the Purchases screen. This approach keeps your inventory records cleaner and allows for better tracking of cost history.
Option 2: Using Initial Quantity
If you don’t have the invoices or are just starting to use VendSoft, you can enter the starting inventory manually by filling in the Initial Quantity field when creating the product. This sets your starting stock level without the need to record a purchase.
⚠️ Important Note:
Do not enter both an Initial Quantity and a Purchase for the same starting stock. Doing so will double your warehouse quantity, which will result in incorrect inventory and cost data.