Multiple Unit With SKU, default purchase & Selling price Feature Implementation Guide

Overview

The Multi Unit feature in Ultimate POS allows businesses to manage products that can be sold in multiple unit measurements while maintaining accurate inventory tracking and pricing. This feature enables automatic conversion between different units of the same product, making it ideal for businesses that purchase in bulk units but sell in smaller units.

What is Multi Unit?

Multi Unit functionality allows a single product to have up to three different unit measurements:

• Base Unit: The primary unit for inventory tracking (e.g., Pieces)
• First Conversion Unit: Secondary unit with conversion rate (e.g., Box containing 12 pieces)
• Second Conversion Unit: Tertiary unit with conversion rate (e.g., Carton containing 144 pieces)

When enabled, the system automatically generates SKUs, purchase prices, and selling prices for each unit based on the conversion rates defined.

Key Benefits

For Businesses

• Flexible Selling Options: Sell the same product in different quantities without creating separate product entries
• Accurate Inventory Management: Maintain precise stock levels regardless of which unit is sold
• Simplified Purchasing: Purchase in bulk units while selling in retail units
• Automated Pricing: Automatically calculate prices for different units based on conversion rates
• Better Customer Experience: Offer customers multiple purchasing options for the same product

For Developers

• Reduced Data Redundancy: Single product entry instead of multiple product variants
• Automated Calculations: Built-in conversion logic eliminates manual price calculations
• Scalable Architecture: Clean database design supporting multiple unit relationships
• Enhanced Reporting: Consolidated inventory and sales data across all units
• Flexible Integration: Easy integration with existing POS workflows

Use Cases

Retail Pharmacy

• Base Unit: Capsule
• First Conversion: Strip (10 capsules)
• Second Conversion: Box (10 strips = 100 capsules)

Customers can buy individual capsules, strips, or full boxes with automatic inventory deduction.

Food & Beverage

• Base Unit: Piece
• First Conversion: Box (24 pieces)
• Second Conversion: Carton (12 boxes = 288 pieces)

Restaurants can order by cartons while retail customers buy individual pieces.

Electronics/Hardware

• Base Unit: Piece
• First Conversion: Pack (5 pieces)
• Second Conversion: Case (20 packs = 100 pieces)

Wholesale and retail sales from the same inventory with automatic conversions.

Technical Architecture

Database Design

The implementation extends existing tables with multi-unit support:

• Products Table: Stores multi-unit configuration and conversion rates
• Variations Table: Maintains pricing and SKU information for each unit
• Transaction Lines: Records which unit was used in sales
• Stock Adjustments: Tracks inventory changes by specific units
• Invoice Layouts: Controls multi-unit display options

Key Features

• Automatic SKU Generation: Creates unique SKUs for each unit variation
• Dynamic Pricing: Calculates purchase and selling prices based on conversion rates
• Inventory Synchronization: Maintains accurate stock levels across all units
• Transaction Tracking: Records sales and purchases in the actual unit used
• Flexible Display: Configurable invoice and receipt formatting

Implementation Considerations

Data Integrity

• Conversion rates must be mathematically consistent
• Price calculations should maintain precision across units
• Stock levels require real-time synchronization

User Experience

• Intuitive unit selection during sales
• Clear pricing display for each unit option
• Seamless switching between units

Performance

• Efficient conversion calculations
• Optimized database queries for multi-unit products
• Minimal impact on existing single-unit workflows

Configuration Requirements

System Settings

Enable multi-unit functionality through system configuration to control feature availability across the application.

User Permissions

Implement proper access controls for creating and managing multi-unit products, ensuring only authorized users can configure conversion rates.

Validation Rules

Establish business rules for conversion rates, pricing relationships, and unit combinations to maintain data consistency.

Integration Points

The Multi Unit feature integrates seamlessly with:

• Sales Module: Unit selection during checkout
• Purchase Module: Receiving in bulk units
• Inventory Management: Stock tracking across units
• Reporting: Consolidated and unit-specific reports
• Pricing: Automatic price calculations and updates

This implementation provides a robust foundation for businesses requiring flexible unit management while maintaining the simplicity and efficiency of the Ultimate POS system.