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Material

Material Management is the foundation of Navatom's supply-chain modules. Every item that appears on a purchase requisition, sits in a warehouse, or flows through a goods receipt begins as a material record in this module.

Updated over 2 weeks ago

What you can do

Task

Where to find it

Browse and search materials

Material > Material List

Create a new material

Material List toolbar > Create

View or edit a material

Click any row in the Material List

Manage catalogues and categories

Material > Categorisation

Configure material types

Material > Categorisation > Types

Set up units of measure

Material > Settings > Units of Measure

Manage user groups

Material > Settings > User Groups

View the material dashboard

Material > Dashboard (company only)

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Key concepts

Materials

A material is any item your organisation tracks -- a spare part, a consumable, a piece of equipment, or a service. Each material record carries:

  • An identity (name, code, part number)

  • A classification (catalogue, category group, category, material type)

  • Units of measure (base/inventory, purchase, and sales units)

  • Tracking dimension settings (batch, serial, owner, space, status)

  • Physical dimensions (weight, height, width, depth, volume)

  • Coverage and planning parameters per inventory location

Materials have a five-stage lifecycle:

Draft --> Active --> Inactive --> Deprecated --> Deleted

^ | |

+--------------+ |

+-------------------------------+

  • Draft -- the material is being set up; it cannot be used in transactions.

  • Active -- the material is available for procurement, inventory, and sales.

  • Inactive -- temporarily suspended; can be reactivated.

  • Deprecated -- marked for phase-out; can still be reactivated if needed.

  • Deleted -- permanently removed from active use.

Catalogue materials vs. temporary materials

In procurement workflows, users may enter items that do not yet exist in the material catalogue. These appear as temporary materials and can later be converted into full material records. Only catalogue materials participate in inventory tracking and stock-level calculations.

Two levels of editability

Material fields are divided into two groups:

  • Basic fields -- name, description, code, part number, tags. These can be changed as long as the material is not deprecated or deleted.

  • Structural fields -- material type, category, units of measure, tracking dimensions, and physical dimensions. These are locked once any inventory transaction has been recorded for the material. A banner at the top of the material page warns you when this lock is in effect.

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How Material Management connects to other modules

+-----------------------+

| Material Management |

| (master data) |

+-----------+-----------+

|

+---------------------+---------------------+

| | |

+---------v---------+ +---------v---------+ +---------v---------+

| Procurement | | Inventory | | Maintenance |

| (requisitions, | | (journals, | | (equipment, |

| orders, receipts)| | on-hand, stock) | | spare parts) |

+-------------------+ +-------------------+ +-------------------+

  • Procurement uses material records on requisition lines, purchase orders, and goods receipts. The material's purchase unit and supplier catalogue drive pricing and ordering.

  • Inventory uses material records to track on-hand quantities, create journal entries, and enforce tracking dimensions (batch, serial, etc.).

  • Maintenance links materials to equipment as spare parts, with quantity and criticality ratings.

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Navigation (company application)

Menu item

Description

Dashboard

Customisable widgets showing material statistics

Material List

Browse, search, and create materials

Categorisation

  Types

Define material types (purchasable, stockable, etc.)

  Catalogues

Top-level catalogue containers

  Categories

Hierarchical category groups and categories

  Attributes

Custom attribute types and attribute groups

  Dimensions

Variant dimensions (colour, size, style, etc.)

Settings

  Units of Measure

Unit definitions, systems, and conversions

  User Groups

Groups for authorisation-rule assignment

Navigation (ship application)

The ship application provides a subset of the company navigation:

Menu item

Description

Material List

Browse, search, and create materials

Categorisation

  Types

View material types

  Catalogues

View catalogues

  Categories

View category groups and categories

The ship application has full material create-and-edit capabilities but does not expose catalogue/type/category configuration screens. Configuration is managed from the company application and synchronised.

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See also

  • [Working with Materials](02-materials.md) -- create your first material

  • [Classification](03-classification.md) -- set up catalogues and categories

  • [Units of Measure](04-units-of-measure.md) -- configure unit systems

Last updated: March 2026

Working with Materials

A material record is the central object in Material Management. This chapter covers every aspect of creating, viewing, editing, and managing material records through their full lifecycle.

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Creating a material

  • Open Material > Material List.

  • Click Create in the toolbar. A creation form appears.

  • Fill in the fields:

Field

Required

Notes

Variation type

Yes

Choose Standalone (single item) or Master (has variants). See [Variants](06-variants.md).

Name

Yes

The display name of the material.

Category group

No

If selected, the Category field becomes required. Groups that do not allow the selected type are greyed out.

Category

Conditional

Required when a category group is selected.

Type

No

Material type (e.g., Spare Part, Consumable). Types not permitted by the selected category group are greyed out. If a default type exists, it is pre-selected.

Base unit

No

The inventory (base) unit of measure.

Purchase unit

No

Visible only if you have access to the Procurement module. Disabled if the selected type is not purchasable.

Sales unit

No

Visible only if you have access to the Sales module. Disabled if the selected type is not salable.

  • Click Save. The material is created in Draft status.

**Tip** -- You can always add or change the type, category, and units later from the material detail page, as long as no inventory transactions have been recorded.

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Material detail page

Opening any material from the list takes you to the detail page. The page is organised into panels:

Page header

  • Title -- the material name. Click to edit it inline (when editable).

  • Status badge -- shows the current lifecycle status with colour coding.

  • Toolbar -- lifecycle action buttons (see [Lifecycle actions](#lifecycle-actions) below).

Banner messages

Two types of banner may appear below the title:

  • Structural lock (amber) -- "Structural fields are locked because this material has inventory transactions." Appears when the material has been used in at least one journal or transaction. Basic fields remain editable.

  • Validation warnings -- one banner per active violation. See [Validation and violations](#validation-and-violations) for the full list. You can dismiss (mute) a violation by closing its banner.

Left sidebar

Section

Contents

Images

Photo carousel with upload (up to 4 images at once) and delete.

Definition

Part number, code, status, variation type (if not Standalone), created by/date.

Units of Measure

Base, purchase, and sales units with inline editing. Unit-of-measure conversions appear below when two or more distinct units are assigned.

Hierarchy

Material type, category (with category group), and tags.

Description

Free-text description field.

Centre area

Section

Visible when

Contents

Variants

Variation type is Master

Table of existing variants; button to generate new variants from dimension combinations.

Equipment

Always

Linked equipment (spare-part relationships) with add button.

Coverage

Variation type is not Master, type is stockable

Per-location planning parameters. See [Coverage and Planning](07-coverage-and-planning.md).

Journal Reason Policy

Type is stockable

Per-journal-type reason requirement configuration.

Right sidebar

Section

Visible when

Contents

Product IDs

Always

Commercial identifiers: GTIN, UPC, EAN, ISBN, SKU, ASIN, GCID. Add, edit, or remove.

External Part Numbers

Variation type is not Master

Manufacturer, customer, or supplier part numbers with company reference.

Dimensions

Variation type is Master

Dimension group assignments (colour, size, etc.).

Attributes

Attribute types exist for this material, not Master

Custom attribute values. Data types include text, number, date, and boolean.

Physical Dimensions

Type is stockable, not Master

Weight (net, tare, gross), dimensions (width, height, depth), and volume.

Tracking Dimensions

Type is stockable, not Master

Toggle switches for space, status, batch, serial, and owner tracking. See [Tracking Dimensions](05-tracking-dimensions.md).

Left dock (full-width panels)

Section

Visible when

Contents

On Hand

Type is stockable

Current stock quantities per location, with tracking-dimension drill-down.

Transactions

Not Master, type is stockable

Complete transaction history for this material.

Price History

Not Master, type is purchasable

Historical purchase prices with statistics (min, max, average), a trend chart, and a detail grid. Filterable by legal entity.

Right dock (tabs)

Tab

Contents

Comments

Free-text comments (add, edit your own, delete your own). 350-character limit.

Attachments

File uploads and downloads. Supports any file type.

Events

Read-only chronological audit log of every change made to the material.

─────────────────────────────────

Lifecycle actions

The toolbar shows different buttons depending on the material's current status:

Current status

Available actions

Draft

Activate, Deprecate

Active

Deactivate

Inactive

Activate, Deprecate, Delete

Deprecated

Activate, Delete

Deleted

*(none -- record is read-only)*

All lifecycle actions require the Edit Material access right. The Activate action is available even when the page is otherwise read-only (e.g., you only have view access), as long as you hold the access right.

─────────────────────────────────

Editing fields

Inline editing

Most fields on the detail page support inline editing: click the field value, make your change, and confirm. Changes are saved immediately.

Basic fields (always editable while material is not Deprecated or Deleted)

  • Name

  • Description

  • Code

  • Part number

  • Tags

  • Product IDs

  • External part numbers

  • Bullet points

  • Comments and attachments

  • Manufacturer

  • Attributes

  • Images

Structural fields (locked once inventory transactions exist)

  • Material type

  • Category (and category group)

  • Base (inventory) unit, purchase unit, sales unit

  • Unit-of-measure conversions

  • Tracking dimensions (batch, serial, owner, space, status)

  • Physical dimensions

  • Dimension groups (for master materials)

When structural fields are locked, the system displays an amber banner and the fields show a lock icon with the message: "This field cannot be changed because inventory transactions already exist for this material."

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Validation and violations

The system continuously validates materials against a set of rules. Violations appear as coloured banners at the top of the material page. You can mute (dismiss) a violation if you intentionally accept the condition; muted violations can be un-muted from the Violations popover in the toolbar.

Error-level violations (prevent proper operation)

Violation

Description

Corrupted category data

Internal data integrity issue. Contact support.

Base unit not assigned

The material has no inventory unit of measure.

Dimension groups not set

A master material has no dimension groups assigned.

No variants generated

A master material has dimension groups but no variants have been created.

Type not allowed in category group

The material type is not permitted by the assigned category group.

Missing conversion: base to purchase

No unit conversion exists between the inventory and purchase units.

Missing conversion: base to sales

No unit conversion exists between the inventory and sales units.

Missing conversion: purchase to sales

No unit conversion exists between the purchase and sales units.

Warning-level violations

Violation

Description

Type not assigned

The material has no material type.

Inactive catalogue

The catalogue this material belongs to has been deactivated.

Inactive category group

The category group has been deactivated.

Inactive category

The category has been deactivated.

Inactive type

The material type has been deactivated.

Category not assigned

The material has no category.

Batch enabled but no properties set

Batch tracking is turned on but no batch properties are configured.

Informational violations

Violation

Description

Part number not set

The part number field is empty.

Sales unit not assigned

The material has no sales unit (relevant if salable).

Purchase unit not assigned

The material has no purchase unit (relevant if purchasable).

Violations related to procurement are hidden if you do not have Procurement module access. Likewise, sales-related violations are hidden without Sales module access.

─────────────────────────────────

Unit-of-measure conversions

When a material has two or more distinct units assigned (e.g., base unit is "Piece" and purchase unit is "Box"), you need conversions to translate between them.

Adding a conversion

  • In the Units of Measure section, scroll to the Conversions area.

  • Click Add.

  • Select the two units (A and B). Pairs already covered are excluded.

  • Enter the conversion factor (e.g., 1 Box = 12 Pieces).

  • Select a rounding mode (e.g., Half Up, Half Down, Floor, Ceiling).

  • Click Save.

The maximum number of conversions equals n x (n - 1), where n is the number of distinct units. For three units (base, purchase, sales) that's up to six conversions.

Editing or removing a conversion

Click the conversion in the list to edit the factor or rounding mode. The unit pair cannot be changed after creation -- delete and re-create if needed.

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Equipment linking

Materials can be linked to equipment as spare parts:

  • In the Equipment section, click Add Equipment.

  • Select an inventory location (filtered to vessel locations).

  • Select the equipment from that vessel.

  • Set the quantity, criticality, and optional notes.

  • Click Save.

The equipment count is shown as a badge on the section header.

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Journal reason policy

For stockable materials, you can configure whether a reason is required, optional, or not shown when this material appears on each type of inventory journal:

Journal type

Default policy

Arrival

Optional

Adjustment

Optional

Counting

Optional

Movement

Optional

Transfer

Optional

Internal Transfer

Optional

Ownership Transfer

Optional

Click the policy cell in the table to change it. This material-level policy works together with the location-level reason policy (see [Inventory Management](../inventory-docs/README.md)).

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See also

  • [Classification](03-classification.md) -- catalogues, category groups, and categories

  • [Tracking Dimensions](05-tracking-dimensions.md) -- batch, serial, owner configuration

  • [Variants and Dimensions](06-variants.md) -- master materials and variant generation

  • [Status Reference](09-status-reference.md) -- complete editability matrix

Last updated: March 2026

Classification

Materials are organised into a three-level hierarchy: Catalogue > Category Group > Category. This structure lets you browse materials the way your organisation thinks about them (e.g., by system, by deck, by function) and apply shared rules at each level.

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Catalogues

A catalogue is the top-level container. Typical examples: IMPA Catalogue, Company Catalogue, Ship Systems.

What a catalogue defines

Property

Description

Name

Display name of the catalogue.

Status

Draft, Active, Inactive, or Deprecated.

Allowed locations

Restrict which inventory locations can use materials from this catalogue. Leave empty to allow all.

Read-only

When set, materials imported from this catalogue cannot be edited locally. Used for shared/distributed catalogues.

Require type for procurement

If enabled, materials in this catalogue must have a material type assigned before they can be added to purchase requisitions.

Category groups

The list of category groups that belong to this catalogue.

Creating a catalogue

  • Go to Material > Categorisation > Catalogues.

  • Click Create in the toolbar.

  • Enter a name and optionally set allowed locations.

  • Click Save. The catalogue is created in Draft status.

  • Open the catalogue and click Activate to make it available.

Catalogue detail page

Section

Contents

Definition

Name, status, description, read-only flag.

Category Groups

Table of category groups in this catalogue. Add or remove groups.

Materials

All materials assigned to this catalogue (read-only list).

Description

Free-text description.

Comments

Threaded comments.

Attachments

File uploads.

Events

Audit log of all changes.

Distributed catalogues

Catalogues can be distributed from a central Navatom database to your organisation's database. Distributed catalogue materials are marked as read-only -- you cannot edit their core fields locally. This is used when your organisation subscribes to a standard catalogue maintained by Navatom or a third party.

To request a distributed catalogue:

  • Open the catalogue list.

  • Switch to the Distributed tab.

  • Click Request next to the catalogue you want.

  • The catalogue and its materials will be imported into your database.

─────────────────────────────────

Category groups

A category group sits between a catalogue and its categories. It lets you group related categories together and control which material types are allowed within the group.

What a category group defines

Property

Description

Name

Display name (e.g., "Deck Equipment", "Engine Room Spares").

Status

Draft, Active, Inactive, or Deprecated.

Catalogue

The parent catalogue this group belongs to.

Allowed material types

Only these material types can be assigned to materials in this group. Leave empty to allow all types.

Creating a category group

  • Go to Material > Categorisation > Categories and select the Groups tab.

  • Click Create.

  • Enter a name and select the parent catalogue.

  • Optionally restrict allowed material types.

  • Click Save (created in Draft), then Activate.

Category group detail page

Section

Contents

Definition

Name, status, catalogue, description.

Categories

Tree-structured list of categories in this group.

Allowed Types

Material types permitted in this group.

Materials

All materials in this group (read-only list).

Description

Free-text description.

Comments

Threaded comments.

Attachments

File uploads.

Events

Audit log.

─────────────────────────────────

Categories

Categories are the leaf level of the hierarchy. They support an unlimited tree depth -- a category can have sub-categories, which can have their own sub-categories, and so on.

What a category defines

Property

Description

Name

Display name (e.g., "Lubricants", "Navigation Lights").

Status

Draft, Active, Inactive, or Deprecated.

Parent category

The parent in the tree (or root if top-level).

Attribute types

Custom attribute types inherited by materials in this category.

Inherit attributes

When enabled, the category inherits attribute types from its parent.

Default tracking dimensions

Override the default tracking settings for materials in this category.

Cross-catalogue mappings

Map this category to equivalent categories in other catalogues for interoperability.

Creating a category

Categories are created from within a category group:

  • Open a category group's detail page.

  • In the Categories section, click Add Root Category (or right-click an existing category and choose Add Sub-Category).

  • Enter a name.

  • Optionally configure attribute types and tracking dimension defaults.

  • Click Save.

Category detail page

Section

Contents

Definition

Name, status, parent path (breadcrumb from root).

Attributes

Attribute types assigned to this category.

Materials

All materials in this category (read-only list).

Description

Free-text description.

Comments

Threaded comments.

Attachments

File uploads.

Events

Audit log.

Category path

Every category maintains a path -- the chain of parent categories from the root down. For example:

Ship Systems > Propulsion > Main Engine > Lubricants

This path is displayed as a breadcrumb on the category detail page and is searchable from the material list.

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How classification affects other modules

Rule

Effect

Category group restricts allowed types

When creating or editing a material, only permitted types appear in the dropdown.

Catalogue restricts allowed locations

Materials from a location-restricted catalogue are available only at the specified inventory locations.

Category defines default tracking dimensions

New materials in the category inherit the category's tracking configuration.

Category assigns attribute types

Materials in the category display the assigned attribute fields on their detail page.

Category group is used in approval rules

Approval and authorisation rules can match by category group (e.g., require approval for all "Engine Room" materials).

Catalogue read-only flag

Materials in a read-only catalogue cannot have their core fields edited.

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Lifecycle for classification entities

All three levels (catalogue, category group, category) share the same lifecycle statuses:

Status

Meaning

Draft

Being configured. Not yet available for material assignment.

Active

Available for use.

Inactive

Suspended. Existing materials are unaffected, but new materials cannot be assigned to it. A warning violation appears on affected materials.

Deprecated

Marked for phase-out. Same restrictions as Inactive.

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See also

  • [Working with Materials](02-materials.md) -- how classification is used during material creation

  • [Settings and Configuration](08-settings.md) -- material types that interact with category groups

  • [Status Reference](09-status-reference.md) -- complete status tables

Last updated: March 2026

Units of Measure

Every material in Navatom can have up to three unit-of-measure assignments: one for inventory tracking, one for purchasing, and one for sales. This chapter explains how to set up unit systems, create units, define conversions, and assign units to materials.

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Concepts

Unit of measure

A unit of measure (UoM) is a standardised quantity for expressing amounts. Examples: Piece, Kilogram, Litre, Box, Metre.

Each unit has:

Property

Description

Name

Display name (e.g., "Kilogram").

Plural name

Used when the quantity is not one (e.g., "Kilograms").

Symbol

Abbreviation shown in grids and badges (e.g., "kg").

Code

Unique identifier, typically aligned with UNECE Recommendation 20.

Type

The physical quantity it measures. See [Measurement types](#measurement-types).

Precision

Number of decimal places (0 to 10) used when displaying quantities.

Rounding mode

How to round: Half Up, Half Down, Floor, Ceiling, etc.

Commercial

Flag indicating whether the unit is used in commercial contexts.

System

Optional grouping (see [Unit systems](#unit-systems)).

Three unit roles on a material

Role

Purpose

Base (Inventory)

The fundamental unit for stock tracking and on-hand calculations. All inventory transactions use this unit.

Purchase

The unit used on purchase orders and vendor quotations. Requires a conversion to the base unit. Only visible if the material type is purchasable.

Sales

The unit used on sales documents. Requires a conversion to the base unit. Only visible if the material type is salable.

Global vs. local units

Navatom provides a set of global (system-provided) units of measure that are shared across all organisations (e.g., standard metric and imperial units). Your organisation can also create local units specific to your needs (e.g., "Drum" with a custom capacity).

When searching for a unit, global units are checked first, then local units.

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Unit systems

A unit system groups related units together (e.g., "Metric", "Imperial", "Maritime"). Systems are optional and purely organisational.

Creating a unit system

  • Go to Material > Settings > Units of Measure and select the Systems tab.

  • Click Create.

  • Enter a name and description.

  • Click Save.

Unit system detail page

Section

Contents

Definition

Name, status (Draft / Active / Inactive).

Description

Free-text description.

Units

Table of all units assigned to this system.

Comments

Threaded comments.

Attachments

File uploads.

Events

Audit log.

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Creating a unit of measure

  • Go to Material > Settings > Units of Measure (Units tab).

  • Click Create.

  • Fill in the form:

Field

Required

Notes

System

No

Assign to a unit system for grouping.

Type

Yes

The measurement type (see list below).

Name

Yes

Display name.

Plural name

No

Shown when quantity is not one.

Symbol

Yes

Short abbreviation (e.g., "kg", "pcs").

Description

No

Optional notes.

Precision

Yes

Decimal places, 0--10.

Rounding mode

Yes

How to round calculated quantities.

Commercial

No

Toggle if used in commercial/trade contexts.

  • Click Save. The unit is created in Draft status.

  • Activate it to make it available for material assignment.

Unit detail page

Section

Contents

Definition

Name, symbol, type, precision, rounding mode, commercial flag.

System

Parent system assignment.

Materials

Table of all materials using this unit (as base, purchase, or sales).

Comments

Threaded comments.

Attachments

File uploads.

Events

Audit log.

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Measurement types

Units are classified by their physical quantity. The available types are:

Type

Examples

Length

Metre, Foot, Inch

Mass

Kilogram, Pound, Tonne

Volume

Litre, Gallon, Cubic Metre

Quantity

Piece, Each, Dozen

Area

Square Metre, Acre

Time

Hour, Day, Minute

Temperature

Celsius, Fahrenheit

Pressure

Bar, PSI, Pascal

Velocity

Knot, km/h, m/s

Force

Newton, Kilogram-force

Energy

Joule, kWh, BTU

Power

Watt, Horsepower

Electric Current

Ampere

Voltage

Volt

Frequency

Hertz, RPM

Density

kg/m3, lb/ft3

Flow Rate

m3/h, GPM

Torque

Nm, lb-ft

Viscosity

cSt, Pa.s

Concentration

ppm, mg/L

Luminous Intensity

Candela, Lumen

Angle

Degree, Radian

Data

Byte, Megabyte

Proportion

Percentage, Ratio

Electrical Resistance

Ohm

Currency

USD, EUR

Custom

For non-standard quantities

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Unit conversions

A conversion defines how to translate between two units. Conversions are stored at two levels:

  • Global conversions -- between global (system-provided) units; shared across all organisations.

  • Material-level conversions -- on individual materials, between any two of that material's assigned units.

Creating a global conversion

  • Go to Material > Settings > Units of Measure and select the Conversions tab.

  • Click Create.

  • Select Unit A and Unit B.

  • Enter the conversion factor (how many of B equal one A).

  • Select a rounding mode.

  • Click Save.

Material-level conversions

These are configured on the material detail page in the Units of Measure section. See [Working with Materials > Unit-of-measure conversions](02-materials.md#unit-of-measure-conversions).

Conversion direction

Conversions are bidirectional. If you define "1 Box = 12 Pieces", the system automatically knows that 1 Piece = 0.0833 Boxes (using the inverse of the factor, subject to the configured rounding).

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Assigning units to a material

From the creation form

Select the base, purchase, and/or sales units during material creation.

From the material detail page

  • Open the material.

  • In the Units of Measure section, click the unit field you want to set.

  • Search for and select the unit from the dropdown.

  • The unit is saved immediately.

**Important** -- Changing a unit is a structural edit. Once any inventory transaction exists for the material, unit assignments cannot be changed. The field will show a lock icon and the message: *"This field cannot be changed because inventory transactions already exist."*

Validation

If you assign two or more distinct units but do not create the conversion between them, a red validation violation will appear:

  • *"Missing conversion: base to purchase"*

  • *"Missing conversion: base to sales"*

  • *"Missing conversion: purchase to sales"*

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See also

  • [Working with Materials](02-materials.md) -- unit assignment in context

  • [Settings and Configuration](08-settings.md) -- unit systems and global setup

  • [Status Reference](09-status-reference.md) -- unit lifecycle statuses

Last updated: March 2026

Tracking Dimensions

Tracking dimensions add granularity to your inventory records. Instead of knowing only "we have 100 litres of lubricant at Warehouse A", tracking dimensions let you know which batch, which serial number, who owns it, which shelf it's on, and what quality status it has.

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Overview

Each material can enable up to five independent tracking dimensions:

Dimension

What it tracks

Typical use case

Space

The physical storage location within a warehouse

Shelves, bins, holds, racks

Status

The quality or condition state of the stock

Available, Quarantine, Inspection, Blocked

Batch

A manufacturing or procurement lot

Lot-controlled chemicals, paints, food items

Serial

An individual item's unique identifier

High-value equipment, certified components

Owner

The legal entity that owns the stock

Consignment stock, vendor-managed inventory

Tracking dimensions are configured per material on the material detail page (Tracking Dimensions section in the right sidebar). They are structural fields -- once any inventory transaction exists for the material, tracking toggles cannot be changed.

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Space tracking

When enabled, every inventory transaction for this material records the space (sub-location) where the stock is stored. Spaces are defined within inventory locations.

  • On inventory journal lines, a Space column appears for selecting the space.

  • On-hand quantities are broken down by space.

  • Transfer journals can move stock between spaces.

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Status tracking

When enabled, each unit of stock carries an inventory status -- a user-defined quality state.

Inventory statuses

Inventory statuses are configured under Inventory > Settings > Inventory Statuses. Each status has:

Property

Description

Code

Short identifier (e.g., "AVAIL", "QUAR").

Name

Display name (e.g., "Available", "Quarantine").

Description

Optional explanation.

Available

When unchecked, stock with this status is excluded from picking and consumption.

Blocked

When checked, stock with this status is excluded from planning calculations.

Changing the status of on-hand stock

You can change the quality status of stock directly from the On Hand > Tracking view:

  • Find the stock row you want to reclassify.

  • Click the Change Status action.

  • Select the new status and the quantity to reclassify.

  • Confirm.

Behind the scenes, this creates paired inventory transactions: one removing stock from the old status and one adding it to the new status.

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Batch tracking

Batch (or lot) tracking groups stock by a production or procurement batch. This is essential for traceability, recalls, and expiry management.

Enabling batch tracking

  • Open the material and go to Tracking Dimensions.

  • Toggle Batch to on.

  • Configure Batch Properties -- select which fields to track:

Property

Description

Batch Number

Required identifier for the batch.

Manufacturing Date

When the batch was produced.

Shelf Life Date

When the batch reaches end of shelf life.

Best Before Date

When the batch is no longer at peak quality.

Expiry Date

When the batch expires and can no longer be used.

Country of Origin

Where the batch was manufactured or sourced.

Automatic date calculation

If Manufacturing Date is enabled alongside any of the date properties, you can configure period days that automatically calculate the target date:

  • Shelf life period (days) -- *Manufacturing Date + N days = Shelf Life Date*

  • Best before period (days) -- *Manufacturing Date + N days = Best Before Date*

  • Expiry period (days) -- *Manufacturing Date + N days = Expiry Date*

**Warning** -- If you enable batch tracking but do not configure any batch properties, a yellow validation warning will appear: *"Batch tracking is enabled but no batch properties are configured."*

Batch lifecycle

Status

Meaning

New

Just created; not yet used in a transaction.

Active

In use. Inventory transactions reference this batch.

Quarantine

Isolated for quality investigation. Stock is typically blocked.

Depleted

All stock from this batch has been consumed or transferred out.

Archived

Permanently closed for historical reference.

When an arrival journal is posted, any New batches referenced in its tracking lines are automatically transitioned to Active.

Expiry monitoring

The On Hand > Expiry view provides a dedicated grid for monitoring batch expiry across all locations. Each row shows:

  • Material name and batch number

  • All configured date fields (manufacturing, shelf life, best before, expiry)

  • Remaining days -- calculated as the number of days until expiry, with colour-coded urgency

  • Shelf life status: - *Valid* -- not yet approaching expiry - *Expiring Soon* -- approaching the configured threshold - *Expired* -- past the expiry date - *No Expiry* -- no expiry date is set for this batch

─────────────────────────────────

Serial number tracking

Serial tracking assigns a unique identifier to each individual item. Unlike batch tracking (which groups items), serial tracking is one-to-one: each serial number represents exactly one unit.

Serial number lifecycle

Status

Meaning

New

Created but not yet in inventory.

Active

Currently in stock.

Quarantine

Isolated for investigation.

Sold

Transferred to a customer.

Consumed

Used internally (maintenance, production).

Scrapped

Permanently removed from service.

Issued

Issued to a department or work order.

Serial numbers can optionally be linked to a batch (when both serial and batch tracking are enabled on the same material).

─────────────────────────────────

Ownership tracking

Ownership tracking records who owns each unit of stock. This is important for consignment inventory, vendor-managed inventory, and multi-party warehouse scenarios.

Owner types

Type

Description

Internal

Owned by your organisation.

Supplier

Owned by a vendor (consignment stock).

Customer

Owned by a customer (held on their behalf).

Owner lifecycle

Status

Meaning

New

Owner record created but not yet used in transactions.

Active

In use. Inventory references this owner.

Blocked

Owner is suspended; stock cannot be transacted under this owner.

Ownership transfer journal

When stock ownership needs to change (e.g., consignment stock is purchased, or stock is transferred to a customer), use an Ownership Transfer Journal. See [Inventory Management > Ownership Transfer](../inventory-docs/07-ownership-transfer.md).

─────────────────────────────────

How tracking dimensions work in journal lines

When a material with tracking dimensions is added to an inventory journal, each journal line can have tracking lines -- sub-rows that break the line's quantity down by dimension:

Journal Line: Lubricant Oil, 100 L

├─ Tracking Line 1: Batch B-2024-001, Space A1, 60 L

├─ Tracking Line 2: Batch B-2024-002, Space A2, 30 L

└─ Tracking Line 3: Batch B-2024-003, Space B1, 10 L

The sum of tracking line quantities must equal the parent line's quantity.

Tracking line locking

Once a tracking dimension entity (batch, serial, or owner) has been used in a posted transaction (i.e., its status is no longer New), it becomes immutable on that tracking line. You cannot change the batch number, serial number, or owner after the fact. You can only create new tracking lines with different values.

─────────────────────────────────

See also

  • [Working with Materials](02-materials.md) -- where to configure tracking on a material

  • [Coverage and Planning](07-coverage-and-planning.md) -- how tracking affects stock calculations

  • [Status Reference](09-status-reference.md) -- batch, serial, and owner status tables

Last updated: March 2026

Variants and Dimensions

When a material comes in multiple variations -- different colours, sizes, styles, or capacities -- Navatom uses a master-variant system. A single master material defines the shared properties, and individual variant materials represent each specific combination.

─────────────────────────────────

Concepts

Master material

A master material is a template. It cannot be used directly in transactions (you cannot stock or purchase a "T-Shirt" -- you stock a "T-Shirt, Red, XL"). The master holds shared properties:

  • Name, code, description

  • Material type and category

  • Dimension group assignments (which axes of variation apply)

  • Optionally: shared attributes and shared physical dimensions

Variant material

A variant is a concrete, transactable material generated from a master. Each variant represents a unique combination of dimension values (e.g., Colour=Red + Size=XL). Variants have their own:

  • Code and part number

  • Lifecycle status (independent of the master)

  • Units of measure

  • Tracking dimensions

  • Coverage settings

  • On-hand quantities

Standalone material

A material that does not participate in the variant system. Most materials are standalone -- they represent a single item without variations.

Dimension group

A dimension group defines one axis of variation. Each group has a type that describes what kind of variation it represents:

Type

Examples

Colour

Red, Blue, Black

Size

S, M, L, XL, XXL

Style

Classic, Modern, Sport

Capacity

500ml, 1L, 2L

Material

Steel, Aluminium, Plastic

Flavour

Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint

Version

v1.0, v2.0, v3.0

Dimension

A dimension is a single value within a group (e.g., "Red" in the Colour group). Each dimension has a name, an optional code, and a status (Draft / Active / Inactive).

─────────────────────────────────

Setting up dimension groups and dimensions

Dimension groups and dimensions are configured from the **company application** only, under **Material > Categorisation > Dimensions**.

Creating a dimension group

  • Go to Material > Categorisation > Dimensions and select the Groups tab.

  • Click Create.

  • Enter a name (e.g., "Paint Colours") and select the type (e.g., Colour).

  • Click Save. The group is created in Draft status.

  • Activate the group.

Adding dimensions to a group

  • Open the dimension group.

  • In the Dimensions section, click Create.

  • Enter the dimension name (e.g., "Red"), optional code, and description.

  • Click Save and Activate.

Repeat for each value in the group.

─────────────────────────────────

Creating a master material

  • Open Material > Material List and click Create.

  • Set Variation type to Master.

  • Fill in the name, category, and type as usual.

  • Click Save.

Assigning dimension groups

Once the master material is created:

  • Open it and find the Dimensions section in the right sidebar.

  • For each relevant dimension type (Colour, Size, etc.), select a dimension group from the dropdown.

  • Once at least one group is assigned, the system can generate variants.

**Validation** -- If you assign dimension groups but do not generate any variants, a red violation will appear: *"No variants generated for this master material."* If you forget to assign dimension groups entirely, you'll see: *"Dimension groups not set."*

─────────────────────────────────

Generating variants

  • Open the master material and go to the Variants section in the centre.

  • Click Add Variant. A modal opens showing all possible variants -- the full cartesian product of all dimension group values. For example, if you have: - Colour group: Red, Blue - Size group: S, M, L The possible variants table shows six rows: | Name | Colour | Size | |----------------------------|--------|------| | T-Shirt - Red - S | Red | S | | T-Shirt - Red - M | Red | M | | T-Shirt - Red - L | Red | L | | T-Shirt - Blue - S | Blue | S | | T-Shirt - Blue - M | Blue | M | | T-Shirt - Blue - L | Blue | L |

  • Select the variants you want to create (check individual rows or use the header checkbox to select all).

  • Click Create. Selected variants are generated as new material records in Draft status.

Each generated variant:

  • Gets an auto-generated name: *"[Master name] - [Dim1] - [Dim2] - ..."*

  • Inherits the master's type and category

  • Can optionally inherit attributes and physical dimensions (see below)

  • Has its own independent lifecycle

Already-created variants

Variants that already exist are excluded from the possible-variants table. You will only see combinations that have not yet been generated.

─────────────────────────────────

Shared properties

A master material can optionally share certain properties with its variants:

Shared attributes

When Share Attributes is enabled on the master:

  • Attribute values set on the master are inherited by all variants.

  • Editing an attribute on the master propagates to all variants.

Shared physical dimensions

When Share Physical Dimensions is enabled:

  • Physical measurements (weight, height, width, depth, volume) set on the master are inherited by all variants.

Both sharing toggles can be controlled from the master material's detail page.

─────────────────────────────────

What master materials cannot do

Because a master is a template, several features are hidden or disabled:

Feature

Available on Master?

On Hand

No

Transactions

No

Price History

No

Coverage

No

External Part Numbers

No

Attributes

Only if sharing is enabled

Physical Dimensions

Only if sharing is enabled

Tracking Dimensions

No

─────────────────────────────────

Managing variants

Each variant is a full material record. You can:

  • Open it from the master's Variants table (click the row).

  • Edit its name, code, part number, and other basic fields independently.

  • Assign different units of measure.

  • Configure tracking dimensions.

  • Set up coverage per location.

  • Activate, deactivate, or deprecate it independently of the master.

The variant's detail page shows a Hierarchy section indicating its master material with a navigation link back to the master.

─────────────────────────────────

Removing a dimension group from a master

You can remove a dimension group from a master only if no variants have been generated yet. Once variants exist, the dimension group assignment is locked -- you would need to delete all variants first.

The dimension group dropdown shows a clear (x) button only when there are no variants.

─────────────────────────────────

See also

  • [Working with Materials](02-materials.md) -- creating materials

  • [Settings and Configuration](08-settings.md) -- dimension group setup

  • [Classification](03-classification.md) -- how categories interact with types

Last updated: March 2026

Coverage and Planning

Coverage settings define how much of each material you want to keep at each inventory location -- minimum stock levels, reorder points, lot sizes, and lead times. These parameters drive stock-level monitoring, coverage analysis, and future MRP calculations.

─────────────────────────────────

Where coverage is configured

Coverage is set per material, per location. A single material can have different planning parameters at different warehouses or vessels.

You can manage coverage from two places:

  • Material detail page > Coverage section (centre area) -- shows all locations where this material has coverage settings.

  • Inventory location detail page > Coverage tab -- shows all materials with coverage settings at this location.

─────────────────────────────────

Creating a coverage record

  • Open a material's detail page.

  • Go to the Coverage section.

  • Click Add.

  • Select the inventory location. Locations that already have coverage for this material are excluded from the dropdown.

  • Fill in the planning parameters (see table below).

  • Click Save.

─────────────────────────────────

Coverage parameters

Stock levels

Field

Description

Minimum

The reorder point. When on-hand drops below this, replenishment should be triggered.

Optimal

The target stock level after replenishment.

Maximum

The upper limit. Replenishment should not exceed this.

Classification

Field

Description

Critical

Toggle indicating this is a critical item at this location.

Criticality

Qualitative rating: Low, Medium, or High. Used for ABC analysis.

Valuation

Qualitative rating: Low, Medium, or High. Used for XYZ analysis.

MRP planning

Field

Description

MRP type

The planning strategy. See [MRP types](#mrp-types).

Lot size procedure

How to calculate order quantities. See [Lot sizing](#lot-sizing).

Planning period

Number of days per planning cycle.

Shrinkage rate

Expected percentage loss during storage or handling.

Order modifiers

Field

Description

Minimum order quantity

Smallest quantity that can be ordered.

Maximum order quantity

Largest quantity that can be ordered at once.

Fixed order quantity

If set, orders are always this exact quantity.

Order quantity multiple

Orders must be in multiples of this value (e.g., 10).

Procurement lead times

Field

Description

Planned delivery days

Expected number of days from order placement to delivery.

GR processing days

Number of days to process the goods receipt after arrival.

Over-delivery tolerance

Percentage by which a delivery may exceed the ordered quantity.

Under-delivery tolerance

Percentage by which a delivery may fall short of the ordered quantity.

─────────────────────────────────

MRP types

The MRP type determines how the system evaluates replenishment needs:

MRP type

Behaviour

Not Planned

No automatic planning. Stock levels are monitored but no replenishment suggestions are generated.

Reorder Point

Triggers replenishment when on-hand falls below the minimum level. Simple and effective for steady-demand items.

MRP

Demand-driven planning. Considers open orders, forecasts, and lead times to schedule replenishment.

Forecast-Based

Uses historical consumption data and forecasts to project future needs.

─────────────────────────────────

Lot sizing

The lot size procedure determines how much to order when replenishment is triggered:

Procedure

Behaviour

Exact

Order exactly the quantity needed to fill the gap.

Fixed

Always order the fixed order quantity (from order modifiers).

Min/Max

Order enough to bring stock up to the maximum level.

Period

Consolidate demand over the planning period into a single order.

Manual

No automatic calculation; the planner decides the quantity.

─────────────────────────────────

Coverage monitoring

On Hand > Coverage view

The On Hand > Coverage view (under Inventory > On Hand) provides a real-time analysis of stock levels against coverage targets across all materials and locations:

Column

Description

Material

Material name, code, and type.

Location

Inventory location.

On-hand quantity

Current stock level.

Minimum

Configured minimum stock level.

Optimal

Configured optimal stock level.

Maximum

Configured maximum stock level.

Coverage ratio

Percentage of optimal level currently on hand. Colour-coded.

Coverage status

Qualitative assessment based on the ratio.

Coverage statuses

Status

Meaning

Visual indicator

Critical

On-hand is zero or dangerously low.

Red

Below Minimum

On-hand is below the minimum level.

Orange

Below Optimal

On-hand is between minimum and optimal.

Yellow

Adequate

On-hand is at or above the optimal level.

Green

─────────────────────────────────

Editing and removing coverage

Editing

  • In the Coverage table, click the Edit button on the row.

  • A form opens pre-populated with the current values.

  • Make your changes and click Save.

Removing

  • Click the Delete button on the row.

  • Confirm the deletion. This cannot be undone.

─────────────────────────────────

Coverage vs. location-level reason policy

Coverage parameters and location-level reason policies serve different purposes:

  • Coverage answers: *"How much should we have?"*

  • Reason policy answers: *"Why are we making this inventory change?"*

Both are configured per location but address different aspects of inventory management.

─────────────────────────────────

See also

  • [Working with Materials](02-materials.md) -- coverage section on the material detail page

  • [Tracking Dimensions](05-tracking-dimensions.md) -- how tracking granularity affects stock calculations

  • [Status Reference](09-status-reference.md) -- coverage status definitions

Last updated: March 2026

Settings and Configuration

This chapter covers the configuration entities that support Material Management: material types, attributes, dimension groups, user groups, and access rights.

─────────────────────────────────

Material types

A material type defines the behavioural profile of a material -- whether it can be purchased, stocked, sold, or manufactured. Types also control which sections appear on the material detail page.

Type capabilities

Capability

Effect when enabled

Purchasable

Material can appear on purchase requisitions, orders, and quotations. The purchase unit field is visible. Price history is available.

Stockable

Material participates in inventory tracking. On-hand, transactions, coverage, tracking dimensions, physical dimensions, and journal reason policy sections are visible.

Valuated

Material has financial value and participates in valuation calculations.

Salable

Material can appear on sales documents. The sales unit field is visible.

Manufacturable

Material can be produced internally.

Creating a material type

  • Go to Material > Categorisation > Types.

  • Click Create.

  • Fill in:

Field

Required

Notes

Name

Yes

Display name (e.g., "Spare Part", "Consumable").

Code

No

Short identifier.

Code prefix

No

3-letter uppercase prefix used for auto-generating material codes (e.g., "SPR" produces codes like SPR 000001).

Description

No

Explanation of when to use this type.

Capabilities

No

Toggle each capability on or off.

Default for creation

No

When enabled, this type is pre-selected in the material creation form. Only one type can be the default.

Allowed units

No

Restrict which units of measure can be assigned to materials of this type. Leave empty to allow all.

  • Click Save (created in Draft), then Activate.

Material type detail page

Section

Contents

Definition

Name, code, code prefix, capabilities, status, default flag.

Description

Free-text description.

Allowed Units

Units permitted for this type.

Materials

All materials of this type (read-only list).

Comments

Threaded comments.

Attachments

File uploads.

Events

Audit log.

Type lifecycle

Status

Meaning

Draft

Being configured. Cannot be assigned to materials.

Active

Available for assignment.

Inactive

Suspended. Existing materials keep the type, but new materials cannot use it. A warning violation appears.

Deprecated

Marked for phase-out.

Deleted

Permanently removed.

─────────────────────────────────

Attributes

Attributes let you attach custom data fields to materials based on their category. This is useful for industry-specific properties that are not part of the standard material record.

Attribute types

An attribute type is a field definition. Examples: "Viscosity Grade", "Colour Code", "CE Marking Date".

Property

Description

Name

Display name.

Value type

Data type of the value. Options: Text, Integer, Decimal, Date, Date-Time, Year, Month, Year-Month, Boolean.

Allow multiple

Whether the attribute can have multiple values.

Options

For text attributes, a fixed list of selectable options (dropdown).

Range

For numeric attributes, minimum and maximum constraints.

Status

Draft, Active, or Inactive.

Creating an attribute type

  • Go to Material > Categorisation > Attributes (Details tab).

  • Click Create.

  • Define the name, value type, and constraints.

  • Click Save and Activate.

Attribute type groups

Groups organise related attribute types together. For example, a "Chemical Properties" group might contain "Viscosity Grade", "Flash Point", and "pH".

Groups have their own lifecycle (Draft / Active / Inactive) and can be assigned to categories.

Assigning attributes to categories

Attribute types are linked to categories (see [Classification](03-classification.md)):

  • Open a category's detail page.

  • In the Attributes section, add the desired attribute types.

  • Optionally enable Inherit Attributes to pull in attribute types from the parent category.

Once assigned, any material in that category will display the attribute fields on its detail page.

─────────────────────────────────

Dimension groups and dimensions

Dimension groups and dimensions power the variant system. See [Variants and Dimensions](06-variants.md) for full details.

Managing dimension groups

  • Go to Material > Categorisation > Dimensions (Groups tab).

  • Create groups, set their type (Colour, Size, etc.), and activate.

Managing dimensions

  • Go to Material > Categorisation > Dimensions (Details tab).

  • Create dimensions, assign them to groups, and activate.

─────────────────────────────────

User groups

Material user groups are used in authorisation rules to control which users can perform certain actions on materials based on their category group assignment.

Managing user groups

  • Go to Material > Settings > User Groups.

  • Create, edit, or delete groups.

  • Assign users to groups.

User groups defined here are referenced in inventory approval rules and authorisation rules. For example, a rule might say: "Users in the 'Engine Room Team' group can create requisitions for materials in the 'Engine Room Spares' category group."

─────────────────────────────────

Access rights

Material Management uses access rights to control who can perform specific actions. These are configured in the Administration module.

Company-side access rights

Access right

Controls

Create Material

Ability to create new material records.

Edit Material

Ability to edit material fields and perform lifecycle actions.

Create Material Type

Ability to create new material types.

Edit Material Type

Ability to edit material types.

Create Material Category

Ability to create categories.

Edit Material Category

Ability to edit categories.

Create Material Category Group

Ability to create category groups.

Edit Material Category Group

Ability to edit category groups.

Edit Material Catalogue

Ability to edit catalogues.

Ship-side access rights

Access right

Controls

Create Material

Ability to create materials from the ship application.

Edit Material

Ability to edit materials from the ship application.

Create Material Category

Ability to create categories from the ship application.

Edit Material Category

Ability to edit categories from the ship application.

─────────────────────────────────

See also

  • [Working with Materials](02-materials.md) -- how types and attributes affect the material detail page

  • [Classification](03-classification.md) -- how types interact with category groups

  • [Variants and Dimensions](06-variants.md) -- dimension groups in the variant system

Last updated: March 2026

Status Reference

This document is a quick-reference for every status, editability rule, and lifecycle in the Material Management module.

─────────────────────────────────

Material statuses

Status

Colour

Can be used in transactions?

Basic fields editable?

Structural fields editable?

Draft

Amber

No

Yes

Yes (if no transactions)

Active

Green

Yes

Yes

Yes (if no transactions)

Inactive

Grey

No

Yes

Yes (if no transactions)

Deprecated

Orange

No

No

No

Deleted

Red

No

No

No

Material status transitions

From

Allowed transitions

Draft

Activate, Deprecate

Active

Deactivate

Inactive

Activate, Deprecate, Delete

Deprecated

Activate, Delete

Deleted

*(terminal state)*

─────────────────────────────────

Material editability matrix

Basic fields

Field

Draft

Active

Inactive

Deprecated

Deleted

Name

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Description

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Code

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Part Number

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Tags

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Product IDs

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

External Part Nos.

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Attributes

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Manufacturer

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Images

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Comments

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Attachments

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Structural fields

These fields are additionally locked when inventory transactions exist, regardless of status.

Field

Draft

Active

Inactive

Deprecated

Deleted

After transactions?

Material Type

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Locked

Category

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Locked

Base Unit

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Locked

Purchase Unit

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Locked

Sales Unit

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Locked

UoM Conversions

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Locked

Tracking Dimensions

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Locked

Physical Dimensions

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Locked

Dimension Groups

Edit

Edit

Edit

View

View

Locked

─────────────────────────────────

Material type statuses

Status

Colour

Assignable to new materials?

Draft

Amber

No

Active

Green

Yes

Inactive

Grey

No (warning on existing)

Deprecated

Orange

No (warning on existing)

Deleted

Red

No

─────────────────────────────────

Catalogue statuses

Status

Colour

Materials can be assigned?

Draft

Amber

No

Active

Green

Yes

Inactive

Grey

No (warning on existing)

Deprecated

Orange

No (warning on existing)

─────────────────────────────────

Category group statuses

Status

Colour

Materials can be assigned?

Draft

Amber

No

Active

Green

Yes

Inactive

Grey

No (warning on existing)

Deprecated

Orange

No (warning on existing)

Deleted

Red

No

─────────────────────────────────

Category statuses

Status

Colour

Materials can be assigned?

Draft

Amber

No

Active

Green

Yes

Inactive

Grey

No (warning on existing)

Deprecated

Orange

No (warning on existing)

Deleted

Red

No

─────────────────────────────────

Unit of measure statuses

Status

Colour

Assignable to materials?

Draft

Amber

No

Active

Green

Yes

Inactive

Grey

No

─────────────────────────────────

Unit of measure conversion statuses

Status

Colour

Used in calculations?

Draft

Amber

No

Active

Green

Yes

Inactive

Grey

No

─────────────────────────────────

Unit of measure system statuses

Status

Colour

Units can be assigned?

Draft

Amber

No

Active

Green

Yes

Inactive

Grey

No

─────────────────────────────────

Attribute type statuses

Status

Colour

Assignable to categories?

Draft

Amber

No

Active

Green

Yes

Inactive

Grey

No

─────────────────────────────────

Attribute type group statuses

Status

Colour

Can hold attribute types?

Draft

Amber

No

Active

Green

Yes

Inactive

Grey

No

─────────────────────────────────

Dimension statuses

Status

Colour

Assignable to groups?

Draft

Amber

No

Active

Green

Yes

Inactive

Grey

No

─────────────────────────────────

Dimension group statuses

Status

Colour

Assignable to masters?

Draft

Amber

No

Active

Green

Yes

Inactive

Grey

No

─────────────────────────────────

Batch statuses

Status

Colour

Description

New

Grey

Just created; transitions to Active on first post.

Active

Green

In use in inventory.

Quarantine

Orange

Isolated for quality investigation.

Depleted

Yellow

All stock consumed.

Archived

Grey

Permanently closed.

─────────────────────────────────

Serial number statuses

Status

Colour

Description

New

Grey

Created but not yet in inventory.

Active

Green

Currently in stock.

Quarantine

Orange

Isolated for investigation.

Sold

Blue

Transferred to a customer.

Consumed

Grey

Used internally.

Scrapped

Red

Permanently removed from service.

Issued

Teal

Issued to a department or work order.

─────────────────────────────────

Owner statuses

Status

Colour

Description

New

Grey

Created but not yet used in transactions.

Active

Green

In use.

Blocked

Red

Suspended; stock cannot be transacted under this owner.

─────────────────────────────────

Validation violations quick reference

Violation

Severity

Colour

Corrupted category data

Error

Purple

Base unit not assigned

Error

Red

Dimension groups not set

Error

Red

No variants generated

Error

Red

Type not allowed in category group

Error

Red

Missing conversion: base to purchase

Error

Red

Missing conversion: base to sales

Error

Red

Missing conversion: purchase to sales

Error

Red

Type not assigned

Warning

Orange

Inactive catalogue

Warning

Orange

Inactive category group

Warning

Orange

Inactive category

Warning

Orange

Inactive type

Warning

Orange

Category not assigned

Warning

Yellow

Batch enabled, no properties set

Warning

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Glossary

Term

Definition

Base unit

The fundamental unit of measure used for inventory tracking. Also called the inventory unit.

Batch

A manufacturing or procurement lot, used for traceability.

Catalogue

The top-level container in the classification hierarchy.

Category

A leaf-level classification node within a category group.

Category group

A mid-level grouping within a catalogue that can restrict material types.

Coverage

Per-material, per-location stock planning parameters.

Dimension

A single value in a dimension group (e.g., "Red").

Dimension group

An axis of variation for master materials (e.g., "Colour Group").

Master material

A template material that generates variants.

Material type

A behavioural profile defining what a material can do (purchase, stock, sell).

MRP

Material Requirements Planning -- demand-driven replenishment.

On hand

The current stock quantity, calculated from inventory transactions.

Serial number

A unique identifier for an individual item.

Space

A sub-location within an inventory location (shelf, bin, hold).

Standalone material

A material that does not participate in the variant system.

Structural field

A field that is locked once inventory transactions exist.

Tracking dimension

A dimension (batch, serial, owner, space, status) that adds granularity to inventory records.

UoM

Unit of Measure.

Variant

A concrete, transactable material generated from a master.

Violation

A validation issue detected on a material record.

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Last updated: March 2026

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