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Converting Unit of Measure Between Types

Producer steps for converting raw materials between unit of measure types in Encompass (bought by weight, used by volume, or bought in units) by setting ounces and case weight on the product. Requires v25.04+.

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Written by Bailey Naas-Thornton

Minimum Version Required: 25.04

Pre-Conditions

Pre-Conditions

When Raw Materials are Purchased in a different Unit of Measure (UoM) Type than they are used/depleted it in Production, Conversions need to be used to ensure we deplete inventory in the correct quantities and at the correct cost.

**Please Note- Conversions do not need to be set up if the Products UoM Type does not change. Example: a Product can be received in Kilos then used in Pounds because those are both measurements of Mass.**

  • Products have been set up

  • Packages have been configured and assigned to Products using a UoM Type that corresponds with how the Vendor sells it. Example: If we purchase Honey in Pounds, then Honey's Package should be set to a Packge where UomType=Mass

If we the Product is being converted from Units->Volume or Mass, the Volume or Weight of each of those Units need to be known to set up Conversions. Example: A Box of Puree is 5 Gallons and weighs 59.6 Pounds

Steps

Setting up Conversions

Navigate to the Product in the Products Table that needs to have a unique Package Conversions set up for it.

For Product with a Package we receive in Mass and want to convert to Volume:

  • Make sure Product Package.UoMType=Mass

  • Edit the Product

  • Set Products.CaseWeightInLbs=1

  • Set Products.Ounces=however many fluid ounces are in a single pound of that Product

  • Save Changes

For Product with a Package we receive in Volume and want to convert to Mass:

  • Make sure Product Package.UoMType=Volume

  • Edit the Product

  • Set Products.Ounces=1

  • Set Products.CaseWeightInLbs=however many pounds are in a single ounce of that Product

  • Save Changes

For Product with a Package we receive in Units and want to convert to Volume or Mass:

  • Make sure Product Package.UoMType=Units

  • Edit the Product

  • Set Products.Ounces=however many fluid ounces are in a single Unit of that Product

  • Set Products.CaseWeightInLbs=however many pounds are in a single Unit of that Product

  • Save Changes

Once a Products is set up, the Packages Conversions table will calculate Conversions that will be used throughout the Products Inventory lifecycle. Search the specific Product in the Packages Conversions table to make sure all Units of Measure will calculate correctly.

Fields And Definitions

Fields and Definitions:

  • Packages.UnitOfMeasure (UoM) Type: Describes whether we measure something using Mass, Volume or Units

  • UoM Type = Volume: Measure of the area a Product occupies; Liters, Gallons, Fluid Ounces, etc...

  • UoM Type = Mass: Measure of a Products Weight; Pounds, Weight Ounces, Kilograms, Grams, etc...

  • UoM Type = Units: When Products are received in a bound package; 3gal Box, 55gal Drum, 55lb Sac, etc...

Best Practices

Best Practices:

  • Always set Packages.UoMType to the unit of measure that Vendors sell the item in

  • For Products we purchase in Units, exclude the weight of the container when entering CaseWeightInLbs. Example: A 55gal HDPE Food Grade Drum weighs around 20lbs. If a full Drum is weighed to determine the weight of a Product, it will be 20lbs off and skew inventory depletions.

  • Create a new Package record for each unique Unit that Products are received in: 5gal Bucket, 3gal Box, etc. Use the same Package for multiple Products, then set individual Product Records to the correct ounces/weight so their conversions are accurate.

  • Communicate with teams that manage inventory for all Products that run through conversions when we go from Receiving to Production

  • Use naming conventions such as a suffix on the Product Record so Users interacting with the material understand what conversions are for each Product

  • Minimize Packages Conversions where possible. This adds a level of complexity for these inventoried Products that can be difficult for teams to handle across the organization.

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