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🗂️ Category Management

Create Category
Manage Categories

Organize your inventory with hierarchical categories and custom attributes for better management and reporting.

Overview

What are Categories?

Categories provide a hierarchical structure to organize your inventory items, making them easier to find, manage, and analyze. Each category can have custom attributes that define specific properties relevant to items in that category.

Well-organized categories improve efficiency in inventory management, enable better reporting and analytics, and provide consistency in how items are described and priced.

Key Features
✓ Unlimited hierarchy levels
✓ Custom attributes per category
✓ Inheritance from parent categories
✓ Bulk operations on category items
✓ Category-based reporting
✓ Flexible access permissions

Category Types

  1. 📦
    Product Categories
    Group similar products for better organization
    Examples
    • Electronics > Computers > Laptops
    • Clothing > Men's > Shirts
    • Tools > Power Tools > Drills
    Benefits
    ✓ Easier product discovery
    ✓ Consistent pricing strategies
    ✓ Streamlined reporting
  2. 🛠️
    Service Categories
    Classify services and intangible offerings
    Examples
    • Professional Services > Consulting
    • Maintenance > Equipment Repair
    • Training > Safety Courses
    Benefits
    ✓ Service standardization
    ✓ Resource allocation
    ✓ Performance tracking
  3. 🏢
    Asset Categories
    Organize company assets and equipment
    Examples
    • IT Equipment > Servers
    • Vehicles > Delivery Trucks
    • Furniture > Office Chairs
    Benefits
    ✓ Asset lifecycle management
    ✓ Depreciation tracking
    ✓ Maintenance scheduling

Custom Attributes

Custom attributes allow you to capture specific information relevant to items in each category. These attributes ensure consistent data collection and enable detailed filtering and reporting.

📝
Text Attributes
Simple text fields for descriptive information
• Brand
• Model
• Description
• Color
🔢
Numeric Attributes
Numerical values with optional units
• Weight
• Length
• Capacity
• Power Rating
📋
Selection Attributes
Predefined options for consistent data entry
• Size (S/M/L/XL)
• Condition (New/Used)
• Status
✅
Boolean Attributes
Yes/No or True/False properties
• Fragile
• Hazardous
• Returnable
• Taxable

Category Setup Workflow

1. Plan Category Structure
Design your category hierarchy before creating
1
Analyze your current product/service portfolio
2
Group similar items together logically
3
Plan 2-4 levels of hierarchy (not too deep)
4
Consider future expansion and growth
5
Review industry standards and best practices
Start with top-level categories
1
Navigate to Inventory > Categories
2
Click 'Add New Category'
3
Enter category name and description
4
Set category type and properties
5
Save and activate the category
Create child categories under parents
1
Select the parent category
2
Click 'Add Subcategory'
3
Define specific attributes for this level
4
Set inheritance rules from parent
5
Configure permissions and access
Define category-specific properties
1
Access the Attributes tab
2
Add relevant attribute fields
3
Set validation rules and requirements
4
Configure default values
5
Test with sample items

Hierarchy Best Practices

Designing Effective Category Hierarchies
A well-designed category hierarchy balances organization with usability. Too shallow and you lose organization benefits; too deep and navigation becomes cumbersome.
✅ Recommended Structure
• Keep hierarchy to 2-4 levels maximum
• Use clear, descriptive category names
• Group by logical business functions
• Consider user search patterns
• Plan for future expansion
• Maintain consistent naming conventions
Example Hierarchy
Electronics
├─ Computers
│ ├─ Laptops
│ └─ Desktops
└─ Mobile Devices
├─ Smartphones
└─ Tablets

Common Use Cases

🛍️ Retail Management
• Seasonal product grouping
• Price tier organization
• Supplier-based categories
• Size and variant management
🏭 Manufacturing
• Raw materials classification
• Component part numbers
• Quality grade separation
• Production line organization
🏥 Healthcare
• Medical equipment categories
• Pharmaceutical classifications
• Regulatory compliance grouping
• Expiration date tracking

Troubleshooting

Category modifications may require explicit updates to existing items.
• Check if items need to be individually updated
• Use bulk update features for large changes
• Verify inheritance settings are correct
• Review category modification logs
Categories with associated items cannot be deleted directly.
• Move all items to different categories first
• Use bulk reassignment tools
• Consider archiving instead of deleting
• Check for items in subcategories
Attribute visibility may be affected by permissions or configuration.
• Verify attributes are marked as visible
• Check user permissions for attribute access
• Ensure items are properly categorized
• Review attribute inheritance settings

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