Products & SKUs
Learn how to create and manage products, define SKUs, set units of measure, and organize your product catalog in IEMSuite.
A Product in IEMSuite is the master record for anything you buy, produce, or sell. Each product has a unique SKU (Stock Keeping Unit). Think of the Products list as your product catalog - you must define a product here before you can receive stock, run a production batch, create an order, or ship anything for it.
What Is a Product?
Products are the foundation of your inventory. They define what you track, while Stock Lots define how much you have and where. Each product record stores the SKU, unit of measure, cost, reorder threshold, shelf-life settings, and whether QC inspection is required before stock can be used.
Product Types
Every product has a type that tells IEMSuite how it is used. Choose the type that matches the product's role in your operations:
| Type | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| RAW_MATERIAL | Input material consumed in production recipes (BOM ingredient). | Flour, resin pellets, raw cotton |
| SEMI_FINISHED | Work-in-progress - output of one recipe, input of another. | Mixed dough, pre-coated panels |
| FINISHED_GOOD | Final product sold to customers. | Packaged cookies, assembled device |
| PACKAGING | Packaging material consumed during production or shipment. | Cardboard boxes, labels, shrink wrap |
| CONSUMABLE | Supplies used in operations but not part of the product itself. | Gloves, cleaning chemicals, printer ink |
| SERVICE | Non-physical service item - no stock is tracked. | Installation fee, design service |
| NON_STOCK | Ordered or sold without lot tracking - used for invoicing only. | One-off spare part, drop-shipped item |
Creating a Product
Navigate to Inventory → Products
Click the "New Product" button in the top-right corner.
Fill in the product name and SKU
The SKU must be unique within your organization. Use your existing part-numbering convention.
Select the product type
Choose the type that matches the product's role (see Product Types above). The type cannot be changed after stock lots are created.
Set the unit of measure
Choose from kg, g, lb, oz, unit, box, pallet, liter, ml, and more. This affects lot quantities and order line items.
Set reorder and shelf-life settings (optional)
Enter a minimum stock level to enable low-stock alerts. Set shelf life days if the product expires.
Enable QC (optional)
Toggle "Requires QC" to ON if inbound lots for this product must pass inspection before entering available stock.
Add a barcode (optional)
Enter a UPC, EAN, or internal code. Stored on the product for identification and kept in sync with Shopify.
Save
The product is now available for inbound logging, recipes, and orders.
SKUs and Variants
Each row in the Products table represents a single SKU. If your product has variants (e.g., T-shirt in S/M/L or paint in 1L/5L/20L), create a separate SKU for each variant. Use a consistent naming pattern like TSHIRT-RED-M or PAINT-WHITE-5L.
Units of Measure
The unit of measure (UOM) is set per product and applies throughout the system: inbound quantities, stock lot balances, recipe ingredient amounts, and order line quantities all use the same UOM. You cannot mix units on a single product.
Barcodes
Each product can store a barcode value - for example, the UPC or EAN that syncs automatically from Shopify when your store is connected. The barcode stays on the product record for identification and matching.
Archiving Products
Products cannot be deleted if they have open stock lots or are referenced in active orders or recipes. Instead, you can archive a product - it is removed from all dropdowns but its historical data is preserved.