Creating a product
A product (SKU) is the core record everything else attaches to - stock, lots, recipes, orders. This walks through every field on the product form so you set each one correctly.
Before you start
Have the product's unit of measure ready (create it first if needed - see Setting up units of measure) and know its product type.
Step 1 - Open the new product form
Go to Inventory → Product Catalog and click Add Product.
Step 2 - Fill in the core fields
- Product Name *(required)* - the display name, e.g. "Arabica Coffee Beans".
- SKU *(required)* - a unique identifier, e.g. "RM-001".
- Type *(required)* - pick the product type.
- Unit of Measure *(required)* - how the product is counted (kg, L, units…).
- Description - optional notes.
Step 3 - Cost & supplier
- Default Unit Cost ($) - a starting cost used until real lot costs are recorded.
- Default Supplier (Optional) - who you usually buy this from; it pre-fills when you receive stock.
Step 4 - Shelf life & expiry
- Shelf Life (Days) - the default shelf life; used to calculate a lot's expiry when you receive it.
- Expiry Alert Threshold - how many days before expiry IEMSuite should start flagging the lot.
Products with expiry dates automatically use FEFO allocation. See FIFO vs FEFO allocation.
Step 5 - Stock thresholds
- Low Stock Threshold - when on-hand falls to this level, the product is flagged on the Dashboard and Inventory Analytics. See Low-stock thresholds & reorder alerts.
- Baseline Capacity Mode - for manufactured products, whether production capacity is tracked dynamically or against a fixed baseline.
Step 6 - Save
Save the product. You can now receive stock against it (Inventory → Inbound Log) or add it to a recipe.
FAQ
Do I have to fill in every field?
No - only Name, SKU, Type, and Unit of Measure are required. The rest add automation (costing, expiry alerts, reorder flags) when you use them.
How do I add many products at once?
Use the bulk importer - see Bulk importing via CSV / Excel.