Why product type matters
Every product in IEMSuite has a type. The type tells the system how the product behaves - whether it's something you buy, make, consume, or ship - and it drives how the product shows up in recipes, production, and reports. Picking the right type up front keeps your catalog clean.
The seven types
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Raw material | Inputs you buy and consume in production (flour, resin, beans) |
| Semi-finished | Intermediate goods produced in one step and consumed in another |
| Finished good | The products you sell to customers |
| Packaging | Boxes, wrappers, labels, and other packaging materials |
| Consumable | Supplies used up in operations but not part of the product |
| Service | Non-physical lines (e.g. a service charge) that aren't stocked |
| Non-stock | Items you track for reference but don't hold stock of |
How type interacts with the rest of IEMSuite
- Recipes - a recipe turns raw materials (and packaging) into a finished good or semi-finished product.
- Production - running a batch consumes the input types and produces the output as a new lot.
- Stock control - stockable types (raw material, semi-finished, finished good, packaging, consumable) are tracked by lot and location; service and non-stock are not held as stock.
Tips
- If something is both bought and made, model the bought version as a raw material and the made version as a finished good or semi-finished product.
- Use packaging rather than raw material for wrappers and boxes so your material vs packaging costs stay separable in cost analysis.
FAQ
Can I change a product's type later?
Set the type as accurately as you can up front, since it affects how the product behaves in recipes and production. Create the product fresh if a type change would conflict with existing history.
What type should a component that goes into another product be?
A semi-finished product if you produce it, or a raw material if you buy it.