Setting up
Sort your products into categories
Group your products into categories and subcategories. It keeps the product list and its filters easy to read.
A category is a folder for your products. Soap, Beverages, Gas cylinders, whatever you call your stock. A category can sit inside another one. So Beverages can hold Water, Sodas and Juice. The screen calls this "Manage your product categories in a hierarchical structure".
Most shops set this up once, at the start, before they load their products. You can also add a category later and move products into it.
At the top of the screen you get three counters. "Total Categories" counts them all. "Main Levels" counts the ones at the top with no parent. "Sub-categories" counts the rest. On a phone they are hidden and you go straight to the list.
Step by step
1. Open the categories screen
In the sidebar open "Inventory" and click "Categories". You land on a table of your top level categories.
2. Start a new one
Click "Add New Category" at the top right of the page. If you have none yet, the page shows "No categories found" with the same button in the middle.
3. Decide where it sits
The form opens with "Parent Category" first. Leave it on "None (Root Category)" to make a main category. To put the new one under another category, pick that name here instead.
4. Name it and save
Type the name in "Category Name". The box shows "e.g., Beverages" as a hint. Click "Create". The new row shows up in the list.
5. Add the level below
Add each subcategory the same way. The one change is that you pick the main category under "Parent Category" first. Then you type the name.
6. Open a category to see inside it
Click the row. Only rows with something inside them will open. You can tell because the "Subcategories" column shows a number, not a dash. To come back up, use the back arrow. Or click "All Categories" in the trail at the top.
7. Find one quickly
Type part of the name in the search box at the top of the page. It only looks at the level you are on.
8. Rename, move or remove
In the "Actions" column click "Edit". The same form opens. Change the name or the "Parent Category", then click "Update". Click "Delete" to remove a category you no longer use.
9. Put your products in it
Go to "Inventory" then "Products". The "Category" field on the product form lists every category you made. Once products are filed, you can filter the product list by "Category".
Worth knowing
A category with subcategories will not delete
The delete box shows a red line. It says how many subcategories the category has. It ends with "You must delete or move the subcategories first." So move or delete them first. There is no other way round it.
Deleting a category does not delete your products
If the category holds products, you get a warning. It says "Deleting it will remove the category association from these products." The products stay in "Products". They just stop belonging to that category.
The "Products" number counts everything inside
A main category shows its own products plus the ones in all its subcategories. So Beverages can show 40 products when all 40 really sit under Water and Sodas.
Search only looks at the level you are on
If you have opened Beverages, the search box looks inside Beverages. Click "All Categories" first to search from the top.
Questions
Does every product need a category?
No. You can leave the "Category" field on the product form empty. The product still saves. It just will not show up when someone filters the product list by a category.
Can I move a subcategory back to the top level?
Yes. Click "Edit" on it. Set "Parent Category" to "None (Root Category)" and click "Update". It becomes a main category. Anything that was under it stays with it.
How deep can I go?
A subcategory can hold its own subcategories. Nothing in the app stops you. Two or three levels is usually enough. Go deeper and your staff just spend time clicking.
Outlyz does this
Outlyz tracks your stock, orders and deliveries, and every container you expect back. UGX 20,000 per person per month. The first month is free and no card is needed.
Or call 0780 784870 and we will set it up with you.