Item Master Setup

How to create your Item Master in Flexe. 

IN THIS TOPIC

• Creating Your Item Master
  • Add a Single SKU
    • Creating SKUs With Inner Packs
  • Add Multiple Items via CSV Upload
    • CSV Upload Issues
    • Reviewing CSV Sample Data
• International Shipping Requirements
• Terminology

The Item Master is a dynamic list of all your inventory, with specific details including SKUs, item descriptions, dimensions and units of measure, as well as current stored, available and/or damaged quantities.  

The Item Master is visible to your warehouse(s), but can only be maintained by you and the Flexe support team. You can view and manage it from the Item Master page in Flexe--just select Item Master from the left menu. 

Why do I need an Item Master?

Your Item Master feeds inventory information through to every part of your reservation, and is needed to support key operations, including creating inbounds and outbound order fulfillment. Without an Item Master, your warehouse(s) would have no visibility into the product they are handling. 

Creating Your Item Master

To get started, you'll need to add inventory to your Item Master. You can add single items one-by-one, or upload your entire inventory all at once in a CSV file. 

Add a Single SKU 

To add a single item to your Item Master:

1. Select Item Master from the left menu in Flexe.

2. Select +Add Single SKU. 

Select the +Add Single SKU option at the top of the page. 

This takes you to a blank Add Inventory Item page, where you can enter information and inventory properties for the item you're adding. 

3. Enter details for all *Required fields. 

Make sure to complete all the *Required fields on the Create Inventory page. This is the minimum amount of information needed to add an item; but it's best to include as much detail as possible.

Also keep in mind that warehouses may require certain information (barcode numbers, dimensions, shipalone and ship-as-is designations, etc.) to support operations, including inbound and outbound activity. 

Note: To learn more about specific inventory properties, go to Inventory Property Guide for Shippers.

4. Select Create Inventory.  

Once you’ve entered all information, select Create Inventory at the bottom of the page to add the item to your Item Master.

The item will then be added to your Item Master, and you can review it from the Item Master page. 

Creating SKUs with Inner Packs 

An inner pack is a unit of measure (UoM) used for SKUs with multiple eaches grouped or packaged together within a carton. If the inner pack UoM is enabled for your reservation(s), you can create SKUs with inner packs in your Item Master in Flexe, or send them to your Item Master via API.

Note: For more information or help with API configurations, reach out to your Flexe Logistics Analyst. 

Here's an overview of how inner packs compare to other standard inventory units of measure supported in the Flexe system: 

Before you start

You can use the inner pack UoM for specific SKUs, but don't need to apply inner packs to all inventory in your Item Master. When creating SKUs in Flexe, you'll see a With Inner Packs and Without Inner Packs option. This is what determines the packaging UoM designated for item on the SKU Details page.  

Keep in mind that the only way to convert a SKU to the inner pack UoM is via API. If you need help with this, reach out to your Flexe Logistics Analyst. 

To create a SKU with inner packs in Flexe: 

1. Select Item Master from the left menu.

2. Select +Add Single SKU, then select With Inner Pack.  

Open the +Add Single SKU option at the top of the page, then select the With Inner Pack option from the dropdown menu. 

This takes you to a blank Add Inventory Item page, where you can enter information and inventory properties for the SKU you're adding. 

3. Enter details for all *Required fields. 

This is the minimum amount of information needed to add an item; but it's best to include as much detail as possible. 

Use the section at the bottom of the page to enter packaging and shipping specifications. Use the Inner Packs section for inner pack details. 

Note: To learn more about specific inventory properties, review the Inventory Property Guide for Shippers.

4. Select Create Inventory.  

Once you’ve entered all information, select Create Inventory at the bottom of the page to add the SKU to your Item Master. 

You can then review the SKU from the Item Master page. Select the SKU from the Item Master to access the SKU Details, where you can review and/or update the item as needed. To learn more, go to Editing Your Item Master.

Note: At this time, SKUs with inner packs can only be reviewed from the Item Master page in Flexe. You can also review inner pack details by via API by running a "GET" request (#innerpack-ip_uom). If you need additional help with API requests, reach out to your Flexe Logistics Analyst.

Add Multiple Items via CSV Upload

If you want to add your entire inventory to your Item Master or add multiple items at once, you can use the CSV upload feature on the Item Master page. 

To add items to your Item Master by CSV upload: 

1. Select Item Master from the left menu in Flexe.

2. Open the Import CSV dropdown at the top of the page, then select Create. 

3. Download the CSV template file. 

Select the template link in the upload window to download the CSV template file, which you’ll use as a guide to enter all required information in the correct format.

Open the template file once it downloads through your web browser.

4. Edit the CSV file. 

Delete the sample data in rows 2 and 3, then enter your product information. The column headers will indicate whether a field is (required) or (optional).

You'll need to enter information for all the required fields--this is the minimum required to create items. But keep in mind that some of the optional fields (including cartons_per_layer, layers_per_carton, cartons_per_pallet and stackable) will be needed to support any future inbound and outbound activity at the warehouse.

Once everything is entered, make sure to save the file in .csv format. 

Note: For examples of what to enter for specific fields, go back to the upload window and select See a sample of the data required for your file. To learn more, go to Reviewing CSV Sample Data. 

5. Go back to Flexe, and upload your CSV file.  

Return to the upload window in Flexe, where you can drag and drop your edited CSV file, or use Choose File to select the file from where it’s saved on your computer. Then, select Submit.

Note: If there are any data errors, the system will automatically list them within the upload window. You’ll need to go back to the CSV file to fix these errors, and then try uploading the file again (using the same steps). To learn more, go to CSV Upload Issues.

Once the file uploads, all items in the spreadsheet will be added to your Item Master, which you can review from the main Item Master page in Flexe.

CSV Upload Issues

When you add items to your Item Master via CSV upload, the system automatically checks the file for issues. If there are any problems, an error notification shows onscreen.

The notification lists each error, details on how to fix it, and which rows in the spreadsheet are impacted. 

To complete the CSV upload process, you'll need to reopen the CSV file and correct each of these errors.  

Once you've reviewed and corrected all errors, upload and submit the file again from the upload window in Flexe. 

Note: If you're still getting an error message, try copying everything into a new CSV file, then upload again. 

If you need more help, contact us at [e-mail] for additional troubleshooting. 

Checking Number Formatting 

CSV file errors can often be the result of display settings for your spreadsheet--namely number formatting. When uploading your Item Master via CSV file, check to make sure that the spreadsheet settings are not set to scientific notation by default. 

If you come across any scientific notation in your spreadsheet, you'll need to change the number format. 

To change the number format in Excel:

1. Right-click the impacted column to open the formatting menu. 

2. Select Format cells. 

3. Go to the Category list and select Number. Then, make sure the Decimal Places field is set to 0. 

4. Select Ok. 

Reviewing CSV Sample Data

If you need additional guidance on how to edit your CSV file or what to enter for specific inventory properties, you can select See a sample of the data required for your file from the upload window. 

The window will then expand to show you a detailed breakdown of each column in the spreadsheet, including the column header (name), a description of how to use the column, examples of what to input and any important guidelines to follow.   

Note: The CSV template and sample data will only include inventory properties and functionality  configured for your reservation. 

Make sure to follow all of these guidelines when editing your spreadsheet. If you need more help, reach out to your Flexe Logistics Analyst or contact us at [e-mail].  

International Shipping Requirements

To enable international shipping, each SKU in the shipper’s item master must include two critical fields to generate a commercial invoice:

1. Harmonized Tariff System (HS) Code
2. Country of Origin

Terminology

SKU - Abbreviation for Stock Keeping Unit. This is the unique identifier for an item down to size, color and style (if applicable). 

Group - If groups are enabled for your reservation, you'll have a dropdown to select which group an item should be in (e.g. Large or Small, Heavy or Light, Main or Accessory). If you need more information about practical applications for groups, contact us at [e-mail].

Description - A brief summary of what this product is. 

Eaches - The smallest unit of a product. 

Barcode (Type) - UPC (Universal Product Code) or EAN (European Article Number). 

Length x Width x Height & Units - This refers to the dimensions (dims) and weights for the smallest unit of the item (eaches). Cartons follow this format as well. 

Per Carton - How many eaches can fit in a carton. 

Ship Alone? - Used to specify whether the item should be shipped alone or separately from other items. If yes, the item should ship on its own; if no, it can be packed with others items during the shipping process. 

Ship As Is? - Used to specify whether the item can be shipped in its original packaging/product box.  If yes, the warehouse only needs to attach a label to the product box for shipping; if no, the product requires overboxing. 

Per Pallet - Used to specify how many cartons can fit on a pallet. This will vary based on the storage height of your warehouse. If you need more information, contact us at [e-mail]. 

TiHi- "Ti" refers to how many cartons can fit on one tier or layer on a pallet (horizontal build). "Hi" refers to how many tiers/layers can be stacked on a pallet (vertical build). The "TiHi" or "Net" then refers to the total per pallet number of units. For example, 4 (Ti) x 6 (Hi) = 24 (TiHi or Net). 

Stackable? - Used to specify whether pallets be stacked upon one another. If yes, the product can be stacked at the pallet level; if no, do not stack items at the pallet level. 

Serial Number- Enables serial number capture for an item during receiving