If you use the Multi-Store add-on module, you use this function to maintain stores. Each inventory item has to be in at least one store.

To access this function

• Select the Edit...Inventory...Stores menu option.
• You can also use the System Navigator to navigate to this function.

You maintain records in this function using standard database maintenance facilities.

When you enable stores in a company, the system creates a default store 001.

You cannot delete a store if it contains inventory items.

Code

You assign a unique account code to each store. This field can contain up to three characters. Once you save the record, you cannot change this code.

Description

Enter a description for the store. You should make this description as clear and unambiguous as possible, so that users can identify the store clearly.

Blocked

If you wish to stop using a store, you may not be able to delete it. You have to delete all the items in the store first, and these items cannot have a quantity on hand.

Instead, you can block a store. This prevents users from processing transactions to the store. To do this, check the check box.

If you uncheck the check box, users can process transactions with items in this store.

Default Inventory Group

You must link each inventory item to an inventory group, since it contains ledger accounts the system uses when processing transactions.

If you have the same item in more than one store, each item has an inventory group per store. This allows you to analyse sales and other activity by store, in the general ledger, via inventory reports, or by both methods.

In this field, you specify a default inventory group for new items you create in this store. When you create new inventory items, and you link these new items to multiple stores, the system sets each inventory group for the item in each store to its default group. You can edit each record individually at any time.

Select the default inventory group for this store from the drop down list.

Contact Information Fields

Enter the relevant contact details in these fields. Their use is optional.

Link Inventory

When you create inventory items, you can specify in which store(s) to create the item. If you create a new store, or if you start using the Multi-Store module sometime after you create your inventory items, you need to be able to link existing inventory items into stores.

You may also wish to delink items from a store. However, there are some rules:

• You cannot delink items if they do not belong in another store.

• You cannot delink items that have history transactions.

• You cannot delink items that have quantities on hand.

• You cannot delink items that are in batches or in bills of materials.

To link or delink inventory items from this store, click the Link Inventory button. This starts the Link Inventory Items Assistant.

This Assistant also performs another function. The system has inventory selling prices per store, and not per item. This means that each store has its own selling prices. You can use this Assistant to copy selling prices from another store into the current store.

To use the Link Inventory Items Assistant

• Once you are sure that you have a current backup, click the Next button.
• The Choose Operation screen displays:
  
  Here you choose a range of inventory item(s) from the default store to add to this store. Note that you will still be able to exclude items within this range in a later screen:

• To link or delink all items in this store, click the Next button without making any changes. To add a range of inventory items to link or delink, choose the Inventory Item option, specify the range, and click the Next button. The system displays a page explaining which items you cannot delink. Click the Next button to continue.
• To add a range of inventory categories to link, choose the Inventory Category option, specify the range, and click the Next button. The system displays a page explaining that you cannot delink items per category. You can only link items. Click the Next button to continue.
• The system then displays the Linking by Inventory Item or Linking by Inventory Category screen:
  

This screen lists all items and categories within the range you selected earlier. You work in these screens as follows:

• To link by item, click an item's link field to check the check box. You can also press <Spacebar> to check / uncheck the field. You can click the Link All button or the Delink All button to check or uncheck all Link fields in the table. For items you check, the system will link the item to this store. For items you uncheck, the system will delink the items.
• To link by category, click a category's link field to check the check box. You can also press <Spacebar> to check / uncheck the field. You can click the All On button or the All Off button to check or uncheck all Link fields in the table. For categories you check, the system will link each inventory item in that category. For categories you uncheck, the system will not link any items.
• Once you complete your choices, click the Next button to continue.
• The Copy Selling Prices screen displays:
  
  In this screen, you choose whether to copy selling prices from another store to this one. If the items already exist in the store you are linking to, the system will copy the selling prices into that store.
• The Confirm Operation screen displays. Click the Process button to perform the operation or click the Cancel button to leave the function without processing.

TIP: You can copy individual item selling prices from one store to another if the items already exist in both stores. You do this in the Prices tab of the Inventory Items function.