From the Products tab in the Partner Detail, the Products card shows all products currently defined for this Client Partner.
To create a Product definition, you can choose the Create Product button. This will allow you to create a Single Product.
To import new product definitions, or to update existing product definitions, choose the Action Menu to expose the option to Import Products or Import Hazard Classes.
The import options exposed via the Action Menu
Creating a Single Product
If you choose to create a Single Product, Consignly will present a new blade with fields to capture product information.
| Field | Description | |
| Code | Required | A unique code for this product. A SKU. |
| Name | Required | A friendly name to identify the product. |
| Stocked Unit | Optional |
Leaving this empty will use the default "Item" as the stocked unit. If you have added custom units for this partner, you may choose to stock the product in a custom unit type by selecting from this list. |
| Product Group | Required | The group that the product sits in. This is useful for rating storage charges. |
| Length | Optional | In millimetres (MM) |
| Width | Optional | In millimetres (MM) |
| Height | Optional | In millimetres (MM) |
| Volume | Required | In cubic metres (m3). |
| Weight | Required | In kilograms (KG) |
| Barcode | Optional | The barcode of the stocked product. |
| Commodity | Optional | Used in the iCOS Integration. |
| Quantity per Pallet | Optional (Recommended) |
A number used for pallet conversions to define how many stocked units fill a pallet. |
| Free Storage Hours | Optional |
If this product attracts free storage different to the partner default, it can be defined here (in hours). Product will only start incurring charges for storage if it is received into the warehouse for a period longer than the specified value. |
| Serial numbers supported | Determines if the product requires serial number tracking. | |
| Rotation Method | Optional |
Sets the rotation of stock to determine which stock is suggested first when adding to an outwards consignment. Works in conjunction with the Secondary Rotation Method (if set) and depletion method. |
| Secondary Rotation Method | Optional |
Sets an additional rotation method to be used after the primary rotation method has been applied. |
| Depletion Method | Optional | Sets how product is depleted from the warehouse after the rotation method is used. |
| Batch Usage | Optional |
Determines whether a batch number is required to be entered for this product. |
| Date Usage | Optional |
Determines whether various dates are required to be entered for this product. |
| Substitution Settings | Optional |
Determines the conditions upon which a product is allowed to be substituted for another product. |
| Critical Stock Threshold Settings | Optional |
Sets conditions for when to display stock as Critical based on the days before or days after date-based attribute such as its Best Before Date or Production Date. |
The Create Single Product form
To create your product, choose the Create Product button. If you have similar products to create, you may choose the Create and Copy button, which will pre-populate the form and allow you to change any further details before saving another copy.
Once you have created the product, you will be taken to the product detail view to make any further changes required.
Import Products
If you wish to import a group of products at once, Consignly offers the ability to do this via a CSV import.
To get started, choose Import Products from the action menu.
A new blade will be presented allowing you to upload a CSV. Choose the Download Template File button to download a template CSV that illustrates the requirements for the upload.
The template file will download all existing product definitions for this client partner. This allows you to adjust existing product definitions, as well as add new ones.
You can choose to remove the content of the file if you just wish to create new product definitions.
An example of the import screen
After you have filled out the CSV, browse the file on your computer and press the Process Import File button. This will process the CSV and present a summary for you to review.
The summary screen will illustrate the additions and updates that may be made to the products.
Items that cannot be successfully processed will have an error message with an indication of the issue(s) that are preventing import.
You may choose to use the Show Invalid Products Only checkbox to filter the summary for invalid products only.
Import Hazard Classes
If your organisation supports Hazardous or Dangerous Goods, you may be required to specify hazard class information for each of your products, for each of the Standards your organisation supports.
To support ease of entry, Hazard Class and Category information can be imported for your Product Definitions.
To import the hazard classes and assign them to products, choose Import Hazard Classes from the action menu.
Select the Standard to import for, and download the template file.
Select the Standard to import
Any existing Hazard Classes will form part of the file. You may choose to update the classes for these products, or alternatively you may assign classes to products that haven't been assigned yet.
After choosing Process Import File, Consignly will present you with a summary of the products and classes you are about to update.
The file must not contain any errors in order to import the data so be sure to correct any errors and resubmit the file if required.
The summary screen for the hazard class import
Product Detail
Selecting an existing product will reveal the Product Detail blade. From here, you may choose to edit the details of the product.
The product detail view
Unit Conversions
In this view is where you may also create Unit Conversions for this product. Unit Conversions define how different Unit Types can be constructed to resolve into other Unit Types for this product.
For example, some products have a stocked item in cartons, and a number of cartons make up an outer, and a number of outers make up a tray.
Unit Conversions allow you to tell Consignly how these product units are made up, and can be used in different ways to calculate metrics on a consignment, and when calculating storage rates.
Learn more about unit conversions.
The unit conversions card in the Product Detail
Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS)
Consignly supports the ability to attach Material Safety Data Sheets to product. Attachments can be added via the MSDS tab at the top of the Product Detail view.
From this screen, documents can be dragged and dropped onto Consignly to attach to the product, or can be uploaded from your computer.
Any attachments are surfaced up in a consignment via the portal or the mobile app to give users access to important information easily. On a consignment, MSDS data is listed for all products in the consignment that have an MSDS file attached.
The MSDS view for a product showing an attached file
Hazardous or Dangerous Goods
If your organisation supports Hazardous or Dangerous Goods, then a tab will be available on the Product Detail view to allow you to enter Hazardous or Dangerous Goods data for that product.
Information about the product such as Proper Shipping Name, Technical Name, and Packaging Group can be recorded, along with the Hazchem code and UN Number of the product and flashpoint and marine pollutant status.
The DG Specification card in Consignly
After this information has been entered, the product's DG information will show in Consignly wherever the product is displayed.
The DG information shown on a product list
Hazard Classification
For each Standard that has been enabled for your organisation, the Hazard Classification configuration for that product can be selected.
For example, if your organisation has a warehouse in Australia, and a warehouse in New Zealand, your organisation may implement both the Australian and New Zealand Hazard Classifications for storage, and Australian and New Zealand Dangerous Goods Classifications for transport.
In Consignly, each product can have it's appropriate hazard class and category specified for each standard available, so that DG documentation is appropriately created to meet each warehouse's standards.
Multiple classifications can be set on a product for each standard.
An example of a product supporting different classifications for New Zealand and Australian standards
Product Settings - Attribute Settings
Each product can have specific Rotation, Depletion, Batch, and Expiry requirements set. If left empty, these default to the partner's configuration.
Rotation method
The stock rotation method is used to help Consignly identify a stock preference when suggesting inventory for an outwards consignment.
A Secondary Rotation Method can be set which will be used after the primary rotation method has been applied and before the depletion method is used.
Deplete smaller quantities first
If this is enabled, then Consignly will attempt to allocate inventory from locations and/or pallets that have smaller quantities first. This option will be applied after the primary and secondary rotation methods have been evaluated.
If this setting is turned off, then Consignly will attempt to allocate first from locations and/or pallets that have the largest quantity. This option will favour allocating full pallets ahead of part-pallets, for example.
Note: This is a client partner setting, and is not configurable on individual product records.
Depletion method
The stock depletion method can be First-In-First-Out (FIFO) or Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) when transacting stock out of the warehouse. This depletion method is based on the date the inventory was received into the warehouse.
If product of the same batch and/or expiry was received at different times in the warehouse, then the depletion method is used as an additional means to suggest the correct stock to use in an outwards consignment after primary and secondary rotation methods have been used.
Common rotation and depletion methods are as follows:
- FIFO would be Rotation method: Received Date (oldest first)
- LIFO would be Rotation method: Received Date (newest first)
- FEFO would be Rotation method: Expiry (oldest first)
- LEFO would be Rotation method: Expiry (newest first)
Receive hold kind
The Receive Hold Kind dropdown allows you to set what hold status (if any) should be applied to a product as it is received into inventory.
There are 4 options:
- No hold
- General hold
- QA hold
- Return hold
No hold means that inventory is received and is immediately available for use on an outwards consignment - whereas any of the other hold types means that inventory is received and is immediately placed into the appropriate hold, preventing this inventory from being added to an outwards consignment until it is released.
Batch usage
Consignly can enforce batch numbers as required or optional when bringing inventory into a warehouse. Set the requirement at an individual product level here.
The value selected here may override the partner default, so if batch is required for all product except one, then the partner default can enforce it, whilst the product definition can set it as optional.
Date usage
Consignly can enforce various dates as required or optional when bringing inventory into a warehouse. Set the requirement at an individual product level here.
The value selected here may override the partner default, so if certain dates are required for all product except one, then the partner default can enforce it, whilst the product definition can set it as optional.
Product Settings - Substitution Settings
Substitution settings can be defined at the product level. Selections made here will potentially override selections that are made directly on the Client Partner's product settings.
Each substitution field works in the same way, you can choose to Use Partner Default to use the value set on the Client Partner, or explicitly make the field Allowed for substitution - which will allow substituting product that even if the field values don't match the allocated product, or explicitly make the field Not Allowed for substitution - which will prevent substituting product that has a different value to the allocated product.
The substitution settings on a product
Product Settings - Critical Stock Threshold Settings
Critical stock threshold settings can be defined at the product level. Selections made here will potentially override selections that are made directly on the Client Partner's product settings.
Each substitution field works in the same way, you can choose to leave the field empty and Use Partner Default to use the value set on the Client Partner, or explicitly set the field to define the critical stock threshold for that product.