SubProducts Utility
	Quickly add multiple variations on products.

Instructions
If you sell clothing, or other items that are essentially identical except for their size, color and other descriptors (e.g., brand, flavor, pattern, etc.) you can use the Subproducts feature to make managing your inventory, and entering orders easier.

This utility makes entering these Subproducts faster and easier. With it you can specify an unlimited number of variations for a single product then create all of them with a single click. Before committing them to your inventory you can delete any combinations that you do not sell.
 
Note: Click the Tables tab on the Company Database to locate the link to open the SubProducts feature.

1. Open the SubProducts dialog by clicking the SubProducts  link on the Mailware Explorer. 
    

   		View Products
   		Find    Add    Help SubProducts

   The following screen will open.

2. Enter the following fields as described below:
    
   Required Fields
   

   • Master Code - Enter the alphanumeric code you wish to use to group your SubProducts. This code will be used on the Order screen to lookup products. You should enter this field in UPPERCASE letters. Click here for help on looking up Subproducts.
      

   • Product Prefix - The code you enter here will be used as the prefix for each of the created SubProducts (e.g., a prefix of 123 will create Product Numbers of 123-00001, 123-00002 etc.). Use as short a code as possible. This is usually the same as the Master Code. You should enter this field in UPPERCASE letters. 
      
     Note: Make sure your Prefix and Suffix are no longer than 15 characters.
      

   • Suffix Width - Specify the number of characters that will follow the Product Prefix. 
      

3. Optionally enter as much product information as you wish. These fields are identical to the fields found on the main Product screen as described in the Add a Product help topic.
    
   The following fields are recommended as the minimum to be entered:
    

   • Description - Enter up to 30 characters to help you identify this product when viewing your inventory.
      

   • Retail Price - This is the amount that will be charged to customers with a Pricing Level of Retail (or none) when taking an order. You may override this price on the order entry form for any item by simply typing the new price.
      

   • In Stock - Enter the current number of items you have on hand. 
        or
     Non Inventory Item - Check this field if you do not track stock levels for this product. This will also prevent backorders during order entry.
      

   • Supplier - Select a vendor from the Supplier field pull down list to associate the product with its supplier. If you have not added the supplier yet, you can make the association later by editing the product.
      

4. Clear Fields - Click this button to enter a new SubProduct entry. Or, you can simply alter the fields for the next entry.
    

5. Next, click the SubProduct Options tab to enter your product options and their variations. The following dialog will open.

6. Options - Enter Options by typing each one and pressing the Enter key to drop to the next line (Note: you can also type an Option then press the Tab key to type its Values. Use the mouse or Shift-Tab to return to the Options column to add more options.)
    

7. Values - For each Option you can add an unlimited number of Values. Highlight any option then press the Tab key to move to the Value column. Enter as many values as are appropriate (e.g., for an Option of Color, enter values of Blue, Red, Yellow etc.).
    

8. Save List - You can click this button to save your list of Options and Values. In the dialog that opens type a name for the list and click OK. This is useful if you have products with similar options. You can create a SubProduct in the Product Info tab then use the Open List button to load the Options from the similar product.
    

9. Create Products - Click this button to create a Preview of all the possible combinations of this SubProduct. Note: The products will not be created in Mailware at this step. You can view them in the Preview tab and make changes and/or delete items before committing them to your inventory list.
    

10. Next, click the Preview tab. The following screen will appear.

 

11. All the items you created in the previous steps are listed here. You can make changes to any field by simply typing your changes. You can also delete entries you do not need by holding Ctrl and pressing Delete while the entry is highlighted.
     
    Note: You can drag column headers to different positions. The column order you create will be saved automatically. This is useful if you consistently edit the same fields.
     

12. - Click this button to open a dialog for the currently selected entry where you can change product information.
     

13. - When you are done making changes click this button to add the items in Preview to Mailware. Once added they may be edited, deleted etc. from the Products table. Click here to open the Products table.
     

14. When entering orders you can lookup Subproducts by their options. This makes locating items easy and intuitive. For more details on this feature see the help topic: Lookup Subproducts.