Master Data · Daily operations · 8 min read

Manage variants, barcodes and packaging on a product

Give a product variants with their own codes, assign and print barcodes, set scale barcodes, and define cartons and pallets.

Before you begin

Save the product first: the Create product button on a variant row says Save first until the parent exists. Variant attributes must exist under Catalogue > Configuration > Variant attributes. For a large range with many size and colour combinations use a template instead: Build product templates and variants.

Add variants to a product

1. Open the product and the Variants tab. Press Edit.
2. Add a row. Choose the Attribute (for example Color) and type the Value (Red).
3. Enter a Variant SKU, for example TST-1001-RED. It must be unique within the product and becomes the variant's product code. Each variant needs its own SKU.
4. Enter a Price Difference and Cost Difference if the variant costs more. The variant price is the parent price plus the difference. Differences cannot be negative here.
5. Add the variant's Barcode if it has one.
6. Save, then press Create product on each row.

What happens next

Message 'Product TST-1001-RED created.' A new product named Test Office Chair - Red appears with its own stock, price and cost. With a parent at AED 899.00 price and AED 450.00 cost, a Red variant with differences of 50 and 20 is AED 949.00 and AED 470.00. A Blue variant with no differences is AED 899.00 and AED 450.00. The row links to the variant product. A second click is refused with 'This variant already has its product.'

Barcodes

1. On the General tab type the Barcode / GTIN, or press the barcode button while editing to generate an in-store EAN-13 starting with 2 with a correct check digit.
2. After saving, the same button opens Print Barcode Labels. Choose the code and the number of labels (1 to 120; larger counts are cut to 120) and press Print to get a page of Code 128 labels.
3. On the Barcodes tab add alternate barcodes: type (EAN, UPC, GTIN, PLU, Supplier, Customer, Packaging, Internal), unit, packaging, supplier or customer. You may keep 50.

A barcode must be unique across the company's products, packaging, alternates, PLUs and registered barcodes. Refusals: '<barcode> already identifies <CODE>.' and 'Barcode and PLU values must be unique across products.' The primary barcode cannot be repeated as an alternate: 'The primary barcode is already the product's; add only the alternates here.'

A scan of the primary code gives quantity 1. A scan of an alternate gives its source (for example supplier). A scan of a packaging barcode gives that unit and quantity: a carton barcode where the carton is 6 gives six units. An unknown code answers 'No product has this barcode.'

Scale barcodes (weighed goods)

1. On Sales & Pricing enter the PLU: digits only, up to 20.
2. Set Scale Barcode Mode to Embedded weight or Embedded price.
3. Enter a two-digit Scale EAN Prefix from 20 to 29 and the Embedded Value Decimals (0 to 4).
4. A weight or price mode needs a five-digit PLU. With PLU 123 the save is refused with 'Scale barcodes require a two-digit prefix and five-digit PLU.'

Packaging

1. On Logistics & Packaging add a row per pack: Packaging name (unique per product), Barcode, Quantity in Stock Units (above 0), and length, width, height and weight.
2. Save. A pack barcode cannot repeat the product's own: 'A packaging barcode cannot repeat the product barcode.' Duplicate names are refused with 'Packaging names must be unique per product.'

Good to know

• Barcodes for governed products can also be registered with a check-digit test in the Master Data app: see Control data quality.
• Variant attributes cannot be renamed once used. Archive and add a new one.