Product characteristics are used to classify products into specific groups (e.g., chemical, bulk, services). When you add products, you can optionally specify one or more characteristics for them. Characteristics make it easier to group similar products together when searching for or reporting on products.
Use the Manage Product Characteristics window to add, edit, activate or deactivate, and remove product characteristics, and to add multiple products to characteristics at the same time.
What you'll find:
Tip
Add or Edit all characteristics before clicking Save since saving also closes the window.
Individual products can be added to characteristics from the Manage Product window.
You can add product characteristics in order to classify products into specific groups.
To add a product characteristic
Navigate to Inventory > Manage > Product Characteristics.
The Manage Product Characteristics window opens.
In the Description column, enter a unique description for the product characteristic (e.g., bulk).
Ensure the Active check box is selected.
Active is selected by default after the description has been entered.
To add products to a characteristic
Select the Characteristic.
Select Add/Remove Products.
The Add Products to Characteristic window opens.
Select the Products to Add tab.
Find the products you want to add and select Retrieve Products.
Check Add next to the ones you want to associate with the characteristic.
Select Save.
The Add Products to Characteristic window closes.
Click Save.
The Manage Product Characteristics window closes.
You can edit any of your existing product characteristics at any time by changing their descriptions. You can also change the active status.
To edit a product characteristic
Navigate to Inventory > Manage > Product Characteristics.
The Manage Product Characteristics window opens.
Select the Characteristic.
In the Description column, change the description.
To remove products from a characteristic
The Products in Characteristic tab is the default.
Uncheck Keep next to all products to remove.
Select Save.
The Add Products to Characteristic: Bulk window closes.
Click Save.
The Manage Product Characteristics window closes.
When you add a product characteristic, the default setting is active, but you can also activate a product characteristic that has been deactivated.
When a product characteristic is deactivated, you can no longer use it in the database. When a product characteristic is reactivated, it is automatically associated with anything that it was associated with previous to being deactivated.
To deactivate activate a product characteristic
Navigate to Inventory > Manage > Product Characteristics.
The Manage Product Characteristics window opens.
In the Active column, clear or set the Active check box as applicable.
If you are deactivating a characteristic in use, the Remove Characteristic on Save? window opens.
agrē asks if you'd like to remove the deactivated characteristic from all products (this is so the characteristic can be completely Removed from the database without you having to edit each product individually).
Click Yes, and the characteristic will be removed from all products when you Save.
It can then be subsequently Removed.
Click No, and the characteristic will be deactivated but it will be left on the products.
You won't see deactivated characteristics on Manage Products, but you will see them in the Product List data export.
Should you reactivate the characteristic in the future, it will again be associated with the product and be visible on Manage Products.
The Remove Characteristic on Save? window closes.
Click Save to save your changes.
Removing product characteristics deletes them from the database. You cannot remove product characteristics that are in use.
Note
If the Remove Characteristic button is not available, the characteristic you selected is in use and cannot be removed. You could deactivate it instead.
To remove a product characteristic
Navigate to Inventory > Manage > Product Characteristics.
The Manage Product Characteristics window opens.
In the Description column, select the product characteristic to remove.
Click Remove Characteristic.
Click Yes to confirm the removal.
The product characteristic is removed.
Click Save.