There are
two levels of the unit of measure for items in Point of Sale.
Single Unit of Measure (Basic)
A unit of measure can be added to item records and can then be used to filter and sort
your item list and reports.
For example,
a candy store might define units of measure of "ounces" and
"lbs" and then assign one of those units to each of their candy
items.
Define the
allowed units on the Inventory page of company preferences.
Multiple Units of Measure (Pro)
Using
multiple units of measure allow you to purchase and sell items by different
units. For example, when you purchase an item by the case but sell it by the
bottle, or buy in bulk but sell by the pound.
Select the I
Want to set up multiple units of measure… checkbox on the Inventory page in
company preferences to enable this feature. Then, on the item record, you can
define a base unit of measure and up to three alternate units that you buy or
sell by (such as case, six-pack, can, 100 lb bag, one pound, etc.). Each unit
of measure can have a different UPC code, alternate lookup value, and sales
price, allowing you to list any of the units of measure on documents. You can
also specify your default purchase and sell-by units.
If the
multiple units of measure feature is turned off, you still retain the single
unit of measurement capability.
More Information on Unit of Measure:
This unit of
measure feature is enabled in company preferences and allows purchasing and
selling an item in up to four different units of measure (sizes, or pack
quantities).
Examples:
You buy
bottled water by the case and sell by single bottles or cases.
You buy
animal feed by 50 lb. bags and sell it in 5, 10, and 25 lb. bags.
You buy
fabric by the yard, and sell by the yard and foot.
With multiple units of measure enabled:
You can
define multiple units for inventory, non-inventory, and service items.
Unit of
measure fields and options are added to the item form and other documents and
lists.
Each unit of
measure can have unique UPC, alternate lookup, and prices associated with it.
You define a
base unit and default order-by and sell-by
units. QuickBooks Point of Sale will automatically suggest these defaults when purchasing
and selling the item.
Your base
unit is used for most inventory values (average cost, quantities, reorder
point, etc.) and on reports, though these values are calculated and displayed
for alternate units as well.
You can
choose in company preferences to add the transaction unit to the quantity field
on printed documents.
If importing
item information, you can import the unique information for each of your units.