Introduction to Items & SKUs

In Formul, everything you track is an Item. Whether it’s a raw material like “Organic Lavender Oil”, a finished product like “12oz Lavender Candle”, or a service you provide.

What is a SKU?

SKU stands for Stock Keeping Unit. It’s a unique code you assign to an item to identify it.

Materials: Oils, waxes, jars, labels.
Finished Goods: The products you sell to customers.
Services: Labor costs or overheads you want to track in production.

Creating an Item

Navigate to Inventory > Items in the sidebar.
Click the Create Item button at the top right.
Fill in the Core Details:
- SKU: Your unique identifier (required).
- Name: The descriptive name of the item.
- Description: Optional details about the item.
Configure Unit & Type:
- UOM (Unit of Measure): The base unit you track (e.g., ea, kg, L, m).
- Type:
  - PRODUCT: Items you sell or make.
  - COMPONENT: Raw materials or parts.
  - SERVICE: Non-physical items (labor, shipping) used in costing.
Set Inventory Policies:
- Traceability:
  - NONE: Standard inventory.
  - LOT: Requires a Batch/Lot number for every transaction (critical for perishables or regulated goods).
- Low Stock Threshold: Set a number (e.g., 10). Formul will alert you when stock falls below this level.
(Optional) Add Procurement Details:
- Manufacturer: Who makes it (e.g., “Acme Corp”).
- MPN: The Manufacturer Part Number.
- Reorder URL: A direct link to buy more.
Tags: Add tags to categorize your items (e.g., “Fragrance”, “Packaging”, “Summer Collection”).

Tracking Stock Levels

Formul tracks stock in real-time based on your Ledger.

On Hand: The physical quantity currently in your locations.
Available: The quantity free to be sold or used (On Hand - Allocated to Orders).

Next, learn how to manage your locations to track exactly where these items are stored.