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Creating a Product

Last updated 28/08/2020

Products are a core component required for Cin7 to work. This article explains how to create a new product.

Overview

Products are one of the building blocks of your Cin7 system. Products are what you buy from suppliers and sell to customers. And of course you will be keeping a close eye on the inventory of products!

In Cin7, Products and Inventory are separate - you first make a product, and then create stock of that product by making a stock adjustment or purchasing the product from a supplier.

There is a fair amount to learn about products - but as this topic is so important it is well worth spending a little time to understand how the system works. You will see various links throughout these articles: they explain in more detail the concepts behind the principles.

Creating a Product

To create a product:

  1. From the left navigation, select Products.
  2. Click Create New Product.
  3. Enter a Product Name.
  4. Choose a Stock Control Method (see below).
  5. Enter a Product Code - for more information see Product Codes.
  6. Enter a Retail Price and Cost.
  7. Click Save and Close.

Adding Additional Product Options

A simple product, like the one above, only has one 'option', but a product can hold multiple options. Think of a style of chair that can come in Oak, Ash or Pine.

To add a new option to a product:

  1. Create a product as explained above.
  2. In the product grid, click Add Option.
  3. Enter in a new unique code, and prices and costs.
  4. Click Save and Close.

Each option will require its own unique code, and has its own pricing.

One product with multiple options, or multiple products?

An alternative to creating product options is to create each option as its own product. Some customers prefer to split out products like this as it makes it appear as though they have more products on eCommerce sites. Others prefer to group products into options - perhaps they have many products and want to simplify their offering. It depends entirely on what you want from the system, and how your integrations are set up.

Special Products and Stock Control Methods

In addition to standard products, there are several configurations of products that cater for specialized products.

  • Fashion Products - products that come in multiple colors and sizes are known as fashion products. Cin7 has features that allow for the easy entry of fashion or apparel products.
  • Units of Measure - some products are bought and sold in multiple units of measure. Cin7 has a few fields that can make calculating these types of products a lot easier.

In addition to this, there are several methods of storing the stock:

  • FIFO (First in First Out) - the default method of storing stock. The first products received in are the first to be sold.
  • Batch Numbers - each batch of products is given a batch number.
  • Serial Numbers - each product is given its own serial number.
  • Non Stock - no stock is stored for this product.

Each of these methods are explained in more detail in Stock Control Methods.