Amend product groups

Amending product groups in Sage 200 can affect all stock items associated with the product group, or you can select a slightly different process which amends a product group for one specific stock item.

The main process to change product groups can have a dramatic impact on your stock items as all stock items are linked to a product group. The following explains what can be changed and the effect of changes:

• Product type: This can only be changed provided the product group does not support batch/serial numbered items and there are no stock items linked to the product group.

• Costing methods: All stock items linked to the product group are updated to use the new costing method. However, the costing method cannot be changed if the method is standard and stock items linked to the product group have cost variance values stored. You must clear the stored cost variance before you can change the costing method.

  If the product group is enabled for batch/serial numbered items, the costing method cannot be amended as there will be a movement history stored for any item linked to the product group.

  Changing the costing method for a stock item can cause discrepancies between the value of stock posted in the Nominal Ledger and that in the stock valuation reports. This is only applicable if the Stock Control module is set to update the Nominal Ledger.

• Stock count frequency: This has no retrospective effect; changes are applied to new stock items when they are created.
• Movement history: If this setting is removed from the product group all histories for linked stock items are deleted from the Stock Control module. It cannot be disabled if the product group supports batch/serial numbered items.

Note: If you are using Manufacturing, you must select the Keep movement history check box or you cannot issue stock items in the product group to a works order.

• Negative stock levels: This can only be cleared if stock items linked to the product group do not have negative stock values.
• Default nominal codes: This has no retrospective effect; changes are applied to new stock items when they are created.
• Search categories: If removed from the product group all search categories in linked stock items are removed. Amendments to existing search categories do not affect linked stock records, changes only apply when new stock items are created.
• Units of measure: This cannot be removed if orders exist for linked items. If they are removed from the product group they are also removed from linked stock items. Amendments to existing units of measure do not affect linked stock items, changes only apply when new stock items are created. Additional trade units cannot be enabled if the product group supports serial numbered items.

• Batch/serial numbered items: These cannot be enabled for an existing product group. If the setting is cleared, linked items no longer use batch/serial numbers. The traceable information for these items is removed and if the product group is set to use actual costing, the method is amended to FIFOFirst In First Out (FIFO) is an assumption that enables the cost of stock to be calculated. When sales are made the items sold are assumed to be the earliest purchased, so the cost of items in stock always reflect the most recent purchases.. If the setting is cleared at product group level, it cannot be enabled at a later date.

  Enabling the setting that requires batch/serial numbers to be recorded whilst goods are recorded into stock, can only be done provided there are no temporary numbers stored for stock items.

  To remove the setting A sale may only be from a single batch, the equivalent setting for all linked stock items must be cleared.

  You can change between batch or serial numbers for an item, existing linked items remain unchanged only new items are affected.

  Note: To change a product group from batch to serial numbers, you must clear the multiple unit settings. This can only be done when there are no outstanding orders for the linked items. When the trade units are removed, existing linked items remain unchanged but it will not be possible to amend the multiple unit settings for these items.

• Landed costs: You can enable these for an existing product group but the costs will only apply to new items added to the group. All existing product group items will not use landed costs by default.

  If you change the default type or the value of landed costs applicable in the product group, again the changes will only apply to new items added to the group.

  If you clear the check box and stop using landed costs for a product group that has been using them, all landed costs information is removed from all stock items in this group. In order to do this there must be no active POP orders using this product group stock items and the information cannot be retrieved once it has been removed.