Infor UOM
A unit of measure (UOM) establishes the unit in which the quantities of items, item-packs, and products are managed (e.g., pounds, eaches, ounces, box of 12, package of 3, case of 144).
A standard set of UOM types exists from which you can define UOM conversions to non-standard UOMs.
Standard UOMs include: mass, time, volume, and power. Non-standard UOMs could be pallets and boxes. You can also create non-standard to non-standard conversions (e.g., pallets to boxes). You define decimal precision for each UOM you create. The measurement will be automatically rounded to the decimal precision of that UOM. Here is an example of decimal rounding.
You can have only one UOM for liters, kilograms, and activity control. Do not change the defaults for liters and kilograms.
Note Do not change Each to any standard UOM.
If you entered a UOM for your enterprise, you must copy it down to each of the companies that will use it for processing. If you created this UOM for a company, you do not need to copy it down. You can use the UOM only in the company for which you created it.
Definition of UOM Codes
UOM types can be: non-standard, mass, time, volume, power. When defining a new UOM, you select one of these types. The system supplies you with standard UOM definitions, such as LB, GA, HR, etc. Non-standard UOMs are user-defined, such as CS for case, PL for pallet, LF for linear feet, or EA for each. UOM conversions can be used to convert non-standard UOMs to standard UOMs for items or item-packs.
UOM Conversions - UOM conversions can be standard, item-specific, item-pack-specific and/or UOM group-specific. The system derives different UOM conversion combinations from existing conversions. Once you create a UOM conversion, you do not need to create the inverse of the conversion; in fact, the system will not let you create the inverse (e.g., once you create CM to FT, FT to CM is implied; you cannot create FT to CM). You can also create UOM groups that include multiple UOM conversions. Here is an example of conversion combinations and a UOM group.
If an item has an item-specific conversion defined and a UOM group assigned to it containing the same conversion, the item-specific conversion overrides the UOM group conversion.
Standard UOM Conversions: Standard UOM to Standard UOM - Standard to standard UOM conversions are provided, which include mass to mass, volume to volume, time to time, etc. Examples are: 1 LB equals 16 OZ, 1 GA equals 4 QT, 60 MN (minutes) equals 1 HR (hour). In most applications, the system will provide a basic set of standard UOM conversions. You can define conversions between all standard UOMs to all other standard UOMs.
Note All standard UOMs must have a conversion to kilograms. All standard volume UOMs must have a conversion to liters. These conversion are required to optimize the performance of the unit of measure conversion routine.
Note For standard UOM to Standard UOM of a different scale, it must be item specific.
Item-specific UOM Conversions - You can create non-standard UOM (EA) to standard UOM (LB) conversions for an item. For example, EA to LB for Item A can be different from EA to LB for Item B. Be careful to NOT create more than one conversion TO a standard UOM from a non-standard UOM for an item (i.e., do not create a conversion for 1 EA to LB and 1 EA to OZ [mass] for the same item). Here is information about updating item-specific UOMs.
Note When you create an item, if you assign a non-standard stock UOM to that item, an automatic conversion is created from the non-standard UOM you entered to the weight in the specified UOM.
You can define many non-standard to many non-standard UOM conversions for each item. For example, EA to CS and EA to LB. If 1 CS = 24 EA, and EA is defined only once as equal to 1 LB, the system can track from the non-standard CS to a standard UOM LB.
Note It is recommended that you do not implement the EA UOM as though it were a standard UOM.
Item-specific: Non-standard UOM to Standard UOM - When an item is defined with a non-standard UOM, such as EA for each, an item weight is required when you create the item. For example, an item weight of 0.50 LB indicates that 1 EA weighs 0.50 LB. This item weight data is stored simultaneously in the en_item_tbl table and in the item-specific UOM conversion table (en_itemuom_tbl). All future references to this item weight (such as formulas, pack BOMs, in Planning , etc.) will be through the item-specific UOM conversion object which references the conversion table. This is the single point of entry of defining a non-standard (such as EA) to a standard (such as LB) UOM conversion. This conversion factor may be updated on the item or on the item-specific UOM conversion itself, and the update will take effect in both places. Only one non-standard to standard conversion type is allowed, i.e., EA to mass can only be defined once. The item-specific conversions should be defined at the enterprise and copied to companies to execute transactions.
For example:
Item: 200620
EA to LB: Factor 2.5 indicates that 1 EA of Item 200620 weighs 2.5 LB.
The system will use the standard UOM conversions to convert from LB to KG, OZ (mass), etc. after the conversion of EA to LB. The system will also automatically create an entry in the item-specific UOM conversion table for non-standard to liters (LT). This conversion is added for use of the items in formulas, to allow UOM conversions on the formula from mass to volume. Be sure always to have an entry for specific gravity on the item; it defaults to 1.0 and is valid for most solid items.
Item-specific: Non-standard UOM to Non-standard UOM - This allows you to convert any non-standard UOM, such as EA, to any other non-standard UOM, such as CS (case). For example, if an item-specific UOM conversion states that 1 CS equals 24 EA and an EA is equal to 1 LB, then the system can track from the defined non-standard CS back to an actual weight. Multiple non-standard to non-standard conversions are allowed.
For example:
Item ID : 200620
LF(Linear foot) to EA (each): Factor 1.0 indicates that 1 linear foot is equivalent to 1 EA which, by its definition above, is equivalent to 2.5 LB.
Item-specific: Standard UOM to Standard UOM of Different Scale - If you are converting two UOMs that are both standard but not the same scale, for example length and feet, you must first convert to a non-standard UOM such as Each. Then you can do a second conversion from Each. So to convert from length to feet, you could create Length to Each and then Each to Feet.
Item-Pack Specific UOM Conversions - You can have standard to non-standard or non-standard to non-standard UOM conversions for item-packs. You can create non-standard UOM (CS) to standard UOM (EA) conversions for an item-pack. For example, EA to CS for Item-Pack A can be different from EA to CS for Item-Pack B. You can also create non-standard to non-standard such as case to pallet.
Note When you create an item-pack, you assign a non-standard UOM to that item-pack, an automatic conversion is created based on the nominal fill of the item-pack. This value defaults from the pack.
Item-Pack Specific: Standard to Non-standard - When an item-pack is defined with a non-standard UOM, such as CS for case, there is an implicit conversion based on the nominal fill quantity. For example, an item is packed in a case of 100. The nominal fill quantity on the pack is 16 oz. The nominal fill quantity for that item-pack is 1600 oz. This item weight data is stored in both the en_itmpk_tbl and the in_itmpk_tbl tables.
Item-Pack Specific: Non-standard to Non-standard - You can create a non-standard to non-standard UOM conversion for item-packs. All non-standard to non-standard conversions are created through UOM conversions; using the Item-Pack Specific option. For example, you can have a conversion of 20 cases to 1 pallet. Multiple non-standard to non-standard conversions are allowed. The non-standard to non-standard item-pack conversions are stored in both the en_itmpk_tbl and the in_itmpk_tbl tables.
Activity UOM Conversions and Activity Controlled - You can create an item-specific standard UOM to activity UOM conversion for an item. For example, LB to DP (dry pounds). Each item can have only one conversion TO the activity control UOM.
Note For items that are activity controlled, you must create an item-specific conversion from a standard UOM to the activity control UOM.
Activity: Standard UOM to Activity UOM - Only one conversion of a standard UOM, such as LB to an activity based UOM, such as DP (dry pounds) is allowed. This conversion can be defined only once per item. For example, an activity of 0.70 applies whether the item is stocked in LB, KG, or GA. For lot-tracked items, a new lot will be created with a default activity of 1.0 if an activity has not been specified, or to the actual value if it has been specified.
Note You must select the Activity Controlled check box on the Item record to use this feature for an item.
UOM Group: Non-standard UOM to Non-standard UOM - This is where you define universal conversions, such as 24 EA to a CS (case), 144 EA to a GS (gross), 4 GS to a PL (pallet). First, you define a UOM group such as Group_1. If you assign an item to this UOM group (on the Item record), then the system will check the UOM group conversions to find that a CS equals 24 EA. Use the UOM group conversions to share common conversions instead of adding them to multiple items that use the same conversion factors. Only non-standard to non-standard conversions are recommended in the UOM group conversions.
For example, if an item is defined with a stock UOM of EA and a conversion of 1 EA equals 1 LB, then you must never use the UOM group conversion to also state that 1 CS equals any weight
The UOM group can be used in material handling transactions. For example, a stock transfer at the warehouse can indicate that 100 CS are moved from one location to another. Inventory will show, after the transaction is entered, that 2400 EA have been moved.
UOM in Procure to Pay - Units of measure are, of course, integral to the operations of purchasing, for they define quantities. Unit of measure conversions are even more important in Procure to Pay to keep up with changing needs and different packaging methods and pricing methods used by your suppliers. There are three key places where UOM conversions must be set up: receiving, allocating requisition lines, and automatic pricing based on quantity breaks.
UOM in Manage the Enterprise - In Manage the Enterprise, the stock UOM defines the units in which the inventory balance for an item is stored. All transactions, issues to manufacturing, orders, planning, and receipts from vendors and internal warehouses are entered in the stock UOM.
UOM in Design to Deploy - You need to decide whether you are going to create formulas in basis 100 or UOMs. Basis 100 formulas are not a true representation of quantities that can be used for production. When you create formulas in Design to Deploy, the stock UOM will convert to the formula UOM if the formula is in mass or volume. When you assign a UOM to an item, if it is a non-standard UOM, the system will require you to enter a UOM. Then, it will use the UOM and the item's tare weight and automatically create a UOM conversion to the item can be used correctly in processing.
Fill quantity and capacity quantity UOMs must be equal.
UOM in Order to Cash - Every item and item-pack has a unit of measure (UOM). Units of measure are important in every phase of the life cycle of the sales order process in Order to Cash. One of the key UOM decisions is whether UOMs are standard or non-standard (e.g., eaches to pounds, pounds to eaches). It is important to decide how to set up UOMs and their conversions. Also, since you price by units of measure, UOMs are very important in pricing. The pricing UOM is different from the order UOM. You can see the order UOM in allocating, picking, and shipping. The invoice for a sales order is in the order UOM. A conversion between the stock UOM and the order UOM must exist.
These notes are from Adage 5.0.5, but are general in nature.