Units of Measure

Choosing the Right Unit of Measure (UOM)

Unit of Measure (UOM) gives meaning to an inventory quantity.

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What is Unit of Measure?

Units of Measure is the business term used to describe how an inventory item (part) is counted.

Not only do UOM clarify the number of an inventory quantity, they also have a large impact on the financial reporting and definition of your business processes.

Choosing the Best Unit of Measure

Assign each inventory part a UOM that makes the most sense for how your operations interact with the item.

If it is a part that you use - Which UOM best describes the quantity you use in the Finished Good?
If it is a part that you sell - Which UOM best describes how you sell it to your customers?

Default UOM options are related to area, length, mass, quantity, time, or volume (i.e., cm, mm, g, kg, etc.). When creating a custom UOM, however, there is a type "Other" that is available for selection.

Creating a Custom UOM

To create a custom UOM, click on the gear icon in the top right of the page, then go to "All Lists" under Lists. Search for, or scroll down to, the "Units of Measure" list. Once on the UOM page, click the "Add Unit" button in the top right, and fill out the information for the new UOM.

Each (ea) - The Wildcard UOM

Using a UOM of "each" (usually abbreviated as 'ea') can provide flexibility when the inventory quantity does not require an explicit scientific measure (mass, volume, length, etc.). For example, if the inventory part is a liquid in a 1L bottle, it might make more sense to know there are 5 ea (bottles) rather than track the inventory as 5L.