The Manage Units Panel in Construction Bill of Quantities Items
The Manage Units panel opens from the unit list of any material or work item in work item templates and the cost sheet, to choose or create a unit template and add conversion factors without leaving the form.
Table of Contents
Panel Fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Source | Required | Select From Existing or Create New Unit Template. |
| Template | Required with Select From Existing | The Select Template list with templates from Unit Templates. |
| Template Name | Required with a new template | The unit template name. |
| Base Unit Name | Required | The smallest unit in the template. |
| Short Name | Optional | The abbreviation of the base unit. |
| Factors table: Unit Name and Factor and Short Name | — | Each additional unit and the number of base units it Equals. |
Locked Factors
- If the template is used in transactions, its current factors appear gray and read-only, and their delete button is disabled.
- The template can’t be replaced, and a new template can’t be created for the material.
- The Add button stays available to add new factors.
Saving
- Click Save; the template becomes linked to the line, and its factors appear in the unit list.
- Cancel closes the panel without changes.
Opening the Panel
If you don’t have Edit General Settings, the button appears disabled with the tooltip Requires Permission.
- In a material or work item line, open the Unit list; a search box and the units list appear.
- Click Manage Units at the bottom of the list.
- The side panel opens with the title Manage Units.
Example
A Steel template whose base unit is kg: add a factor of Ton = 1000, and a factor of Bar = 12. If the material has transactions in kilograms, the current factors stay locked, and you can add Bundle = 120, then Save.
Related Settings
- You must enable Multiple Units per Item from Inventory & Products Settings; it is enabled automatically with Construction.
- The templates themselves are in Unit Templates, and any edit appears in inventory, sales, and purchases.
- When unit templates are shared between branches, the template appears in all shared branches.
Error Messages and Solutions
| Message | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Please Select a valid unit factor | No valid unit was chosen for the line. | Choose a unit from the template list. |
FAQs
Why are the template factors gray?
Because the template is used in transactions; you can only add new factors.
Why is the Manage Units button disabled?
Because you don’t have Edit General Settings.
Do the edits affect the product in inventory?
Yes, the template is shared with the inventory settings.
Can an unused factor be deleted?
Yes, if the template is not locked.
What is the base unit?
The unit by which the other factors are calculated.
What is the difference between Select From Existing and Create New Unit Template?
The first links the line to a template defined in inventory and allows editing it, and the second creates a new template with a name, a base unit, and factors.
Where do I find the templates I created from the panel?
In Unit Templates with the other inventory templates.
Can the same template be used for more than one material?
Yes, the template is shared and can be linked to any number of materials and work items.
Why is the Create New Unit Template option disabled?
Because the material has transactions with its current template, so it can’t be replaced.
Do previously recorded quantities change when a factor is added?
No, the new factor is used in future transactions only.