Items units tracked in the system can be setup to be tracked as serialized, by quantity, or lot and quantity.
Panatracker uses the concept of a ‘HANDLE’. The handle represents how the item is selected on transactions after added to the system. All items are tracked by the handle to keep consistency for everything tracked in the system.
An ITEM MASTER concept is used across the system. The benefits for creating this structure includes:
- Data consistency. Provides a uniform identity reducing duplication and discrepancies. The associated item description is assigned to the item master record to remove the need to manual enter a description each time the item is received.
- Enhanced Reporting and Analytics. When your item data is standardized, it supports accurate and reliable reporting. The same item is represented in the exact same way. Therefore, being able to do an inquiry for how many 10′ Ladders you have is reliable versus having them entered in the system multiple or ambiguous ways: Ladder-10Ft, 10FT Ladder, 10 Foot Ladder, Ladder 10.
- Supports Automation. The ability to label your items consistently provides the ability to use barcode scanning or other automated data capture effectively.
- Scalability. Adding in standardized item tracking features such as item masters, will provide support for any growing organization as it removes confusion and can also remove over and under stock level conditions.
SERIAL TRACKED
Units that are serial tracked inherit a quantity of 1 and are individually identified in the system with assignment of a unique Handle ID. The handle may be the serial number or an asset tag and is typically barcoded. When selected in a transaction, the quantity and location details are not required to be entered since the unit can only be in one location. When adding new serial-tracked item units, the Handle can be system-generated or manually entered when using pre-printed asset tags or a manufacturer serial number that is already barcoded. Numbers can be alpha-numeric and contain certain characters such as a dash or period. Handles should not include special characters. Serial tracked items can also be setup with additional attribute data specific to the unit such as the manufacturer serial number or warranty end date. Additional tracking is supported including maintenance, master unit for a unit build, place-in-service activities, validation logic, and disposal.
QUANTITY TRACKED
Quantity tracked units uses the Item Master as the Handle ID. There may be multiple records for the same handle based on location, custody, project, and status. When items are moved or updated, quantity-tracked records will be merged or updated based on same location, custody, project assignment and status. When a quantity tracked item is selected on transactions, the ‘from’ location will be selected as well as any other differentiators. Current available quantity will be displayed once the record is selected and a quantity will be entered for the transaction.
If Handle ABC123 has multiple records for area A01-S01 because of allocation to projects, then additional filtering would be required.
Quantity tracked units can be serialized by assignment to a movable container. Movable containers can be set up to hold a single Item Master with matching attributes. Assignment to a movable container then supports the ability to easily select a quantity tracked unit the same as a serialized unit.
LOT TRACKED
The handle for lot tracked items is assigned as the unit Handle. Lot tracked items will also have a specific lot system field that will be populated. This was designed this way so that additional logic can be added in the future to support items with both a serial number and lot number. (Note. this option is not available at this time).
Unit-level attributes can be setup for lot-tracked items. However, it is important to note that the same item-lot combination cannot have different values assigned for the attributes. System fields can be enabled such as expire date and manufacture date. The same rule applies for this data. The same item-lot combination cannot have different date values assigned. When adding new inventory for lot-tracked items, if the same item-lot is entered, the attributes will automatically inherit the values for the dates and unit attributes.
Having the lot number as the handle, removes the need to enter the item and then the lot number. The item is associated with the lot handle. However, the logic applies for selection of the ‘from’ location, project, status, etc., as it does for quantity-tracked items above.
NON-INVENTORY
The non-inventory item type represents an item that can be recorded as issued for unit maintenance consumables without the need to track the item within the system. Currently, the only location non-inventory item types are used is as a consumable selection option on unit maintenance. There may be additional areas this eventually gets applied to in the future.