What is the difference between Items, Item Types and Projects?

In this article, learn the difference between Items, Item Types and Projects, and how they relate to each other

Overview

This article will review the following entities within the Idencia application:

Item Types
Items
Projects

Item Types

Item types are categories of items.  All items of a given item type will share that item type's properties. In many ways, your list of item types can be thought of as a product catalog. 

Learn more about Item Types here.

Items

Items are the actual assets being tracked in your Idencia system. Each item has it's own unique serial number.  Affixing a serial number to an individual asset makes the asset a 'serialized' item available for tracking in the Idencia system.

For example, each item in a concrete pipe manufacturer's Idencia system would represent a single serialized pipe. Each item in a heavy equipment rental company's Idencia system would represent a single serialized piece of equipment available for rent. Each item in your Idencia system will represent the individual assets you want to track.

An item in a concrete pipe manufacturer's Idencia system could have attributes like this:

• Serial Number: 1C5624B48596
  
  • Item Type:                         6.15.TG 
  • Cast Date:                         05/25/2017
  • Concrete Mix ID:                C5EF946G
  • Meets Design Specs:           YES
  • Erection Mark:                    AS-562B
  • Repair Work Required:         None
  • QC Inspector:                     John Q. Inspector
  • Inspection Date:                 06/27/2017
  • Status:                               Shipped

An item in a heavy equipment rental company's Idencia system could have attributes like this:

• Serial Number: BH456T890
  • Item Type:                          3CXBH
  • VIN Number:                       8930RHP38D-5953DW
  • Safety Inspection Date:        5/25/2017
  • Safety Inspector:                 John Q. Inspector
  • Operator Manual Present:     YES
  • Boom/Bucket Welds:            Needs Repair
  • Emergency Break:                OK
  • Status:                                Maintenance Required

Items can also represent non-product assets like:

• Cylinder sets poured for strength testing
• Molds and forms used to cast product
• Lots of raw materials like rebar and mesh

Projects

Projects are collections of custom item types related to a specific customer order, production run, or yard stock. A quantity is associated with each custom item type and production progress for the project can be tracked within the Idencia management portal.  

A concrete pipe producer that uses the projects feature to track customer orders may create a project for each order with attributes like this:

• Project Number:                            ABC40
• Project Name:                               ABC - I40 Widening
• Customer:                               ABC Construction Company, Inc.
• Purchase Order Number:          180525-12
• Delivery Location:                    123 Spring Street, City, ST
• Custom Item Types:

A concrete pipe producer that uses the projects feature to track daily stock production may create a project for each production run with attributes like this:

• Project Number:                             20170525A
• Project Name:                                05/25/2017 AM Production Run
• Customer:                                None/Stock
• Custom Item Types:

A heavy equipment rental company that uses Idencia to track equipment rentals & maintenance processes may not use the projects feature at all.