Merge Items

Overview:

COGS-Well utilizes the "Item Code" from a vendor item as the unique identifier for inventory items. Whenever an item on an imported invoice has a new or unidentified item code, a new vendor item is created in COGS-Well. Vendors often reference item codes as a "Product Code" or "SKU number".

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) sometimes either misreads or does not find the vendor's product code on an invoice image. When this occurs, a duplicate item for an item that already exists for the same vendor is sometimes created. The Merge Items feature allows you to merge the duplicate item into the original item.

The Merge Item function should only be used when you know an item is a duplicate of another item from the same vendor. If you get the same item from a single vendor in two different pack sizes (this means it has two different item codes) and you use this item as an ingredient in recipe items, then you should use the Combined Item feature.

Things to know!

The Merge Inventory Items function was created to make it easier to correct errors when an invoice automation system exports "duplicate inventory items". This error occurs when an inventory item's Item Code is either misread or is missing on the scanned invoice image.
Most Customers will not use this feature because COGS-Well Support is performing the Merge Item service for the vast majority of our customers as part of our Receiving Audit and Validation Service.
The Merge feature is typically only used when you have more than one Inventory Item that needs to be merged, and that the items were created by the same Vendor system or AP Automation system Import.
The Merge Inventory Items function enables you to merge the quantity and cost of a duplicate item from an imported invoice into the Inventory Item that already exists in your database.
The Merge feature should only be utilized for duplicate items. If you get the same item from a single vendor in two different pack sizes (this means it has two different item codes) and you use this item as an ingredient in recipe items, then you should use the Combined Item feature.

Merge Items:

To merge inventory items navigate to Inventory>Maintenance>Merge Items. Upon selection, a screen similar to the one below will display:

Select the invoice system Integration you utilize for invoice imports and click the Edit key. Upon selection, a screen similar to the one below will display:

The display above, starting from the left, shows the Vendor Name, Item Name, Item Code, Pack Size, and Pack Cost that are in the COGS-Well database for each item. The Imported Item Name, Imported Item Code, and Imported Pack Size are what has been exported to COGS-Well by Plate IQ.

When Plate IQ misreads an Item Code and sends that new Item Code to COGS-Well, COGS-Well creates a new Inventory Item. When Plate IQ does not find an Item Code on an Invoice, they assign a random Item Code and this also causes COGS-Well to create a new Inventory Item. Please notice that this has occurred in the example above for the "Avocado Hass # 2" Inventory Item. COGS-Well references these as "Duplicate Items" that should be merged to keep your COGS-Well inventory database accurate.

The Merge key will enable you to merge the Imported Item that is in the same row as the merge key you click, to be merged to a COGS-Well Inventory Item. All invoice quantities and costs for this Imported Item will then roll up into the COGS-Well Inventory Item you select. If we select to merge the Avocado Ripe 60 Item, will see a display like below where we can merge it with the Hass #2 60 CT item:

Select the Inventory Item you want the imported item to merge with and hit enter and a display like below will show. This feature allows you to factor the Pack Size for the Item you are merging, into the Pack Size for the Item that is the correct item. In this example, the Pack Sizes are the same so you can click the Save button.

When finished click the Exit Key to exit.