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Consumables

Keep the supplies that get used up or sold by quantity, such as thread sealant, leak detection solution, motor oil and additives.

A consumable is something that gets used up rather than installed as a lasting part: pipe thread sealant, leak detection solution, rags and gloves on the service truck, motor oil and fuel additives you resell. You buy consumables, keep a count of them if you want to, and sell some of them on invoices.

What you see

Items → Consumables lists every consumable with its Consumable ID, Item Name, Description, Item Group, Default Method, Tracking, Tags, Supplier, Active status and Assignee. Opening one shows the tabs Details, Purchasing, Accounting, Planning, Inventory, Sales and Quality, the same tabs a part has.

How to add a consumable when you start buying a new supply

  1. On Items → Consumables, choose Add Consumable.
  2. Enter the Consumable ID (type ... for the next number), the Short Description and, if useful, the Long Description.
  3. Pick the Unit of Measure you buy and count it in, such as each, case or gallon.
  4. Set Tracking Type: Inventory if you want AimRack to count what is on the shelf, Non-Inventory if you buy it as needed and never count it.
  5. Set the Default Method Type (Pull from Inventory for shelf stock, Purchase to Order for supplies ordered for one job), the Item Group and a starting Unit Cost.
  6. Choose Save.

How to reorder supplies before the trucks run out when a consumable is counted

  1. Open the consumable and choose the Planning tab.
  2. Choose a Reordering Policy such as Fixed Reorder Quantity with a Reorder Point and Reorder Quantity, and set Safety Stock.
  3. Record the Preferred Supplier, Lead Time (Days) and supplier prices on the Purchasing tab so reorders go to the right place at the right price.

The Parts guide walks through every tab in detail; consumables use the same forms.

How to tell a consumable from propane on an invoice when you read a delivery invoice

Propane delivered into a customer's tank is not a consumable record. Each delivery ticket is itself an invoice line of type consumable, described as "Propane" followed by the ticket number, with the gallons delivered and the price per gallon entered on the ticket, and it is not linked to any item. Supplies such as motor oil or additives that you sell over the counter are consumable items with their own sale price on the Sales tab.

Where this fits

Consumables are bought on purchase orders, received through receipts, counted in inventory, and sold on sales invoices. Propane deliveries themselves are covered in Deliveries. The shared item settings are explained in Items.