Parts

A part is a physical thing you buy and usually keep in stock: a first-stage regulator, an excess-flow valve, a tank gauge, a pigtail, a set of fittings. Each part has one page with tabs for everything the rest of AimRack needs to know about it: who you buy it from, what it costs, how much you keep on hand, and what you sell it for.

What you see

Items → Parts lists every part with its Part ID, Revision, Item Name, Unit of Measure, Item Group, Replenishment, Default Method, Tracking, Tags, Supplier and Active status. Opening a part shows:

• a header with the part number and a More options menu (Create Change Notice, Delete Part);
• tabs: Details, Purchasing, Accounting, Planning, Inventory, Sales and Quality;
• a Properties panel on the right with the part number (copy buttons for the number, a link and the unique identifier), the Active switch, Replenishment, Default Method Type, Tracking Type, Unit of Measure, Item Group, Manufacturer Part Number, Tags, Files, and Supersedes or Superseded By when one part replaces another.

How to add a part when you start stocking something new

1. On Items → Parts, choose Add Part.
2. Enter the Part ID; type ... to get the next number from your company's numbering sequence. Leave Revision as it is unless the manufacturer revises the part.
3. Fill in the Short Description (for example "First-stage regulator, 10 psi outlet") and, if helpful, the Long Description.
4. Set Replenishment System to Buy, Default Method Type to Pull from Inventory for stocked parts or Purchase to Order for parts you order only when a job needs them, and Tracking Type to Inventory (or Serial if each unit carries a serial number you must trace).
5. Pick the Unit of Measure (usually each), the Item Group, and a starting Unit Cost.
6. Choose Save. The part opens on its Details tab.

How to record who you buy a part from when you set up purchasing

1. Open the part and choose the Purchasing tab.
2. Set the Preferred Supplier, the Lead Time (Days), and turn on Purchasing Blocked only if nobody should order it.
3. Add a supplier part for each supplier: the Supplier, their Supplier Part ID, the Unit of Measure they sell in, the Conversion Factor to your stocking unit (for example 10 if they sell boxes of ten), the Unit Price, the Minimum Order Quantity and the Order Multiple.
4. Add Price Breaks when the supplier charges less for larger orders. Purchase History shows what you actually paid on past orders.

How to set the cost and posting when your bookkeeper asks

1. Choose the Accounting tab (the Costing & Posting form).
2. Set the Costing Method (Standard, Average, FIFO or LIFO), the Unit Cost and the Item Group that decides which accounts sales and purchases post to.
3. Use Recalculate to refresh the cost, and check the cost history chart to see how it has moved.

How to keep enough on the shelf when you do not want to run out

1. Choose the Planning tab.
2. Pick a Reordering Policy: Manual Reorder leaves ordering to you; Fixed Reorder Quantity orders the Reorder Quantity when stock falls to the Reorder Point; Maximum Quantity orders back up to the Maximum Inventory Quantity; Demand-Based Reorder looks at expected demand over the Accumulation Period (Weeks).
3. Set Safety Stock, Minimum Order Quantity, Maximum Order Quantity and Order Multiple, and mark the part Critical if running out stops service work.
4. Read the Supply & Demand chart: bars above zero are confirmed incoming stock, bars below zero are confirmed outgoing stock, and the line is the projected quantity on hand. The chart warns when stock is projected to drop below safety stock or run out.
5. When a part is being replaced by a newer model, use Supersession on the same tab to name the Successor Part, choose the Supersession Mode (Consume First, Prefer New, Stock Only or No Stock, each explained in Change notices), and set the Discontinuation Date after which no more purchase orders are raised and the Successor Effectivity Date.

How to set where a part is kept and how stock is picked when it lives in the warehouse

1. Choose the Inventory tab.
2. Set the Default Storage Unit (the shelf or bin it normally lives in) and the Pick Order.
3. Turn on Shelf-Life only for items that expire, and give the Shelf Life (Days).
4. The same tab shows the quantities on hand by location and any storage rules assigned to the part.

How to sell a part when it goes on an invoice or a service ticket

1. Choose the Sales tab.
2. Set the Unit Sale Price, Currency and Sales Unit of Measure, and whether the Price Includes Tax and whether to Allow Invoice Discount. Turn on Sales Blocked to stop it being sold.
3. Under Customer Parts, record a customer's own number for the part when they order by their own numbering.
4. Sales rules assigned to the part are listed here too.

How to keep notes, files and quality checks when you need a record

• Details holds the part's notes, attached files and documents, its risk register, and every change notice that has touched it.
• Quality holds the inspection plans assigned to the part, for example a check of each regulator when it is received.

Where this fits

Parts are ordered on purchase orders, received through receipts, counted in inventory, and sold on sales orders and sales invoices. A controlled change to a part, such as switching to a replacement regulator model, runs through a change notice. The shared item settings are explained in Items.