Sage MAS 90 & MAS 200 ERP Software News & Tips
A Rose By Any Other Name … is an Alias

If you use the Sales Order module and/or the Purchase Order module, and integrate with the Inventory, then you may benefit from using Alias Item Codes.

Chances are pretty good that the items your customer orders from you, or the items you order from your vendors, do not have the same Inventory Item Code or Description that you have for them even if they are exactly the same item. For example, WidgetA in your system may be WidgetB in your vendor’s system, and WidgetC in your customer’s system.

You can create an Alias Item for your item (WidgetA), that will allow you to search by your customer’s item code (WidgetC) during Sales Order entry, then enter your inventory item (WidgetA) onto the Sales Order so it can be tracked properly in Inventory Management. The customer’s item code (WidgetC) can be printed on the Sales Order or Invoice with some modification to the form via Crystal Reports.

Go to Inventory Management - Main - Inventory Maintenance, and bring up an Inventory Item. You will see the Alias button on the right hand side of the screen. Select the Alias button to see the Alias Item Number Maintenance screen.

Enter an Alias Item Number and a Type:
Enter “G” for General, that can be displayed in Sales Order or Purchase Order. Or you can enter “V” for Vendor, that will allow you to enter a specific vendor in addition to an item code and description.

Enter “C” for Customer, that will allow you to enter a specific customer in addition to an item code and description.

When you enter a Sales Order’s line item, you can search by Alias:

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Your ICS representative can help modify your forms to print the Alias Item, or provide additional assistance.

There are also some additional enhancements available for Alias Items:

• Enhanced Alias Item Search and Entry
  This Extended Solution adds the Alias Item Entry and Search to Inventory Maintenance, Inventory Inquiry, Inventory Transaction Entry and Physical County Entry.
• Enhanced Alias Item Entry for Orders and Invoices
  This Extended Solution to the Sales Orders module will present a list of all Inventory Item Number matches when an Alias Item Number is on file for multiple Item Numbers. If there is more than one possible Inventory item number match for the Alias Item Number entered on the line, you will be presented with a list of all Customer Aliases which match for this customer plus all General Aliases. You may select which one you want to use. This enhanced functionality exists in both Sales Order Entry and Sales Invoice Entry.
• Alias Item Conversion Factors for Shipping Data Entry Scanning
  This Extended Solution to Shipping Data Entry facilitates the scanning process by having you create a barcode label which represents the item being shipped in a Unit of Measure other than what was sold. The barcode label will be a ‘General’ type Alias for the Item. A conversion factor has been added to ‘General’ type Alias Item Maintenance. This conversion factor will hold the number of standard units of measure that exist in this size packaging. When the Alias Item label is scanned in Shipping Data Entry the conversions will then take place to increment the quantity shipped based on the conversion factor defined for that alias.

Contact your Integrated Computer Systems Support Representative at 425-820-6120 for more information.