Creating new Item Master Data

In TVA, the Item Master reference data is critical to supporting work processes and functions, and the metadata assigned to a record must be selected carefully. Some attributes may not be changed after creation, to care must be taken to ensure that the record is configured properly.

A new Item Master record will be identified by a unique Part Number, which may be considered an Item Identifier or SKU. This number is unique within a TVA account, and is used in many other processes such as shipment management, asset management, and warehouse operations.

Creating a new Item Master record is a quick process, and most fields may be left default unless there is a need to otherwise customize the information. The creation screen can be seen below.

In this screen, the primary required fields are Item Part Number and Description of the Item. These two fields must be entered in order to submit the form. The part number is an alphanumeric field and the description allows general standard text elements.

Across the top are the essential item characteristics which will impact the use of this item within TVA. First, the selection of an item as serialized or nonserialized. If the item is serialized, the record may be used in the asset management function, and any use of the record in the warehouse module will require item-level serial numbers to be assigned. On a shipment however, there is the option to simplify identify even serialized items as quantiy.

Next is the selection of an item being lot managed or not. If an item is lot managed, it will require that an inventory lot be selected in any use of the item. These lots are managed under the data menu as well, and many lots may be created for a single item with varying characteristics, such as item expiration.

Next an item type may be selected, and although it is informational in the record, it will carry through to asset management and will enable optional fields depending on the item type. For example a ship or vessel will allow characteristics such as a Vessel MMSI to be entered under asset management, while a shipping container will allow for additional container attributes.

Finally the indicator if the asset is asset managed. This field indicates to TVA if an item being received into inventory should automatically have a corresponding asset management record created as well. This allows for simplicity and uniformity in asset management for items that are always managed long-term by an organization. For example, a corporate laptop may be asset managed to provide long-term accountability of the material even after it is removed from inventory, while serialized spare parts may not have the requirement.

Beyond these critical elements, other fields allow item characteristics to be enumerated. Some fields, such as the Hazardous Material (HazMat) indicator are used to support some warehouse operations, and may carry through to shipments as flags, summaries, or indicators.

Finally, special packing and handling directions may be provided, and these are carried through to the packing and shipping processes, where applicable. The Supports Quick Pack is a useful flag as well, allowing the packing process to be expedited. If material has special packing directions, it is recommended that the quick pack option be disabled to require warehouse operations to manually review and ensure compliance during the packing process.

Once the form has been filled out with the required data, the page may be submitted and the item details available for review.