Prepacks

    XpertMart (tm) has the ability to handle prepacks. Prepacks are boxes, generally of shoes, that contain a certain assortment of sizes of one style and color of shoe. An example of a prepack box would be a box containing pairs of the 2408 Prissy Pump style shoes in color blue and contains 2 pairs of size 4, 3 pairs of size 5, 4 pairs of size 6 and 3 pairs of size 7 for a total of  12 pairs of shoes. 

    To understand the way XpertMart handles prepacks it is important to understand four levels of size information that XpertMart handles. Each level is built upon the previous level. Each one of these levels has its corresponding catalog in XpertMart.

    On the first level are the simple sizes. a size is the basic size of an item. In blouses size might be S, M, L, XL.  In this case S is one size, M is another size and so forth. In shoes we might have size 4, 4 1/2, 5, 5 1/2 and so forth. In this case 4 is a size, 4 1/2 is another size and so forth. The sizes are kept in the Sizes catalog in XpertMart. There is one entry for each size you will use for your items.  (Sizes are generic and can be associated with any item, that is they are not limited to men's, women's, shoes or clothes or any type of classification. A size can be used wherever a fits. This avoids the need to duplicate sizes.)

    The second level is what we call the Size Matrixes. A size matrix is just a group of sizes. The Size Matrixes are kept in the Size Matrixes catalog. For each Size Matrix we have one entry in the catalog. The Size Matrix has a name and in a matrix format we add the sizes that are in the Size Matrix. The Size Matrix does not contain any information about quantities of each size, again it is only a group or set of sizes. We can assign a Size Matrix to each style in the styles catalog to know in what sizes that style is available. (Size Matrixes are also generic and can be associated with any style, that is they are not limited to men's, women's, shoes or clothes or any type of classification. A Size Matrix can be used wherever a fits. This avoids the need to duplicate size matrixes.)

    On the third level we have what we call Size Runs. Size runs are a group of sizes with quantities assigned to each size. Size Runs are kept in the Size Run catalog. For each Size Run we have one entry in the catalog. The Size Run has a name, a place to choose the Size Matrix and in matrix format we add the quantities for each size that is in the Size Matrix. An example of a Size Run would be 2 pairs of size 4, 3 pairs of size 5, 4 pairs of size 6 and 3 pairs of size 7 for a total of  12 pairs of shoes.  (Size Runs are also generic and can be associated with any style, that is they are not limited to men's, women's, shoes or clothes or any type of classification. A Size Run can be used wherever a fits. This avoids the need to duplicate size runs.)

    The fourth level we use are actually the Prepacks. A Prepack is a size run for a particular style and color. Prepacks are kept in the Prepacks catalog. For each Prepack we have one entry in the catalog. The Prepack has a style, a color, a size run and a bar code field. The name of the Prepack is formed automatically and is the name of the style, followed by the color followed by the name of the size run. In matrix format we can view the quantities for each size in the Prepack. As stated above an example of a prepack would be a box containing pairs of the 2408 Prissy Pump style shoes in color blue and contains 2 pairs of size 4, 3 pairs of size 5, 4 pairs of size 6 and 3 pairs of size 7 for a total of  12 pairs of shoes.  (As you can see Prepacks are very specific and only apply to a particular style in a particular color and with a particular size run of quantities.)

    Since the sizes and size matrixes catalogs are documented elsewhere here we will only add the documentation for Size Runs and Prepacks.

Size Runs

    To open the size run catalog from the main XpertMart (tm) menu under Catalogs - Prepacks you choose Size Run as you can see in this screen shot.

    Once you select the Size Run catalog it will open as seen in this image:

    As you can see there are only three fields in the catalog itself. These are Size Run, where you put the name of the Size Run, Code where you can put a code or abbreviation for the Size Run and finally Size Matrix where you can select the Size Matrix upon which the Size Run will be built.

    Once you have filled in the Size Run name and selected the Size Matrix, you can save the register. If you have not specified the Size Matrix, then you will not be able to save the new register. Instead you will get this warning message:

     Once you have saved the Size Run register you can then fill in the quantities for each size. To edit or see the quantities for each size you click on the matrix add button as shown in this image:

    Once you click on the matrix add button, you will see the Size Run matrix with quantities. Depending on whether the Size Run has been used in a prepack or not you will see the Size Run matrix in one of the following two views.

    This first view is what you will see if the Size Run has already been used in a prepack:

    As you can see there is a notice explaining that once a Size Run has been used in a prepack it cannot be edited. This is to avoid confusion in having the prepack have certain quantities and the Size Run others.

    If the Size Run register has not been used in a prepack then you will see the following matrix view:

    In this case you are able to edit the individual quantities per size.

    Once a Size Run register has been used for a prepack, the system will not allow you to delete that Size Run. If you try to delete a Size Run that has been assigned to a prepack you will get the following message and it will not be deleted.

Prepacks

    Prepacks are configured and stored in the Prepacks catalog. To open this catalog you select Catalogs - Prepacks - Prepacks as you can see in this screen shot:

    Once you select this option you will see the Prepack Catalog as you can see in this image:

    The Prepack catalog has the following fields:  Prepack - the name of the Prepack, Code - an abbreviation or code for the prepack, Bar code - the bar code that is on the Prepack box, the Style, the Color and the Size Run.

    The Prepack field is not editable. XpertMart is going to automatically build the Prepack name. The Prepack name will consist of the name of the Style followed by the Color of the Prepack followed by the name of the Size Run in the Prepack. As you select each of these fields it will add them in the correct position in the Prepack field.

    The Styles is picked off a menu as is normally done. You can see the photo of the style and other information about the style in the style sub form.

    The color is also select from a lookup by example menu. In the same fashion you select the Size Run.

    Once a Prepack is entered you cannot delete it. You can edit the code or abbreviation field or the bar code field. You cannot edit any of the other fields. This is due to the complex nature of the prepacks and the fact that inventory may also be kept in Prepack quantities.

    To see the quantities for each size in the Prepack you need to click on the matrix button as show below.

    Once you click on the matrix button you will see the matrix display of the quantities per size in this Prepack as shown here:

    This matrix is for display purposes only you cannot edit the quantities in the Prepack. The quantities will be those given in the Size Run chosen for this Prepack. As always the total amount of pairs will be shown on the right.

    To insure that Prepacks are entered correctly XpertMart performs various checks before it lets you save a new Prepack. First of all it checks to make sure you have selected a Style. If you try to save a new Prepack register and it does not have a style then you get this warning message and the Prepack is not saved.

    After this the system checks that you have selected a Color. If you have not selected a color then you get this warning message and the Prepack is not saved.

    After this the system checks that you have selected a Size Run. If you have not selected a Size run then you get this warning message and the Prepack is not saved.

   Since Prepacks are by their very nature an abstract representation of a group of items XpertMart (tm) then must check to see if all of combinations of Style/Color/Size actually exist in the items catalog. If some of the combinations of Style/Color/Size do not exist in the items catalog then you get this warning message and the Prepack is not saved.

    If you get this message you can open either the Styles catalog or the Items catalog and add the missing items. (You do not need to close the Prepack catalog.) Once all the items exist then XpertMart (tm) will allow you to proceed.

    If you try adding a new Prepack that has the same Style, Color and Size runs then XpertMart will give you the following warning message and the Prepack will not be saved.

    If you try to delete a Prepack once it is created then you will get the following message and the register will not be deleted.

    Once you have defined your prepacks in the prepacks catalog you are ready to use the prepack documents.

End.