Call Quickbooks Desktop Support and Know How to Use Units of Measure for Items

In this article you learn how to use Units of Measure in QuickBooks Desktop. To know more contact QuickBooks support.

To show quantities, prices, rates, and costs for an item you can use the unit of measure. Single unit or multiple units of measure are the two ways to assign a unit measure in QuickBooks.

QuickBooks products/editions supporting single and multiple units of measure per item are as follows:

QuickBooks Accountant, QuickBooks Premier Contractor, QuickBooks Premier Manufacturing & Wholesale. QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions: Contractor, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions: Manufacturing & Wholesale, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions: Nonprofit, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions: Professional Services.

QuickBooks products/editions that support a single unit of measure per item only are QuickBooks Premier, QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit, QuickBooks Premier Professional Services, Definition of terms.

With the help of single unit of measure you can to assign a single unit of measure for every item while using multiple units of measure helps you to purchase items in one unit and sell. You’ll have to purchase and sell the item using the same U/M. A single unit of measure:

What is a Base unit?

In a unit of measure set the first unit is the base unit. For an item when purchasing, tracking in or out of inventory and selling the base unit is used. To count inventory, generate most inventory reports, and perform quantity-related calculations the base unit is used in QuickBooks. The cost, sales price, and quantity on hand you enter are all for the base unit when an inventory item is created.

What is Related unit?

A unit defined by the number of base units it contains is known as related units. For example, a related unit might be foot if the base unit is an inch, which is defined as containing 12 inches. Another related unit might be a yard defined as containing 36 inches.

What is Unit of measure set?

Only when Multiple U/M Per Item is selected as the unit of measure mode, unit of measure sets are available. It consists of a base unit and any number of related units., You can specify which unit of measure is visible by default while adding an item to a purchase form, a sales form, and a shipping pick-list when you create a unit of measure set.

How to use a unit of measure?

• Turn on U/M
• Select Preferences in the Edit menu.
• Click on Items & Inventory and then go to the Company Preferences tab.
• Select Enable in the Unit of Measure section. Please Note: The unit of measure is already turned on if you don’t see the Enable button.
• Choose accordingly, which unit of measure mode is right for your business.
• Single Unit of measure per item

Choose this mode only if you want to buy, stock, and sell each item using one unit of measure. For e.g.  Choose Single Unit of measure per Item if you buy an item, keep track of it in inventory, and sell it by the foot. Important: You must select Multiple Units of measure Per Item if you have even one item that you buy, stock, or sell in more than one unit of measure.

Multiple units of measure per item

Choose this mode if you buy, stock, or sell any item in two or more than two unit of measure. For e.g, if you buy an inventory item by the gallon and sell it by the ounce you should select Multiple Units of measure Per Item. If you are buying an item which comes from a vendor 24 to a box or case, but is sold by you 24 items separately then also use the same method.

How to add a unit of measure set?

• Select New from the U/M Set drop-down.
• Now, you need to complete the Unit of Measure wizard. Select Help, if you need help at any point.
• Please: You can no longer delete a Unit of Measure once it is added.

How to Change a unit of measure definition set?

• Select Preferences from the Edit menu.
• Click on Items & Inventory and then go to the Company Preferences tab.
• Check Unit of Measure.
• The unit of measure is currently turned off if you see the Enable button instead of Single U/M per Item or Multiple U/M Per Item. To turn unit of measure on select enable and then choose a unit of measure mode.
• In Single U/M per item mode, change a unit of measure assignment
• Select Item List in the Lists menu.
• Double-click on the item that you wish to edit.
• Select Edit in the Unit of Measure section.

Do the following now:

• Change the U/M name and abbreviation. Please Note: Changing the unit’s name or abbreviation will also affect those other items if this unit of measure is assigned to other items.
• Click on OK.
• In multiple U/M per item mode, change a unit of measure assignment
• Select Item List in the Lists menu.
• Double-click on the item that you wish to edit.
• Click the U/M Set drop-down arrow in the Unit of Measure section and then do one of the following:
• Select an existing unit of measure set or add a new unit of measure set.
• Click on OK.
• Make changes in the base unit name or abbreviation or enter a new name or abbreviation.
• Click on OK.

Please Note: Mind that assigning any base unit besides hours will cause rate calculations to be inaccurate when tracking time for this item if you’re changing a time-based unit of measure for a service item used with QuickBooks time tracking. Time is always tracked in hours in the weekly time-sheets and timed single activities. If necessary, you can add additional lines.

How to add, change or delete a related unit of measure?

• Adding a related unit
• In the Related Units table, click an empty line.
• Enter a name and abbreviation.
• Enter the number of base units in the field which contains the new related unit.
• Click on OK.
• Changing a related unit
• Click anywhere in the line in the Related Units table with the related unit you want to change.
• Now, enter a different name, abbreviation, or number of base units in the related unit.
• Click on OK.
• Deleting a related unit
• Click anywhere in the line in the Related Units table with the related unit that you wish to delete.
• Press the Ctrl+Del key on your keyboard.
• Click on OK.

Please Note: In all saved transactions, the abbreviation for the deleted related unit appears in brackets .

Making changes in the default unit of measure for purchases, sales or shipping units

Whenever you add the current item to a purchase form or sales form, the units of measure you select for Purchases and Sales are what will be shown by default. While filling out the form you can change these default units. Regardless of what unit is shown on the purchase order the unit of measure you select for Shipping is what will always be shown on pick lists. The unit of measure cannot be changed by the person printing a pick list.

• Select a default unit of measure for purchase forms from the Purchases drop-down.
• Select a default unit of measure for sales forms from the Sales drop-down.
• (This is Optional) Select a default unit of measure for pick lists from the Shipping drop-down.
• Click on OK.

Whenever you add the current item to a purchase form or sales form, the units of measure you select for Purchases and Sales are what will be shown by default. While filling out the form you can change these default units. Regardless of what unit is shown on the purchase order the unit of measure you select for Shipping is what will always be shown on pick lists. The unit of measure cannot be changed by the person printing a pick list.

How to print the unit of measure set list?

• Select units of measure Set List in the lists menu.
• Note: Only if a unit of measure is set to Multiple U/M Per Item mode Unit of measure sets are used. The unit of measure is either set to Single U/M Per Item mode or is turned off if you don’t see U/M Set List on the Lists menu
• Select Print List from the U/M Set drop-down.
• (This is Optional) Make changes the print settings accordingly.
• Click on Print.

To know more about advanced inventory features in QuickBooks Desktop contact QuickBooks Desktop Support.

To know more on how to show quantities, prices, rates, and costs for an item you can using the unit of measure, call on our QuickBooks Desktop support number. You can also write to us at support@quickbooksupport.net. For more information visit – www.quickbooksupport.net.