Unit Of Measure (UOM)

Unit Of Measure (UOM) lets you view different units of measure for your products, such as individual units, boxes, packs, or containers. This is useful when you sell products in different presentations and need to track inventory and process orders using different units.

Why use Unit Of Measure?

Multiple Presentations

Define different units for the same product (individuals, boxes of 12, pallets, etc.) and manage inventory in all of them.

Automatic Conversion

The system automatically converts between units using the conversion factor (unit_factor) you define.

Accurate Inventory Management

Track available inventory in each unit of measure and automatically calculate available units considering orders in process.

Order Processing

Process orders that require different units of measure, such as complete boxes or individual units of the same product.

Bin Tracking

Associate specific units of measure to bins for precise location and quantity control.

Packaging Integration

Integrates with Packaging for automatic packaging recommendations based on configured units of measure.

Access Unit Of Measure

You can access Unit Of Measure in two ways:

1. From Packaging

   Go to Inventory > Packaging. If Lot is active for your account, you will see the Unit Of Measure button in the page header. Click it to open the Unit Of Measure list in a new tab.

Requirement

Unit Of Measure requires that the Lot functionality be active for your account. If you don’t see the Unit Of Measure button on the Packaging page, verify your account configuration.

Read-only view

The Unit Of Measure list page is a read-only view. You can view, filter, and export data. To create or edit units of measure, use the product edit screen or contact your administrator.

Key concepts

Unit Factor (Conversion Factor)

Unit Factor is the number that indicates how many individual units a unit of measure contains. For example:

• Unit Factor = 1: Individual unit (singles)
• Unit Factor = 12: Box with 12 units
• Unit Factor = 144: Pallet with 144 units (12 boxes × 12 units)

The system uses this factor to automatically convert between units when processing orders or querying inventory.

Pack Qty (Quantity per Package)

The number of units this package or presentation contains. Used together with Unit Factor for inventory calculations.

Pack SKU

A unique SKU that identifies this specific unit of measure. Useful for integrations with sales channels that require different SKUs for different presentations.

View Unit Of Measure list

The main page shows a table with all configured units of measure:

• Account: Account associated with the unit
• Name: Unit name (e.g., “Box”, “Case”, “Pallet”)
• Sku: Base product SKU
• Unit Factor: Conversion factor
• Pack Qty: Quantity per package
• Description: Unit description
• Barcode: Associated barcode
• Weight: Unit weight
• Length, Height, Width: Unit dimensions

You can filter and sort the table using the search fields in each column header.

Export data

You can export the Unit Of Measure list:

1. Click Export

   In the table toolbar, click the Export button (file icon).

2. Select format

   Choose the export format:

   • Excel: Excel file (.xlsx)
   • CSV: CSV file
   • Print: Print view

3. Download the file

   The file will download with all data from the current table (including applied filters).

How Unit Factor works

Unit Factor is key for conversion between units. Here are examples:

Example 1: Product sold in boxes

• Base product: “Widget”
• Individual unit: Name = “Single”, Unit Factor = 1
• Box: Name = “Box”, Unit Factor = 12

If you have 5 boxes in inventory, the system calculates: 5 × 12 = 60 individual units available.

Example 2: Product sold in pallets

• Base product: “Widget”
• Individual unit: Name = “Single”, Unit Factor = 1
• Box: Name = “Box”, Unit Factor = 12
• Pallet: Name = “Pallet”, Unit Factor = 144 (12 boxes × 12 units)

If you have 2 pallets in inventory, the system calculates: 2 × 144 = 288 individual units available.

Example 3: Order processing If an order requires 50 individual units and you have inventory in boxes:

• The system can assign: 4 boxes (4 × 12 = 48 units) + 2 individual units
• Or can assign: 5 complete boxes (5 × 12 = 60 units)

Best practices

Use descriptive names

Use clear and descriptive names for units (e.g., “Box of 12” instead of just “Box”) to help identification.

Verify Unit Factor

Make sure Unit Factor is correct. An error here affects all inventory and conversion calculations.

Use Pack SKU for integrations

If you integrate with sales channels that require different SKUs for different presentations, configure Pack SKU.

Maintain consistency

Use the same name structure and factors for similar products. Helps management and reduces errors.

Review inventory regularly

Verify that inventory in different units of measure is consistent and reflects warehouse reality.

Validate before using in production

Test units of measure with test orders before using them in production to ensure conversions work correctly.

Troubleshooting

Inventory doesn’t calculate correctly

Problem: Available inventory doesn’t reflect correct units when there are multiple units of measure.

Solution:

• Verify Unit Factor is correct for each unit
• Make sure inventory in bins is correctly associated with units of measure
• Check there are no orders in process (hold) affecting the calculation
• Verify the base product has correct inventory

Conversions don’t work in orders

Problem: Orders don’t convert correctly between units of measure.

Solution:

• Verify Unit Factor is configured correctly
• Make sure the product has associated units of measure
• Check the order is using the correct SKU type (typesku = ‘uom’)
• Verify there’s available inventory in the required unit of measure

I don’t see the Unit Of Measure option

Problem: The Unit Of Measure button doesn’t appear on the Packaging page.

Solution:

• Verify Lot functionality is active for your account
• Confirm you have necessary permissions to access Inventory
• Contact system administrator if functionality is not available

Pack SKU causes conflicts

Problem: You receive an error when configuring Pack SKU indicating it already exists.

Solution:

• Pack SKU must be unique within the account
• Verify it’s not being used by another product or unit of measure
• If you need to reuse a SKU, consider using aliases or variants instead

Related

• Packaging - Packaging configuration that integrates with UOM
• Catalog Management - Product management that can have multiple units of measure
• Bin Management - Association of units of measure with specific bins
• Processing Orders - Order processing that uses units of measure