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You can use Alias Item Maintenance to maintain vendor, customer, or general item numbers (for example, vendor or customer parts catalog numbers) that are different from the inventory item code.

These alias item numbers can be established either in Item Maintenance, Accounts Payable Vendor Maintenance, or on the fly in Sales Order Entry and Purchase Order Entry. This allows you to link many aliases to one inventory item.

The following examples demonstrate how to use alias item numbers.

 Example 1

You order widgets from several different suppliers' catalogs and have established your item code as WIDGET.

Supplier Catalog Number

Vendor	Vendor Part Number
Vendor A	WIDGET-123-456-789
Vendor B	xt0001

Note This example can also apply to setting up and using alias item numbers for customers.

When creating a purchase order for Vendor A, enter WIDGET-123-456-789 in the Item Code field in Purchase Order Entry; the system selects and displays WIDGET automatically. The system detects that this is an alias item. If you are unsure of the vendor's part number, click the Alias Item button in the Item Code field to display all general alias item numbers and any alias item numbers that are established for this vendor.

When creating a purchase order for Vendor B, enter xt0001 in the Item Code field in Purchase Order Entry; the system selects and displays WIDGET automatically. The system checks the Inventory file for a match, and then checks the Alias file. If you are unsure of the vendor's part number, click the Alias Item button to display all general alias item numbers and any alias item numbers that have been established for this vendor.

 

 Example 2

An item is defined as D1000-BBW/LIGHT with a description of BOOK BIN W/FLOURESCENT LIGHT. When ordering, a customer can specify a copper or silver light fixture, but the different colored fixtures are not tracked as separate inventory items. In this case, you can set up general aliases as follows:

D1000-BBW/LIGHT-SILVER 

D1000-BBW/LIGHT-COPPER

When creating a sales order, enter D1000-BBW/LIGHT-SILVER in the Item Code field in Sales Order Entry; the system selects and displays D1000-BBW/LIGHT automatically. The system detects that this is an alias item. If you are unsure of the item code, click the Alias Item button to display all general alias item numbers and any alias item numbers established for the customer in Sales Order Entry.

On your picking sheet and other documents, you can modify forms to print the alias item, which provides a more descriptive part number to both the warehouse personnel and your customer.

 

For more information, see Alias Item Maintenance.