Unit of Measure (UOM)

A deeper dive into a definition of UOM and standard UOM names.

Alyne avatar
Written by Alyne
Updated over a week ago

Definitions

UOM: Stands for unit of measure. UOM’s are terms that give meaning to quantities. For our purposes a unit of measure (UOM) defines the format in which your items are packaged, shipped and sold.

Base UOM: represents the smallest "sellable" unit and is often referred to as an each (EA).

Each: Lowest unit of measure of your inventory item.

Case: Two or more units of the same inventory item (Ex. 1 Case = 10 Each)


Background

A unit of measure (UOM) is a term that gives meaning to quantities. These units must be constant to ensure the accuracy of your inventory and OrderGrid throughout the fulfilment process. You can customize the units of measure, but keep in mind that once you create a standard set of UOM’s it is important to adhere to them. When deciding on your units of measure, keep in mind the format in which you are selling your products and how they are packaged. We recommend starting with your smallest sellable format and assigning the term each (EA) to the smallest “sellable” unit and work up from there.

In this example, there are 6 eaches x 4 multi packs = 24 eaches in 1 case. And 4 multi packs x 12 cases = 48 multi packs in 1 pallet.

Let's take a look at another example:

In this example, there are 6 eaches x 4 value packs = 24 eaches in 1 case. And 4 value packs x 12 cases = 48 value packs in 1 pallet.

Names of UOMs are set up under item settings, and quantities per UOM are set up per item.

The "base UOM" is the smallest unit that you sell and use to refer to each item. In the graphic above, the base UOM is "Each". The base UOM is used on your inventory page and receiving orders.


Standard Lingo:

"Each" as the base UOM is the standard.
"Case" or the container in which eaches (ea) are packed is the standard name for this UOM.

Other typical names of UOM are below:

Each (ea)

Caton (ct)
Bag (bg)

Case (cs)
Pallet (pl - 48" x 40")

Congratulations! You now understand UOM and can apply it to managing your inventory!

If you need any additional help regarding this topic, please reach out to us at info@ordergrid.com.


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