How to add fields to the Inventory Management module

nitin27902

Hello,

We have just started using EPESI CRM for our needs, and bought the Inventory Management addon.

We need some new fields added to the Items under the Items Transaction screen (some exist, some new, some are calculated).
Can anybody suggest good starting points or documentation about the same please ?

I saw the official documentation at "http://www.epesi.org/Utils/RecordBrowser/RBO" but, this just seems to confuse me even more.

Would appreciate all help from the experts.

Thanks & Regards,
Nitin Jain

ajb

Hi,

To add simple fields (without coding) you can use RecordBrowser admin GUI - Menu -> Administrator -> RecordBrowser -> [use select to change recordset] -> [tab] Manage fields -> [Actionbar] new field. This is the easiest way to add fields, but it's hard to recreate them in case of second installation, you can't do everything, etc...

Another option is to code some module, that will add those fields. It will be easier if your question will be more specific. "I want that field [name, possible values, etc] in this place [screenshot preferable].

Regards,
Adam

nitin27902

Dear Adam,

Many thanks for your response.

I am trying to add to the "Items" subtab on the "Items Transactions" screen. I believe we can only manage the first 2 subtabs on the Items Transactions screen using the GUI. Rest are configured as addons which call a specific method in the addon.

In the case of Items for Items Transactions screen, it is the third tab. Can we still go ahead and configure this through the GUI ?

Screenshot is on the way. When I goto Administration -> Record Browser -> Manage Addons -> Item Transactions (Recordset), I see that the called method is - Premium_Warehouse_Items_Orders -> order_details_addon().

Specifically, I am trying to add the following fields -

1. Cost - The field exists in the Items table, and I just wish to display it here in the second tab
2. Profit - (Net Price - Net Cost)
3. Sales Commission - As a %ge of Profit

I am attaching the relevant 2 screenshots herewith for reference.

We deeply appreciate your help to get this sorted out.

Thanks & Regards,
Nitin Jain

EPESI Screenshot Item Transactions.png

EPESI Items Addons.png

nitin27902

Looking through the code, I tried to solve this by adding the following line -
'cost'=>array('width'=>4, 'wrapmode'=>'nowrap'),

on Line# 280 of the file -
crm -> modules -> Premium -> Warehouse -> Items -> Orders -> Orders_0.php

However, this does not seem to work. 🙁

Appreciate all help.

Regards,
Nitin Jain

ajb

Hi,

so you've misunderstood concept of addons. Addon is a module that is shown in the scope of some record. It gets this record and does something.
In this case "Items" is a addon that gets Transaction record and shows items from "Items Orders Details" Recordset.

Inventory Management is very complicated.
I'll try to shed some light.

Every product is stored in "Items" Recordset. When you create a transaction it's a record in "Items Transactions" Recordset (it contains date, customer, etc). When you add a product to this transaction - EPESI creates a record in "Items Order Details" - it copies a lot of info from "Items" record, and you have to provide quantity, you can adjust price, etc.

So if you want to add a field to the "Items" tab in the Transaction - you have to add a field in the "Items Order Details". But this fields have to be prefilled with some data and that will need some PHP/JS code.

Some more words about Profit. There are several Sales Reports in "Menu -> Reports -> Sales by XXX", where profit calculation is based on Purchase and Sale Transactions. If you purchased item X paying $10, and sold it with price $20, then your profit is $10. But this reports require full buy/sale history.

Regards,
Adam

nitin27902

Hi Adam,

Many thanks for your detailed post above. I think I understand it much better now.

I tried discussing using Reports as you suggested, with the other stakeholders. However, the challenge with us is that the Sales Rep may want to tweak the final sales price to suit their commission, and they may do it like 20-30 times in a few minutes. Thus, reports will not work since that would mean generating a report every time a value is changed. Too cumbersome as pointed out by my management.
Showing the Profit and Sales Commission fields here in the items table seems to be the only solution.

I discovered the "Item Order Details" that we can configure in the Administration -> Record Browser.
I went into Fields, and tried adding new fields there. I understand that this must be backed by some PHP/JS code, but, I am hoping to copy the similar code already existing.

I was able to create a new field called "Cost" as Currency in the list of fields. I noticed that a similar field called Unit Price which fetches data from the "Items" base table has a "Field Generator Function" defined. We are trying to achieve similar functionality.

I did not find any option to create calculated fields from the UI. Profit and Sales Commission will need to be calculated fields.
We would be very grateful if you could help us with defining these 3 fields and the corresponding PHP/JS code.

Thanks again for all your help.

Best Regards,
Nitin Jain

ajb

Hi,

my only suggestion now it to implement you own custom module, that will bring all your changes to the installation. Do not change existing code, because it's going to be overwritten by any update or module download from the store. We have a lot of work right now, so I am sorry but I won't be able to help with development step by step, but I can answer your questions if they are precise enough.

Regards,
Adam

nitin27902

Thanks for your message, Adam.
Well, creating a new module might be a strong investment right now, and I am thinking it would be difficult to get the revised estimates past my management. I do understand that you are stretched yourself. Let me try and work out the best I can on my own. I will come back to you only in case of specific questions.

Best Regards,
Nitin Jain

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