Item Brands and Manufacturers

Item Brands and Manufacturers

Organizing items by brands and manufacturers helps you better manage inventory, generate brand-wise reports, and improve product organization in EquiBillBook. This guide explains how to set up and use brands and manufacturers.

What are Brands and Manufacturers?

Brand: The brand name under which products are marketed (e.g., "Samsung", "Nike", "Apple")

Manufacturer: The company that actually produces the product (may be the same as the brand or different)

Organizing items by brands/manufacturers helps in:

• Better inventory organization
• Brand-wise sales analysis
• Faster item lookup
• Supplier relationship management

Accessing Brand Management

To manage brands:

1. Navigate to Settings → Item Settings → Brands
2. Or go to Items → Brands
3. View the list of existing brands

Creating a Brand

To add a new brand:

1. Click "Create New" or "Add Brand"
2. Enter the Brand Name (e.g., "Samsung", "Nike")
3. (Optional) Enter a Description
4. (Optional) Upload a Brand Logo or image
5. (Optional) Enter Website or other brand information
6. Click "Save"

Accessing Manufacturer Management

To manage manufacturers:

1. Navigate to Settings → Item Settings → Manufacturers
2. Or go to Items → Manufacturers
3. View the list of existing manufacturers

Creating a Manufacturer

To add a new manufacturer:

1. Click "Create New" or "Add Manufacturer"
2. Enter the Manufacturer Name
3. (Optional) Enter Contact Information:
   • Address
   • Phone number
   • Email
   • Website
4. (Optional) Enter a Description
5. Click "Save"

Assigning Brands to Items

When creating or editing items:

1. Navigate to Items → Create/Edit Item
2. In the item form, find the Brand field
3. Select the brand from the dropdown
4. Or type to search for existing brands
5. If the brand doesn't exist, you may be able to create it on the fly
6. Save the item

Assigning Manufacturers to Items

Similarly, assign manufacturers:

1. In the item form, find the Manufacturer field
2. Select the manufacturer from the dropdown
3. Or create a new manufacturer if needed
4. Save the item

Editing Brands and Manufacturers

To modify existing brands or manufacturers:

1. Go to Brands or Manufacturers list
2. Find the item and click "Edit"
3. Update the name, description, or other details
4. Click "Update" or "Save"

Bulk Brand Assignment

To assign brands to multiple items at once:

1. Go to Items → Items List
2. Select multiple items using checkboxes
3. Click "Bulk Actions" → "Update Brand"
4. Select the brand
5. Apply to selected items

Filtering Items by Brand

Use brand filters to find items quickly:

• In the Items list, use the "Filter by Brand" dropdown
• Select a brand to see only items of that brand
• Useful for managing inventory by brand

Brand-wise Reports

Generate reports filtered by brand:

• Sales by Brand: See which brands sell best
• Purchase by Brand: Track brand-wise purchases
• Stock by Brand: View inventory levels by brand
• Profit by Brand: Analyze profitability by brand

Access these in Reports → Sales Reports or Inventory Reports

Using Brands in POS

In Point of Sale:

• Filter items by brand for quick selection
• Organize items display by brand
• Improve customer experience when searching for specific brands

Brand and Supplier Relationship

Link brands with suppliers:

• Some suppliers specialize in specific brands
• Track which suppliers provide which brands
• Useful for procurement and inventory management

Best Practices

• Consistent Naming: Use standardized brand names (e.g., always "Samsung" not "Samsung" and "SAMSUNG")
• Complete Information: Add brand logos and descriptions for better organization
• Regular Updates: Keep brand and manufacturer lists current
• Assign to All Items: Ensure all items have brands assigned for better reporting
• Avoid Duplicates: Check for existing brands before creating new ones

Importing with Brands

When bulk importing items:

• Include a "Brand" column in your import file
• Enter brand names that match existing brands
• Or create brands before importing
• Ensure consistent spelling and formatting

Deleting Brands/Manufacturers

Before deleting:

• Ensure no items are assigned to the brand/manufacturer
• Reassign items to other brands if needed
• Only then delete the unused brand/manufacturer

Or mark as inactive to preserve historical data.

Troubleshooting

Brand Not Showing: Verify brand exists and is active; check spelling when searching.

Can't Assign Brand: Ensure brand is created first in Settings → Item Settings → Brands.

Duplicate Brands: Search for existing brands before creating; merge duplicates if found.

Related Topics

• Creating Items
• Item Categories
• Sales Reports
• Bulk Item Import