Due to a large number of different requirements from system users selling a variety of products through DEAR Inventory and dealing with a variety of suppliers and customers, it is quite often that there will be a need to collect and store additional information that is not in the default fields on an inventory item, supplier and customer record. 

For you to best describe your items, we have included the ability to create custom fields or Additional Attributes that can be used to describe your products, suppliers and customers. You can also define attribute sets to be added as default to the purchase, sale, or production process.

You can also use attributes when creating conditions for your workflows. See Managing Workflow Automation in DEAR for more information.

Table of Contents

• Creating a new attribute set
• Assigning additional attributes to a product
• Assigning additional attributes to a customer/supplier
• Selecting default attribute sets for the purchase/sale/production process
• Assign additional attributes via CSV file

Creating a new attribute set

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Creating a new attribute set:

1. Go to Settings → Reference Books → Other Items → Additional Attributes. 
2. Click + to add a new attribute set. A pop-up window will open.
3. You can add up to 10 additional attributes per attribute set. Choose the Attribute Type for each attribute from the dropdown list. Available types are:
   • List: Only values from the list can be selected for this attribute. Enter values separated by commas or semi-colons into the Values field. 
   • Text: Free-form text attribute with a max length of 256 symbols. 
   • Checkbox: True or false value displayed in the form of a checkbox. 
   • Not Used: This attribute will not have a value or be displayed as part of the attribute set.
4. Save when you are finished. You will now be able to select this attribute set for products, suppliers and customers. 

Assigning additional attributes to a product

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Once you have created an Attribute Set, it can be assigned at the product level. 

Assigning additional attributes to a product:

1. Navigate to Inventory → Products. Create a new product or select a product to assign the attribute set to. 
2. Select the attribute set you want to apply from the Additional Attribute Set dropdown menu. Only one attribute set can be assigned to a product at a time.
   
3. An Additional Attributes tab will appear in the product information area. You can now fill in the additional attribute custom fields. 
4. Save your changes when you are done. 

Assigning additional attributes to a customer/supplier

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Once you have created an Attribute Set, it can also be assigned to a customer or supplier. 

Assigning additional attributes to a customer:

1. Navigate to Sales → Customers. Create a new customer or select a customer to assign the attribute set to. 
2. Select the attribute set you want to apply from the Attribute Set dropdown menu. Only one attribute set can be assigned to a customer at a time.
   
3. An Additional Attributes tab will appear in the customer information area. You can now fill in the additional attribute custom fields. 
4. Save your changes when you are done. 

Assigning additional attributes to a supplier:

1. Navigate to Purchase → Suppliers. Create a new supplier or select a supplier to assign the attribute set to. 
2. Select the attribute set you want to apply from the Attribute Set dropdown menu. Only one attribute set can be assigned to a supplier at a time. 
3. An Additional Attributes tab will appear in the supplier information area. You can now fill in the additional attribute custom fields. 
4. Save your changes when you are done. 

Selecting default attribute sets for the purchase/sale/production process

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DEAR allows you to select attribute sets to be added as default to the purchase or sale process. 

Selecting default sale/purchase attribute sets:

1. Navigate to Settings → General Settings → Sale process customisation/Purchase process customisation/Production process customisation. 
2. Choose the required attribute set from the Default Attribute Set dropdown list.
   
3. Your custom fields from the additional attribute set will now appear in the Logs & Attributes tab of the purchase order/sale order screen. 
4. Fill in the field and continue the purchase/sale process as usual. 

Assign additional attributes via CSV file

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Assign an additional attribute set, or add/edit additional attribute values, for one or more products, suppliers, ,  or customers via a CSV file import. It is not possible to assign an additional attribute set to your purchase, sale or production process via CSV import. 

NOTE: The additional attribute set must already have been created in DEAR before it can be assigned via CSV. If the additional attribute set field is left blank during import, any additional attribute values entered will be ignored.

If the assigned additional attribute contains values of type:

• List, the additional attribute values entered must match a list value.
• Checkbox, the additional attribute value must be True or False.
• Text, the additional attribute value can be any text up to 256 characters. 

Assign additional attributes to products: Go to Inventory → Products → Export → Inventory List to download your inventory list CSV file. Fill in the ProductAttributeSet and Additional Attributes 1-10 fields, or edit the existing values. Import the inventory list file to apply the changes. 

Assign additional attributes to suppliers: Go to Purchase → Suppliers → Export → Suppliers to download your suppliers list CSV file. Fill in the AttributeSet and Additional Attributes 1-10 fields, or edit the existing values. Import the suppliers file to apply the changes. 

Assign additional attributes to customers: Go to Sale → Customers → Export → Customers to download your customers list CSV file. Fill in the AttributeSet and Additional Attributes 1-10 fields, or edit the existing values. Import the customers file to apply the changes.