Flex4: Alternatives and Substitutions

• Overview
• Adding an Alternative to an Inventory Item
• Choosing an Item's Alternative to Fulfill a Shortage
• Removing an Alternative from an Inventory Item
• Adding a Substitution to an Inventory Item
• Choosing an Item's Substitutions to Fulfill a Shortage
• Removing a Substitution from an Inventory Item

Overview

Adding alternatives and substitutions to an inventory item can be very useful when you need to resolve shortages. If you have an item shortage on a job, then you can quickly replace it with an alternative or substitution.

Alternatives should be viewed as a very similar replacement, like a Yamaha 12 channel mixing board as an alternative to a Mackie 12 channel mixing board. Substitutions, on the other hand, should be viewed as an upgrade, like a Mackie 16 channel mixing board substituting a Mackie 12 channel mixing board.

Adding an Alternative to an Inventory Item

1. Open the inventory information page for the item that you want to add an alternative to.
2. Click on the Alternatives tab.
3. Drag and drop other inventory items from the inventory tree that can be offered as an alternative to this item. (All changes are automatically saved)

You can also add a note in the Notes column, which will only appear when the item is used as an alternative. You can also choose to note mute the note (so the note won’t appear on a PDF printout) by clicking the Auto Note Mute box.

A relationship is created between the original item and the item that is placed in the Alternatives tab. If you open the inventory information page for the alternative item, you will find the original item in the Alternatives tab.

Choosing an Item's Alternative to Fulfill a Shortage

1. Click the cog-wheel next to the item with a shortage on a Quote (or other element).
2. Click Conflicts.
3. Double-click the alternative item that you want to use (alternatives will show in the Substitute section of the Conflicts and Availability window).

Removing an Alternative from an Inventory Item

1. Open the inventory item that you want to remove an alternative from.
2. Click the Alternatives tab.
3. Check the box next to the item that you want to remove.
4. Click Remove Selected Items.

Adding a Substitution to an Inventory Item

1. Open the inventory information page for the item that you want to add a substitution to.
2. Click on the Substitutions tab.
3. Drag and drop other inventory items from the inventory tree that can be offered as a substitution to this item. (All changes are automatically saved)

You can also add a note in the Notes column, which will only appear when the item is used as a substitution. You can also choose to note mute the note (so the note won’t appear on a PDF printout) by clicking the Auto Note Mute box.

Choosing an Item's Substitutions to Fulfill a Shortage

1. Click the cog-wheel next to the item with a shortage on a Quote (or other element).
2. Click Conflicts.
3. Double-click the substitute item that you want to use (substitutions will show in the Substitute section of the Conflicts and Availability window).

Removing a Substitution from an Inventory Item

1. Open the inventory item that you want to remove a substitution from.
2. Click the Substitutions tab.
3. Check the box next to the item that you want to remove.
4. Click Remove Selected Items.