Managing item alternatives

Bridge the gap between your internal item codes and the different codes your suppliers or customers might use. Item alternatives allow Zudello to automatically match documents even when the SKU doesn't match your catalogue directly.

Best practices

• Use item alternatives to handle known variations in supplier/customer SKUs for your items.
• Keep alternative records accurate and up-to-date.
• Assign alternatives to specific suppliers or customers where possible for more precise matching.
• Avoid creating overly generic alternatives that might lead to incorrect matches.
• Regularly review alternatives, especially if suppliers change their coding systems.

Understanding item alternatives

Item alternatives create a link between:

• Alternative SKU: The code used by your supplier or customer on their documents.
• Zudello Item: The corresponding item record in your Zudello catalogue.
• (Optional) Supplier/Customer: The specific supplier or customer this alternative applies to.

When Zudello processes a transaction line and cannot find a direct match for the extracted SKU in your item catalogue, it checks the item alternatives table. If it finds a matching alternative SKU (prioritising those linked to the transaction's supplier/customer), it links the line to the associated Zudello item.

See Understanding automatic item matching logic for more detail on the matching sequence.

Managing alternatives

Item alternatives are typically managed directly within the relevant Item record.

1. Navigate to Items: Go to the Inventory module > Items submodule.
2. Open Item: Find and open the item record you want to manage alternatives for.
3. Access Alternatives: Locate the Item Alternatives section or tab within the item details view. (Example: Item alternatives section)

Adding a new alternative

1. Click Add Line (or similar button like "Add Alternative").
2. Alternative SKU: Enter the exact SKU code used by the supplier or customer.
3. (Optional) Supplier/Customer: Select the specific supplier or customer this alternative applies to. Leave blank if it's a general alternative.
4. Zudello Item: This is usually pre-filled as you are adding the alternative from within this item's record.
5. Click Save or Update on the item record to save the new alternative.

Editing an existing alternative

1. Find the alternative you want to change in the list.
2. Click into the Alternative SKU, Supplier, or Customer field to modify it.
3. Click Save or Update on the item record.

Deleting an alternative

1. Find the alternative you want to remove in the list.
2. Click the Delete icon (often a trash can) at the end of the row for that alternative.
3. Confirm the deletion if prompted.
4. Click Save or Update on the item record.

Bulk management

Managing alternatives one by one can be time-consuming. Consider using Zudello's Importing records feature for bulk creation or updates of item alternatives if you have a large number to manage.

Need help?

Contact your organisation administrator or Zudello support for assistance with managing item alternatives or bulk importing alternative data.