Creating an item

Open a new item
Each sales, production or purchase item is created as a master item.
1. Go to the Home tab on the function bar.
2. Click on the dropdown triangle next to Items, and select New (and a company if applicable) ^M.
3. A new item will open on the General tab. All the basic details for this item can be entered on this tab. Further information can be found on additional tabs in the side navigation.
Enter an item name
The item name is for internal use only and will not appear in customer printouts. It should be no longer than 80 characters, containing no special characters. The name must be unique and meaningful so that the item can be found in searches and when booking the item for an event. If you sell this item in different container sizes or units, this information should also appear in the item name.

Note: Before creating a new item, use the item search to check whether this item already exists in your database. This helps avoid unnecessary duplicates from the start.
1. Stay on the General tab.
2. Enter the item name in the Name field.
  Note: Set an operating standard for item names to facilitate search and evaluation. Information on container sizes and sales units is also important.
  Ex: Orange juice and Apple juice or Juice, Orange and Juice, Apple
  EEx: Coca Cola 0,2 l, Coca Cola btl. 0,2 l, Box 12 btls or Service staff per hr, Waiter flat fee, Buffet per person
3. Click on Find duplicates to see a list of all similar names and avoid potential duplicates.
4. If the name already exists, select the item either by double-click or left-click and Apply.
5. If the name does not exist yet, click on Close window in the top right-hand corner of the list window or by pressing the Esc key.
Assign an item group
The item group determines whether an item may contain components and where it appears in quotes, menu cards or reports. It is also crucial for later item searches and can impact Inventory management^M, Purchases^M and Shift Planning^M, so make sure to select the right group.
1. Stay on the General tab.
2. Select the Item group and Subgroup from the drop-down menu under the name. The groups that appear here are defined in consultation with your Bp Event account manager when setting up the software. Select, for example
  - Foods or Drinks for sales items
  - Equipment or Technology for inventory items^M
  - Staff for staff roles or staff members^M
  - Ticketing for tickets and public events^M
  - Production item for items that are produced on-site but not for sale as such
  - Purchase item for ingredients that are not for sale as such
  - Other for unspecified services or pure text.
3. For further optional groupings of items, use the expandable picklists in the Type and Code fields. Both are used to structure data and facilitate searches by adding information.
Enter additional texts for customer and back-of-house prints
Additional text fields can be used for customer communication as well as for in-house information. Enter item descriptions of different lengths and details as required. If the fields are not filled, the item name is automatically copied when saving.
Note: Depending on operational requirements, the texts and their uses may differ from the standard described below. Please refer to your individual item maintenance concept or contact your account manager.
1. Stay on the General tab in the side navigation and enter the description texts in the fields on the left side of the input window.
2. In the Invoice text field, enter a brief, to-the-point item description without container size or content. This text wil be used for invoices and in-house event sheets.
  Note: Enlarge the input window for additional formatting options. For longer text, enter a break between ruler units 22 and 30.
3. The Supplementary text adds further details to the invoice text for in-house event sheets and menu cards.
4. Use the Quote text for detailed descriptions for quotes and contracts. Make sure to adhere to operational standards.
  Note: Enlarge the input window for additional formatting options. For longer text, enter a break between ruler units 22 and 30.
5. Enter a Menu text for event-specific custom menus and include nutritional information and allergen notices.
Set sales units, issue units and order quantities
Set the units in which the item may be sold and issued. The sales units refer to the units in which the item is offered and invoiced. The actual delivery can be in larger units, and a minimum or maximum order quantity can also be specified.
1. Stay on the General tab in the side navigation and enter the units in the fields in the middle of the input window.
2. The sales unit indicates the container, the content and the content unit.
  Ex: Bottle @ 0.2 litre
3. The Issue unit can be specified as a larger unit containing multiple sales units. The container of the sales unit is automatically copied as the content unit of the larger issue unit.
  Ex: Delivery in crates of 6 bottles each
4. Enable Fixed issue units if you want to make sure that only multiples of that unit can be sold.
5. The Min. /Max. order quantity refers to the sales unit.
  Ex: Maximum order quantity for a wine is 30 bottles.
6. Save your input by clicking on the icon in the top left-hand corner of the input window.
Set master prices for different price groups
Define master prices, VAT rates and accounting information. Each item can have only one active price per price group at any given time. Prices can, however, be entered in advance by selecting a Valid from date in the future. These prices are automatically applied for all bookings as of that date.
1. Stay on the General tab in the side navigation and enter the prices in the fields in the middle of the input window.
2. Click on the tab to select one of the available price groups.
3. Select a suitable VAT rate from the drop-down list.
4. Enter a PLU-Code if you are planning to integrate with a POS system. This code refers specifically to one item and one price group.
5. Enter a Revenue account or a Cost centre for this item.
6. If the item contains component items and you want to base your price on those, activate the button from components above the list of prices. (Adding components to an item)
7. Click on Add to enter a new price.
8. The Valid from date defaults to the current day. Enter a different date manually if you want to enter prices in advance.
9. Enter the new price. The cursor is already in the correct column by default:
  1. 1. Sales prices are by default gross. The corresponding net price is shown in italics. Depending on operational requirements, the settings may differ.
    2. Purchase prices are by default net. The corresponding gross price is shown in italics.
10. Save your input by clicking on the icon in the top left-hand corner of the input window.
Enable a time reference
While many items can be booked with a reference to exact times, inventory items^M and staff items^M need some sort of time reference. The booking times may or may not affect invoicing.
1. Stay on the General tab and enable a time reference in the middle column underneath the input fields for units.
2. To book an item either by the hour or per unit, select Time reference optional. The entry of booking times is possible but not obligatory. When the item is booked for an event, the specified hourly price is multiplied in the event segment by the number of hours (count 2 in the segment).
  Ex.: Beamer
3. To always book an item per hour, select Time reference mandatory. When the item is booked for an event, the times of the event or event segment are automatically copied to the item, but can be changed manually. The specified hourly price is multiplied by the number of hours (count 2 in the segment).
  Example: Service staff per hour
4. To always book an item per unit, select Time reference flat rate. Entering booking times will still be possible, but not mandatory. The booking times will be reflected in inventory availability checks, but will not affect prices.
  Example: A technician is invoiced to the client at a flat rate of € 280.00 per day. The actual work time in hours is only given as information.
Enter a seasonal reference (booking time range)
Seasonal items (asparagus, strawberries, mussels, etc.) and seasonal promotions (Summer Barbecue, Thanksgiving Turkey, etc.) are assigned a season (booking time range). If a booking is made outside the usual period, the user is notified and asked to confirm. The item can still be booked and the out-of-season price adjusted in the event.
1. Stay in the General tab in the side navigation.
2. Below the time reference settings, go to the Season field and select an entry from the drop-down list or enter a suitable name for the season.
3. Specify Start and End dates.
4. If the settings apply every year, activate the Annual button.
5. Save your input by clicking on the icon in the top left-hand corner of the input window.
Save images of the item
Add images to the master item for use in in-house and customer prints. While your staff will get a clearer picture of the expected presentation standard, your customers will appreciate an illustration of what may be an unknown dish.
1. Stay on the General tab of the item and click on the Image frame in the top right-hand corner of the input window.
2. Click on Insert image in the bottom right-hand corner of the frame.
3. Select Load from hard disk to insert an externally stored image.
4. If you have previously copied an image to your clipboard, select Load from clipboard.
5. Enter an image name (optional).
6. Save your input by clicking on the icon in the top left-hand corner of the input window.
Optimise the size and resolution of the image
The size of the image in relation to the resolution is decisive for the image quality and the required storage capacity. The higher the resolution (e.g. 300 dpi) the better the image quality and the higher the required storage capacity. The Info field shows you the current size of the image in points and the size of the file in kB.
1. Click on the Edit icon on the right edge of the image and enter the Resolution you want. The default values for photo print (300dpi), standard print (150dpi) and screen (96dpi) can be overwritten.
2. Crop the image to fit, Rotate or Mirror as needed.
3. Select Retain resolution to keep the original resolution when resizing. Reducing the size improves the image quality.
4. The option Retain proportions is enabled by default. Disable it to change the length and width ratio of the original.
5. Adjust Width and Height of the image in cm.
6. Reverse changes step by step by clicking Undo.
7. Click on Apply in the top left-hand corner to save your changes.
Enter important booking information and default values for remarks
Booking infos notify users of notable details concerning an item when it is booked in an event.
1. Go to the Details tab in the side navigation.
2. Enter important infos in the Booking info field.
  Note: The entered text is displayed as a message when the item is booked as a reminder to the user.
3. Add more information in the Booking remark suggestions field. The values entered here will be offered for selection as remarks against items booked for an event segment.
4. If necessary, set breaks to create a list with different values.
  Note: Select the Texts view for your list of booked items in the event to actually see the Remarks column - it is not included in the Standard view.
Enter additives, allergens, ingredients and nutritional values
According to Food Information Regulations, additives, allergens and certain ingredients^M contained in food products and beverages must be declared. Always store that information at the lowest item level (for recipes in the purchase item or for arrangements in the combo items), then copy the details to the higher levels.
1. Go to the Properties tab in the side navigation.
2. In the list of ingredients, check the box in the first column for all ingredients, nutrients or allergens contained in the item. Go to Administration > Settings > Items > Properties to edit the list of ingredients used here.
3. Enter the Amount of any given ingredient contained in the item per sales unit if that option is enabled.
4. Click on Copy from components for combo items if you want to copy any ingredients and nutritional values already entered. This will disable the manual input of additional details.
5. Click on Copy from suppliers if supplier items with nutritional details have already been linked. This will disable manual input of additional details.
6. For both of the above options, click on the dropdown triangle and select Ingredients only, if the nutritional values differ from that of the combo item after processing. Click Apply to confirm.
7. Save your input by clicking on the icon in the top left-hand corner of the input window.
^M
Declare ingredients in menu cards and custom menus
The menu text is frequently used to provide allergen, ingredients and nutritional information, especially for combo items such as menus or buffets. Insert this text into the menu cards using a suitable menu card template.
1. Go to the General tab in the side navigation.
2. At the bottom of the left-hand column, Enlarge the Menu card text field.
3. Enter the menu card text.
4. Place the cursor in the position you want in the text and click on Ingredients in the toolbar of the input window.
5. Select the item for which you want to list the ingredients.
6. The ingredients are inserted in the text as abbreviations. The abbreviations available here are specified under Administration > Settings > Items > Properties.
  Ex.: <dec>8088</dec>
7. Highlight the text and format as Superscript if you want to.
8. Confirm your input by clicking OK in the bottom right-hand corner.
^M
Select other recommended items associated with this item
Specify other items that are frequently offered and booked in combination with the original items. As soon as the original item is booked for an event segment, all items specified here will pop up for selection in a dialogue box.
Ex.: White cover for a standing table
1. Go to the Suggested Items tab in the side navigation.
2. Select Add to search for the item you want.
3. Select one item by left-clicking (hold down the Ctrl key for multi-select) and click on Apply to copy the items you want.
4. Tick the box in front of any recommended item to enable one-click booking in the event (default setting). "Unticked" items will need to be selected and added individually.
5. Save your input by clicking on the icon in the top left-hand corner of the input window.
Select equipment associated with this item
Add Equipment to an item if other items are very closely associated with it.
Ex: Flipchart + paper
1. Go to the Equipment tab in the side navigation.
2. Select Add to search for the items you want.
3. Select one item by left-clicking (hold down the Ctrl key for multi-select) and click on Apply to copy the items you want.
4. Save your input by clicking on the icon in the top left-hand corner of the input window.
Enter foreign language item texts
Save foreign language texts for customer printouts in multiple languages^M.
1. Stay on the General tab in the side navigation.
2. Enter the original language texts (invoice text, supplementary text, quote text, menu text) first. Then, select one of the languages on offer or Add a new one. The languages offered for item texts are specified under Administration > Languages. (Setting up foreign languages, dictionaries and multilingual text templates)
3. The original language texts can be copied into empty foreign language fields for easier processing. Confirm the prompt if you would like to copy them.
4. Click on Open dictionary to open your own and any other linked dictionaries or machine translations. The original text will appear in the Text for translation field. (Creating foreign language correspondence)
5. Highlight the whole text or individual words to transfer them to the field Search words .
6. Filter for search results that contain either all or any one of the selected words.
7. Limit search results to In-house dictionary only if you prefer to rely on approved custom translations only.
8. All translations found are displayed in the results list. Replace the marked part of the text by double-clicking on the preferred translation.
9. Check the box above the text field to indicate that a translation has been approved.
^M
Define cash register settings
When using a POS interface^S, items are not assigned directly to the POS, but rather to an event and menu card. However, some settings are defined in the item itself.
1. Go to the Cash register tab in the side navigation.
2. Enter a unique name as Item name in the POS.
3. Set a break after max. 12 to 15 characters using a special character. You will find the specifications of the cash register manufacturer in the interface documentation. The ampersand ("&") is not supported.
  Example: vanilla ice cream#hot raspberries#whipped cream
4. There is a 3-line maximum for the name.
5. Select a receipt printer from the drop-down list.
6. Activate Allow manual price change if you want to allow manual input.
Check changes to records (history)
Mit der Anmeldung eines Benutzers mit seinen eigenen Login-Daten, kann jede Änderung in Datensätzen genau rückverfolgt werden. Ob im Artikel, der Adresse, der Veranstaltung, dem Termin etc., über die Historie des Datensatzes können Details schnell eingesehen werden.
1. In the corresponding data record, click on Show change log in the top right-hand corner of the toolbar.
2. A list of all changes opens.
3. Datum, Uhrzeit, Benutzer und Aktion geben Aufschluss über den Zeitraum, den Benutzer und die Tätigkeit (speichern, kopieren, verschieben etc.)
4. In der Spalte Bemerkung wird der Ursprungswert und die Änderung im Detail aufgeführt.
5. Close you can close the history via top right.
Note: Log files should be tidied up at regular intervals to avoid data overload. Please contact the Bp Event Hotline or your account manager.
"Delete" items
Items that are no longer for sale are not supposed to turn up in standard searches and for booking in events. Deleting items completely is, however, not an option, as past sales could no longer be assigned correctly. Items are consequently never deleted, but merely deactivated.
1. Open the item to be "deleted".
2. Click on the active icon in the toolbar to change the status of the item to inactive.
3. Save and close the item.
4. The item will no longer turn up in standard searches.
Note: Bp Event Support staff are authorised to delete items in rare cases, and only if the item has never been booked for an event.

Creating an item

User Manual