Materials

The Materials area, located within the General section of System, allows the users to Add, Edit & Delete materials from the system.

It is possible for the Materials table to be pre-populated with Materials if a user has already performed a Price Import.

The Materials area contains a Quick Search which targets the Material, Make, Code & Category columns.

To add a new Material, select the + New button in the top right corner.

The system directs the user to the Materials Details page to enter a Name, Code, Make, Unit & Category for the Material.

All fields on the page are free-text fields, allowing the user to enter the relevant Material information. The only exception is the Category field, which is a dropdown containing all non-deleted Categories from the Categories area. This allows the user to select and associate the Material with the appropriate Category.

Material Availability

The Availability tab allows users to assign Materials to specific Suppliers for selected Clients.

Users can select the checkbox for their desired Client and Supplier. When selected, an additional field appears below the checkbox, allowing the user to enter the Material Cost for that Supplier. Once the Availability tab has been saved, the changes will be reflected in the Clients Materials tab.

For Client Suppliers that have pricing configured for the Material, an additional field is displayed beneath the Supplier Name. This optional field allows the user to enter a Supplier Code for the Client Supplier.

When a Supplier Code has been entered, the system will use this code during a Price Import to identify the corresponding Client Supplier for the Material.

Supplier Codes must be unique for each Client Supplier associated with the Material. If a user attempts to enter a Supplier Code that is already assigned to another Client Supplier for the same Material, the system will prevent the change and display an error message indicating that the code is already in use.

Once a Material has been assigned to a Supplier for a Client, it cannot be removed. The Availability table only provides functionality for adding Materials to Suppliers and Clients and altering their Costs, not for removing them.

To delete a Material, users must select the Delete button in the top-right corner. However, the system will prevent deletion if the Material has been allocated to a House Type or Plot.

Users can update the price of a Material at any time by accessing the material Availability tab. Any changes made will be reflected wherever the Material is used within the system.

However, when a Material’s Cost is updated, the system will not apply the new Cost to any Purchase Orders that were created prior to the change.

Material Merge

The Materials Merge sub-tab allows users to combine Material records into a single unified record. During the Merge process, users can review the selected Materials and choose which details from each record should be retained. The system then consolidates the chosen information into one final Material record, removing the duplication and ensuring a single source of truth for that Material.

The Materials Merge section is divided into three separate sections, each of which is described below.

Merge – Material Details

The Material Details section includes a search bar that allows the user to search for the Material they wish to Merge. Once a valid search term has been entered, the system populates the Material dropdown with all matching Materials, from which the user can select the desired record.

Once a Material has been selected, the Merge Details table is updated to reflect the selected Material for comparison.

The information icon within the Material Details section is selectable and, when activated, displays a popup containing step-by-step guidance on how to complete the Merge process.

The Merge Material button remains disabled until a Material has been selected, and the cost assignment has been determined. Once enabled and selected, the system displays a confirmation popup asking the user to confirm whether they wish to proceed with merging the Material. If any information for the Material being merged has been changed, the popup highlights the updated values in bold, with the original values shown alongside in standard text for comparison. This includes the Name, Code, Make, Unit, and Category for final review before completing the Merge.

Any changes resulting from a Material Merge will be applied retrospectively across the system, updating the Material wherever it appears.

However, if both Materials being merged meet the specified criteria for conflict, the system will prevent the merge from being completed and will display an error message informing the user that conflicts have been detected and the Merge cannot proceed. The conflict criteria scenarios are listed below.

A merge will be prevented if any of the following conflicting circumstances are met:

• Both Materials exist on the same Master, Site, or Plot level Sub-Type.
• Both Materials have been added to the same Customer Care Supplier within the Customer Care Materials section.
• Both Materials are included within the same Purchase Order.
• Both Materials have been selected within the same Variation.

Merge – Merge Details

The Merge Details section provides the comparison view for the Materials that are being merged.

This table is part of the Material Merge process and is used to compare two Materials before they are combined into a single record.

The table is split into three main columns. The first column, Detail, lists the attributes of the Material such as Name, Code, Make, Unit, and Category.

The Current column shows the values of the Material that is currently selected as the base record, while the Merge column shows the corresponding values from the Material that is being merged into it.

This allows the user to clearly compare both Materials side by side and see exactly what data will be kept or changed as part of the Merge.

Each row includes a selection control, allowing the user to decide which values from the Merge Material should be retained in the final consolidated record.

Merge – Client Supplier Cost Breakdown

This table is part of the Material Merge process and is only populated when both Materials being merged have an assigned Cost for the same Supplier.

The table displays the Client and Supplier combination that the Costs relate to, with each row representing a shared Supplier context where both Materials contain pricing data.

The Current Cost column shows the Cost associated with the currently selected Material, while the Merge Cost column shows the corresponding cost from the Material being merged. This allows the user to directly compare pricing differences for the same Supplier across both Materials.

Each row also includes selection controls, allowing the user to determine which Cost values should be retained in the final merged Material record.