Multi-Unit Inventory with Flexible Unit Selection (Purchase in One Unit, Sell in Another)

Multi-Unit Inventory with Flexible Unit Selection (Purchase in One Unit, Sell in Another)

We need multi-unit inventory management in Zoho Books with the flexibility to choose units (e.g., Box or Piece) at the time of purchase or sale. For example, if 1 Box = 10 Pieces, we should be able to record purchases in Boxes but sell either in Boxes or Pieces, and inventory should adjust automatically (e.g., 2 Boxes + 7 Pieces → balance shows correctly as Boxes + Pieces).

This flexibility would make stock handling much easier for trading, distribution, and retail businesses.

Zoho Books currently allows defining only one unit of measure (UOM) per item. Many businesses, however, purchase goods in one unit (e.g., boxes, cartons, dozens) but sell them in another (e.g., pieces, singles). What’s needed is the flexibility to choose which unit to use at the time of transaction—not just automatically converting everything into the smallest unit.

Example Use Case:

An item is set with conversion: 1 Box = 10 Pieces.
Purchases: Record “5 Boxes = 50 Pieces.”
Sales: When invoicing, I should be able to choose:
Sell in Boxes (e.g., 2 Boxes = 20 Pieces)
Sell in Pieces (e.g., 7 Pieces)

Zoho Books should automatically adjust the stock balance (e.g., if I sell 2 Boxes + 7 Pieces, remaining stock = 2 Boxes + 3 Pieces).

Why This Feature is Important:

Flexibility to sell in different units depending on customer needs.
Accurate stock representation across both bulk and retail.
Eliminates manual conversion calculations during invoicing.
Widely applicable for trading, distribution, FMCG, retail, and wholesale businesses.

Suggested Implementation:

1. Allow defining a base UOM (e.g., Piece).
2. Allow setting conversion factors (e.g., 1 Box = 10 Pieces, 1 Carton = 20 Boxes).
3. On transactions (invoices, quotes, purchase orders, adjustments), give users the option to choose the UOM.
4. System should update stock accordingly, showing balances in mixed units if needed (e.g., 4 Boxes + 3 Pieces).

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