Characteristics Tab

Use this tab to specify the unit of measure, status, part type, weight, make/buy status, shelf life of the part and whether it is considered active, as-required on a bill of materials, or hazardous.

Basic Characteristics

Field	Description
U/M	Enter, or click to select, a unit of measure for this part. The unit of measure entered or selected must be an existing unit of measure on the Manage Units of Measure screen. The default unit of measure code is EA (Each). The unit of measure selected here is also the inventory unit of measure for inventory parts. If the part typically uses a different unit of measure for purchasing and/or sales purposes, you can define the other units of measure on the Units of Measure subtask.
Status	From this drop-down list, select the status type that defines the release status of this part. The available system-defined status types are: Estimating: The part is used only for estimating purposes. You can use parts with this status only in Request for Quotes, Vendor Quotes, Material Estimating, and Unreleased Engineering Bills of Material. Pre-Release: The part has not been officially released to manufacturing. You can use parts with this status only in Request for Quotes, Vendor Quotes, Material Estimating, and Unreleased Engineering Bills of Material. Released: This part can be used in all functions. Released is the default status and indicates that the part can be used anywhere in the production process. Phase-Out: The part is being phased out, but the quantity that currently exists can be used. You can use a part with a Phase-Out status in all functions, but Costpoint displays a warning message when it is used. Obsolete: The part is obsolete. You can use a part with a status of Obsolete in all functions, but Costpoint displays a warning message when it is used.
Active	Select this check box to identify this part as an active part. An active part is one that can be used in other Costpoint functions. If you leave this check box cleared, this part is considered inactive, meaning that it cannot be used for new transactions.
Part Type	From this drop-down list, select a part type to be associated with this part for use in material requirements planning. (The default is obtained from the Comp Type on the BOM line.) The system-defined selections are as follows: Buy with Components: The part and its components must be ordered. When you plan requirements, Costpoint creates a buy planned order for the part, and continues to explode the part's BOM components. Phantom: The part is transient (typically non-stocked and non-ordered). MPS Planning-Only: The part is used for Master Production Schedule forecasts only. An MPS planning-only part can be an assembly on a bill of materials, but it cannot be stored in inventory or included on a sales order, manufacturing order, or purchase order/requisition. An MPS planning-only part must have a status of Estimating. Reference: The part is shown on certain BOM reports for reference purposes only, but is not considered when planning materials requirements. Standard: The part is used in inventory and in the planning process. This is the default. Tool: The part is consumed or used in the production process, but is not direct material and is not considered when planning materials requirements.
Make/Buy	Select Make or Buy to track this part for Purchasing, Material Requirements Planning, and Inventory. (The default is obtained from Bills of Material.) This selection displays as M for Make or B for Buy in various screens. If this is a part you manufacture, select Make. If this is a part you purchase from an outside source, select Buy.
As Required	Select this check box to indicate that the quantity per assembly must be "as required," because it is not practical to specify the exact quantity for this part. This is used as a default when adding the part as a component in a bill of material. If you leave this check box cleared, the quantity per assembly is considered "as required," and an exact component quantity must be specified in the bill of material.
Weight	Use this field to enter the unit weight of the selected part.
Subcontractor Charge Type	Select the charge type for the item used in work assignments for subcontractor agreement purchase order (PO) lines. The subcontractor charge types are Labor, Expense, and Other. This defaults into the work assignment charge line associated with a subcontractor agreement PO line where this part is used.
Hazmat	Select this check box if the part is designated as, or contains, hazardous material. If you leave this check box cleared, the part is not designated as hazardous. If a part is flagged as hazardous, Costpoint displays a warning during the purchasing and receiving functions.
ECN Pending	This check box indicates whether or not there are engineering change notice (ECN) messages attached to the part.

Quality

Use this group box to set up the quality control and inspection requirements for this part.

Field	Description
QC Inspection Required	Select this check box if QC acceptance/inspection is required for this part. This means you have a formal department performing quality assurance on this part, and therefore the acceptance or rejection of this part does not occur on the Manage Purchase Order Receipts screen in Receiving, but rather on the Manage Quality Control Inspections screen. The value displayed defaults from the Configure Product Definition Settings screen. You can override this value for a specific project on the Manage Part Project Data screen. This value defaults to all new purchase order lines for this part, and can be modified there. The value also defaults into purchase requisition lines for this part, and can be overridden if allowed by Configure Purchase Requisition Settings. If you leave this check box clear, a separate QC function is not required for this part, and acceptance and rejection can occur on the Manage Purchase Order Receipts screen.
Source Inspection Required	Select this check box if a source inspection is required for this part. A source inspection normally requires the vendor to obtain approval from the client or government inspector before shipping the material. The value displayed defaults from the Configure Product Definition Settings screen. You can override this value for a specific project on the Manage Part Project Data screen. This value defaults to all new purchase order lines for this part, and can be modified there. The value also defaults into purchase requisition lines for this part, and can be overridden if allowed by the Configure Purchase Requisition Settings screen. If you leave this check box clear, a source inspection is not required for this part.
Certificate of Conformance Required	Select this check box if the vendor must submit a certificate of conformance when this part is ordered. A certificate of conformance is a vendor-issued legal document that certifies that the materials conform to certain specifications and requirements. The value displayed defaults from the Configure Product Definition Settings screen. You can override this value for a specific project on the Manage Part Project Data screen. This value defaults to all new line items on the purchase order. The value also defaults into purchase requisition lines for this part, and can be overridden if allowed by the Configure Purchase Requisition Settings screen. If you leave this check box clear, a certificate of conformance is not required for this part.
Inspection Type	This is a one-character user-defined field that designates an inspection type for this part. This field is used in various reports and inquiries.
Company	This non-editable field displays the company ID assigned to the user who entered the information for this part.
Vendor Restriction	Select the vendor restriction for this part. When you create a new part, this initially defaults from the Configure Product Definition Settings screen. This option is available only if the Use Part Level Vendor Restrictions check box is selected on the Configure Product Definition Settings screen, allowing this control on a part-by-part basis. Available options are: Approved: This means that for the part to be used in purchase orders, it must have a vendor assigned to it on the Assign Vendors to Items or Manage Parts screens, with a status of either Approved or Preferred. Assigned: This means that for the part to be used in purchase orders, it must have a vendor assigned to it on the Assign Vendors to Items or Manage Parts screens, with a status of Approved, Preferred, or Space. Rows with a status of N do not count as assigned rows. No Restriction: This means that for the part to be used in purchase orders, it does not need to have a vendor assigned to it on the Assign Vendors to Items or Manage Parts screens.   None: This is displayed when the value is null.

Codes

Use this group box to assign industry classification (SIC/NAICS) and UPC codes to a related part.

Field	Description
Commodity	Enter, or click to select, a commodity code to associate with this part. Establish commodity codes on the Manage Commodity Codes screen. After you enter a commodity code, its description displays in the unlabeled field to the right. It also loads the industry classification code, and default buyer, planner, and receipt tolerance values on the Planning Details subtask.
CAGE	Enter, or click to select, your company's Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) ID code assigned to this part. The CAGE ID is a five-character alphanumeric code that can be randomly entered or assigned on the Manage Manufacturers screen. If you selected Make in the Make/Buy field, this field defaults the CAGE ID from the Configure Product Definition Settings screen.
Industry Classification	Enter, or click to select, an industry classification code along with its description for the part. Establish industry classification codes on the Manage Industry Classifications screen.
UPC	Enter a Uniform Product Code (UPC) for the part.
NAICS Code	Enter, or click to select, a valid NAICS code associated with the part. Establish NAICS codes on the Manage NAICS Codes screen. When you enter a valid NAICS code, the NAICS code's description displays in the non-editable field next to the NAICS Code field. If commodity code is entered first, the value in this field defaults to the NAICS code associated with the commodity code. If you change the commodity code and click Ok to the pop-up message, a new NAICS code is loaded based on the new commodity code.
NAICS Code Title	This field displays the description of the NAICS code.
Product Classification	Enter, or click to select, a product class to be associated with this part. Establish product classification codes on the Manage Product Classifications screen. A product classification is a detailed grouping of items within a product type for sales and marketing purposes.
Product Type	The product type that was assigned to the product classification displays and cannot be modified here. This product type was assigned to the product classification in the Manage Product Classifications screen. A product type is a broad grouping of items for sales and marketing purposes.
Date Added	This non-editable field displays the date on which this part was entered.
National Stock No	Enter the national stock number (or NATO stock number) assigned to this part as a standardized material item of supply for the US Department of Defense, if applicable. This is an alphanumeric field in sales orders and purchase orders.
Mil-Spec	Enter the alphanumeric identification number of the appropriate US Department of Defense specification that applies to this part. It can be printed on purchase orders for reference purposes.
Last ECN	This field displays the last engineering change notice ID for this part. Engineering change notice information can be accessed in Engineering Change Notices.