The Products module is your central catalogue for all items you sell. Products are used throughout SME System - in quotes, orders, and inventory tracking.
Adding a Product
Creating a New Product
To add a product to your catalogue:
- Navigate to the Products module from the sidebar
- Click the Add Product button
- Fill in the product information:
- Name: Product name (required)
- Description: Detailed description of the product
- List Price: Sale price in GBP (£) (required)
- Cost Price: Your purchase cost (for margin calculation)
- Click Save
Product Fields Explained
- Name: Clear, descriptive name (e.g., "Office Desk - Oak Finish")
- Description: Details about features, specifications, or variations
- List Price: The price you sell to customers (excludes VAT)
- Cost Price: What you pay to acquire or produce (for profit tracking)
Product Organisation
Categories and Groups
Organise your products for easy management:
- By Type: Services, Physical Goods, Digital Products
- By Department: Office Supplies, IT Equipment, Furniture
- By Price Range: Budget, Mid-Range, Premium
Use consistent naming conventions to make searching easier.
Product Codes
Consider adding product codes or SKUs:
- Use in the product name or description
- Helps with inventory tracking
- Useful for order fulfilment
- Match to your existing systems if possible
Using Products in Quotes
Quick Selection
When creating a quote:
- Click Add Line Item
- Search or browse your product catalogue
- Select the product
- Price and description auto-fill
- Adjust quantity as needed
Price Overrides
You can override the list price on a per-quote basis:
- Click on the line item price
- Enter a custom price
- Useful for discounts or special pricing
- Original list price is preserved for future quotes
Pricing Strategies
Cost-Plus Pricing
Calculate price based on cost:
List Price = Cost Price ÷ (1 - Desired Margin)
Example:
- Cost: £80
- Desired margin: 25%
- List Price = £80 ÷ 0.75 = £106.67
Market-Based Pricing
Set prices based on:
- Competitor pricing
- Customer willingness to pay
- Value provided
- Market conditions
Tiered Pricing
Create multiple products for different tiers:
- Basic / Standard / Premium versions
- Different feature sets
- Volume discounts (create separate products)
Keeping Descriptions Current
Regular review and update:
- Quarterly Review: Check all product descriptions
- Feature Updates: Add new features to descriptions
- Discontinued Items: Mark as inactive rather than deleting
- Price Changes: Update list prices as needed
Cost Price Tracking
Maintain accurate cost prices for:
- Margin Calculation: Know your actual profit margins
- Pricing Decisions: Make informed pricing choices
- Cost Analysis: Track cost increases over time
- Profit Reports: Generate accurate profit reports
Best Practices
Naming Conventions
Use consistent, clear naming:
- Descriptive: "Office Chair - Ergonomic" not "Chair"
- Hierarchical: "Desk - Oak - 120cm" includes size and material
- Avoid Codes: Unless you use them internally
- Consistent: Use the same format across similar products
Descriptions
Write helpful descriptions:
- Key Features: Highlight main benefits
- Specifications: Include technical details
- Use Cases: Explain when to use the product
- Variations: Note available options (colour, size, etc.)
Price Management
- Regular Reviews: Check pricing quarterly
- Competitive Analysis: Monitor competitor prices
- Margin Targets: Maintain desired profit margins
- Price Changes: Communicate changes to customers
Security and Access
Organisation Isolation
Products are scoped to your organisation:
- Each organisation has its own product catalogue
- Row-Level Security (RLS) prevents cross-organisation access
- User permissions control who can edit products
Price Visibility
- All Users: Can see product prices
- Role-Based: Control who can edit prices
- Audit Trail: Track who changed prices and when
Integrations
Quotes Module
Products are used throughout the quoting process:
- Select products when creating quotes
- Prices auto-fill from product records
- Descriptions appear on quote PDFs
- Changes to products don't affect existing quotes
Orders Module
Products link to order management:
- Orders reference product records
- Track product sales over time
- Analyse product performance
- Inventory planning (future feature)
CRM Module
Products can be associated with leads:
- Indicate which products a lead is interested in
- Track product interest across your pipeline
- Analyse which products close most deals
Troubleshooting
Product Not Appearing in Quotes
If a product doesn't appear when creating a quote:
- Ensure the product is active (not archived)
- Check you have permission to view products
- Verify the product belongs to your organisation
- Try refreshing the product list
Price Not Updating
If price changes don't appear:
- Clear your browser cache
- Refresh the page
- Check the product was saved correctly
- Verify you're looking at the right product
Duplicate Products
If you have duplicate products:
- Merge them by updating one and deleting the other
- Check existing quotes reference the correct product
- Update any CRM leads linked to the old product
- Delete the duplicate once verified
Next Steps
