How to Configure Unit of Measure in iDempiere for Retail

The Unit of Measure (UOM) window defines the measurement units used for products, inventory, purchasing, sales, and transactions. Unit of measure determines how products are quantified throughout the system.

Business Value – In retail, UOM configuration supports products sold individually, by weight, by volume, by packaging unit, or by length — ensuring accurate quantities across purchasing, warehousing, and sales.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure the following:

• Initial Tenant Setup completed successfully
• Product master data is available or planned

Business Rules

• Never Inactivate System UOMs System-provided UOMs (Day, Week, Month, Year) must never be deactivated — they are referenced by other modules. Inactivating them breaks scheduling, service, and other dependent configurations.
• Set Precision Based on UOM Type Whole-unit UOMs (EA, PCS, CASE) must use Standard Precision = 0. Weight, volume, and length UOMs (KG, LT, MTR) must use Standard Precision = 2 or 3. Wrong precision causes quantity and costing errors.
• No Duplicate UOM Codes Every UOM must have a unique UOM Code. Always check existing system records before creating a new one. Duplicates cause conflicts in product assignment and reporting.
• Conversions Are Configured Separately UOM conversion factors (e.g., 1 CASE = 24 PCS) are never set inside the UOM record. They must be configured in the dedicated UOM Conversion window.

Navigation

Open the Unit of Measure window:

Menu → Material Management → Material Management Pricing → Unit of Measure

Step-by-Step Configuration

Step 1: Open Unit of Measure Window

Navigate to the menu path above. The window displays all existing UOM records, including system-provided defaults.

Step 2: Create New Record

Click New Record (+) to open a blank form. Enter the required values.

Field Reference

• UOM Code — Unique identifier for the unit (e.g., EA, KG, MTR)
• Symbol — Short representation displayed in transactions (e.g., Ea, kg, m)
• Name — Full display name of the unit
• Description — Business purpose of the unit
• Active — Makes the UOM available for use in transactions
• Default — Marks as the system-wide default measurement unit
• Standard Precision — Controls decimal places for quantity fields
• Costing Precision — Controls decimal places for cost calculations

Step 3: Configure Standard Retail UOMs

Set up the following UOMs for retail operations:

EA — Each

Field	Value
UOM Code	EA
Symbol	Ea
Name	Each
Description	Individual item unit
Standard Precision	0
Costing Precision	2
Active	Yes

Used for: shirts, shoes, bags, electronics — any product counted as individual units.

PCS — Piece

Field	Value
UOM Code	PCS
Symbol	Pc
Name	Piece
Description	Single product unit
Standard Precision	0
Costing Precision	2
Active	Yes

Used for: accessories and individually counted products.

CASE — Case

Field	Value
UOM Code	CASE
Symbol	C
Name	Case
Description	Bulk packaging unit
Standard Precision	0
Costing Precision	2
Active	Yes

Used for: supplier packaging and warehouse stock handling. Example: 1 CASE = 24 PCS.

KG — Kilogram

Field	Value
UOM Code	KG
Symbol	kg
Name	Kilogram
Description	Weight measurement unit
Standard Precision	3
Costing Precision	4
Active	Yes

Used for: fruits, vegetables, rice, and other weight-based products.

LT — Liter

Field	Value
UOM Code	LT
Symbol	L
Name	Liter
Description	Liquid measurement unit
Standard Precision	3
Costing Precision	4
Active	Yes

Used for: milk, juice, oil, and other liquid products.

MTR — Meter

Field	Value
UOM Code	MTR
Symbol	m
Name	Meter
Description	Length measurement unit
Standard Precision	2
Costing Precision	4
Active	Yes

Used for: fabric and cloth material.

Step 4: Save Record

Click Save after entering all values. The UOM is immediately available for product and transaction configuration.

Configuration Summary

UOM Code	Symbol	Name	Usage
EA	Ea	Each	Individual items (clothing, electronics)
PCS	Pc	Piece	Single count products and accessories
CASE	C	Case	Bulk / supplier packaging (1 CASE = 24 PCS)
KG	kg	Kilogram	Weight-based products (produce, grains)
LT	L	Liter	Liquid products (beverages, oil)
MTR	m	Meter	Length-based products (fabric, cloth)

Business Flow Overview

System UOM Guidance

iDempiere includes pre-configured UOMs such as EA (Each), HR (Hour), Day, Week, Month, and Year. These are used by other modules including scheduling and service management.

Important Reuse system-provided records where possible rather than creating duplicates. Do not inactivate system UOMs — they may be referenced by other modules. Only create new UOMs when no existing record meets the business requirement.

UOM Conversion

Conversion rules between units (e.g., 1 CASE = 24 PCS) are configured separately in the UOM Conversion window, not within the UOM record itself.

Common Issues

Issue	Resolution
UOM not available on product form	Ensure the UOM record is marked Active
Duplicate UOM codes	Check existing system records before creating new ones
Incorrect quantity decimal places	Review Standard Precision and Costing Precision values
System UOM missing from transactions	Do not inactivate system-provided UOMs
Changes not reflected after save	Run Cache Reset and log in again

Best Practices

• Use meaningful UOM codes that align with industry standards (EA, KG, LT, MTR)
• Reuse existing system UOMs before creating new records
• Set Standard Precision to 0 for whole-unit UOMs (Each, Piece, Case)
• Set Standard Precision to 2 or 3 for weight, volume, and length UOMs
• Document naming conventions and precision rules in a configuration register
• Do not inactivate system-provided UOMs referenced by other modules

Next Steps

After completing Unit of Measure configuration, continue with:

• UOM Conversion — define conversion factors between related units
• Product Setup — assign UOMs to products
• Price List — configure pricing per UOM