Part Collections

Organize parts into logical groups for management and reporting

Overview

Part Collections allow you to organize your parts into logical groups for easier management, reporting, and analysis. Collections can be arranged into hierarchical groups, giving you full flexibility to categorize parts in ways that make sense for your business.

Collection Groups

Organize collections into hierarchical groups for structured categorization of your parts catalog.

Part Organization

Assign parts to collections to create meaningful groupings across your catalog.

Flexible Grouping

A single part can belong to multiple collections, supporting different organizational perspectives.

Easy Management

Add and remove parts from collections quickly with an intuitive editor interface.

Collections List View

The Collections List displays all Part Collections in a hierarchical list organized by group. This view provides a quick overview of how your parts are categorized.

Accessing the Collections List

  1. Navigate to the Parts tab
  2. Click "Part Collections" in the navigation menu
  3. The collections list view will display with groups and their collections
[Screenshot: Collections List View - showing hierarchical list of collection groups and collections]

Available Actions

  • New Part Collection: Click the "New Part Collection" button to create a new collection
  • Open Collection: Double-click a collection to open it in the Collection Editor
  • Expand/Collapse Groups: Click the group headers to expand or collapse the hierarchy

Collection Editor

The Collection Editor displays the parts that belong to a collection and allows you to add or remove parts.

Editor Columns

Column Description
Part # The unique part number identifier
Part Name The descriptive name of the part
[Screenshot: Collection Editor - showing parts list with Part # and Part Name columns]

Managing Parts in a Collection

  • Add Parts: Use the add action to select parts and include them in the collection
  • Remove Parts: Select one or more parts and use the remove action to take them out of the collection
Note: Removing a part from a collection does not delete the part from your catalog. It only removes the association between the part and the collection.

Creating Collections

Create new Part Collections to organize your parts into meaningful groups.

Step-by-Step Process

  1. From the Collections List, click the "New Part Collection" button
  2. Enter a name for the collection
  3. Assign the collection to a group in the hierarchy
  4. Save the collection
  5. Open the collection in the editor to add parts

Organizing into Groups

Collections can be organized into hierarchical groups to create a structured categorization system. Groups allow you to nest collections under broader categories, making it easier to navigate and manage large numbers of collections.

  • Top-Level Groups: Create broad categories such as "Product Lines" or "Material Types"
  • Sub-Groups: Nest more specific groupings under top-level categories
  • Collection Placement: Assign each collection to the appropriate group in the hierarchy

Using Collections

Part Collections serve a variety of purposes across your organization, from reporting to purchasing decisions.

Common Use Cases

  • Product Families: Group parts that belong to the same product line for consolidated reporting and analysis
  • Commodity Groups: Organize parts by material type or commodity for vendor negotiations and purchasing strategy
  • Custom Groupings: Create any custom grouping that supports your business processes

Reporting and Analysis

Collections enable targeted reporting and analysis across specific subsets of your parts catalog:

  • Reporting: Generate reports filtered by collection to focus on specific part groups
  • Pricing Analysis: Review and compare pricing across parts within a collection
  • Purchasing Decisions: Use commodity-based collections to inform vendor sourcing and bulk purchasing
  • Inventory Review: Analyze inventory levels for a specific product family or material group

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

  • Use Meaningful Names: Choose collection names that clearly describe the grouping criteria
  • Be Consistent: Follow a consistent naming convention across all collections
  • Include Context: Add enough detail in the name so users can identify the collection's purpose at a glance

Organization

  • Organize Hierarchically: Use groups to create a logical hierarchy that mirrors your business structure
  • Avoid Over-Nesting: Keep the hierarchy shallow enough to remain easy to navigate
  • Plan Your Structure: Design your group hierarchy before creating collections to avoid reorganization later

Maintenance

  • Keep Collections Current: Review collections regularly and update them as parts are added or retired
  • Remove Obsolete Collections: Delete collections that are no longer relevant to reduce clutter
  • Audit Membership: Periodically verify that parts are assigned to the correct collections

Leveraging Collections for Reporting

  • Align with Reports: Structure collections to match the groupings you need in your reports
  • Cross-Functional Use: Design collections that serve multiple departments such as engineering, purchasing, and sales
  • Document Purpose: Keep a record of what each collection is intended for so all team members understand how to use them