How to create a new item from an existing item in Epicor’s Prophet 21.
What is the copy item function in P21?
The copy item function in Epicor’s Prophet 21 can be used to create a new item from an existing item. This is particularly useful when working with multiple similar items from the same supplier. Utilizing this feature saves a great deal of time as you no longer have to start at the beginning, especially if you are manually setting up items in Prophet 21.
For example, if I am buying ten different widgets from the same supplier, all the locations are still set up. They have all the same unit of measure, but with slight variances (i.e. a different color or size).
But you don’t want to keep setting up all the same details repeatedly. Using this function, you can copy the item and then update key pieces of data to make sure you aren’t just regurgitating the same data.
How to copy an item:
To use this function, first start with an existing item in your system. Right-click on the screen, and select “Copy To New Item.” Enter the new Item ID and Description (note that this is just a short description), and click “Create Item.”
What carries over when you copy an item?
The short code and extended description carry over exactly. So if you are using the extended description with details on the thread, finish material, etc., you will need to update those as well. You can adopt a description strategy where the repeatable information is in the extended description. There are a few things that if you can plan that out far enough in advance, you can reduce friction in your processes.
Make sure if you are copying to a new item, they share something like units of measure because if not, you have more to clean up.
A Warning about Item Permanency:
There are a lot of screens in Prophet 21 (i.e. sales orders) where if you’re entering information and you hit clear, it never actually hits the database. In this screen however, with the exception of Item ID, everything else is editable. So if you made a mistake in the Description, you could change that. But the Item ID, you cannot change. This is creating a database record. So if you do something by mistake, you are going to have to soft delete it and start over.
Wrapping It Up:
That is the whole function of copying.
After creating the new item, make sure to go back though and check that all applicable fields were updated. You will still have to set up your locations, but as far as your main item settings, all of those are automatically set up.
The main problem with the Copy Item function is that Prophet 21 doesn’t have a guide to inform what you need to change or update in the new item. However, it does pretty much keep everything the same in the transfer except for Item ID and Item Description.
So it’s an effective tool in your P21 item maintenance strategy. But use it sparingly.
Need to create a new item in Prophet 21 from scratch? Check out this post for a step-by-step guide.
