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Units Documentation

Menu Location: Products > Settings > Units

Access Level: Manager and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Units page allows you to create and manage units of measure for your products. Units define how products are sold, priced, and displayed to customers (such as "lb", "oz", "each", "bag", "bunch"). Proper unit configuration ensures accurate pricing, inventory tracking, and customer understanding of product quantities.

Primary Functions:

  • Create and edit units of measure for products
  • Define unit abbreviations and display formats
  • Set pricing multipliers for unit conversions
  • Manage how units appear to customers
  • Support inventory and ordering calculations

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Add New Unit button - Create a new unit of measure
  • Search box - Find existing units

Main Content Area

Table displaying all units with columns:

  • Unit Name - Full name (e.g., "Pound")
  • Abbreviation - Short form (e.g., "lb")
  • Plural Name - Plural form (e.g., "Pounds")
  • Display Format - How shown to customers
  • Product Count - Number of products using this unit
  • Actions - Edit or delete unit

Common Units Reference

Standard Units

Unit Name Abbreviation Plural Use Case
Pound lb lbs Meat, produce by weight
Ounce oz oz Smaller portions, seasonings
Each ea ea Individual items
Bag bag bags Packaged items
Box box boxes Multi-item packages
Bunch bunch bunches Greens, herbs
Package pkg pkgs Wrapped items
Container container containers Dairy, prepared foods
Pint pt pts Berries, liquids
Quart qt qts Larger liquid portions
Gallon gal gals Bulk liquids
Dozen doz doz Eggs, baked goods
Half Dozen 1/2 doz 1/2 doz Smaller egg portions

Creating Units

Add a New Unit

Steps:

  1. Click "Add New Unit" button
  2. Enter Unit Name (full name, e.g., "Pound")
  3. Enter Abbreviation (short form, e.g., "lb")
  4. Enter Plural Name (e.g., "Pounds")
  5. Set Display Format (how customers see it)
  6. (Optional) Set Conversion Factor if unit converts to base unit
  7. Click "Save Unit"

Requirements:

  • Unit name must be unique
  • Abbreviation should be standard industry format
  • Display format determines customer-facing text

Example:

  • Name: "Pound"
  • Abbreviation: "lb"
  • Plural: "Pounds"
  • Display: "{{ quantity }} {{ abbreviation }}" → "2 lb"

Editing Units

Modify an Existing Unit

Steps:

  1. Find unit in the list
  2. Click "Edit" icon
  3. Update any fields
  4. Click "Save Changes"

Impact:

  • Changes appear immediately on all products using this unit
  • Price displays update automatically
  • Order history shows old unit format (not retroactively changed)

Warning: Changing abbreviations affects all product listings

Deleting Units

Remove a Unit

Steps:

  1. Check Product Count - must be 0 to delete
  2. If products use this unit, change them to different unit first
  3. Click "Delete" icon
  4. Confirm deletion

Cannot Delete If:

  • Products are assigned this unit
  • Unit is set as system default
  • Orders reference this unit

Display Format Options

Format Tokens

Available Tokens:

  • {{ quantity }} - The numeric amount (e.g., 2, 1.5)
  • {{ unit }} - Full unit name (e.g., "Pound")
  • {{ abbreviation }} - Short form (e.g., "lb")
  • {{ plural }} - Plural form when quantity > 1

Format Examples

Weight Products:

  • Format: {{ quantity }} {{ abbreviation }}
  • Result: "1.5 lb", "2 lb"

Count Products:

  • Format: {{ quantity }} {{ unit }}
  • Result: "1 Each", "3 Each"

Packaged Items:

  • Format: {{ quantity }}-{{ abbreviation }} {{ unit }}
  • Result: "2-lb Bag", "5-oz Package"

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Set Up Standard Meat Units

Goal: Configure units for meat department

Steps:

  1. Create unit: "Pound" (lb, lbs)
  2. Create unit: "Ounce" (oz, oz)
  3. Create unit: "Each" (ea, ea)
  4. Assign to meat products:
    • Ribeye Steak → lb
    • Ground Beef → lb
    • Bacon Package → ea or lb
    • Chicken Wings → lb

Result: Consistent weight-based pricing for meat products

Use Case 2: Configure Produce Units

Goal: Set up units for produce items

Steps:

  1. Create units:
    • "Bunch" (bunch, bunches)
    • "Bag" (bag, bags)
    • "Pound" (lb, lbs)
    • "Each" (ea, ea)
  2. Assign to produce:
    • Kale → bunch
    • Salad Mix → bag
    • Tomatoes → lb or ea
    • Avocados → ea

Tip: Some items can be sold by multiple units (create product variants)

Use Case 3: Package Size Units

Goal: Create units for packaged goods

Steps:

  1. Create units:
    • "8-oz Package" (8oz pkg)
    • "16-oz Package" (16oz pkg)
    • "2-lb Bag" (2lb bag)
  2. Assign to packaged products
  3. Price based on package size

Example: "Shredded Cheese 8-oz Package" vs "Shredded Cheese 16-oz Package"

Use Case 4: Fractional Weight Units

Goal: Sell products in portions (0.5 lb, 1.5 lb)

Steps:

  1. Use existing "Pound" unit
  2. On product page, enable "Allow Decimal Quantities"
  3. Set quantity increments (0.25, 0.5, 1.0)
  4. Customers can select fractional amounts

Use For: Deli meats, cheese, bulk items

Use Case 5: Bulk vs. Individual Units

Goal: Offer products in different unit sizes

Steps:

  1. Create separate units:
    • "Each" for individual items
    • "Dozen" for bulk
    • "Case" for wholesale
  2. Create product variants for each unit size
  3. Price accordingly

Example:

  • "Eggs - Half Dozen" (6 ea)
  • "Eggs - Dozen" (12 ea)

Unit Naming Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Do:

  • Use standard industry abbreviations (lb, oz, ea)
  • Be consistent across all units
  • Use lowercase for abbreviations (lb not LB)
  • Spell out full unit names (Pound not Lb)

Don't:

  • Create custom abbreviations customers won't recognize
  • Use periods in abbreviations (lb not lb.)
  • Mix singular and plural inconsistently
  • Use special characters unnecessarily

Abbreviation Standards

Weight:

  • lb (pound), oz (ounce), g (gram), kg (kilogram)

Volume:

  • fl oz (fluid ounce), pt (pint), qt (quart), gal (gallon), ml (milliliter), L (liter)

Count:

  • ea (each), doz (dozen), pc (piece)

Package:

  • pkg (package), bag, box, container, ct (count)

Troubleshooting

Unit Not Appearing in Product Dropdown

Symptoms:

  • Created unit but can't find it when editing product

Solutions:

  1. Refresh the product edit page
  2. Verify unit was saved successfully
  3. Check that you're on the correct product edit page
  4. Clear browser cache

Common Cause: Page loaded before unit was created

Cannot Delete Unit

Symptoms:

  • Delete button disabled or shows error

Check:

  1. Review Product Count - must be 0
  2. Find products using this unit (search by unit)
  3. Change those products to different unit
  4. Try delete again

Product Count Filter: Go to Products page > Filter by Unit > Reassign to different unit

Price Display Incorrect

Symptoms:

  • Unit showing but price format looks wrong

Solutions:

  1. Check product price is set correctly
  2. Verify Display Format on unit
  3. Check pricing type (per unit vs. per pound)
  4. Review product pricing settings

Example Issue: Product priced "per lb" but unit set to "each"

Decimal Quantities Not Working

Symptoms:

  • Can't enter fractional amounts (1.5 lb)

Check:

  1. Product setting "Allow Decimal Quantities" must be enabled
  2. Unit must support decimals
  3. Check quantity increment settings
  4. Verify cart allows decimal inputs

Not a Unit Issue: This is configured on product, not unit

  • Products (product_classifications_active.php) - Assign units to products
  • Product Edit (add-product.php) - Set unit for individual product
  • Inventory (inventory.php) - Units affect inventory counting
  • Box Dimensions (admin-edit.php?table=box_dimensions) - Volume calculations may reference units

Typical Workflow:

  1. Create units on this page
  2. Go to product edit page
  3. Select unit from dropdown
  4. Set pricing based on unit
  5. Unit displays to customers automatically

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Manager or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

  • Manager: Create, edit, delete units
  • Administrator: All manager capabilities + system unit configuration
  • Kiva Admin: All features + unit conversion settings

Restricted Features:

  • Delete System Default Units: Administrator or higher
  • Conversion Factor Settings: Kiva Admin (advanced)

Best Practices

Unit Setup Strategy

  1. Create common units first - lb, oz, ea, bag, bunch
  2. Use standard abbreviations - Industry-standard terms customers recognize
  3. Be consistent - Same unit across similar products
  4. Plan for growth - Consider future product types you may add
  5. Test display formats - Preview how units appear in store

Unit Assignment

  1. Match industry standards - Meat by lb, produce by bunch or lb
  2. Consider customer expectations - What's intuitive for shoppers
  3. Consistency within category - All beef by lb, all eggs by dozen
  4. Price transparency - Unit makes pricing clear (per lb vs. per package)
  5. Avoid confusion - Don't mix units for same product type

Display Formatting

  1. Keep it simple - "2 lb" is clearer than "2-pound package"
  2. Match customer language - How customers think and speak
  3. Test across devices - Ensure format displays well on mobile
  4. Use abbreviations in listings - Save space (lb vs. Pound)
  5. Full names in descriptions - "Pound" in product details

Maintenance

  1. Audit quarterly - Review unit usage and consistency
  2. Clean up unused units - Delete units with 0 products
  3. Document custom units - Note if you create non-standard units
  4. Update displays - Improve format based on customer feedback

Things to Avoid

  • Creating duplicate units (lb vs. pound vs. LB)
  • Using units customers won't understand
  • Inconsistent abbreviations
  • Overly complex display formats
  • Deleting units still in use

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
Create new unit Click "Add New Unit" button
Edit unit Click edit icon > Modify > Save
Change abbreviation Edit unit > Update abbreviation field
Set display format Edit unit > Modify Display Format field
Delete unused unit Check product count is 0 > Click delete
Assign unit to product Products > Edit product > Select unit dropdown
Find products using unit Products page > Filter by unit
Check unit usage Review Product Count column

FAQs

What's the difference between "Each" and "Package"?

"Each" refers to individual items sold one at a time (apple, chicken breast). "Package" refers to pre-packaged groups (bag of chips, package of bacon). Use "Each" when selling individual units, "Package" when selling pre-made packages.

Can I have multiple units for the same product?

Not on a single product entry. Create separate product variants for different unit sizes (e.g., "Ground Beef 1 lb" and "Ground Beef 2 lb" as separate products).

Should I price by unit or by package?

Depends on your business model. Weight-based pricing (per lb) is standard for meat/produce. Package pricing (per bag) works for pre-packaged items. Be clear to customers which you're using.

How do I convert between units?

Basic unit conversions are handled automatically if configured (16 oz = 1 lb). For complex conversions, contact administrator to set up conversion factors.

Can customers select quantity and unit separately?

Usually no. Unit is set per product. Quantity is what customer adjusts. If you want customers to choose unit size, create product variants.

What units should I use for meat products?

Industry standard is pounds (lb) for most meat. Some retailers use ounces for smaller portions or deli items. Individual items (whole chicken) can be "each".

Do units affect inventory tracking?

Yes. Inventory is counted in the product's assigned unit. Make sure your receiving and counting processes match the unit setting.

Can I change a product's unit after it's been sold?

Yes, but historical orders keep the old unit display. Only new orders show the new unit. May cause confusion in reporting.

What about metric units?

You can create metric units (g, kg, ml, L) following the same process. Make sure your customer base understands metric measurements.

Change Log

2026-03-01

  • Initial documentation created
  • All sections completed per template requirements
  • Included standard units reference table
  • Added display format examples

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.