Product Management

Products are the foundation of everything in OpenBoxes. Before you can track inventory, create stock movements, or place purchase orders, you need a well-organized product catalog.

Creating Products

To create a new product, navigate to Products > Create Product and fill in the required fields:

  • Name — The product's display name (e.g., "Amoxicillin 500mg Capsules")
  • Category — The classification group this product belongs to
  • Unit of Measure — The base counting unit (each, box, bottle, etc.)

After saving, you can add additional details like identifiers, attributes, and packaging information.

Tip: Be consistent with naming conventions. Decide upfront whether to include strength and form in the name (e.g., "Amoxicillin 500mg Capsules" vs. just "Amoxicillin") and stick with it across all products.

Product Categories

Categories organize your catalog into a browsable hierarchy. Common structures include:

  • Pharmaceuticals > Antibiotics, Analgesics, Antimalarials
  • Medical Supplies > Gloves, Syringes, Bandages
  • Laboratory > Reagents, Test Kits, Consumables

You can nest categories as deeply as needed. Each product belongs to exactly one category, so choose a structure that makes sense for how your team searches for items.

Attributes

Attributes capture additional product details beyond the basics:

  • Cold chain — Whether the product requires refrigeration
  • Controlled substance — Regulatory classification
  • Hazardous — Special handling requirements
  • Formulary — Whether the item is on your approved formulary

Custom attributes can be defined by administrators to capture information specific to your organization's needs.

Product Groups

Product groups link related products together. For example, you might group all formulations of Amoxicillin (250mg, 500mg, suspension) so staff can see alternatives when one formulation is out of stock.

Groups are especially useful during picking — when a requested item is unavailable, OpenBoxes can suggest substitutions from the same product group.

Identifiers and Codes

OpenBoxes supports multiple identifier types to integrate with existing systems:

  • Product Code — Your internal SKU or item number
  • UPC/EAN — Universal barcode identifiers
  • NDC — National Drug Code (for US pharmaceutical products)
  • Manufacturer Code — The manufacturer's part number

Each product can have multiple identifiers, making it easier to match items across different systems and suppliers.

Importing Products from Excel

For bulk setup, OpenBoxes supports importing products from spreadsheet files:

  1. Download the import template from Products > Import
  2. Fill in your product data following the column format
  3. Upload the completed file
  4. Review the preview for errors or warnings
  5. Confirm the import

The importer validates data before committing — it will flag missing required fields, duplicate codes, and invalid categories.

Tip: Start with a small test import (10-20 products) to verify your data formatting before importing your full catalog. It's much easier to fix issues in a small batch.

Searching and Filtering

The product list supports several ways to find what you need:

  • Text search — Search by name, code, or any identifier
  • Category filter — Browse by product category
  • Tag filter — Filter by custom tags
  • Status filter — Show only active products or include inactive ones

Search results display key information at a glance: product name, code, category, and current stock status at your location.

Managing Existing Products

From any product's detail page, you can:

  • Edit product information and attributes
  • View stock levels across all locations
  • See transaction history for the product
  • Manage associations (substitutes, product groups)
  • Deactivate the product (removes it from active lists without deleting historical data)

Tip: Never delete a product that has transaction history. Instead, deactivate it. This preserves your historical data for reporting while keeping the product out of day-to-day workflows.

Best Practices

  • Standardize naming before your first import — renaming products later means updating every reference
  • Assign categories immediately — Uncategorized products quickly become hard to find
  • Use product codes — Even if you have UPCs, an internal code system gives you consistent short identifiers
  • Keep descriptions practical — Include information that helps warehouse staff identify the physical item