Configuring Product Categories

Confirming Access to Product Category Settings

Before changing product categories, confirm that you can access the configuration area in Pams. Product categories affect the choices available in the Category field on product records, so only users with permission to manage product configuration should create, rename, or reorganize them.

1. Open Configuration in Pams.
2. Select Product Categories to open the list of categories available for Products.
3. Check whether you can see the New button and open existing category records. These options indicate that you can create or edit category records.
4. If Product Categories is not available, or if you cannot use New, do not attempt to change product classifications from the Products screen. Request access from the person who manages Pams users, roles, and configuration permissions.

The Product Categories list is the central place for maintaining the category structure used across your product portfolio. Before adding anything, review the current entries carefully. A category hierarchy may include broad, top-level categories and more detailed categories beneath them. Child categories normally appear indented below their parent category, making it easier to see how products are grouped.

Look for categories that already match the products your team sells, purchases, stores, or delivers. Also check whether similar names already exist at different levels of the hierarchy. For example, a category named Furniture may already be listed beneath Finished Goods, while another top-level category with the same name could create confusion when users classify products.

Reviewing the existing structure first helps you preserve a clear shared classification for Products, Sales Jobs, purchasing work, Warehouse Stock, and related reporting.

Planning the Category Hierarchy

Plan the category structure before creating records in Product Categories. A well-planned hierarchy gives users a consistent choice in the Category field when they create or update Products. It also prevents the product list from becoming difficult to search and filter.

Use a top-level category for a broad product group. For example, your business may use top-level categories such as All, Services, Raw Materials, or Finished Goods. These broad groups should make sense to the sales, purchasing, and warehouse teams who work with the same product records.

Use a subcategory when a group needs more detail. For example:

• Finished Goods can contain Furniture.
• Services can contain Consulting.
• Raw Materials can contain product groups that your purchasing team regularly sources from Sub-suppliers.
• A broad product family can contain separate subcategories for different commercial or operational groups.

Choose category names that clearly describe the group. Users should be able to select the correct value from the Category field without having to guess what similar names mean. Keep names short enough to scan easily, but specific enough to distinguish one group from another.

Before adding a new category, search the existing Product Categories list for related names. Avoid creating duplicate entries that differ only slightly, such as two categories with almost identical wording. Where a product group belongs within an existing broad category, create one subcategory under the appropriate parent instead of creating a second top-level category.

A clear hierarchy makes it easier for teams to maintain the same classification as the product portfolio grows.

Creating a Top-Level Product Category

Create a top-level category when you need a new broad group in the Product Categories hierarchy. Top-level categories have no parent category, so they appear at the main level of the list rather than underneath another entry.

1. In Configuration, open Product Categories.
2. Review the existing top-level entries one more time to make sure the category does not already exist under a different name.
3. Click New to open a blank category record.
4. In Category Name, enter the name of the broad product group you want users to see when they classify Products.
5. Leave Parent Category empty. An empty Parent Category means that Pams will place this category at the top level of the hierarchy.
6. Click Save. If you are finished creating categories, use Save and Close where available.
7. Return to the Product Categories list and confirm that the new category appears as a non-indented entry.

Use one top-level category for each genuinely separate broad group. Do not create a top-level category simply because a group has several products. If those products belong naturally within an existing group, add a subcategory instead.

After saving, check the spelling and wording as it will appear in the Category selector on product records. Renaming a category later can affect how familiar users are with the choices they see, especially when sales, purchasing, and warehouse teams have already started using the category.

If the category appears indented beneath another entry after saving, open the category record and review Parent Category. Remove the selected parent category, click Save, and then check the hierarchy again. A top-level category should appear alongside other main category groups, not beneath one of them.

Adding Subcategories Under a Parent Category

Add a subcategory when users need a more specific classification beneath an existing broad category. Subcategories retain the connection to their parent category, allowing the product hierarchy to show both the general group and the detailed group.

1. Open Configuration > Product Categories.
2. Locate the parent category that should contain the new subcategory. Confirm that it is the correct broad group before creating the new record.
3. Click New from the Product Categories list. If the parent category provides an option to add a child category, you can use that option instead.
4. Enter a clear, specific name in Category Name. Use a name that distinguishes the subcategory from other entries under the same parent.
5. In Parent Category, select the intended parent category.
6. Click Save to create the subcategory.
7. Return to the category list or hierarchy view and verify that the new entry appears indented beneath the parent category you selected.

For example, if Finished Goods is the parent category, a subcategory such as Furniture should be placed under Finished Goods, not created as a separate top-level category. This lets users recognize the full grouping when they select a category for a Product.

If the new subcategory appears beneath the wrong parent, open its record and change Parent Category to the correct value. Click Save, then review the hierarchy again. Do not solve an incorrect placement by creating another category with the same name; correcting the existing record keeps the category list clean.

Use subcategories consistently. If one product family is divided into detailed groups, apply the same level of detail across related Products so users can classify and find records in a predictable way.

Assigning Categories to Product Records

After creating the category structure, assign the appropriate category to each Product. The Category field on the product record connects the Product to the classification your team uses in the Product Categories list.

1. Open Products and select the product record you want to classify.
2. Locate the Category field on the product record.
3. Open the category selector and choose the appropriate category or subcategory.
4. Where a detailed subcategory is available, select the category that best matches the Product rather than using only a broad parent category.
5. Click Save to retain the selected category on the product record.
6. Repeat this process for related Products, using the same category structure for products that belong to the same group.

For example, when Furniture is a subcategory beneath Finished Goods, assign the relevant furniture Products to that subcategory. This gives users a clearer classification than assigning every finished product only to Finished Goods.

Use the category names as a shared business classification, not as a place to record product descriptions, models, or commercial notes. Keep detailed product information in the relevant fields on the Product record, while using Category to identify the product group.

Consistent category assignment helps users work with the Products List more reliably. When sales teams prepare Pricing Offers or Offers, purchasing teams work with Sub-suppliers, or warehouse teams review Stock By Products, a clear product classification makes related Products easier to identify. It also supports more reliable category-based searching, filtering, and reporting because similar Products use the same category path.

If a suitable category does not exist, create it in Product Categories before selecting it on multiple Product records. Avoid using an unrelated category as a temporary substitute, as this makes later filtering and reporting less dependable.

Verifying the Category Configuration

Verify the category configuration after creating or changing categories. A quick review confirms that the hierarchy is clear, product records point to the intended categories, and users can select the values they need.

1. Return to Configuration > Product Categories.
2. Review the hierarchy from top to bottom. Confirm that each top-level category appears at the main level and that each subcategory is indented beneath the correct parent category.
3. Open several category records and check the values in Category Name and Parent Category. Look for duplicate names, unclear wording, or categories assigned to the wrong parent.
4. Open representative records from Products.
5. Check the Category field on each Product and confirm that it uses the intended top-level category or subcategory.
6. Click Save after correcting a category or product record, then return to the relevant list to confirm the change is visible.

If a category is displayed at the wrong level, open the category record and correct the Parent Category value. Leave Parent Category empty for a top-level category, or select the correct parent for a subcategory. Save the record and recheck its placement in the hierarchy.

If a category is not available in a Product’s Category field, first confirm that the category record was saved. Then return to Product Categories and verify that the category name is present in the list. If the category remains unavailable or you cannot edit it, confirm that your user access includes permission for product configuration.

Perform this review whenever your business adds a new product group, expands a Product range, or reorganizes how Products are classified. Keeping the hierarchy accurate protects the consistency of the shared Products list used across sales, purchasing, inventory, and reporting work.

Overview

Product Categories provide the shared classification choices used in the Category field on Product records. They allow Pams users to group Products in a hierarchy, beginning with broad categories and adding subcategories where more detail is needed.

A top-level category represents a broad product group. A subcategory represents a more specific group within that parent. For example, Finished Goods can be a top-level category, while Furniture can be a subcategory beneath it. This structure helps users distinguish general product families from detailed product groups without creating a long, unstructured list of category names.

The hierarchy is maintained in Configuration > Product Categories. Each category record uses two key fields:

• Category Name identifies the category users will see.
• Parent Category determines whether the category is top-level or appears beneath another category.

When Parent Category is empty, Pams treats the entry as a top-level category. When Parent Category contains another category, Pams places the entry beneath that parent in the hierarchy.

Once categories are available, users select them from the Category field on individual Product records in Products. This creates a consistent way to classify related Products across everyday work, including Pricing Offers, Offers, Sales Jobs, purchasing activities, and Warehouse Stock.

Product categories work best when they reflect how your business actually groups its portfolio. They should be understandable to sales teams preparing offers, purchasing teams coordinating with Sub-suppliers, and warehouse teams identifying stocked products. Use a shared, controlled structure rather than allowing slightly different names for the same product group.

For guidance on creating and maintaining the Product records that use these categories, see Managing Product Records.

Prerequisites

Before creating or changing entries in Product Categories, make sure the following are in place:

• You have access to Configuration > Product Categories and can use New, Save, and existing category records. Users without product configuration permission cannot create or edit category records.
• You have reviewed the existing Product Categories list. Check the current top-level categories and indented subcategories before adding a new entry.
• You know whether the category should be a broad, top-level group or a detailed subcategory. This decision determines whether to leave Parent Category empty or select an existing parent.
• You have agreed on the Category Name your team will recognize in the Product Category field. Use a clear name that does not duplicate an existing category with slightly different wording.
• You understand which Products will use the new category. Review relevant records in Products so that you can assign the category consistently after saving it.
• You have checked whether related categories already exist. If an appropriate parent category is already available, create a subcategory beneath it instead of adding another broad category.
• You are prepared to review existing Product records if you are reorganizing categories. A hierarchy change may require you to update the Category field on Products that should move to a new or more specific subcategory.

Do not create category records to capture details that belong on the Product itself, such as its description, model, or other product-specific information. Keep Product Categories focused on shared product grouping so that the category selector remains clear for all users.

After the category hierarchy is established, continue with Configuring Product Serial Rules to set up the serial combinations and serial status choices used for Products.