---
title: "Items / Materials /Product catalog"
canonical: "https://support.out-smart.com/space/OKB/411927025/Items%20%2F%20Materials%20%2FProduct%20catalog"
format: markdown
---
## Detailed Explanation

By creating materials in the items, you make working with OutSmart a lot easier for yourself and your colleagues! Each product in the catalog has a description, article number and price per piece (excl. VAT). Now you can easily search for an item in a work order, invoice of quotation, and all the other information will automatically be filled in. 

This catalog of items can be imported via an integration or an xls(x)-file ([see our article about importing data](https://out-smart.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/OKB/pages/892338177)). But it is also possible to create items one-by-one in OutSmart.

## Step-by-Step Guide

How do you create an item in OutSmart?

Step 1: Go to **Items**

Step 2: Click on the orange button ‘**Add**’ in the right top corner to add an item:

![image](media://ee94b2d0-cc01-4d61-9aec-f145b1098601)


Step 3: Fill in the **item code** (article number), **Description** and the **Unit price**. These are the three required information fields for an article in OutSmart.


As you can see in the image there are more fields that can be filled in for an article in OutSmart. These fields are not mandatory, but are optional.

- **Unit**: Here you can fill in what type of measurement applies to this article. So for example ‘Meters’ if it applies to cable.
- **Barcode / EAN-code**: The OutSmart-app offers the option to scan barcodes on items. By doing so the system will search in the catalog in the fields Item code, Barcode and EAN-code of corresponding codes. If found, that specific item will be selected on the workorder. If not found, you will get the option to add that article with that specific article number.
- **Image file**: You can add an image of that article. This way you can show this picture on a quotation and/or invoice.
- **VAT-Code**: The item has a unit price, but this is excl. VAT. In a quotation and/or invoice however you do want to calculate the tax. By default we calculate 21%, but if an item should be 9% VAT, you can easily create VAT-codes and select the correct VAT for this product.
- **Visible on workorder, quotation and invoice**: If this checkbox is checked, this item will be shown on the pdf of workorders, quotations and invoices. But if it is not checked, the item can be selected, but will not be shown on the pdf. This could be applied to items that should be subtracted from the stock, but you don’t want it to be shown to the customer (for example gloves for cleaning)
- **Billable**: If this checkbox is checked, this item will be billed, when using the invoices in OutSmart. If it is not checked, the item will not show on the invoice and the price is not added to the total amount of the invoice.
- **Note**: Here you can fill in a detailled description of that item. This note can also be shown on the pdf of the workorder, invoice and quotation.
- **Add free field**: By clicking this button you have the possibility to create five additional fields. This allows you to write down extra information for every item.


**Item categories**

Here you can select the categorie(s) that this particular item belongs to. [More information about categories can be found here.](https://out-smart.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/resumedraft.action?draftId=799309909&draftShareId=f8db0276-1389-4c20-81df-e50bbd13e885)

## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

**How can I show the note of the item on the pdf of the workorder? **When you want to show the note of the article on the pdf of the workorder, you can set this via Settings > [PDF Settings](https://out-smart.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/TIB/pages/418611255). Here you need to go to the chapter Layout and select Item. 

![image](media://9b496829-2179-4c63-b63a-653424d27f76)

There are two options to show the note of an item.

1. You can always show a column ‘Note’ in the overview of items on the PDF of your workorder. Select the corresponding column in the table as shown in the picture above.
2. You can show the item not as an extra line below that particular item. This is only shown when the not is filled in for that item. For this option you need to check the box behind ‘Item note as a line’.

  
Beware of the fact that the note of an item can also be added or edited per workorder from the backoffice and the app! 

**How can I show the note of the item on the pdf of the quotation / invoice? **To show the note of an item in a quotation, simply go to the PDF layout-settings of the quotation. There you can select which columns should be shown in the quotation lines. You can check of uncheck the column ‘Note’. You can also choose to check the box after 'Show note as line', which will result in a separate line for the note below the information for that item.  
The same goes for the invoices, but in that case you have to go to the PDF layout of the invoices.

**Is the image of the article also shown on the app?**: No, this will take too much data on your device to store. So the pictures of articles are nog available on the devices and can only be shown in the backoffice and in the pdf of invoices and quotations.

**How can I change the name or other information of an item?** Each product can be opened by going to Items and clicking on the product you want to open. Here you will find an orange button ‘Add’ in the top right corner. By clicking this you will go to the edit-screen of the items (which is the same as the create screen). Here you can change the information that needs to be changed.  
*Beware that you don’t change the code of the article, since this is a unique identifier!*  
You can also change multiple items at once using the import tool. As long as you leave the code the same, you can upload an Excel file with changes and the information of the items will be changed.