Products and Services Management

Custojo provides a comprehensive system for managing your products and services. This guide will walk you through the essential features and best practices for effective product and service management.

Overview

The Products and Services module in Custojo allows you to:

• Create and manage physical products, digital products, and services
• Organize items with categories and tags
• Set pricing strategies and discounts
• Track inventory and stock levels
• Generate product reports and analytics
• Manage product variants and attributes

Getting Started

Accessing Products and Services

1. Log in to your Custojo account
2. Navigate to the main menu
3. Select "Products & Services" from the sidebar
4. You'll see the main dashboard with an overview of your products and services

Dashboard Overview

The Products and Services dashboard provides:

• Total number of products and services
• Recent additions and updates
• Low stock alerts
• Top-selling items
• Quick access to categories and tags

Creating Products and Services

Adding a New Product

1. From the Products & Services dashboard, click "Add New Product"
2. Select the product type:
   • Physical Product
   • Digital Product
   • Service
3. Fill in the basic information:
   • Name
   • SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)
   • Description
   • Category
   • Tags
4. Set pricing information:
   • Base price
   • Sale price (if applicable)
   • Tax category
5. For physical products, configure inventory settings:
   • Initial stock level
   • Low stock threshold
   • Warehouse location
6. Add product images and attachments
7. Configure additional options (variants, attributes, etc.)
8. Click "Save" to create the product

Adding a New Service

1. From the Products & Services dashboard, click "Add New Service"
2. Fill in the basic information:
   • Name
   • Service code
   • Description
   • Category
   • Tags
3. Set pricing information:
   • Base price
   • Pricing model (hourly, fixed, recurring)
   • Tax category
4. Configure service details:
   • Duration
   • Delivery method
   • Required resources
5. Add service images and attachments
6. Click "Save" to create the service

Managing Categories and Tags

Creating Categories

Categories help organize your products and services into logical groups:

1. Navigate to "Categories" in the Products & Services section
2. Click "Add New Category"
3. Enter the category name and description
4. Set a parent category (if applicable)
5. Upload a category image (optional)
6. Click "Save" to create the category

Using Tags

Tags provide flexible labeling for your products and services:

1. Navigate to "Tags" in the Products & Services section
2. Click "Add New Tag"
3. Enter the tag name and description
4. Click "Save" to create the tag
5. Apply tags to products and services during creation or editing

Inventory Management

Stock Tracking

For physical products, Custojo provides inventory tracking features:

1. Navigate to the "Inventory" tab in the Products & Services section
2. View current stock levels for all products
3. Filter by category, stock status, or warehouse
4. Export inventory reports for analysis

Stock Adjustments

To adjust stock levels:

1. Select a product from the inventory list
2. Click "Adjust Stock"
3. Enter the new stock level or adjustment quantity
4. Provide a reason for the adjustment
5. Click "Save" to update the stock level

Low Stock Alerts

Configure low stock notifications:

1. Navigate to "Settings" in the Products & Services section
2. Select "Inventory Settings"
3. Configure global low stock threshold or set individual thresholds per product
4. Set up email notifications for low stock alerts
5. Save your settings

Pricing Strategies

Basic Pricing

Set standard pricing for your products and services:

1. Edit the product or service
2. Navigate to the "Pricing" tab
3. Set the base price
4. Configure tax settings
5. Save your changes

Discount Management

Create and apply discounts:

1. Navigate to "Discounts" in the Products & Services section
2. Click "Add New Discount"
3. Configure discount details:
   • Name and description
   • Discount type (percentage or fixed amount)
   • Discount value
   • Applicable products or categories
   • Valid date range
4. Save the discount
5. The discount will automatically apply to eligible products

Bulk Price Updates

Update prices for multiple products at once:

1. Navigate to the Products list
2. Select the products you want to update
3. Click "Bulk Actions" and select "Update Prices"
4. Choose the update method:
   • Increase by percentage
   • Decrease by percentage
   • Set fixed amount
5. Enter the value for the selected method
6. Click "Apply" to update prices

Product Variants and Attributes

Creating Product Attributes

Define attributes for your products:

1. Navigate to "Attributes" in the Products & Services section
2. Click "Add New Attribute"
3. Enter the attribute name (e.g., "Color", "Size", "Material")
4. Select the attribute type (text, dropdown, etc.)
5. Add attribute values if using a dropdown type
6. Save the attribute

Setting Up Product Variants

Create variants based on attributes:

1. Edit a product
2. Navigate to the "Variants" tab
3. Select the attributes to use for variants (e.g., Color and Size)
4. Click "Generate Variants"
5. Custojo will create all possible combinations
6. Configure each variant:
   • SKU
   • Price adjustment
   • Stock level
   • Images
7. Save your changes

Importing and Exporting

Importing Products

Import products from external sources:

1. Navigate to "Import/Export" in the Products & Services section
2. Select "Import Products"
3. Download the template CSV file
4. Fill in your product data following the template format
5. Upload the completed CSV file
6. Map the CSV columns to Custojo fields
7. Click "Import" to process the file

Exporting Products

Export your product catalog:

1. Navigate to "Import/Export" in the Products & Services section
2. Select "Export Products"
3. Choose the export format (CSV, Excel, etc.)
4. Select which products to include
5. Configure export options
6. Click "Export" to generate and download the file

Reporting and Analytics

Available Reports

Custojo provides several reports for products and services:

• Sales by product
• Inventory valuation
• Product performance
• Category analysis
• Price comparison
• Profit margin analysis

Generating Reports

To create a report:

1. Navigate to "Reports" in the Products & Services section
2. Select the report type
3. Configure report parameters:
   • Date range
   • Product categories
   • Comparison options
4. Click "Generate Report"
5. View the report or export it for further analysis

Best Practices

Organizing Your Catalog

• Use a consistent naming convention for products and services
• Create a logical category hierarchy
• Use tags for flexible grouping and filtering
• Keep product descriptions clear and comprehensive
• Use high-quality images for all products

Inventory Management

• Conduct regular inventory audits
• Set appropriate low stock thresholds
• Document reasons for all stock adjustments
• Consider using barcode scanning for physical inventory counts
• Analyze inventory turnover to optimize stock levels

Pricing Strategy

• Regularly review and update pricing
• Consider cost-plus pricing for consistent margins
• Use competitive pricing for high-visibility products
• Implement value-based pricing for unique services
• Test different discount strategies to maximize revenue

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Products not appearing in the catalog:

• Check if the product is marked as active
• Verify the product is assigned to the correct category
• Ensure inventory is available for physical products

Pricing discrepancies:

• Check for active discounts affecting the product
• Verify tax settings are configured correctly
• Check for variant-specific pricing overrides

Inventory tracking problems:

• Reconcile physical inventory with system records
• Check for pending orders that may have reserved stock
• Verify warehouse assignments are correct

Next Steps

Now that you understand how to manage products and services in Custojo, consider exploring these related topics:

• Invoice Management
• Point of Sale
• Warehouse and Inventory