Units of measure

A unit of measure (UoM) defines how an item is counted — each, kilogram, liter, meter, or case. Setting it correctly keeps quantities, costs, and conversions accurate everywhere.

Set an item’s unit

1. Create or edit an item.
2. Choose its default unit of measure — the unit you stock and count in.
3. Save.

This default is the base unit for the item’s on-hand quantity and activity log.

Buying and selling in different units

Many businesses buy in one unit and stock in another — for example, buy by the case but count in each. Define a conversion so Fiddle translates between them:

Setting	Example
Stock unit	Each
Purchase unit	Case of 12
Conversion	1 case = 12 each

When you receive a purchase order in cases, Fiddle adds the converted quantity to stock in each.

Choose the stock unit before any transactions exist. Changing it later can misstate historical quantities and costs.

Tips for choosing a unit

• Stock in the smallest unit you actually pick or sell.
• Keep weight/volume units consistent within a category for clean reporting.
• For items sold loose by weight, use a measured unit (kg, lb) rather than each.

If a supplier changes pack sizes, update the purchase conversion rather than the stock unit so your on-hand history stays intact.