What you’ll learn
The four kinds of relation an item can have in CRIBWISE – alternative item, spare parts, matching items and assembly items – and what each one changes during picking.
The Related items view shows every relation an item has, and lets you define and change them.
The four relations at a glance
| Relation | How many | What it does during picking |
| Alternative item | One per item | Offered as a replacement when the item is out of stock. |
| Spare parts | One or many | Can be picked together with the item, or separately. |
| Matching items | Calculated | Shown during picking, so they can be picked in a pick list or separately. |
| Assembly items | One or many, with positions | Listed during picking, and can be picked to compose a new assembly. |
Alternative item
One alternative item can be selected per item. When the item is out of stock and the alternative is available for pick, the alternative is offered as a replacement.
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Selects the alternative item. Disabled when one is already specified. |
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Removes the relation to the alternative item. |
If the item set as alternative has an alternative of its own, that one is shown as an inherited alternative item and is also offered as a substitute during picking.
The tab also lists every item that has this item set as its alternative.
Spare parts
One or many spare parts can be defined per item. Each one needs a required quantity and a position.
Spare parts can then be picked together with the item or separately, and the required quantity sets the default quantity for the pick.
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Selects a new spare part. |
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Updates the required quantity and position of a spare part. |
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Removes the selected spare part relation. |
The tab also lists every item that has this item set as a spare part.
Matching items
Matching items are calculated from ISO parameters. Where a relation is found, matching items can be shown during picking so they can be picked in a pick list or separately.
Note: ISO parameters exist only for items downloaded from external catalogs, and only where the catalog supplies them.
Assembly items
For an item that is an assembly, this section holds the items it is composed of. Each one is identified by a unique position and a required quantity, and the same item can appear several times in one assembly.
Items inside an assembly can be listed during picking. When a device holds enough of them for the required quantities, the SFI allows them to be picked to compose a new assembly. The durable items are then not marked as picked but as used within the assembly, and the assembly can be returned as a single piece.
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Selects a new assembly part. |
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Updates the required quantity and position of the part. |
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Removes the selected item from the assembly. |
For an item that is not an assembly, this section lists every assembly the item is a part of.
Common confusion
| People often think… | But actually… |
| Several alternatives can be set on one item. | One alternative per item. A chain forms because alternatives are inherited. |
| Matching items can be defined by hand. | They are calculated from ISO parameters, which only catalog-imported items carry. |
| A component can only appear once in an assembly. | The same item can be in an assembly several times, at different positions. |
| Picking an assembly’s components is a normal pick. | Durable components are marked as used within the assembly, not as picked. |
Take action
Setting up substitutes? Add the alternative here, then control when it may be picked with item substitutions and phase-in alternatives.
Related articles
- How to set up item substitutions and phase-in alternatives – when an alternative becomes pickable.
- Understanding assemblies and bill-of-materials – how assemblies behave in the system.
- How to create and stock a new assembly in SFI – composing an assembly on the shop floor.
- How to pick an item – where these relations show up for the operator.