Tips for Item Number Formats

While you design your item numbering format, consider the following suggestions:

• Use numbers (rather than letters or combinations of numbers and letters) for all segments to make the order in which item numbers appear on reports and in lists more predictable.

• Define item numbers so you have room to add items in the future. For example, assign large numbers such as 1100, 1200, and 1300 to a segment for consecutive items, rather than 1100, 1101, and 1102. Using large numbers leaves you room to assign a new item number, such as 1150, between two existing numbers (1100 and 1200).

• Assign item numbers according to the order in which you want items to appear on reports and lists. For example, identify the style of an item as men’s or women’s by assigning a style segment 1100, 1200, and 1300 for men’s styles, and 2100, 2200, and 2300 for women’s styles.

• Use segments of different lengths in an item number format so you can easily tell what each part of an item number represents.