|
<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation: MLS 2026 Operations & Reference Guide > Inventory > Inventory Data Overview > Pricing, Flags & Vendors |
MLS 2026 provides extensive pricing and vendor management capabilities designed specifically for:
•service businesses
•repair operations
•inventory-intensive environments
The system maintains:
•taxation settings
•core handling
•pricing formulas
•vendor relationships
•inventory costing
•multiple selling prices
for each inventory item.
These functions work together to support:
•accurate workorders
•proper accounting
•inventory profitability
•purchasing efficiency
•customer pricing consistency
throughout the business.
Several inventory flags control how parts behave during:
•workorder processing
•taxation
•pricing
•inventory management
within MLS 2026.
Most jurisdictions require:
👉 sales tax
to be charged on parts sales.
However:
•exemptions
•special categories
•non-taxable items
may also exist.
MLS 2026 allows tax handling to be controlled at:
•the global system level
and
•the individual inventory item level.
If:
👉 parts taxation is enabled
within system setup:
👉 taxable parts
should have:
•the Tax flag checked.
If the Tax field is left blank:
👉 that item becomes tax exempt
even when:
👉 parts taxation is generally enabled.
This provides flexibility for handling:
•exempt products
•regulated items
•special tax categories
•jurisdiction-specific rules
The Tax flag serves as:
👉 the default setting
for the inventory item.
However:
👉 tax status may still be overridden
during:
•individual workorder processing
when necessary.
If a part requires:
👉 a core exchange
the:
👉 Core flag
should be enabled.
When active:
👉 MLS 2026 automatically applies:
•core tracking
•core charges
•core processing
associated with that inventory item.
This integrates directly with:
•inventory control
•customer billing
•vendor core management
throughout the system.
MLS 2026 includes a powerful:
👉 Pricing Table system
for automating inventory pricing.
Rather than manually calculating prices for every item:
👉 markup formulas may be assigned automatically.
Each inventory item may reference:
👉 its own Pricing Table.
Pricing tables contain:
•markup formulas
•pricing rules
•calculated pricing structures
based on:
•inventory cost
•pricing ranges
•business policies
The Pricing Table system is discussed in detail later under:
👉 Creating Price Markup Tables.
To use automated pricing:
👉 enter the Pricing Table code
within the inventory record.
Pricing Table codes are:
👉 always two characters long.
When:
👉 Pricing
or:
👉 Price Calc
is selected:
👉 MLS 2026 automatically calculates:
•suggested selling prices
•wholesale pricing
•markup structures
based on:
👉 the assigned Pricing Table.
The system then asks whether:
👉 the calculated values should be accepted.
This greatly speeds:
•inventory setup
•pricing updates
•vendor price adjustments
while improving:
•pricing consistency
•profitability control
throughout the business.
Each inventory item may contain:
👉 up to four vendors.
These vendors should represent:
👉 the preferred suppliers
for that part.
⚠️ Vendor references must use:
👉 the official Accounts Payable vendor account numbers
created within:
👉 Disbursements / Accounts Payable.
Do NOT create:
•unofficial vendor shortcuts
•custom codes
•alternate identifiers
because:
👉 MLS 2026 relies on these account references for:
•purchasing
•part lookups
•Purchase Orders
•vendor tracking
•automatic ordering
throughout the system.
Vendors should normally be entered in:
👉 purchasing priority order.
The primary supplier should appear first, followed by:
•secondary vendors
•backup suppliers
•alternate sources
This improves:
•purchasing efficiency
•vendor lookup speed
•ordering workflow
during daily operations.
MLS 2026 continuously maintains:
👉 inventory costing information
for each inventory item.
This helps provide:
•accurate profitability
•realistic inventory valuation
•reliable pricing analysis
throughout the system.
The:
👉 Average Cost
field represents:
👉 the true average inventory value
based on:
•current inventory quantities
•prior inventory value
•newly received inventory costs
If:
•5 filters are purchased for $10.00
then:
👉 average cost = $2.00 each
Later:
•5 more are purchased for $5.00
then:
👉 total inventory value = $15.00
👉 total inventory quantity = 10
Resulting in:
👉 an average cost of $1.50 each.
⚠️ Once established:
👉 Average Cost should generally NOT be manually changed.
Improper changes may create:
•inaccurate inventory valuation
•distorted profitability
•incorrect accounting
•unreliable reports
When initially setting up inventory:
👉 always enter:
•a realistic current inventory cost
If unknown:
👉 use the current replacement cost
rather than leaving:
👉 0.00
which may later cause:
•incorrect pricing
•inaccurate calculations
•distorted reports
throughout MLS 2026.
The:
👉 Last Price Paid
field stores:
👉 the most recent vendor cost
for the item.
Whenever inventory is received:
👉 MLS 2026 automatically updates this value.
This allows management to quickly identify:
•rising costs
•vendor increases
•changing market pricing
and adjust:
•retail pricing
•profitability targets
accordingly.
The:
👉 Core Value
represents:
👉 the amount paid to the supplier
for the rebuildable core.
When the core is returned:
👉 the vendor should normally issue:
•a core credit
based on this value.
The:
👉 Retail
field contains:
👉 the standard selling price
charged to customers.
Accurate retail pricing is extremely important because:
•vendor pricing changes constantly
•imported product costs fluctuate
•market conditions shift regularly
Outdated pricing can quickly reduce:
👉 profitability.
MLS 2026 supports:
👉 four additional pricing levels
beyond standard retail pricing.
These may be used for:
•wholesale accounts
•fleet pricing
•senior discounts
•commercial customers
•preferred clients
•special pricing agreements
The pricing structure is:
👉 completely customizable.
Pricing may be assigned:
•manually
or
•automatically through Pricing Tables.
The:
👉 Core Charge
is the amount billed to:
👉 the customer
until:
•the old core is returned
or
•the core obligation is resolved.
This amount should normally exceed:
👉 the actual vendor core value
to help cover:
•handling
•processing
•administrative overhead
associated with core management.
MLS 2026 supports:
👉 fixed special assessments
such as:
•Federal Excise Tax (FET)
•tire disposal fees
•battery fees
•environmental assessments
These are often:
👉 fixed amounts
rather than percentage-based taxes.
Many jurisdictions now regulate:
👉 hazardous waste disposal
for products such as:
•oil
•chemicals
•batteries
•refrigerants
•solvents
MLS 2026 allows:
👉 per-unit hazardous waste charges
to be assigned directly to inventory items.
⚠️ Always verify:
👉 state and local regulations
because some jurisdictions limit:
•the amount that may legally be charged to customers.
The:
👉 Shipping Weight
field stores:
👉 the normal shipping weight
including:
•packaging
•containers
This supports:
•freight calculations
•shipping estimates
•delivery systems
within MLS 2026.
MLS 2026 includes:
👉 a built-in line calculator
for pricing fields.
When the cursor is inside:
•Retail
or
•Wholesale pricing fields
press:
👉 Space Bar
to activate the calculator.
This allows rapid calculation of:
•markups
•markdowns
•multipliers
•pricing adjustments
directly inside the inventory screen.
Example:
Cost × Markup Percentage
Once calculated:
👉 the result is automatically inserted into the field.
⚠️ Remember to:
👉 Save
the inventory record afterward.
Although the internal calculator is helpful:
👉 Pricing Tables are generally faster and more consistent
for large inventory systems.
Automated pricing tables help maintain:
•pricing consistency
•profitability targets
•rapid updates
•standardized markups
across the entire inventory database.
Inventory pricing affects:
•profitability
•customer confidence
•inventory valuation
•purchasing decisions
•accounting accuracy
throughout MLS 2026.
Proper pricing management helps ensure:
•consistent margins
•operational stability
•accurate inventory control
•sustainable profitability
within the business.
•Use Pricing Tables whenever possible
•Review retail pricing regularly
•Monitor rising vendor costs
•Maintain accurate Average Cost values
•Avoid manually changing inventory costing fields
•Verify taxability settings carefully
•Use official vendor account numbers only
•Maintain vendor priority order consistently
•Review hazardous waste regulations periodically
•Standardize wholesale pricing structures
•Use core tracking consistently
•Audit inventory pricing periodically
This section works closely with:
•Inventory Editor
•Pricing Tables
•Vendor Management
•Purchase Orders
•Stock Input
•Accounting Integration
•Workorders
•Inventory Reports
•Core Tracking
•Accounts Payable
Together, these sections provide a complete inventory pricing and purchasing workflow system within MLS 2026.