Overview
Item substitution is the process of substituting or swapping a quantity of one item for the same quantity of another item within a production order/job. Substitution can be done to both sub-parts and material, but only the same type and unit of measure can be substituted (ie. part for part; material for material, each for each, length for length, etc). Substitution performs three operations:
- Swaps the allocation from the original item to the substituted item
- Prints out the substitution details on the Job Ticket or Picking List
- Allows the new substituted item to be picked against the job.
Material substitution can only occur for inventory items (ie. items that have allocations against them), and only if the item to be substituted does not have picking against it.
Creating, amending and removing a substitution require password-protected security access. This access can be granted within the ‘Employee Details’ window, on the “Security” tab.
Create an Item Substitution
Step 1: Select an Item for Substitution
Open the ORDERS tab on the Opto ribbon, and then click on the ‘Edit Factory Order’ icon. Enter the order number or press <F2> and select required order from the pop-up list, then click OK. Press <TAB> to generate the order’s details and open the “Allocation” tab. A substitution can be completed on the items in the areas for the inventory items on the Allocation tab of the order.
Scroll through the allocated materials list and right-mouse-click on the material that you wish to substitute and select Substitute for this Mat from the options list.
Step 2: Enter the Substitution Details (New Item and Quantity)
The “Substitute QTY” field must be the same as the “Current Qty Used” to remove the full allocation. Click on the OK icon.
Step 3: Authorise the Substitution –
Enter your internal employee password and click OK.
The allocation for the original material is now zero and the allocation quantity is transferred to the substituted material.
Press <F9> to save the Order.
Remove an Item Substitution
Step 1: Select the Substitution material and do a right-mouse-click on the material that you wish to substitute and select View Details for Substitute from the options list.
Step 2: Click on the Remove icon, a message appears to confirm the removal of the substitution – click on the Yes icon.
Enter your internal employee password and click on OK. The substitution has been removed and the allocation has been returned to the original material.
Opto Sofware Pty Ltd Revised: 12/02/25
