Settings Overview
Configure how Synplex behaves for your products, inventory, and planning.
Quick Answer
Settings is where you control the foundation of how Synplex works: thresholds, lead times, data accuracy, and special product handling.
What you can do:
├─ Global Insights: Set system-wide thresholds (all products)
├─ Product Customization: Override settings for specific products
├─ Data Accuracy: Verify and clean up your data
├─ Bulk Actions: Hide or discontinue products
├─ Location Sync: Manage inventory locations
└─ Other Settings: Suppliers, notifications, API, etc.
Why it matters:
- ✅ Accurate reorder alerts depend on correct thresholds
- ✅ Thresholds are based on YOUR business (not generic defaults)
- ✅ Clean data = clean insights = better decisions
- ✅ Special product handling prevents mistakes
- ✅ Settings cascade: Global → Customized → Reports
Where Settings Fit
The Synplex Workflow
1. SETUP (First time)
├─ Configure Settings (this folder)
├─ Define your thresholds
├─ Clean your data
└─ Customize special products
2. OPERATIONS (Daily)
├─ View Inventory (Folder 05)
├─ See alerts based on your settings
├─ Create Purchase Orders (Folder 04)
└─ Monitor performance
3. PLANNING (Weekly/Monthly)
├─ Review Insights (Folder 06)
├─ Analyze trends
├─ Adjust Settings if needed
└─ Fine-tune thresholds
4. INTEGRATION (Ongoing)
├─ Sync with suppliers (Folder 07)
├─ Sync with ERP/accounting (Folder 07)
├─ Keep data in sync
└─ Maintain accuracy (Settings)
Decision Tree: Which Setting Do I Need?
Start here: What do you want to do?
I want to adjust when products alert as "Running Low"
├─ Are these thresholds for ALL products?
│ └─ Yes → Go to: Global Insights Configuration
│
└─ No, just specific products?
└─ Go to: Product-Level Customization
---
I want to hide products from reordering
├─ Temporarily (might bring back later)?
│ └─ Go to: Product Discontinuation
│
└─ Permanently (don't want to track)?
└─ Go to: Bulk Exclude Products
---
I want to manage inventory locations
├─ Sync locations between systems?
│ └─ Go to: Location Sync Management
│
└─ Clean up location data?
└─ Go to: Data Accuracy & Cleanup
---
My data looks wrong or inconsistent
├─ Missing products?
├─ Wrong stock levels?
├─ Duplicates?
└─ Go to: Data Accuracy & Cleanup
---
I want to customize how one product behaves
├─ Different supplier lead time?
├─ Different criticality?
├─ Seasonal adjustments?
└─ Go to: Product-Level Customization
---
I want to manage suppliers, notifications, API, users
├─ (Limited availability - may not all be in scope yet)
└─ Contact support for additional settings
Settings Guide Map
Core Settings (Everyone Needs These)
** Global Insights Configuration**
Set thresholds that apply to all products
What it covers:
├─ Lead time (how long suppliers take)
├─ Safety stock (buffer against delays)
├─ Running Low threshold (when to alert)
├─ Overstocked threshold (when to flag excess)
├─ Product grading system (A/B/C grades)
└─ Daily sales calculation (for trending)
Who uses it:
├─ Inventory managers (setting it up)
├─ Everyone else (seeing results)
└─ Typically: Set once, review quarterly
Read time: 7–8 minutes
When to start: First thing after setup
Complexity: Medium (understanding lead time + safety stock)
Impact: HIGH (affects all products)
Data Hygiene (Everyone Needs Eventually)
Data Accuracy & Cleanup
Verify and maintain clean data
What it covers:
├─ Why data accuracy matters
├─ Identifying data problems
├─ Verifying your data is correct
├─ Fixing common issues
├─ Best practices for ongoing hygiene
└─ Troubleshooting sync issues
Who uses it:
├─ Data managers (verifying quality)
├─ Inventory managers (spot checking)
├─ Support teams (troubleshooting)
└─ Everyone (ensures system reliability)
Read time: 5–6 minutes
When to start: Right after Global Insights (ensure good data)
Complexity: Low (best practices focused)
Impact: HIGH (clean data = clean insights)
Advanced Customization (Power Users)
Product-Level Customization
Override global settings for specific products
What it covers:
├─ When to customize vs. use global
├─ Different suppliers (5-day vs. 45-day)
├─ Critical vs. non-critical products
├─ Seasonal products
├─ Volatile demand items
├─ Contract/minimum order quantities
Who uses it:
├─ Advanced users (fine-tuning)
├─ Inventory specialists
├─ Operations managers
└─ Typically: 10–20% of products
Read time: 4–5 minutes
When to start: After Global Insights + Data Accuracy
Complexity: Medium-High (requires judgment)
Impact: MEDIUM (optimizes exceptions)
Bulk Product Management (As Needed)
Bulk Exclude Products
Hide products from tracking completely
What it covers:
├─ When to exclude (discontinue, damaged, etc.)
├─ How to bulk exclude many products
├─ What gets hidden
├─ How to reactivate
└─ Best practices for cleanup
Who uses it:
├─ Inventory managers (housekeeping)
├─ Operations (discontinuations)
└─ Quarterly cleanup
Read time: 6–7 minutes
When to start: When you need to hide discontinued items
Complexity: Low (straightforward bulk action)
Impact: MEDIUM (keeps reports clean)
Product Discontinuation
Prevent reordering without deleting (temporary or permanent)
What it covers:
├─ "Do Not Restock" status (different from exclusion)
├─ When to use vs. bulk exclude
├─ How to apply status
├─ How to reactivate
├─ Workflows (seasonal, quality issues, etc.)
Who uses it:
├─ Inventory managers (marking discontinued)
├─ Operations (temporary holds)
├─ Seasonal management
└─ More often than bulk exclude
Read time: 6–7 minutes
When to start: When you have products to discontinue
Complexity: Low (simple status toggle)
Impact: MEDIUM (prevents accidents)
Integration & Location Management (As Needed)
** Location Sync Management**
Manage inventory across multiple locations
What it covers:
├─ Syncing inventory between locations
├─ When to sync vs. unsync
├─ Managing multi-location inventory
├─ Best practices for distributed stock
└─ Troubleshooting sync issues
Who uses it:
├─ Multi-location businesses
├─ Warehouse managers
├─ Regional managers
└─ Others: May not be needed
Read time: 7–8 minutes
When to start: If you have multiple locations
Complexity: Medium (location mapping)
Impact: MEDIUM (location-dependent)
How to Use This Folder
For First-Time Setup (New Synplex User)
Week 1: Foundation
├─ Step 1: Read this overview (Settings Overview)
│ └─ Purpose: Understand what Settings is
│
├─ Step 2: Read Global Insights
│ └─ Purpose: Set system-wide thresholds
│
├─ Step 3: Read Data Accuracy
│ └─ Purpose: Verify your data is clean
│
└─ Timeline: 1–2 hours of reading + setup
Week 2: Customization (if needed)
├─ Step 4: Read Product-Level Customization
│ └─ Purpose: Handle exceptions
│
├─ Step 5: Identify which products need customization
│ └─ Critical items, different suppliers, seasonal
│
└─ Timeline: 1–2 hours of setup
Week 3: Operational Setup
├─ Step 6: Read Bulk Exclude & Discontinuation
│ └─ Purpose: Clean up products
│
├─ Step 7: Read Location Sync if multi-location
│ └─ Purpose: Set up inventory locations
│
└─ Timeline: 1 hour
For Existing Users (Troubleshooting)
My alerts don't seem right:
1. Go to: Global Insights Configuration
2. Check: Lead time, safety stock, thresholds
3. Verify: Match your actual business
4. Update: If values are wrong
My data looks inconsistent:
1. Go to: Data Accuracy & Cleanup
2. Identify: What's wrong (duplicates, wrong stock, etc.)
3. Follow: Troubleshooting steps
4. Fix: The underlying issue
A specific product behaves differently:
1. Go to: Product-Level Customization
2. Check: Does it have custom settings? (toggle ON?)
3. Review: Are custom values still correct?
4. Update: If something changed
I have too many discontinued/excluded products:
1. Go to: Bulk Exclude Products or Product Discontinuation
2. Find: The products
3. Reactivate: If appropriate
4. Verify: Clean list
Settings Relationships
How these guides work together:
GLOBAL INSIGHTS - The Foundation
├─ Sets: Lead time, safety stock, thresholds
├─ Affects: ALL products
│
└─ Then customize with ↓
PRODUCT CUSTOMIZATION - The Exceptions
├─ Overrides: Global for specific products
├─ Use for: Different suppliers, critical items, seasonal
│
├─ Plus manage with ↓
BULK ACTIONS - The Housekeeping
├─ Hide: Discontinued or excluded products
├─ Use for: Cleanup, preventing mistakes
│
├─ Plus maintain with ↓
DATA ACCURACY - The Hygiene
├─ Verify: Your data is correct
├─ Fix: Problems (duplicates, wrong stock)
├─ Ensure: Reports are trustworthy
│
└─ And coordinate with ↓
LOCATION SYNC - The Distribution
├─ Manage: Multi-location inventory
├─ Sync: Stock between locations
└─ Use if: You have multiple warehouses
Example workflow:
1. Set global lead time: 15 days
2. Customize Nike products: 5 days (faster supplier)
3. Customize international: 45 days (slower supplier)
4. Bulk exclude: Discontinued items
5. Verify data: Check for duplicates, wrong stock
6. Monitor reports: See alerts based on customization
7. Adjust quarterly: Review if settings still correct
FAQ
Q: How often should I review my settings?
A:
Global settings:
├─ Review: Quarterly (every 3 months)
├─ Change if: Business changed (new suppliers, etc.)
└─ Typical: Set once, tweak occasionally
Product customization:
├─ Review: When supplier changes
├─ Review: When demand pattern changes
├─ Review: Seasonally (adjust seasonal products)
└─ Typical: Adjust as needed
Data accuracy:
├─ Check: Weekly spot-check
├─ Full audit: Monthly
├─ Fix issues: Immediately when found
└─ Typical: Ongoing maintenance
One rule: If settings change, update documentation so your team knows why.
Q: What if I set wrong thresholds?
A:
Don't worry, it's easy to fix:
Step 1: Identify the problem
├─ Too many false alerts? → Threshold too low
├─ Not enough alerts? → Threshold too high
└─ Wrong for specific product? → Use product-level override
Step 2: Go back to Global Insights
├─ Update: The threshold value
├─ Save: Changes apply immediately
└─ Monitor: See if alerts improve
Step 3: It takes effect right away
├─ Existing products: Use new threshold
├─ Reports: Update immediately
├─ No data loss: All historical data preserved
Typical: Adjust once or twice before hitting sweet spot.
Q: Can I use different settings for different teams?
A:
Not directly in Settings folder, but:
├─ Global: One setting for all
├─ Product-level: Different per product
│ ├─ Team A manages product X (critical)
│ │ └─ Customize for high safety stock
│ │
│ └─ Team B manages product Y (commodity)
│ └─ Keep global (low safety stock)
│
└─ Result: Each team sees appropriate alerts for their products
Q: What happens if I don't customize anything?
A:
Perfectly fine! The system will:
├─ Use global settings for ALL products
├─ Generate alerts based on global thresholds
├─ Work well for most businesses
├─ Especially if products are similar
Customize only if:
├─ You have very different suppliers
├─ Some products are critical
├─ You have seasonal items
└─ Otherwise: Global settings alone are sufficient
Q: Can I revert settings to defaults?
A:
Yes, multiple ways:
Option 1: Manual
├─ Go to: Settings page
├─ Click: "Reset to defaults" (if available)
└─ Confirm: Reverting all
Option 2: For product-level only
├─ Go to: Product detail
├─ Toggle: "Override global settings" OFF
├─ Result: Product goes back to using global
Option 3: Contact support
├─ If you need to restore old settings
├─ They have backups
└─ Can help migrate
Navigation Quick Links
| Need | Guide | Read Time |
|---|---|---|
| Set thresholds for all products | Global Insights | 7–8 min |
| Customize specific products | Product Customization | 4–5 min |
| Verify & clean data | Data Accuracy | 5–6 min |
| Hide products from ordering | Discontinuation | 6–7 min |
| Exclude from tracking | Bulk Exclude | 6–7 min |
| Manage locations | Location Sync | 7–8 min |
Total reading time for entire Settings folder: ~40–46 minutes
Checklist: Settings Setup
Week 1: Foundation
- Read Settings Overview (this page)
- Read Global Insights Configuration
- Set lead time (days suppliers take)
- Set safety stock (buffer days)
- Set Running Low threshold
- Set Overstocked threshold
- Read Data Accuracy & Cleanup
- Run initial data audit
- Fix any obvious issues (duplicates, wrong stock)
Week 2–3: Customization
- Identify products needing customization (if any)
- Read Product-Level Customization
- Customize critical products
- Customize products with different suppliers
- Document why each was customized
- Test alerts on a few products
Week 4: Housekeeping
- Read Bulk Exclude & Discontinuation
- Remove discontinued products
- Exclude damaged or invalid items
- Document why each was removed
- Run reports to verify clean data
Ongoing: Maintenance
- Weekly: Spot-check data quality
- Monthly: Full data audit
- Quarterly: Review global settings
- As needed: Adjust product-level settings
- Document all changes
Next Steps
- Just starting? → Read Global Insights Configuration
- Want to customize? → Read Product-Level Customization
- Data looks wrong? → Read Data Accuracy & Cleanup
- Need to hide products? → Read Product Discontinuation or Bulk Exclude
- Multi-location? → Read Location Sync Management