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Material Master

The Material Master is the centralized database for all materials used across your projects. It defines material properties, categorization, units of measure, approved substitutes, and production recipes.

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Navigation: Main Menu → Procurement → Material Master
Material Master grid showing category tree on the left with material groups, and material list on the right with codes, names, UOMs, and HSN codes
Material Master grid with category tree (left) and material list (right). Click a category to filter materials.

Material Database & Categorization

Every material used in procurement, inventory, and consumption must first be defined in the Material Master. Materials are organized in a hierarchical structure that supports efficient searching, reporting, and budgeting:

Material Hierarchy

  • Material Group — The top-level classification (e.g., Cement, Steel, Aggregates, Electrical)
  • Material Sub-Group — A secondary classification within the group (e.g., under Steel: TMT Bars, Structural Steel, MS Plates)
  • Material Item — The individual material record with full specifications
Centralized Master

The Material Master is shared across all projects in the organization. Defining a material once makes it available for all jobs, ensuring consistent naming, specifications, and units across the enterprise.

Material Properties

Each material record captures the essential attributes needed for procurement, inventory, and cost tracking:

Field Required Description
Material Code Required Unique identifier for the material, auto-generated or manually assigned
Material Name Required Descriptive name of the material (e.g., "TMT Bar Fe500D 12mm")
Material Group Required Top-level category the material belongs to
Material Sub-Group Optional Secondary classification within the material group
Unit of Measure (UOM) Required Primary unit used for procurement and inventory (e.g., MT, Kg, Nos, Cum, Sqm)
HSN/SAC Code Optional Tax classification code for GST compliance
Specifications Optional Detailed technical specifications, grade, brand preferences
Tax Configuration Optional Default tax rates (CGST, SGST, IGST) applicable to the material

Units of Measure (UOM)

JobNext supports a comprehensive set of units of measure commonly used in construction. The UOM defined in the Material Master becomes the default unit for all transactions involving that material:

  • Weight — MT (Metric Tonnes), Kg, Quintal
  • Volume — Cum (Cubic Metres), Litres, KL (Kilolitres)
  • Area — Sqm (Square Metres), Sqft (Square Feet)
  • Length — Rm (Running Metres), m (Metres)
  • Count — Nos (Numbers), Set, Pair, Bag, Bundle

Material Alternates

The Material Alternates feature lets you define approved substitute materials for any primary material. When a primary material is unavailable or a vendor offers an equivalent product, alternates provide a controlled way to manage substitutions.

Setting Up Alternates

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  1. Open the Material Master Navigate to the Material Master and select the primary material you want to configure alternates for.
  2. Go to the Material Alternates Tab Within the material record, switch to the Material Alternates tab to view and manage substitutes.
  3. Add Alternate Materials Use the "Select Material" dropdown to search for and add materials that can serve as substitutes for the primary item.
  4. Save the Configuration Save the record. The alternate materials are now linked to the primary material and will be visible throughout the procurement workflow.

Alternates in Procurement

Once configured, alternate materials become visible and usable in the following areas:

  • Estimates — Alternates appear alongside primary materials when building cost estimates
  • Material Requisitions — Site teams can see available alternates when raising demands
  • RFQs & Vendor Offers — Vendors can submit offers using approved alternate materials instead of the primary item
  • Purchase Orders — When an alternate is accepted in a vendor offer, it carries forward automatically into the PO
Important

Only materials that have been pre-approved as alternates in the Material Master can be substituted during procurement. This prevents unauthorized material changes that could affect quality or compliance.

Bill of Materials (BOM)

For materials that are produced in-house (such as ready-mix concrete, hot-mix asphalt, or concrete blocks), the Bill of Materials feature defines the recipe or formula specifying the raw materials and quantities needed to produce a unit of the finished product.

BOM Structure

Component Required Description
Parent Material Required The finished product being manufactured (e.g., M25 Ready-Mix Concrete)
Component Material Required Each raw material required for production (e.g., Cement, Sand, Aggregate, Water)
Quantity per Unit Required The quantity of each component needed to produce one unit of the parent material
UOM Required Unit of measure for each component quantity
Production Tracking

When production output is recorded in the Equipment module, the BOM is used to automatically calculate raw material consumption, deducting the correct quantities from inventory.

Best Practices

  • Standardize naming conventions — Use consistent naming patterns across material groups to make searching and reporting easier
  • Set up tax codes early — Configure HSN codes and tax rates during material creation to avoid manual corrections later
  • Define alternates proactively — Identify and approve substitute materials before procurement begins to avoid project delays
  • Maintain BOM accuracy — Keep production recipes updated to ensure accurate inventory consumption tracking
  • Use sub-groups effectively — Organize materials into meaningful sub-groups to simplify filtering in MRs, RFQs, and reports