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Spend Analytics - Creating and managing categories

Updated

Categories structure spend data into purchasing packages. Categories are created via Admin and then linked to suppliers and cost types. A well-designed category structure is the basis for meaningful spend analyses.

1. Purpose of this article

Categories (formerly: purchasing packages) structure spend data and form the basis for analyses by purchasing domain. This article describes how categories are created and managed.

2. Navigation

Go to:
Admin > Spend settings > Categories

3. Creating a category

  1. Go to Admin > Spend settings > Categories.
  2. Click Add.
  3. Enter the name of the category.
  4. If required, set a parent category for a hierarchical structure.
  5. Click Save.

3.1 Building a category structure

Categories can be structured hierarchically: a main category with underlying subcategories. This makes it possible to analyse both at the top level (e.g. IT) and at subcategory level (e.g. IT - Hardware).

ℹ️
Tip:
Plan the category structure carefully in advance - a logical structure makes analyses much more insightful later on. Align the structure with the organisation's purchasing strategy.

4. Category mappings

After categories have been created, they are linked to suppliers and/or cost types, so that spend data automatically falls into the correct category. See the article Setting up category mappings for the steps.

5. Summary

  • Categories are created via Admin > Spend settings > Categories.
  • A hierarchical structure (main and subcategories) is possible.
  • After creation, categories are linked to suppliers and/or cost types.

This guide provides general information for ISPnext customers. The exact set-up, permissions and configuration may vary by environment. Involve an implementation consultant where necessary.