A phantom assembly is typically a non-stocked assembly that groups the components needed to produce a subassembly. They are called phantoms because they are not counted as inventory items but are created to fulfil the requirements of a higher-level assembly.
To create a phantom assembly:
1.Go to Lists > Accounting > Items > New
2.Select Assembly/Bill of Materials from the Item Type column.
3.Complete the fields.
4.On the Purchasing/Inventory tab Inventory Management section, check the Phantom box.
5.On the Components subtab, add the required components for the assembly and then update the Item Source field as required.
6.If the phantom assembly contains sub-assemblies, check the Mark Sub-Assemblies Phantom box to mark them as phantoms.
7.Click Save.
Item Source Field
The Item Source column appears on Bill of Materials (BOM), BOM Revision Record, and Work Order transactions. It is used to specify the preferred method of supply for a particular item. Source options include: Stock, Phantom, Purchase Order, and Work Order. The Assembly and BOM Revision Record item source values are then used as work order and assembly build defaults. This is then reflected in the Assembly/Bill of Material and Work Order records.
On assembly builds, NetSuite uses the item source values (stock or phantom) from the assembly and BOM revision record. However, the column field item source does not appear. The system expands the list of components on the assembly build when the list of components contains a sub-assembly with a phantom item source. You can override these default values on either the BOM record or the work order record.
The following diagram illustrates how NetSuite determines default item source values.
- The Frame is an inventory item. When the Special Order Item box is clear, the Item Source is marked as Stock.
- The Wheel assembly item is marked Phantom. Because the mark Sub-Assemblies Phantom box was clear, the wheel assembly work order is marked Phantom, but its sub components are taken from stock. If the Special-Order Item box is checked, the item source is marked Work Order.
- The Handle bar is normally an inventory item. When the Special Order Item box is checked, the Item Source is marked Purchase Order.
Item Source Set to Phantom
When the Item Source field is set to Phantom, the sub-assembly components appear indented under the Phantom on the Bill of Materials. This cannot be edited.
Inventory Detail Field
When the Item Source field is set to Phantom, the component sub-assembly is built as a part of the higher-level assembly. Assembly and Inventory Items can be assigned a serial or lot number when you produce or receive them. After the item is consumed, in the Work Order Item subtab Inventory Detail field, select the serial or lot number being used.