BUILT
The Built product is basically a 'template' for the machine and is normally used as the Product for all Assets, so whenever we look for Supplies or Components for the Asset, it looks at the product relationships on it's Built product. Likewise the Asset knows if it has Black/Colour meters based on the meter configuration on this Built product.
The Built product is also what you add to a Sales Order, as it has the function to configure a Bill of Materials (where you can select from the Simple products that are related Components and Supplies for that Built Product).
SIMPLE
The base unit is a Simple product and has a Component relationship of type 'Base' with the Built product. The simple product is what you add to all Purchase Orders with the supplier, so you should be using the Suppliers product code. Otherwise this needs to be manually updated on each purchase order you do.
The simple product is serialized and when you receipt it from the Supplier, the serial number is entered as part of the receipt and tracked as an individual stock holding. This stock holding is then moves out of stock when that simple product is included on a sales order (as the Base component in the Bill of Materials for the Built product). The serial is selected when the dispatch for that Sales Order is allocated.
This Serial Number is also used as the serial on the Asset.
Refurbs
When doing a refurb, returning the Asset to the warehouse, then 'Making it Available' for sale will prompt you to generate a Stock Adjustment that re-adds the Simple product into stock (so it can be dispatched on another order). The system assumes that you will be refurbing it, so the stock adjustment looks to add a new product exactly the same as the Simple product with a Base component relationship to the Built product. However this new product will add a -R to the end of it's product code and the word (REFURB) at the end of the description.
Examples below (both simple products have a BASE relationship to the Built product):
Product Code - MP4003SP
Type - Built
Description - MP4003SP
Stock Tracking - Non Stocked
Meter Configuration - Colour
Product Code - 777416
Type - Simple
Description - BASE UNIT FOR MP4003SP
Stock Tracking - Serialized
Meter Configuration - None
Product Code - 777416R
Type - Simple
Description - BASE UNIT FOR MP4003SP (REFURB)
Stock Tracking - Serialized
Meter Configuration - None