Engineering English
Item Master
Industrial Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: An item master is a central database record containing all permanent data for a specific part or product, such as description, unit of measure, lead time, and cost. It is the foundation for MRP, purchasing, and inventory management.
Example in context
“The item master for part 2024-AB shows a manufacturing lead time of three weeks and a unit cost of forty-five dollars.”
“2024-AB parçasının malzeme ana kaydı, üç haftalık üretim teslim süresi ve kırk beş dolarlık birim maliyet gösteriyor.”
Where engineers use it
Found in ERP system screens, data maintenance procedures, and integration with planning modules. Engineers rely on accurate item master data to ensure correct BOM explosions, lead time calculations, and cost roll-ups.
Synonyms: material master, part master, product record
Practice: can you use “Item Master” at work?
Your company is migrating to a new ERP system. The item master for a legacy part has incomplete lead time and cost fields. What steps would you take to validate and populate this data before going live?
Show a model answer
“Check the item master lead time before setting the safety stock level.”
“Item Master” in 21 languages
| English | Item Master |
|---|---|
| Turkish | Malzeme ana kaydı |
| French | Fiche article |
| German | Materialstamm |
| Spanish | Maestro de artículos |
| Chinese | 物料主数据 |
| Arabic | سجل المادة الرئيسي |
| Portuguese | Cadastro de item |
| Russian | Основная запись номенклатуры |
| Japanese | 品目マスター |
| Italian | Anagrafica articolo |
| Vietnamese | Dữ liệu chính của item |
| Hindi | आइटम मास्टर |
| Thai | ข้อมูลหลักของรายการสินค้า |
| Indonesian | Master item |
| Korean | 품목 마스터 |
| Bengali | আইটেম মাস্টার |
| Dutch | Artikelstam |
| Swedish | Artikeldatabas |
| Finnish | Nimikkeen perustiedot |
| Ukrainian | Основний запис номенклатури |
Frequently asked questions
What does Item Master mean in engineering?
An item master is a central database record containing all permanent data for a specific part or product, such as description, unit of measure, lead time, and cost. It is the foundation for MRP, purchasing, and inventory management. In Industrial Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Item Master?
Item Master is pronounced /ˈaɪtəm ˈmæstər/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Item Master used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The item master for part 2024-AB shows a manufacturing lead time of three weeks and a unit cost of forty-five dollars.”
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