Problem

When creating a child matrix item, the following error message is either displayed or emailed after attempting item constitution:

"You have entered an invalid field value X for the following field: parent", where X refers to a parent item's internal ID.

Solution

1. Make sure that the parent matrix item is not set as inactive. If the parent matrix item is set as inactive, it cannot be referenced. The parent matrix item would need to be set as active to allow child matrix item constitution.
   
   
2. Similar to the first point, a workflow, field mapping, or script may be automatically setting the parent matrix item to inactive, which in turn prevents it from being referenced. Have your NetSuite Administrator confirm if any such customization exists within your NetSuite environment.
   
   

3. This issue may arise if the parent item was initially constituted in NetSuite as one item type, like a Non-Inventory item, and then the item constitution's item type settings were later changed to constitute Inventory items. In this case, a new child matrix item (of the inventory item type) cannot be added to the existing parent item because it's a non-inventory item type.
   

   The resolution for this scenario depends on the item types involved and whether there are related transactions associated with the existing items.
   

   1. If the parent matrix item is a non-inventory item and your current settings are set to constitute inventory items, you can convert your parent matrix item to an inventory item using NetSuite's item type conversion feature.
      
      Alternatively, if the parent item and any subitems haven't been used in any NetSuite transactions, you can delete the existing items and create new items instead.
      
      
   2. If the parent matrix item is an inventory item and your current settings are set to constitute non-inventory items, you need to unlink the item from the associated item constitution process so that it doesn't try to use the existing parent item. You can delink an item by removing its associated product and part ids. Note: the specific fields to delink the item will vary depending on if you are using eXtendAlphaBroder, eXtendASI-DE, eXtendPS-DE, or eXtendSanMar.
      
      
      
      The items must be delinked since NetSuite doesn't permit the conversion of inventory items to non-inventory items. This conversion would otherwise enable the use of the existing parent item.