If you have the sales order processing volume, you will probably find that you will create most of your purchase orders remotely from that volume. Even stocking orders can be created in this fashion. However, purchase order processing must be present, if only working in the background, for this process to occur.
The ‘Enter purchase orders’ function is available for purchase order creation. The screen it uses is also used when checking purchase orders created using the ‘Batch purchase order’ function.
The information requested for each purchase order is as follows:
State
The title of the screen reflects the current State of the purchase order. The default on creating a new purchase order will be the State defined in the Data Manager with the lowest code (as sorted alphabetically). The arrow buttons can be used to upgrade or downgrade the State. The State code can also be used to alter the State. Overtype the code with either the new code (in whole or in part) or the new File State Name (again either whole or in part). The code is a concatenation of the File number (057 in the case of purchase orders) and the State code of the chosen File State.
Supplier comp
Type here the company code of the supplier involved. Enter the first four letters of a company (or Surname for private individuals). If there is only one company in your database starting with the name, the details will be brought up; if there is more than one you will need to choose from a selection on the right of the screen; and if there are none you will be prompted to ‘Create it’ (See ‘Enter Companies’).
Contact
Either after or before entering the company, you can specify a contact name. If you have put in the company and enter an @ sign and there is only one contact at that company, his/her full name will be confirmed immediately. If more than one exists, you can select from a list that appears, or ‘Add’ it. You may also enter a Surname or Forename into the box and the system will search by these.
If no company code has been entered, you can enter a contact code or part of their first or surname. Selecting a contact from the resulting list will cause the appropriate company code to be brought in as well.
Purch ord no
This number will be created sequentially by the system, so should usually be left alone. If you do want to change the sequence, don’t do it here, but in the ‘Unique File Nos’ list within Preferences in the Data Manager volume. You may change the code manually to match your own method if required, but do so before order items have been entered. Do not change it if you are using the screen to view purchase orders created automatically.
Purch ord date
The date of the order will be assumed to be the current date, but can be changed.
Supply by date
Enter here the date by which you wish to be supplied. The date will appear on the purchase order.
Finance method
Enter here the terms on which you expect to pay for the Items on the purchase order. These terms will appear on the purchase order.
Supplier ref
If the Supplier has given you a reference (such as a quotation reference) to quote when placing this order, or in correspondence, enter that here.
Del to comp
If you would like the Items on the order to be delivered direct to your Client, you can specify that in this field. The wildcard (@) can be used if necessary to bring up a selection list, from which you can choose the Client. The address will appear on the purchase order.
Contact
In the event of needing to have these Items delivered direct to your Client, you can specify a contact at the Client company. Once you have entered a Client company, use of the wildcard (@) will produce a list of contacts at that company.
Comments…
Any length of comments can be made about the order.
To obtain a larger version of this field, ensure your cursor is within it and use the ‘Expand Text’ item on the Functions menu.
Print
Switch this check box on if you want the Comments to be printed on the purchase order. They will appear as the first item on the invoice.
Posted
This non-enterable field records when the stock movement created by this purchase order was posted to the Nominal Ledger. This, of course, assumes both the stock control volume and Nominal Ledger are present.
Analysis/currency/layer
These are transferred automatically from the sales order which created the purchase order and from here are transferred to stock and the Nominal Ledger. This transfer also takes place for ad hoc purchase orders. The Layer field requires the Multi-layer Accounting companion.
The Items box contains a list of all the goods and services ordered. Click the [+] button or use <Command-N> (Macintosh) or
(Windows) to create a new line ready for entry. Note that the purchase order Items are stored in a subfile. This means that, when adding columns using the ‘Definitions’ option on the [Editable/Selectable mode] button, you should choose ITEMS from the Fields pop-up and enter the field name in the Formula field. Then, amend the Column Title appropriately. The correct field names are Product code, Product Name, Quantity, Price code, Description, Print Desc, Discount, Original cost, cost Price, cost Amount, Tax code, Item number, Purch Inv No and Price Per. The information stored within the list is as follows: Product
Type in all or part of the Product code in conjunction with the @ sign, and the name of the Product will be confirmed underneath. The Product code is in fact optional: you can also go straight to the Product Name and type any text to give a full description of a Product without reference to a Product code.
Description
This text field can contain any comments relevant to the Product in question. If the purchase order has been created from scratch, this defaults to the Description of the Product in the Products File. If it is created from a sales order, the text will be taken from the Description of the corresponding sales order Item. Double clicking on the order Item when in Selectable mode will bring it up in a full screen layout containing a check box which should be switched on if you want this Description to be printed on paperwork associated with this order. The default of this check box is determined by the setting ‘Print their Items’ Descriptions’ in the sales section of Preferences. If printed, the Description will appear under the Product Name, slightly indented and in a font one size smaller.
Qty
Enter the quantity required.
Price per
This is an additional field that is used when the cost Amount of a purchase order Item is calculated. The calculation used is Amount = (Quantity/Price Per)*Price or, if the Amount field is changed, Price = Amount/(Quantity/Price Per). It should be used when the cost Price brought in from the Product record refers to a multiple quantity of that Product.
The value in the field will default to the Price Per entered for the Product. It is impossible to set the Price Per field to 0 - in this event, it will reset itself to 1. The field is a Real number, which means that you can use Decimal places if you require, though this will of course make Amounts rather less intuitive. The Price Per field will not appear as a column on the standard Enterprise 6 forms, but can be added to the SuperReport forms. To do so, duplicate the ‘SRQtyT’ box in the Items section of the Forms, then double-click and rename it ‘SRPricePerT’. The ‘T’ stands for Text, because the value is converted to a text value, so that 1 can appear as 1 instead of 1.0 whilst 1.5 still appears as 1.5. You will want to add a column heading above the new field - use the [A] Palette tool to create one (in 10 point Times Italic if you have modified the default forms).
Note that when Enterprise 6 is launched for the first time, this field will not appear in the Items included list. If you would like it to appear, select ‘Definitions’ using the [Editable/Selectable mode] button in the bottom right-hand corner of the Items list, click [+] in the Buttons Palette, choose ITEMS from the Fields pop-up and enter “Price Per” in the Formula field. Then, amend the Column Title to read “Price Per”, choose the Column number (probably 3 to appear after Quantity) and finally click [√].
WARNING: This feature should be used with caution since a Price Per is not specified for each Product and therefore cannot be brought in together with a Products’ default cost Price upon entry of a Product code. stock control also does not take account of the Price Per field.
Pr grp
If you have the Price Matrix companion volume, when you enter the Product code, the Price Group will default if applicable from the company and Price Table setups. Alternatively you may choose your own Price Group. If you choose a Price Group that is not defined for ‘cost Prices’, you'll be asked to ‘Try again’. Please refer to the Price Matrix section of the Core Data manual for more details.
Disc
Again, when you enter the Product code, the Discount will default if applicable from the company and Price Table setups. Alternatively you may enter a Discount manually. You can also modify the Actual cost in order to calculate a Discount % backwards. Depending on the setting of the Preference ‘Show Discount % on purchase orders’, which appears in the purchase orders & Ledger section, when purchase orders are printed, each order Item that contains a Discount figure can have text of the pattern ‘@ 20% Discount’ added to the Product Name. This will therefore be printed on the purchase order.
Original cost
The cost Price defaults from the Actual cost Price in this Supplier’s line in the Products file. If this Supplier is not a recognised supplier of the Product, the cost Price will remain at zero. If you change the figure and you have the appropriate clearance entered as part of your Personnel record and the Product is one which permits such changes, you will be asked if you want to update the price stored for this Supplier in the Product record.
Actual cost
This figure defaults to the Original cost less Discount and is the figure which will appear on purchase orders. It can be modified to calculate a Discount % backwards. The question ‘Do you want to update the Product's cost Price?’ will not be asked when this figure is altered.
Amount
The Amount figure is calculated as Quantity x cost, or, if changed, will update the cost backwards.
VAT
The VAT code of the Product is brought in here. The wildcard (@) can be used if it necessary to alter it.
Order item
If the sales order processing Volume is present, and this purchase order was created either from the sales order screen or using the Batch purchase orders function, this field will record the unique order Item number of the sales Item that this Purchase Item is created to fulfil. This will facilitate the allocation of the Item back to the sales order when it arrives in stock.
Purchase invoice number
