Order Processing

Order Processing Overview:

The Order Processing/Invoice Package is a flexible state-of-the-art pre-billing (two step billing) or post-billing (one step billing) order processing package that can be used in a multi-branch or multi-company environment. It provides optional interfaces to CDS’ Accounts Receivable, Inventory Control, Purchasing and General Ledger Packages, thereby allowing automatic update to these packages and eliminating the need to enter the same data multiple times. Since all customers and all order line items can be accessed by their alphabetic name or description, the package provides a very fast and efficient means of allowing order takers to enter orders directly from the telephone without the interim step of writing them down first. All pricing and stocking information is available such that the order taker can be very responsive and provide superior service to the customer, making it very easy for the customer to order and thereby providing the customer with a strong incentive to place recurring orders. A quotation subsystem allows order takers to easily generate accurately priced customer quotations and to print them on either ‘stock’ or pre-printed forms or laser generated forms. Quotations can then later be maintained to reflect customer initiated changes and/or can then be converted to an open order simply by pressing a single key. Open order status can be easily tracked at any time by customer name, number, order number or by Customer P.O. number. The package is one of the most flexible and comprehensive Order Processing/Invoicing Packages available today.

Order Entry Features:

  • Provides for multi-branch and/or multi-company operation.
  • Orders may be taken directly over the telephone without requiring that they first be written down
  • Orders may be taken over-the-counter for walk-in customers, and a cash or charge receipt may be printed at the counter for the customer.
  • Allows on-demand inquiry into the total amount over-the-counter sales, by type (cash, check, credit , etc.) and be Salesperson.
  • Orders may be taken by multiple branches or companies and then printed out at either of three locations:
    • at a centralized location
    • at the location where it was entered
    • at another branch
  • Customer data can be accessed and displayed by entering either the customer name (or partial spelling of the name, up to 30 characters) or the customer number (up to 6 digits).
  • Orders can be shipped to one address and billed to a second address.
  • Customer ship-to address may be manually overridden at order entry time without affecting the master file
  • Each order may be specified as either a ‘Regular’, ‘Drop-Ship’ or ‘Credit Return’ order at entry time. Each order type handles inventory updating differently.
  • Vendor purchase orders may be automatically generated for ‘Drop-Ship’ orders, eliminating the need to re-enter the same data in Purchasing.
  • A credit check is made against the customers credit limit and oldest open (undisputed) invoice as each order is entered. Orders that fail the credit check can optionally be cancelled or can be entered but placed on credit hold, which will prevent further processing (Pick ticket work order will not print) until the credit manager reviews it and releases or cancels it.
  • Customer payment terms can be user defined to provide early pay discounts for payments received within either a predefined number of days (i.e., 2% 10, net 30) or by a predefined day of the month (i.e., 2% 10th prox, or 1% EOM).
  • An alphabetic sales tax code is required for each customer. This code is comprised of three groups of two characters each, and together, they define the state, county and local sales tax rates. For example, the sales tax code for Atlanta, Georgia would be specified as ‘GAFUMA’ where ‘GA’ specifies Georgia, (3%), ‘FU’ specifies Fulton County (1%) and ‘MA’ specifies the local option tax called Marta (1%). Each two character sales tax sub-code carries its own tax rate.
  • For tax exempt customers, the system requires that the customer’s tax exempt number be saved in the customer file. As each order is entered, the file is checked and if the tax exempt number is missing, a reminder message is displayed so as to encourage the order taker to try to get the exemption number.
  • Sales taxes are accumulated and reported both daily and monthly by state, county and locality for easier reporting to the proper taxing authorities.
  • Each customer and each item has a ‘taxable/non-taxable’ flag. Sales taxes will only be calculated and added to an order when both the customer and the item are taxable.
  • Up to 3 lines of internal (confidential) comments may be stored for each customer. These comments are available to the order taker and can be special instructions or other information about the account. For example, ‘Accept orders from Bob only’ or ‘They always pay late but are a good customer’ or ‘Very difficult customer, be patient’.
  • Any customer may be placed on ‘Credit Hold’ at any time which will force all orders for that customer to either be placed on ‘credit hold’ until released, or to be cancelled.
  • All customer default information is displayed at order entry time (i.e., payment terms, shipping terms, salesperson, discount code, sales tax code, etc.) but can be overridden for the current order without changing the customer master file.
  • Order line items may be accessed and displayed by entering either the item number (up to 14 alphanumeric characters), a user defined “keyword” (up to 16 alphanumeric characters) or a partial description of the item (up to 29 characters). In those cases where there are many items with similar descriptions, a more specific lookup is available by also entering additional qualifying data about the item. For example, entering ‘BOLT’ will cause the system to display all bolts, whereas entering ‘BOLT, BRASS’ will only display brass bolts.
  • Item descriptions may consist of multiple (unlimited) lines and each item may be defined with a different number of lines. This feature allows a more detailed item description when necessary.
  • Item pricing may be based upon:
    • quantity break
    • customer class and/or product class
    • special customer contract
    • up to six different price levels
  • Each line item may be discounted by Trade Discount or Product Class Discount
  • As each item is entered, it is checked to be sure that sufficient ‘on-hand’ inventory is available. If so, the line item is accepted on the order. If not, a warning message is displayed to the order taker, together with the actual quantity-on-hand and the quantity available. If additional quantity is on order from the vendor, the quantity on order, due date and vendor P.O. number are also displayed so as to help the order taker properly advise the customer. Even if insufficient quantity is available, the order taker may override the message and accept the line item anyway. Optionally, a substitute item may be displayed (if available) for the order taker to select.
  • Item description may be overridden at order entry time without affecting the item master record.
  • Descriptive comment lines may be interspersed throughout the order at any point during line item entry.
  • User defined ‘Special Charge’ line items may be entered for items such as ‘Special Handling’, ‘Deposit’, ‘Installation Charge’, ‘Expediting Charge’, ‘Cutting Charge’, etc. Each charge may be priced and costed at entry time and may be distributed to a user specified General Ledger account.
  • Orders may be maintained during the order entry process. That is, line items may be added , deleted or changed at any time while the order is being entered
  • Line item price may be overridden at order entry time.
  • Special ‘contract prices’ can be used such that a customer may receive a special price on a specific item for a specified period of time as controlled by a ‘start date’ and an ‘end date’ in the contract price file.
  • As each order is entered, inventory is “allocated” to the order.

Pick Ticket/Work Order Features:

  • After each order is entered, it may either immediately print out on a ‘print ticket/work order’ or may be saved and printed out later in a batch, as specified by the user.
  • Pick tickets/work order will not be printed for ‘credit hold’ orders. The credit manager must first review these orders and take corrective action before they are released. The different options available are as follows:
    • increase the customers credit limit
    • delete line items until the order is under the credit limit
    • change the payment terms code to COD
    • override the credit hold and release the order
    • cancel the order
  • To assist the credit manager in determining the proper action to take for credit hold orders, the order size, amount, price, cost, profit and line item detail are available for inquiry, as well as the customers current and past credit information, including:
    • average days to pay
    • highest A/R balance
    • current A/R balance
    • date and amount of last payment
    • age and amount of oldest undisputed, unpaid invoice
    • date customer became a customer
    • month-to-month and year-to-date sales and profit
  • Pick tickets/work orders may either be printed on ‘stock’ paper or on preprinted forms or Laser generated forms
  • Pick tickets/work orders may be optionally sorted in bin number sequence.
  • Prices may optionally be printed on a tear strip on the pick ticket/work order, if desired.
  • Extended price is automatically calculated for each line item.
  • The cumulative order total is displayed and updated as each line item is entered.
  • Open orders may be changed after the pick ticket/work order is printed but all changes will be logged to a daily ‘Order Change Report’ for audit trail purposes.
  • Picked orders may be partially shipped and billed. Remaining line items will be automatically backordered, unless the customer will not accept backorders, and a new pick ticket /work order will print, with only the remaining items.

Invoice Features:

  • Invoices can either be printed continuously ‘on-line’ as they are released, or they can be printed periodically on a ‘batch’ basis as specified by the user.  Printed on preprinted forms or laser generated forms.
  • Special user defined messages may be printed on each invoice (i.e., ‘Special sale next month’, or ‘Happy Holidays’, etc.).
  • “On-hand” and “allocated” inventory quantities are automatically updated as each invoice is printed.
  • Cost and profit information, by line item and by total invoice, may optionally be printed on a tear strip on the invoice.
  • Invoice data is automatically updated to the following data files:
    • Accounts Receivable
    • General Ledger
    • Salesperson Commission
    • Sales Analysis
    • Invoice History
  • The invoice history file accumulates detailed invoice data until it is manually purged. The data is available for inquiry and display by Customer, Invoice Number, Job Number and/or date range. This feature is helpful for Credit Returns and customer repeat orders.
  • Future price changes may be keyed into the system well in advance of the effective date, just by specifying the new price and the effective date. This feature prevents the expensive last minute crisis of keying in ‘tomorrows’ price changes today.
  • The day-end procedure is designed to operate in a completely unattended manner such that operating personnel may initiate the procedure and then leave for the day. Day-end reports are printed out very quickly each morning.
  • A training/demonstration capability is provided whereby new order entry personnel may use ‘training’ data files while existing production personnel are using ‘live’ data files. This allows ‘hands-on’ training at any time without interfering with normal day-to-day operation.
  • A ‘Control File’ allows the user to enable or disable many of the optional features of the package.

Order Processing/Invoicing Reports:

  • General Ledger Distribution Report Credit Hold Orders Register
  • Backorders Register
  • Cancelled Orders Register
  • Sales Tax by State/County/Locality Report
  • Line Item Price/Discount Override Exception Report
  • Line Item Profit Exception Report
  • Price Change Report
  • Daily Shorts Report (with Month-to-date comparison)
  • Shipping Labels
  • Pick tickets/work orders
  • Invoices
  • Invoice Register
  • General Ledger Distribution Report
  • Inventory Transaction Report
  • Order Change Register
  • Open Orders Register
  • Drop Ship Orders Register