Purpose
Order Forms are basically a way to create a “group” of products that can be input into the system during Order Entry as a pre-defined list. This can be appropriate in situations where you might run special promotions of a range of products, or perhaps products that are being discontinued and therefore offered under special terms. Likewise, if you send to customers a pre-defined set of products on a regular basis then these can be created as a set in this Order Forms function.
An Order Form can have specific pricing and ordering rules entered against it as part of the creation of the details. The important thing to understand is that an Order Form can be used from the main Order Entry function as a way to pre-fill the line items of an order. The user is simply required to enter/adjust the order quantities of the items on the Order Form and then all the appropriate line items are created on the order automatically. This can make it a very efficient way to create new orders.
Data Input
Step 1 – Order Form Code
Existing Order Forms can be selected for editing from here, or new Order Forms can be created by entering an Order Form code that does not exist. Enter the Order Form Code you wish to work on.
For details on the use of “codes” see The Role of “Codes” in Online Advantage
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Step 2 – Name and Details
Name
Enter a name to describe the Order Form you are working on. For example, “Financial Year End Specials” or “Discontinued Products”. The Form must have a name so best make it one the describes what the form will be used to contain.
For more details on “descriptions” see The Role of “Names & Descriptions” in Online Advantage
Valid From / To
If you wish to control when a form can be used, you can optionally enter a start and end date for the lifespan of this form. This is one way to ensure that the Form cannot be used during Order Entry before or after the specified “Valid” dates. A form that has no dates entered here will be available for use immediately and will always be useable from the Order Entry function until such time as it is deleted or an “end” date is applied.
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Step 3 – Products
On this step you need to enter in the list of products that will appear on this Order Form. Products are added to the list in rows using the “add” button at the top of the screen. Existing products on the list can be edited at any time by simply selecting them from the list displayed. Items can also be deleted from the list by using the standard delete feature present on each line/row of the list.
You may re-sequence the products in the list by using a mouse ‘click and hold’ on the item and moving the row using a ‘drag and drop’ motion with your mouse.
Below are specific details on each prompt that is available for use when entering or editing an individual product on the list.
Product
Firstly you must enter the Product you will be adding to the Order Form. There is no limit to the number of products that can be added to a Form, but there must be at least one product on the list in order to save a form for future use.
For more details about Products see The Role of “Products” in Online Advantage
Minimum Quantity
If required, enter a Minimum Quantity required when this product is being ordered. If a Minimum Quantity is entered here, when anyone uses this Order Form from the Order Entry function the system will insist that the order quantity is equal to or greater than the Minimum Quantity entered here for the product.
Nett Price
Optionally enter a Nett Price for this Product which will ONLY be used when this Order Form is used. NOTE: The Nett Price entered here will override all pricing in Order Entry so it should only be used if special pricing rules apply to this item on this Order Form. The Order Entry process will apply the systems normal pricing rules as usual if there is no Nett Price entered on a Product on an Order Form.
In other words, there should be no need to use this Nett Price facility unless you have pricing that is specific to the use of this Order Form.
For more details about Pricing see Standard Pricing Rules in Online Advantage
Special
The Order Processing system allows users to nominate during Order entry, editing and despatch, line items on an order that are consider a “Special” sale. The term “Special” is entirely up to each organisation to define, interpret and administer. What it specifically means in Online is that the Sales Analysis system will record and if required, report on “Special” sales figures separately to other “Normal” sales activity. Thus the Special flag can be “checked” here which will then pre-set this item as a “Special” sale item during Order Entry when this Order Form is in use and save the user from having to remember to do it manually.
For more details about Specials see Special Sales in Online Advantage
Sample
If the Sample box is ticked then during the use of this Order Form in Order Entry, this product is assumed to be sold as a “Sample” sale and the item will be despatched at no sale value. Essentially this setting ensures that this item will default to a “Sample” sale when this Order Form is used from Order Entry which thus saves the user from having to remember to manually set this item as a Sample when creating an Order or Orders.
For more details about Samples see Sample Sales in Online Advantage
Mandatory
Tick the Mandatory item setting here to ensure that this item is included whenever the Order Form is used from Order Entry. In other words, if the Mandatory setting is turned on for this item, Order Entry will insist that the user enters an order quantity for this item when using this Order Form. It basically makes this item a pre-requisite item for the Order Form.
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Step 4 – Branches
Branches
Order Forms can be set up with a list of valid Branches that are allowed to use them. This prevents the Order Form being used in Order Entry by users from a Branch that is not listed. Useful in a situation where you have two similar Order Forms, but they have branch specific rules such as pricing, and you want to prevent users accessing the wrong Order Form. Note that this list of Branches will also prevent a user from another branch editing an Order Form they shouldn’t. If there are no Branches listed against the Order Form then it can be accessed, edited and used by all users of the system.
For more details on Branch Restrictions see Using Branch Restrictions in Online Advantage
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