Chapter 6 – Purchasing

Field Name

Description

1. Order Header Tab

This tab contains all information about the purchase order such as the supplier, where it is shipping to, when the order is due to arrive, and more. Most of the dropdown boxes on this tab are filled with information that you entered in your purchasing lists. To edit one of these lists, click the Pencil icon to the left of the appropriate field. See section 3.3 for more information.

2. Cancel PO button

To cancel an existing purchase order, click this button. Once a PO is canceled, it cannot be returned as an active order so use caution when canceling an order.

3. Create PO button

To add a new purchase order, click this button. It will prompt you to enter the order number or Almyta Control System will assign it for you based on your numbering set up in “Administrative Tools/Options.”  Purchase order numbers cannot be duplicated. See section 4.1 for an explanation of Almyta Control System’s numbering system.

4. Correct PO button

Use this function to adjust quantities for the purchase order. This works only on open purchase orders. If a purchase order is closed, click the Reopen (21) button at the bottom of the screen then switch the Status Filter (15) to Outstanding. The quantities can be adjusted in two ways. First, you can correct data entry errors (Number of Received Units). Second, you can return the product back to the supplier (Return Received Units Back).

5. Change PO Number button

This function is available only when there are no line items on a purchase order yet. It is useful when a purchase order was created elsewhere and you need to duplicate it in Almyta Control System.

6. PO Number

This is the list of all purchase orders that fall under the order status currently on the screen. If “Outstanding Orders” is selected in “Order Status,” this box will contain all outstanding purchase orders. The number that appears in this field is the order you are viewing. 

7. Inventory Items Tab

List all of the items being ordered on this tab. Notes about each item can be entered in the “Line Item Notes” field at the bottom of the screen. Highlight the item to which the note pertains and type your note in the field provided. To keep these notes attached to the item when it enters inventory, select the “Copy PO Line Items to Remarks” option under the “Options” heading of “Administrative Tools.” (See section 4.1 for more information.) If you have listed these items in your supplier’s catalog, the supplier part number will automatically be listed on this tab. The item price will appear automatically from the Item Master List but you can edit it if you need to. The amount of the line item will be determined by multiplying the number of units by the price per unit.

8. Supplier

The “Supplier” field pulls data from your supplier list. Modifications such as address changes can be made on this screen and will not affect the supplier list. To make a permanent change you will need to change the supplier list as well.

9. Supplier’s Catalog

This button will take you to the supplier’s catalog. The supplier’s catalog is a list of the items you order from each supplier. If you access the supplier’s catalog using this button, it will display only the items that are ordered from that supplier. It will not show other suppliers. See section 3.3 for more information.

10. PO Type Switch

If an order is selected in the “PO Number” field, this field will show you if it is an asset or inventory order. When adding a new order, immediately select whether it is an asset or inventory order. When you select “Asset,” the “Inventory Items” tab automatically changes to a “PO Asset” tab. The “PO Asset” tab allows you to select the type of asset and type in a text description of the item you are ordering.

11. Notes/Totals Tab

This tab contains details about the pricing of the order. Almyta Control System generates a subtotal from information listed on the previous tab, but you can enter sales tax, discount percentages, shipping charges, and other applicable charges. The “Terms and Conditions” list box on this tab can contain whatever notes you wish to print on your purchase order. See the “Payment Terms” heading of section 3.3 for information on setting up this list box.

12. Filter by Supplier

Filters are ways of separating data based on a value you select in this field. In the Purchasing module, you can filter orders by supplier—choose one from the drop box to view only purchase orders for that particular supplier. The order status also plays a factor in sorting the orders. If “Completed” is selected as the order status and “Supplier ABC” is selected in the “Filter” field, the “PO Number” list box will only contain orders that have been completed for Supplier ABC.  Select <???> to view all orders with a particular status.

13. Delivery Schedule tab

When in use, this tab will allow you to classify the items on the PO according to when you expect them to be received, how many units will be received on that day, and any notes. For example, if you plan to receive a 300-unit shipment over three months, the “Delivery Schedule” tab will allow you to track the shipment by installment.  This is primarily for reference and is used for blanket purchase orders. See the “Purchasing” heading of section 4.1 for information on turning the “Delivery Schedule” tab on and off.

14. Ship To Location

This is one of your company’s locations. A new ship to address for your company can be added under “System Related Lists” (see section 3.6).

15. Order Status

There are three order statuses: complete, canceled, and outstanding.   One of these statuses is always selected. “Outstanding” is the default for this screen. If you wish to view canceled orders, you must change the status to “Canceled.”

16. Receive button

When the order has arrived and you want to receive it into inventory or assets, click this button and you will be taken to the “Receive” screen. See sections 6.6 and 6.7 for more information on receiving.

17. Salesperson/ Attention

The “Salesperson” field and the “Attention” field are both filled automatically from the “Supplier” list; however, they can be edited on the “Purchase Order” screen by simply typing in the field on the purchase order. As in the supplier field, changing information on the “Purchasing” screen will not permanently change the same information on the supplier list.

18. Buyer and Approvals

When security is turned on, all users will be selected as buyers and given an amount for which they can approve orders. See Chapter 18—Security for more information on security.

19. Copy to New button

This button lets you copy an existing purchase order (regardless of order status) to a new one to reduce data entry time on repeating orders. It copies all items and supplier information but assigns it a new PO number.

20. Vendor Order

This is a text-entry field for a vendor order number or any other information you may need to assign to the order. The length of the field is 20 characters.

21. Complete button

This button allows you to set purchase order status to “Complete.” It should be used if you do not wish to receive the items into stock—for example, if you receive a partial amount on a purchase order and opt to keep the order as outstanding because you plan to receive the remainder. If a month later you learn that the balance will not be received, you can set the status to “Complete” and it will archive. The archived purchase order will show what you did receive and what you did not. See section 6.9 for information on completing orders. This button becomes the Reopen button when viewing canceled and closed orders.

22. Print button

When you click this button it will print the form in the “Document to Print” field. It will print to the printer or screen based upon which box is selected (either the “Print to Screen” or “Print to Printer” box).

23. Send to Screen selector

Outputs a report (22) into screen. This is a preview mode.

24. Send to Printer selector

Outputs a report (22) into a default Windows printer. This is a print mode.

25. Ship Via

Ship via is a list box for the method of transportation by which the products will arrive—for example, by truck. Both the purchase orders and shipping orders share this list. See section 3.3 for information on setting up the “Ship Via” list.

26. Terms

This list box field is populated through your “System/System Related Lists” menu. These are the payment terms of the purchase—for example, Net 30.  See section 3.3 for information on setting up this list.

27. Document to Print

This list box offers five printing options: a copy of the current purchase order, a summary of outstanding orders, a detailed report of outstanding orders, a completed list of orders, and a canceled list of orders.

28. Order Date

The “Date” field is the date the order was entered. This field will be filled automatically based on the date on which the order is created.

29. Date Required

This is a field where you enter the date you need the order by. This information is used to generate a report of any past due purchase orders.

30. Exit

Close the “Purchase Order” screen.