Enter / Amend Orders - Application User Facilities

This option is used to define the way that the order entry procedures are to operate and provide several options of parameters and screen designs. The options available are

Enter New Order Header

This option allows you to modify the entry screen in which you first enter the order header information. Most set-ups will want specific information here and you may well want to remove some of the items we offer on the standard set-up

Selecting this option gives you the screen layout to enter new orders. For full details on the screen design processes see the Configuration Guide but in overview the key options are:

To enter text labels on the screen position the cursor where you wish to start and type in the details.

To draw a border line around the screen choose the ‘Tools’ pull-down on the toolbar and select the option ‘Border’

To draw lines switch to ‘line mode’ by choosing the ‘Tools’ pull-down and select the option ‘line mode’. When in line mode to draw a line you use the mouse to click the starting position and then drag the line to where you want it to finish (horizontal / vertical lines only). Once all required lines are drawn you can switch back to ‘text mode’ by choose the ‘Tools’ pull-down again.

To display a data item then position the cursor where you wish to display the item and either right-click with the mouse or press <F4-Select>, a list of data items is then displayed for selection.

Amend / View Order Header

This option allows you to modify the entry screen used when amending or viewing the order header. On initial selection you are prompted if you wish to use the same screen design – set if required or leave blank to allow configuration of different screen display to be used when amending/viewing works orders.

Additional Order Detail Items to be Input

If using detail pick mode for order entry (the default) or are using fast input or the system detail entry screen then you can nominate additional items to be displayed/input. Up to thirteen items can be displayed although only the first eight would be available on detail pick / fast input entry modes.

If using detail pick / fast input entry modes then the items set here do not appear by default but need to be enabled on the Fast Input Features parameter screen. Similarly if using the ‘designable’ detail entry screen then these items would need to be added to this screen.

List Order Detail Items

Not applicable in Detail Pick configuration (where list isn’t an option) this option allows you to select the data items to display from the component details when listing the detail records of the works order.

Alternate Order Header Status Line Display

When entering the works order details a status line shows the order number, the number of entries, the total cost value so far and the finished stock item. This option allows you to show different items and this option allows you to specify them.

You are asked if you wish to define your own set of items, if you do not select this option then the standard items are used. If you do select then the set of items you subsequently define are used instead.

Optional Features / Instant Print / Fast Input Features

Optional Features

Allow Create New Stock/Product Record

When set the operator can press <F7-Option on stock code inputs to create a new stock record.

Auto F4-Sel on item if blank stock code

This prompt asks for a data item number on the stock file (must also be set as a secondary index on the stock file). When the operator leaves the stock code blank the system will then act as if the <Select> key had been pressed and ask for the search text against the nominated item. Note: that if set then you should not use a blank stock code as the free-format identifier.

Warn if less than physical/free stock

This prompt asks whether you want the computer to warn if the order quantity would take the stock level below the current ‘free-stock’ quantity. Free-Stock is normally calculated as Physical plus On-Order less Reserved quantities.

Excl On-Order in free-stock calculation

If checking the order quantity against free-stock you may wish to exclude stock that is on-order from the free-stock value. Note that if set it only excludes on-order from the stock check, the free stock calculation on the stock record still includes this value.

Change Status: C-Complete when (0,1,2)

This prompt asks when an order detail should be left as ‘C-Complete’ when using the change status option to change the status of the works order header. Available responses are:

0When all built – if the order detail has been issued in full to the assembly then the status of the detail remains ‘C-Complete’.

1When any built – if the order detail has been partially issued to the assembly then the status of the detail remains ‘C-Complete’

2Never – the order detail status flag is always updated as per the change of status entered regardless of its build status.

Allow Free Format order details

This prompt asks whether you wish to allow entry of order details for items not recorded on the stock file. Set to allow entry of free format detail lines.

Stock Code Value to signify free format

Normally you leave this blank so that <Enter> on a blank stock code signifies a free-format line. Alternatively you may want to set a specific character(s) the operator must enter to add a free-format line (FREE for example).

Allow Description-Only Order Details

Description only order details allow entry of notes and comments as works order details without the requirement to enter an order quantity (which free-format entry requires). Set to allow entry of description only lines.

Stock Code Value to signify desc-only

Here you enter the ‘stock code’ to enter on an order detail to signify a free-format line. As order details are created based on the components of an assembly we would recommend the use of ‘N’ for Notes as the description only identifier, this is consistent with the entry of notes in assembly maintenance.

Allow Changes to the component costs

When entering details the cost of that item is updated from the stock record. This cost is normally set as view-only but if wish to make adjustments to the cost this parameter can be set.

Stock Quantity held in units (not price/per)

Normally set, this means that where a stock item is held in packs a quantity of 1 represents 1 unit not 1 pack.

Use Full Screen design for order detail

Normally set to allow use and configuration of a ‘designable’ entry screen for components. If not set a system screen is displayed when adding and amending details.

Auto Allocation of Next Order Number

Only applicable where the order reference format is numeric this option automatically sets the next order reference for you without the operator confirming it.

Maintain Details in Pick Mode

Pick display mode, which should be the default when using multi-level assemblies, allows the operator an alternative way of adding and amending. Instead of allowing separate options for Adding, Updating, and Deleting the system has one option ‘Details’ which allows you to scroll up and down the details, amending, deleting and inserting as you go.

Insert at Current Pick Line

Applicable in detail pick mode when set this option allows you to insert a detail within the existing order details rather than at the end.

If Pick Display, Toggle to Full Screen

When amending the detail in pick display you are either in ‘fast’ mode where you enter only selected items, or ‘full’ mode where a full-screen is displayed. This is controlled by whether ‘Use Full Screen Design for Order Detail’ is set.If not set then you may still occasionally want to amend full details for an order detail – you can do this by setting this prompt. When set then on add/amend of works order details you are nominally in ‘fast’ mode but can press <Page-Down> on the stock code to switch to ‘full’ mode.

Show Extra Account Items when adding

Each works order can be linked to a sales account. When select an account the name and address details are displayed for you to confirm. When you set this item you can nominate an additional five items which are also displayed here.

Change Status Ask Separately for Details

When manually change the status of an order (active-to-complete for example) then the change in status is automatically applied to the works order details. When set this enables you to confirm whether the status change of the works order header is to be applied to the details – this option would normally not be set.

Lock Required Stock After Data Entry

When updating the order header the system places a U-Usage lock on the stock records on any existing works order details as the system may need to update these records depending on the amendment made. If any of the Stock Records are exclusively locked then changes to options such as the ‘reserved’ / ‘credit’ flag or the finished goods order quantity are not allowed. This option omits these locks, allowing change of these values, until the order header is updated – if the system successfully places the locks then the changes are updated, if the locks aren’t placed then the changes are rejected.

Instant Print

This set of parameters determines whether or not you can invoke a document printing process immediately you have entered an order.The options you can define include which type of document you can print, for which order status settings you can print, which document and whether the print is to be automatic.

There are two document types in Bill of Materials, a Print Works Order type (PRT) and a Build Works Order (BLD). Next to each type are three status types - Active, Forward and Hold (although only Active is applicable for the Build). You set whether a document can be printed for that document type/status by setting the ‘allow’ prompt, you can then choose which document is printed by nominating 1 to 6 (or 0 to allow run-time selection) and then set ‘Auto’ according to whether you wish to print the document without user intervention.

Fast Input Features

The final Optional Features screen defines the items displayed in the Fast Input / Detail Pick style of order input.

Fast Input by Line Required

Set to allow use this feature at run-time (normally set)

Prompt for another entry

Set to allow the system to prompt after saving each detail whether you want to add another. This would normally not be set and the system automatically adds another detail and you press <END> on a blank stock to complete order detail entry.

Maximum Size for Values

The fast input / detail pick style of inputs are fixed to a maximum number of character inputs per line. This option allows you to restrict the space allowed for entering values to a set number of significant figures – e.g. a setting of 5 allows a maximum value of 99999.99.

Items Allowed

Next is a series of nine pre-selected items which can be displayed, we would normally suggest a minimum of Stock, Description and Quantity are required for Bill of Materials. Following the pre-selected items you can also nominate whether any or the set additional order detail items are to be input in fast input.

Ask Description at bottom of screen

The component description is likely to be the largest item input and, bearing in mind the character limit above, will take up a considerable amount of this space. As an alternative the description can be prompted as a pop-up at the bottom of the screen.

Or Truncate Description display on line

As an alternate the description can be truncated so that it only displays (when not being edited) to a set number of characters.

Create New Stock Record

This option allows you to modify the Stock maintenance screen used when creating stock records within Bill of Materials.

When you first select this option you are prompted if you wish to use the standard stock maintenance screen to add stock codes within BOM – set if required or leave blank to configure and use a separate screen in BOM for stock maintenance. You may elect to use a BOM configured screen to simplify entry requirements.

To design the screen:

To enter text labels on the screen position the cursor where you wish to start and type in the details.

To draw a border line around the screen choose the ‘Tools’ pull-down on the toolbar and select the option ‘Border’

To draw lines switch to ‘line mode’ by choosing the ‘Tools’ pull-down and select the option ‘line mode’. When in line mode to draw a line you use the mouse to click the starting position and then drag the line to where you want it to finish (horizontal / vertical lines only). Once all required lines are drawn you can switch back to ‘text mode’ by choose the ‘Tools’ pull-down again.

To display a data item then position the cursor where you wish to display the item and either right-click with the mouse or press <F4-Select>, a list of data items is then displayed for selection.

Maintain Order Details

If using the ‘full screen design’ for order details as set within the Optional Features this option allows you to modify the detail input screen.

To design the screen:

To enter text labels on the screen position the cursor where you wish to start and type in the details.

To draw a border line around the screen choose the ‘Tools’ pull-down on the toolbar and select the option ‘Border’

To draw lines switch to ‘line mode’ by choosing the ‘Tools’ pull-down and select the option ‘line mode’. When in line mode to draw a line you use the mouse to click the starting position and then drag the line to where you want it to finish (horizontal / vertical lines only). Once all required lines are drawn you can switch back to ‘text mode’ by choose the ‘Tools’ pull-down again.

To display a data item then position the cursor where you wish to display the item and either right-click with the mouse or press <F4-Select>, a list of data items is then displayed for selection.

Generate from Sales Orders

This parameter screen allows you to define whether works orders can be created from sales orders.

Generate Works Orders from Sales

Set to allow generation of works orders from sales orders entered for assembly items.

Check all SOD records for Works Order flag

By default the system only checks for sales orders that have been flagged from the first ‘active’ order. However if reactivating very early sales orders and flagging these they would not be picked up normally, setting this option the system reads the full sales order detail file for any sales orders requiring works order generation.

Create Works Order if Sales Order on Hold

If a Sales Order has been placed on hold, perhaps for credit reasons, do you still want to create the works order or wait until it is changed to active.

Always Build multiple of Assembly Quantity

Depending on the business you may be configuring assemblies to build multiple units of an item for economies of scale. If so then this question asks whether the system should ‘round up’ the works order quantity on works orders generated from sales to a multiple of this assembly quantity.

Specify any Copy Items

When set a pop-up screen allows a series of ten copy items from the Sales Order Header to Works Order Header, Sales Order Detail to Works Order Header and from Works Order Header back to the Sales Order Detail.All copy items actioned at the point of works order generation.

Use pre-allocated SOD batches/serials in WOH

If using batch tracking then SOP can be configured to allow entry of batch/serial numbers to be issued during order entry. Normally, when building an assembly the serial number for the finished item will be set by you so this option, if enabled, allows for the generation of the new serial item numbers on sales order entry and transfers these to the works order. Alternatively, the serial numbers are generated within Bill of Materials and then become available for issue on the SOP Delivery Note.

When Creating WOH take quan from other SOD Item

By default when generating works orders from sales orders the system uses the sales order quantity as the build qty for works orders. This option allows you to nominate an alternate item on the sales order detail line to be used as the build quantity.

Create Orders Sequenced on Alternate SOD Item

By default when generating works orders from sales the system processes the sales order lines sorting on stock code, assembly code and then sales order/entry sequence. This option allows you to nominate an alternative sort item if required.