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Application Considerations - Purchase Order Processing

Article Number: 1848 | Rating: Unrated | Last Updated: Thu, Jun 22, 2023 at 4:46 PM

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Application Considerations - Purchase Order Processing

The purchase order processing XML transactions consist of an output transaction for the original purchase order, plus input transactions used to process order acknowledgements, delivery notifications (order responses), invoices and credit notes as required. Credit notes are not often linked specifically to purchase orders, so there is also a separate credit note transaction that updates the sales ledger directly rather than through the purchase orders system — these are separate transactions so far as the XML module is concerned.

The output transaction uses the purchase order files as the source of the XML orders.

The input purchase order XML transactions (order responses, invoices and credit notes) use Datafile purchase order application documents as part of the full process. As each message is deconstructed from the input XML file, the purchase order files are populated with data from the XML file. The action then switches to a normal Datafile document for further processing to update the purchase order, purchase ledger and stock files as appropriate. Once the Datafile document process is complete for that order, control returns to the XML processor to handle the next purchase message data.

Incoming XML purchase order transactions can link to acknowledgement, delivery note, invoice or credit note documents as appropriate. Note that there is no need physically to print a document; it is the processing and file updating that is carried out during document preparation that is used by the XML transaction.

In many cases suppliers will send initial "order response” messages that indicate how much is due for immediate delivery, and how much is back-ordered or otherwise delayed. In such cases it may be better to use delivery note transactions, which can update stock with the quantity that is about to be delivered, rather than acknowledgement transactions, which cannot update stock. This is a business process matter for you to decide.

An XML file could be a batch file containing data for many orders — in which case each order is treated individually until the end of file is reached — or it could contain details about just a single order. By using wild-cards in the input filename definition, all available XML files are processed.

To achieve the link between the XML and document processes, certain additional data items and parameters need to be set within the purchase order application.

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