Purchase Order Authorisation

This new feature adds an authorisation option to Purchase Order Processing. Once implemented purchase orders are entered as usual but no document can be printed until the order is authorised. A new menu option for authorising purchase orders is available and options can be set to allow specific users (or authority level) to authorise orders up to a set value. Once an order is authorised it can be processed in the normal manner.

Order Authorisation

Selecting the ‘Authorise Orders’ option asks an initial pre-amble for which orders to list.

The system will default these settings as per parameters within the configuration but you can amend as required.

Active – set to include active purchase orders (usually set)

On-Hold – set to include orders on hold.

Unauthorised – set to include only unauthorised orders.

Specify Selection Criteria – set any additional filter criteria as required.

When the operator selects an order the order value is compared with the amount that the user can authorise and, if the order value is less, the order will be updated as authorised. If the order value exceeds the users’ authorisation limit then the authorisation is rejected.

 Note

Depending on configuration once an order is authorised it can be removed from the list (i.e. if filter set to only shown unauthorised orders) but if the order remains on the list then, depending on configuration, you can select to print the order acknowledgement (or indeed the goods received / invoice document).

Order Amendments

Once an order is authorised then if you amend an order you are warned accordingly.

A configuration option allows you to ‘lock’ the order so it cannot be amended except if the user/authority level is sufficient to authorise. A password protected override is available for other operators where they press F7-Option key on warning message and enter a password. If the override is used the authorisation is revoked and will need to be re-authorised.

Document Processing

If an order has not been authorised then it cannot be printed from either Instant Print or via print options off the menu. The exception is where can set, for acknowledgement documents only, a set-up parameter to allow printing of the document. You may want to do this where allow print to send to an ‘authoriser’.

Where documents are processed on an ‘automatic’ run the operator will be warned where any orders that would have been processed are omitted due to unauthorised status.

Installation

Changes are required to the purchase order header database structure, the database profiles, the purchase order menu and the application user facilities.

Restructure a Database

File Item Name Type Description

POH AUTH-BY X (6) Holds user-id of the operator who authorised the order.

POH AUTH-ON D/E Holds the date the order was authorised.

POH AUTH-AT N Holds the time the order was authorised.

Set Database Profiles

The new data items on the order header need to be referenced within the Datafile Database Profiles for Purchase Order Processing. The parameter screen ‘Header Optional 4’ allows reference of the authorisation items.

Menu Design

The new Purchase Order Authorisation option needs to be added to the main P.O.P. menu – the PP.D03. Sign on as the CONFIG user and amend the required application menu to add the new reports with the following parameters

Authorise Purchase Orders P-Program PP.EXE Parameter 7910

Application User Facilities

Two new parameter screens have been added to the Purchase Order Processing Application User Facilities for Order Authorisation within the ‘Enter/Amend Orders’ section. Select ‘Authorise, Deliver & Invoice’ to access the parameters.

Default to Orders which are Active / On-Hold / Unauthorised – tick to set which orders are included. Active orders would usually be set, on-hold and unauthorised filters are optional.

Specify default Selection Criteria – set to enter any default criteria to be applied at run-time.Selection is on the purchase order header database.

Remember changes to Selection Criteria – set to save any changes to the criteria at run-time for next run.

Items to Display – select up to ten items from the purchase order header database to be listed in the authorisation screen.



Authority level required to Authorise / Order Limit – set as general limit the authority level required and the order limit up to which they can authorise. If authority level is blank only nominated user-id’s can authorise orders, if order limit is 0/blank then there is no upper limit to the order value that can be authorised.

Allow to Authorise from User-Id / Order Limit – here you can set up to five user ids and order values for authorisation limits. Note that the users can be higher or lower than any general authority level set.

Document No for Manual / Auto – this allows you to print an acknowledgement, goods received note or invoice for the authorised order. Enter the document number you wish to print and this option will be enabled on the bottom bar menu in authorisation process. Manual documents will ask you to confirm the order / quantities etc, automatic documents act as ‘Instant Print’ and ask for printer but then print automatically.

Restrict Access to Authorised Orders – set to ‘lock’ orders once authorised. Users on list above, or of sufficient authority, can access the orders (subject to the order value) with a warning but other users are blocked.

Password override to cancel authorisation – enter password for the ‘other’ users which can use on F7-Option override of ‘lock’ warning. If used the authorisation status of the order is cleared