Trade Account Cash Sales

Point-of-Sale Order entry has two main entry options – Cash Sales and Account Sales.

Cash Sales enter allows you to input the order as required, select the payment type and update the ledgers – all details are recorded against the cash sales account unless you choose the ‘on account’ payment type where you can select an account and the order is updated to the account without payment. You can process an invoice and payment against an account but you have to <ESC> to the detail menu, select an account, and then manually choose the payment type.

Account Sales entry asks for the customer (usually at the start), and then you input the order detail, select the payment type and update the ledgers – all details are then recorded against the actual sales account and means you must have an account for all customers.

If operating on a payment with order basis at all times but, for selected customers, you wish to use their own special prices then neither of these options are quite streamlined enough to meet the requirements of a busy trade counter.This new feature allows you to use the cash sales entry option for all order entry but nominate selected payment methods as trade or loyalty account options which, when selected, will prompt for the customer account, update the entered details based on their price list and then continue with the selected payment type.

When the payment table is displayed if you select a non-trade/loyalty payment type then the invoice and payment are processed against the cash sale account, if you select a trade/loyalty payment type then the system prompts for an account code – updates the details based on their price list – and the invoice and payment are processed against the selected account.

Note that only customers flagged as a trade/loyalty account can be selected, if a non-flagged account is selected then this is rejected and you cannot proceed with this payment type. Similarly if you select a non-trade/loyalty account and then use a trade payment type the payment selection will be rejected.

Installation

Database Changes

A new flag item is required on the Sales Account file to identify an account as a Trade / Loyalty Scheme customer. To add this new item select Installation from the main menu followed by Application Manager and then Restructure A Database. Select the Sales Ledger application.Elect to update the Live Files and then select the Sales Accounts File. The existing account data items are then displayed on screen, scroll-down to the next available blank entries and create the following items: File, Item, Name, Type, Description

SLA TRADE-A/C ? Flag to identify customer account as being a trade account or member of the loyalty scheme.

To insert a new item press <Enter> against a blank entry, enter the title as required and press <Enter>, select the item type (using the drop-down list if required), and depending on item type select the size required.

Once the additional item has been recorded press the <ESC> key and select the UPDATE button to save the database changes.When prompted respond ‘Y’ to the prompts to ‘Extract Existing Data to New Database Structure’ and, if appropriate, ‘Copy Table Entries from Old Database to New Database’. Final prompts ask to ‘Remove (.OLD) Database’ and to ‘Carry Out the Same Restructure on the BASE File as well’ – respond as required.If you select to update the base file you need to manually insert the new items at the same data item positions as on the live file.

Database Profiles

The new data item needs to be referenced within the Database Profiles. To update these settings select Installation from the main menu followed by Application Manager and Set Database Profiles. Choose the Sales Ledger application before selecting the Account Optional 3 parameter screen.

On the left of the screen is the prompt Trade Account – against this item reference the data item number of the equivalent item created above, <F4-Select> is available if required.

Application Screen Layouts

Changes are required to the customer maintenance screen to allow display / update of the trade account flag. To update the screen select Installation from the main menu followed by Application Manager and then Application User Facilities. Select the Sales Ledger application followed by Maintain Customer Records and then Add New Accounts.

Position the cursor using the mouse where you require the text label for the omit update input and then type the required text. If you make an error move back and (making sure the INSERT status is off) either overtype with text or space characters. If the existing characters shift to the right press the INSERT key to switch to OVERTYPE mode and continue.

To insert the data item position the cursor where required using the mouse and then press <F4-Select>. Move down to the new Trade Account flag on the list of items and press <Enter> to select and update the item on to the screen. You are then prompted whether the item is view-only, set for upper case input (recommended) and whether input is mandatory – respond as required. Once complete choose File from the toolbar and then Save and Exit.

System Profiles

If implementing the Trade/Loyalty scheme you are likely to require the entry of new payment types which are set within the Sales Ledger System Profiles. To update select Installation from the main menu followed by Application Manager and then System Profiles. Select the Sales Ledger application and then move to screen 2 of the profiles.

The payment analysis table is displayed when press <Enter> through the prompt Specify Multiple Payment Types (if set). For each payment type you enter the payment title / type, the bank account to use for the payment (leave blank for on-account payments), and any surcharge or fixed charge values.

Note if adding new payment entries you need to ensure that the database structure and profiles for the order header file support that number of payment types. The profiles define the payment analysis in ‘ranges’ of data items so there may be major restructure required when adding new types depending on how any existing entries have been configured.

Application User Facilities

The final change is to identify which payment types are applicable for the trade / loyalty scheme and this is achieved through the Point-of-Sale parameters within the SOP Application User Facilities. To update the parameters select Installation from the main menu followed by Application Manager and then Application User Facilities. Select the Sales Order Processing application followed by Enter/Amend Orders and then Point of Sales and move to Screen 3 of the parameters.

A new column option Trade has been added to the payment table – set this flag as required for the appropriate payment types.