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Product Update 394: Blanket Sales Order Functionality Implemented

Introduction

Blanket sales orders are commonly used when you have a contract to supply goods in large quantities with discounted pricing to the customer. These discounted prices are stipulated upfront for the period of the contract, which must be fulfilled by the customer. In some circumstances, the customer can order more than planned in a specific period but they may not be allowed to exceed the quantity planned in the contract period. This situation may also influence the pricing which was agreed during the initial stages of the contract.

The overall functionalities of the blanket sales order are introduced to improve traceability and ease of use. The functionality includes the linkage between sales order lines and blanket sales order lines, delicate numbering, and more.

Menu path

HR/Human resources/User rights
Order/Entries/Blanket orders
Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Enter
Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Authorize
Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Confirm
Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Overview
Order/Items/Maintain
Order/Entries/RMA orders
Order/Entries/Sales orders
System/General/Settings/Numbers settings
System/General/Settings/Documents settings
System/HR & Security/User rights

What has been changed

The following changes are implemented and applicable only if the SE1200 – E-Sales Order is in the license:

Settings and access rights

The Blanket order check box is added to the Authorize section in Order settings. Select this check box to make it mandatory to authorize blanket sales orders.
The Blanket sales order number field is added to the Logistics section in Number settings where the starting number for blanket sales orders is defined. This is a running number and is automatically generated whenever a new blanket sales order is created.
New menu paths, Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Enter, Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Authorize, Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Confirm, and Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Overview, are introduced. Here, you can create and maintain blanket sales orders and keep track of the contract quantity, authorize blanket sales orders, and print a blanket sales order. You can also view the statuses of each blanket sales order. For example, if the blanket sales order has been authorized.
Menu rights are added to Order for access to these new menu paths. By default, the Administrator has these menu rights.

Blanket sales order

The blanket sales order can be created at Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Enter as shown below:
- The Start date and End date in the order header is used to control the validity of the blanket sales order.
- The default Start date and End date of the blanket sales order lines will be taken from the header. However, you can still change the dates but it must fall within the dates specified at the blanket sales order header.
- If there is more than one order line with the same item code, any overlapping of start or end dates is not allowed. A message will be displayed if such situation occurs.
- The lines will not split and the Released quantity can be greater than the Contract quantity. When the release quantity exceeded the contract quantity during the sales order creation, a message will be displayed but you have the option to release the extra quantity.
The blanket order process flow displays the statuses of the blanket order with the completion date and a green check mark as indicators. The following processes will take place when you create a new blanket order:
- Ordered – A green check mark and a date will indicate that the blanket order has been created on the shown date.
- Authorize – When the Blanket order check box is not selected at the Order settings, the blanket order created is automatically authorized. Alternatively, you can choose to authorize/reject single or multiple blanket orders at the authorize overview screen at Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Authorize. You cannot delete an authorized blanket sales order and if you modify an authorized blanket sales order, a warning message, “Already authorized” is displayed.
- Confirm – The confirmation process is to print the blanket sales order confirmation for the blanket order regardless of its status. This process is optional and can be skipped. An attachment will be generated each time you print and the date field will be updated accordingly. Alternatively, you can choose to print single or multiple blanket sales orders at Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Confirm.
- Completed – You will have to manually set the blanket order status to complete. You can only click the Completed button once the blanket sales order is authorized. The blanket sales order with the Completed status cannot be used in the sales order and can only be displayed at the overview at Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Overview.
For more information, see Creating and Maintaining Blanket Sales Orders.

Blanket order overview

The overviews of blanket sales orders can be displayed at Order/Entries/Blanket orders/Overview as shown below. You can filter the blanket sales orders that you want to display by defining the search criteria. You also have the option to view all blanket sales orders or blanket sales order lines with outstanding quantity to be released when you click Details at the Report options section. For more information, see Overview of Blanket Sales Orders.
You have an option to export the blanket sales orders information from the overview into Microsoft Excel.

Linking sales orders entries with blanket sales orders

A new Blanket order column is added to the Sales order screen and is enabled at the Define column screen for manual linking of the blanket sales order lines to sales order lines.
A sales order line will be automatically linked to the blanket sales order if the Blanket order column is displayed based on the following conditions:
- The item, currency, and debtor are matched.
- The blanket sales order is authorized but not completed or rejected.
- If more than one matches the blanket sales order, the date of the sales order that falls within the same start and end dates of the blanket sales order is used.
Where there is more than one blanket order that meets the abovementioned conditions, you are required to select the blanket sales order from the list displayed. If the sales order is system generated, the first blanket sales order will be selected by the system.
However, there will be no linkage if the Blanket order column is not displayed.

RMA order entries with blanket sales orders

A new Blanket order column is added to the Return: Item screen. Here, you can view all sales order lines with linked blanket sales order numbers.
A new Blanket order column is added to RMA orders screen. This column cannot be edited.

Layout

A new Blanket order layout has been added to the Logistics section in Documents settings.
The Blanket order description and Blanket order number database fields have been added to Item block and Text-line block of the Confirmation and Delivery layouts.

Others

The Blanket order option is added to the Type field under the Transactions section in the Activity tab of the item maintenance. You can select Blanket order to view all the blanket sales order transactions created for an item.