Selling a unit

Summary

This article explains how to deal with the sale of a unit.

More Information

Units: Unit is a general term used to cover all types of vehicle and machinery, including items such as motorcycles, scooters, cars, trucks, vans, caravans, motorhomes, boats, tractors, ATVs, agricultural equipment, wholegoods and construction equipment.

For all retail sales, this should consist of creating a sales order at initial point of contact, and then raising an invoice absolutely no earlier than the point of collection. For trade sales of used units, where you will not carry out any work on that unit but simply sell it on to a trader, you should skip the sales order stage and only raise the invoice.

There are a number of logical steps to consider when dealing with the sale of a unit.

Consider the following issues.

Has the customer dealt with us before? If not, we will need to create an account for them.
Is the unit the customer wants in stock? If not, we must decide whether to use a non-stock sale unit at this stage, or to create a "dummy" stock number. If it is in stock, we must find the correct stock record.
Is the customer buying any extras or accessories, including things such as road tax, registration fees, test fees, warranties or other items such as clothing or performance accessories? If so, we will need part numbers for most of these items so that the deal profit can be calculated accurately.
Is the customer paying a deposit?
Is there a part exchange unit? Is the customer leaving it with us or will it only be available for sale once the sale unit is delivered?
How will the customer be paying for the unit - will they require finance?

These questions give you a plan to follow when creating a sales order for a unit.

Creating an Order

Go to " Unit Sales Unit Sales Documents".

Creating an Order

Add or Edit Sales Documents

You are presented with a search, which will allow you to select an existing document for revision, or set up a new sale.
The types of documents available to create here are 'Quotation', 'Order' and 'Invoice'.
In most cases you will first [Add] an 'Order', which you will later [Convert] to an 'Invoice', once the unit has arrived and undergone any pre-delivery inspection or other work required.
For this reason when the search first opens, only 'Orders' are shown. To view 'Quotations', you should use the [Advanced] button to adjust the search range.
If you want to revise details of an existing 'Order', use the search to select it and press the [Edit], otherwise press [Add].

Date vs. Order Date

You will see two date columns in the list of documents on file, "Date" and "Order Date". The former is when the document was last updated; the latter when the document was originally raised.

Sale Details

Customer

At "Customer:", leave the dropdown selection as 'A' for Account.
Type part of the customer surname into the "Customer" box and press <Enter>. Check to see if the customer is already on file and if not, add them to the customer database. You can search for the customer here using the magnifying glass icon.
- You may enter a different address for delivery on the [Summary] tab.
If the customer's "Date of birth:" is already on file it should be automatically filled in below, if not fill that in next.

Details

Enter the initials/code of the "Sales person:" responsible for the sale (very important for sales and commission figures); as well as any applicable "Analysis:" codes.
Adding a "Delivery date:" is particularly important if your Unit Sales is linked to your Stock Control and/or Workshop, for scheduling parts counter orders and automatic PDI jobs. Even if you are not sure of the date, at least make an estimate of the date.
When the Workshop job is created from this order, the due date for that job is set to the day before this date, so that the unit stands a chance of being ready for the customer when they come to pick it up! Any parts that are required have their delivery date set to the day before the workshop job is due, again so that there is a fighting chance that the parts will be available for the Workshop to fit.

Primary unit

If you are selling a unit from stock, type the Stock Number of the unit. You can search for the unit here using the magnifying glass icon.

If you choose to create a stock number, this cannot be changed later. If you choose to create a non-stock sale unit, you must link the actual unit when it arrives on site to the order that you have created.

If the unit required is not in stock, you may enter a "non-stock" sale unit.

Entering a stock number, either from an existing unit or one created using <Shift+F10>, will cause information that can be entered on the system through unit amendments to be disabled on this screen, as it should be entered there. Conversely by leaving the stock number blank you may use the other fields available here to enter as much information as you know in advance about the "non-stock" unit.

If set, you may choose a "Standard Job" for this order e.g. to choose a specific PDI job template else the default template, as set in the Platinum Settings, will be used.

The option to choose a standard job is based on the setting "Prompt for standard job" in " Reports & Settings Maintenance Options System Administrator Platinum Settings".

Click the [Next >] button to proceed to the next stage.

If you have not entered the date of birth of the customer, you will be warned about this, and can choose whether to continue or to enter the information. In certain circumstances, the date of birth is required information, but even if it is not, sending your customer a birthday card or birthday e-mail helps with your customer satisfaction index !

Additional Units

Depending on the nature of your business, this tab may come as the second stage of the process, or be placed as an option at the back.
See below.

Extras and Accessories

On this tab will be listed any extras and accessories to be sold with the unit. Anything that needs to be sold with the unit should be included here. This includes taxes and registration fees, warranties, accessories, clothing and anything that needs to be excluded from the price of the unit itself.
Click on [Add] to detail the part numbers or stock codes and quantities of the items to sell with the unit. This may not be straightforward, but is essential to keep the deal profits correct. It is well worth your while coming up with a list of common stock codes that can be sold with a unit for ease of use for the sales people.
In the item details, you will see a prompt labelled "Type".
- The options for "Type" are 'Financial'; 'Workshop'; and 'Stock'.
  - For items such as taxes and registration fees, warranties and other non-tangible items, this should be 'Financial'.
  - For any other items, we recommend that this is set to 'Workshop'.
  - Financial items allow you to use stock codes as short-cuts without keeping stock of these items. Items such as taxes and registration fees are usually not subject to sales taxes such as V.A.T., and generally you will want to analyse these items separately in your accounts. The stock code approach avoids the sales people having to remember to do this every time.
  - Workshop items are posted automatically to the workshop job that is created from this order. The big advantage here is that all the tangible items that have been sold with this deal - exhaust systems, chrome items, motor movers for caravans, clothing and so forth - are kept together in one place. This may not suit the organisation of your business, but we have found that this gives the best results. Items that the customer has bought that cannot be obtained before they take delivery of the unit can be handled very efficiently by this method.
  - Stock items have to be processed in a very particular way by the parts or clothing department, and should your processes require it, then items can be shown as 'Stock'. Any items handled in this fashion MUST be invoiced to the sales department before the unit is sold, otherwise problems will ensue.

Adding items of Stock to the Unit Invoice as an accessory Does Not take the item out of stock and you will need to do this via Stock Control or Workshop. Click here for Details.

Having entered all the extras and accessories, press [Next >] to proceed to the next stage.

Part Exchange

Here you will enter the details of any unit, or units, the customer is offering in part exchange.
Click [Add] to add a unit to the list.
- Click [Stock] if the customer is leaving the unit with you.
- Click [Non-Stock] if the customer is not leaving the unit with you.
Enter as much of the information about the part exchange as possible, making sure that you enter at least an estimate of the amount that you are going to give the customer for the unit.
Make sure you change the "Commercial" flag if the part exchange is subject to VAT.
If there is any outstanding finance on the unit enter the "Finance Balance" and "Finance Company".
- See this article to search for or create a new account.
- Make sure you check the outstanding finance value before completing the purchase in case they have made repayments in the meantime.

With details of any part exchanges complete, press [Next] to proceed.

Payment

Enter any money that the customer is paying you here. It is the responsibility of the person taking the money off the customer to ensure that it is entered onto the system on that day. If you don't enter the money, this will make the daily takings wrong and cost the people dealing with the till and the takings a lot of wasted time. The "Previously paid deposit:" shows any money paid previously by the customer.
Choose the correct payment method by clicking or pressing the letter that corresponds to the way the customer has paid.
Note you have the option to print a separate receipt for payment taken at the time of the order.

Click on [Next >] to proceed.

Finance

If the customer wants to put the balance on finance, click on the "Financed?" checkbox to enable finance options.
Enter the finance code that represents the company and details of the deal that you have agreed with the customer.

For further help with creating a finance company, see here.

Click on [Next >] to proceed.

Summary

Enter any special instructions to pass on to the workshop.
You may enter a delivery address.
- Press <F1/S-F> to scroll or <Ctrl+F1> to search through the customer's existing delivery addresses.
- To save a new delivery address press <F3>.
- Press <F2> to revert to the customer's account address.

Please Contact your Platinum dealer or our support team on 0116 230 1500 or by using our website support contact page for advice as your document formats may need amending to allow the delivery address to be printed.

Check the "Summary" values are all correct. If you need to make any corrections please go to the relevant tab to amend the information.

When you have confirmed the figures shown are correct:

Click on [Print] to print the order.
[Accept] the order once you have printed it.
Your copy of the printed order should be filed in the deal file.
If prompted, specify the depot the workshop job will be completed at.

If you are selling multiple units on the order you may choose a different workshop depot for each or apply the same depot by clicking the "Do not ask me again for this order" check box.

Selling Multiple Units

You may if required sell more than one unit per document.
After the first, or "Primary" unit, details are added in a similar fashion to "Part Exchange" units.

Revising an Order

Once you have created an order for a unit and customer, you can retrieve this order for any subsequent changes. For example, the customer may come back and make another deposit payment; they may change their mind about extras and accessories; they may decide to part exchange their old unit.

Go to " Unit Sales Unit Sales Documents".

Use the search to locate the order you need to revise, and click on [Amend]. This will give it a new number, but that is because it has changed.
Make the necessary changes.
At the "Summary" tab, click on [Print] to print the order.
Add this printed order to the deal file.

That the changes will not be saved unless you print the order.

You can retrieve and change the sales order as many times as you need. It is sensible to ensure that the order reflects the deal exactly as you want to see it before you print the invoice, because once you have printed and accepted the invoice, the deal is cast in stone and if something changes, you will then have to credit the deal and start again at the beginning. If you need to write back the value of the part exchange, now is the best time to do it - you can do it at point of invoice, but it is best to do it here.

We would recommend that, wherever possible, the invoice is not raised until the customer is nearly leaving the building after hand-over.

Removing a Part Exchange Record

If a customer changes their mind about part exchanging their unit, click on the "Part exchange" tab.

Click on the Part Exchange and click [Remove].
Choose [Remove] to delete the record from your stock file.

If the Part Exchange has already been sold you will not be allowed to remove it from your stock file.

At the "Summary" tab, click on [Print] to print the order.
Add this printed order to the deal file.

Raising the Invoice

Go to " Unit Sales Unit Sales Documents".

Invoicing a unit from a Sales Order

Use the search facility to locate the 'Order' you wish to 'Invoice'.
Click on [Convert] to load this order as an invoice.
Check that the details are correct, and that you have written back any values to that which you want.
If a final payment is required at this point, enter details on the 'Payments' tab.
At the "Summary" tab, click on [Print] to print the invoice.
After confirming the printed details are correct, click on [Accept] to update your units and accounts.

Selling a unit

Contents

Summary

More Information

Creating an Order

Add or Edit Sales Documents

Date vs. Order Date

Sale Details

Customer

Details

Primary unit

Additional Units

Extras and Accessories

Part Exchange

Payment

Finance

Summary

Selling Multiple Units

Revising an Order

Removing a Part Exchange Record

Raising the Invoice

See also

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