How do I process a sales order through Sales Order Dispatch?

Summary

The " Sales Ordering Order Dispatch" option is designed to allow you to package up a customer's order, taking care of any outstanding order processes, and optionally, raising the invoice.

More Information

This option will allow you dispatch a list of items for a specific Pick Bin, Delivery note or Picking List number or, using the Advanced search range, a range of customers, items or orders.

Order Items tab

List the items ready for dispatch:

Select either 'Pick bin', 'Picking list' or 'Delivery note' and enter the relevant data.
Alternatively click [Advanced] and use the fields to gather the relevant order items e.g. specify a customer account, then click [Search].

Item Selection

The system will tag the first set of items to be processed. Each customer will be dealt with in turn.

To select or deselect items press <T> or <U>.
To select or deselect all items for a specific customer press <Shift+F5> or <Ctrl+F5>.
You will not be able to process items for more than one customer at a time. Should you accidentally tag items for more than one customer the system will warn you and prevent you moving on to the [Delivery] screen.

The columns will display information about the items. The two columns which can be modified at this stage are described below.

Package

A delivery is made up of one or more Packages. Indicating to the customer which package each item is in may be of considerable use to them on receipt. Similarly in the event a package goes astray, you can more easily identify which items it contained.

The number of packages defaults to 1. This indicates all items for the delivery are contained in one parcel.
Enter the parcel number per item
- <F1> will advance the package number to the next number. This will be limited to the highest number currently assigned plus one.
- <Shift+F1> will decrease the package number by one, down to a minimum of 1.
- <Ctrl+F1> repeats the last used package number.
- <Alt+F1> sets all subsequent tagged items to the current package number.

Carriage

If the order includes a carriage item, the sytem will try to identify this and display a symbol in the "Carriage" column.

If the carriage item is not idientified or mis-identified, select that line and press <F8>.

You have the option to add carriage on the [Delivery] tab.

Delivery tab

This tab is used to specify the carriage and complete the dispatch process.

Your carriage stock code will be displayed here, if carriage was identified within the order items.

You will be unable to amend the price shown. If incorrect please amend the customer order to ensure the correct carriage is recorded on their order prior to using the dispatch option.

If not already specified please alllocate a "Carriage" stock code to the order.
- Press <Ctrl+F1> to search for a stock code.
Enter the "Unit price". This should be entered excluding VAT. If entered including VAT press <F2> to calculate the nett amount.
Enter the "Carrier" account code.
- Press <Ctrl+F1> to search for a supplier account or press <Shift+F10> to create a new supplier record.

The carrier may be set automatically, from " Reports & Settings Maintenance Options System Administrator Platinum Settings Sales Ordering Dispatch preferred carrier", " Reports & Settings Maintenance Options System Administrator Add or Edit Sites"[Sales Ordering]"Preferred carrier"; or from the Carriage stock line's "Preferred supplier".

Please see Shipping Service Links for details on shipping services which are supported by Platinum and how to configure them.

Enter the "Consignment" number allocated to your order by your carrier.

The following fields are optional for you to amend if required.

"Packages" - The number of packages making up the delivery. You should not need to amend this but may do if required.
"Pallets" - If you deal with pallets you may enter the number of pallets here. This is an optional value.
"Weight" - This figure will be calculated automatically from the weights assigned to the included order items, if used. If required you may modify this manually.
"Volume" - This figure will be calculated automatically from the volume assigned to the included order items, if used. If required you may modify this manually.

Package summary

For information only, this summarises the packages included in the delivery.

Shipper Details

If you have chosen to use a shipping service please see How do I dispatch sales orders via a shipping service? for additional instructions.

Notes tab

The notes tab may be used for any notes you want to record relevant to the delivery. These may be printed on reports, so if your standard dispatch reports are configured appropriately these could be special delivery instructions. In general though they are optional and can be used for any purpose you like.

Dispatch

When you are ready to dispatch the order click [Dispatch].

This option will perform any outstanding processes required by the items you have chosen to include. This may include Confirmation Note printing, Picking List printing, Completion and booking out of stock, and Delivery Note printing.

Details of the current delivery will then be stamped on the order items concerned, optional delivery reports will be printed, and finally, if configured, the delivery will be invoiced.

Invoicing

Whether you want to invoice the items in a delivery is based on a system setting.

This option is set within " Reports & Settings Maintenance Options System Administrator Platinum Settings". "Search" for "Invoice items included in dispatch deliveries". Set to 'Yes' this will automatically raise the invoice for items included in your delivery. Any deposits taken will be allocated automatically, up to the value of items included in the invoice. The remaining balance will need to be posted on the customer account when paid.

Customers flagged as "Cash sales" will not be invoiced unless a deposit has been taken in full for the order. You will be informed of this if the invoicing process decides this is the case.

If you choose not to allow the dispatch process to produce the customer invoices please invoice them individually or using Sales Order Invoicing.

Dispatch Reports (Optional)

If required you can configure the system to print one or more reports when you dispatch a delivery.
You can print a report covering the whole delivery, a report for each package included in the delivery, and/or a report for each stock line in the delivery.
These reports will be produced after any outstanding order processes have been performed on your selected items, and before the invoice is printed (if configured to do so).
Which reports you want to produce are selected in " Reports & Settings Maintenance Options System Administrator Module Settings Sales Order Processing Reports".
You can use this feature to print covering documents, package labels, or anything else you might require.