Introduction
Sales Order entry is integrated with the Inventory Management system, either fully, in the context of quantities management, or partially, in the context of non-stocked goods and services.
Sales Order entry is an optional step in Customer Sales Invoicing. You can bypass it and go straight to Sales Invoicing instead. For Sales not involving Product (Stocked or Services), Batch Sales Invoicing is more efficient.
Sales orders can be entered independently or result from a Sales Quote that was accepted by a Customer and then promoted. In the latter case, the fields will be auto-populated with the details taken from the Sales Quotes. However, you can still override many of these details. In both cases, when the order is processed, you can then invoice it.
See:
16.2 Converting Sales Quotes to Orders and Orders to Deliveries
16.3 Processing invoices from Sales Orders
16.4 Sales Quotes, Orders & Delivery Queries
How does the Sales Quotation System Work?
How does Sales Batch Invoicing Work?
How do I Maintain Customer Master Records?
How do I use Code Maintenance to Control the Behaviour of the System?
Using the Sales Orders grid
The listing grid allows you to search for, edit, print, and email Sales Orders previously entered.
Go to Sales > Orders. The grid displays a list of Sales Orders based on filter criteria.
To view a Sales Order for a particular account, enter all or part of the account code in the Account Code search field.
Some of the most used columns in the Sales Order screen are:
- Despatched: This appears if the Sales order has a quantity remaining to be despatched. If Despatched is not there, then the Sales Order has already been fully despatched or closed.
- Number: This is the unique Sales Order number created by the system.
- Account code: This is the Customer's unique code.
- Address: This is the address on the Sales Order. This will default from the Customer Master Record, but you can change it for individual orders.
- Account name: This is the Customer Account name from the Customer Master Record.
- Order date: This is the date the Order was created.
- External Reference: This comes from the Sales Order header.
- Created by: This is the username of whoever created the Order.
- Total: This is the total net amount in Customer Currency.
-
Status:
- New: This is the status when you click New Order and before you click Process. The order has not been processed or stored in the database. If you exit an order with this status without processing, the order will not be saved in the system.
- Reserved: The Order has been processed, which allocated items against it. No deliveries have been made against the order.
- Part Delivery: The Order has one or more quantities delivered against it, but there are still outstanding quantities to be delivered.
- Full Delivery: The Order has all its quantities fully delivered. The Despatch button is now unavailable in the grid for this order.
- Complete: The order has been matched with an invoice and is now complete. This order remains in the grid but has progressed to the Sales > Item Invoices screen.
- Closed: The order is closed as it has not progressed to despatching. There is still a record of this Order in the Sales > Sales Orders grid for historical purposes.
Creating Sales Orders
Go to Sales > Orders > New Order or open an existing Order by clicking the relevant order number in the Number column. This opens the Sales Order Entry screen.
Sales Order Details tab
Complete the Header as follows:
- Sales Order No: You can control auto-numbering in Setup > Company Details & Settings. Autonumbering must be on if you have an integration with another system.
- Customer: Select the customer from the dropdown. This will cause other inherited fields to be auto filled.
- Order Date: This defaults to today’s date, but you can change it here. Note that this date will place this order into the correct financial period. This is done automatically to ensure that the transactions go to the correct period. If the Order resulted from a Sales Quote, then it will be that date.
- External Ref: Enter a unique number for subsequent identification. This could be a contract number or any other relevant information which should appear on the Sales Order.
- Expected Delivery Date: This defaults to today’s date, but this can be modified to represent the date the order is expected to be delivered on. If the Order resulted from a Sales Quote, then it will be that date.
- Quote: If a Sales Quote has been converted into an Order, a display-only Quote Number will appear here.
- Use Acc VAT Code: Checking this box means that any items entered will use the default tax code from the Customer record instead of the product's tax code. For example, if a particular product has a default tax code of 21%, but an overseas Customer and is exempt from tax. This field can be modified to allow you to account for the difference. If checked, then this is the VAT Rate that will appear on all Line Items as a default. However, you can amend this at line level.
- BI Code: This comes from the Customer Master Record and will appear on each line of the Order. However, you can amend this at line level.
- On Hold Status: This comes from the Customer Master Record, but you can change it here.
- Sales Area: This is the sales area that will be associated with this order from a sales analysis point of view. This comes from the Customer Master Record, but you can override it using the dropdown. This is useful to enable you to track sales by area within the dashboard functions in the system.
- Sales Rep: This is the Sales Representative associated with the Customer. This comes from the Customer Master Record, but you can override it using the dropdown. This setting is used to track the sales against each sales rep in reports.
- Billing Address: This is the address of the Customer that this order relates to. This address is read from the customer record and can be changed at order level.
- Customer Contact: The default contact name for a contact is loaded here. This can be modified for a specific order.
Complete the Line Item as follows:
- Line: Click on the Line Number to expand it to view and add optional details such as Discounts, or Stock information. To delete a Line on an existing Order, click F8.
- Item: Enter the Item Code or select it from the dropdown.
- Description: This is for additional identification.
- GL Acc No: This comes from the Inventory Master Record, but you can override it using the dropdown.
- BI Code: This comes from the Customer Master Record, but you can override it using the dropdown.
- Qty: Enter the Customer's required Quantity. To update the Qty without changing the Unit price click Cancel when prompted.
- Unit Price: The Unit Price (excluding VAT) comes from the Product Master Record. However, if the Customer has a Price List nominated in the Customer Master Record, then that will take precedence.
- VAT: The Rate Code comes from the Product Master Record, or from the Customer Master Record if the Use Tax Code and Default Tax Code are both set there. However, you can change it here using the dropdown.
- VAT Amt, Line Total: These are calculated from all the entries.
- Disc. Rate, Disc. Amount: The default discount rate comes from the Customer Master Record. Entering a discount here will override any discounts entered there or in the Additional Details tab of this order. You can change individual line rates which will cause the Net, Tax, and Line Total to be recalculated. If you make changes to the default in the record, this will not affect existing orders so you will need to update discount data here.
- Line Note: You can enter a Note against the Line.
Footer details:
- Exchange Rate: Sales Orders for foreign currency customers show the Exchange Rate and a View rate history link. This field displays the default exchange rate currently associated with the chosen Customer. This can be overwritten if necessary and will be used when posting the order to calculate the base currency value of the order. Note, a Sales Order converted from a Quote for a foreign currency customer will keep the original currency rate and will not read the latest currency rate from the currency table.
- Sub Total, VAT Total: For foreign currency customers, these will appear in both the currency of the account and the base currency of the entity.
Additional Detail tab
Complete the following:
- Delivery: You can change the Delivery details, if required.
- Ship Via: This comes from the Customer Master Record, but you can change it here.
- For Collection: Tick this if the item is not for delivery.
- Discount: Any discount entered here will override the discount from the Customer Master Record and will recalculate the Net, Tax, and Line Total.
- Payment Method: This specifies how this order will be settled by your company. The default comes from the customer record, but you can select any payment method that has been set up as an 'online' payment method in codes maintenance. This and any orders with the same payment method can be settled via Bulk Payments.
- Note Printed on Sales Order: Record a note here that will be printed on the header of the Sales Order for Customer to view.
Notes tab
Notes appear here for subsequent recall and review.
To add a note:
- Click Add New Note.
- Record your Note.
- Click Save.
Attaching supporting documents and exporting
If needed, attach any supporting documents to the Sales Order by clicking Attach Document.
You can also export the Sales Order by clicking Export.
See:
How do I Add Documents and Notes to Transactions and Master Records?
Processing and Printing Orders
- Check if the totals are accurate.
- Click Save or Save and PrintOrder to print the order in PDF format. You can then email it to the Customer.
Despatching Orders
Process the order to the stage of sending confirmation to your Customer.
When you are ready to deliver the Goods, the next step is to Despatch the Goods (full or partial).
- Go to Sales > Orders.
- Click Despatch against the Order No. in question to open the Sales Deliveries screen.
- In this example, we are going to deliver Line 1 only:
- Enter the Quantity despatched.
- You may also have to update the Storage Locations if this Order Line is in respect of Stocked Product and the product was despatched from a different storage area.
- To undo the Delivery Quantities, click the Reset button.
- To fill in all the Quantities from the Outstanding field, click Deliver All.
- Click Save or Save & Print which produces a Goods Despatch Note that you should email to your Customer.
- After this process, you can open the Order and click View Deliveries to see any Deliveries made. If you want to cancel the remainder of the Order, click Cancel Order.
Delivery Status and Editing Sales Orders
Delivery Status
Go to Sales > Deliveries and find the relevant Sales Order ready for delivery.
If the order is fully delivered, it is ready for invoicing.
- Its Status in the Order Entry grid will be Full Delivery
- The Despatch button will not be visible.
- When you open the order, all fields in the order window will be greyed-out and you cannot make edits.
Not yet delivered Sales Order
If the order is not yet delivered, the Despatch button will still be present.
- Open the Sales Order.
- In the Sales Order Entry screen, click the Item Code dropdown to carry out any of these actions on a line:
- Delete or add new lines.
- Change Quantities, Prices, VAT (Tax) Rates, GL Codes, BI Codes.
- Add Line Notes and Order Notes.
- Click Save.
Cancelling, Duplicating, Printing, and Closing Sales Orders
You can do the following within the Order or from the Actions dropdown in the grid.
Cancel an Order:
Click Cancel Order to remove it from the system.
Duplicate an Order:
- Click Duplicate Order. This will create a replica. You can duplicate closed orders.
- Add a new External Ref. and then modify the Order, including adding new Order Lines, as you require.
- Click Save and email the new Revised Order. The old Order will remain in the system as it was.
Close an Order:
You can close an Order at any time by clicking Close Order. This will update the status of the order to Closed and remove the Despatch option so that the order cannot be delivered. Note that you cannot re-open a closed order, but you can achieve the same result by duplicating it.
Print an Order:
In the Actions dropdown, click the Print icon against the relevant Order and select the desired format.
Email an Order:
In the Actions dropdown, click the Email icon against the relevant Order.
DeleteProcessing Invoices resulting from Sales Orders
When a Delivery has been made, a record is created that needs to be invoiced. You can now wait for further Deliveries to the Customer against this Order, or you can process the Invoice(s) immediately.
- Go to Sales > Deliveries.
- Find the related Invoice awaiting processing.
- In the Actions dropdown, select View Deliveries to open the Sales Item Invoice.
- In this example, there is a second delivery of quantity three in the second Order Line. You cannot change the Quantities but you can edit the following:
- Description
- Sales General Ledger Code
- BI Code
- Unit Price (Enter a reason for the revision.)
- Discounts
- VAT Codes
- Notes
- Click Save. You now have the option to Save Invoice/Save and Print Invoice/Print Invoice/Print and Post Invoice.