Running the Basic Reorder Process
You can run the basic reorder process from the Process > Inventory menu. You define the parameters for the run before executing the process.
Options Reference
Each option and field on the form is described below. Mandatory options and fields are highlighted in red.
Re-Order file name
This is a unique name for the reorder run. It can be up to 30 characters long. You can recall a previous reorder run using this name and edit, recalculate, or reprint the run as many times as you like.
If the parameters of your reorder runs do not change, you can recall a reorder name. Greentree recalculates the suggested order quantities using the current date, and applies the parameters for the run name.
Report Name
Select:
- IN Reorder Report - You can copy this report and customise it to change the output or format.
- None - Calculate only - If you select this report, the Print button disabled. You can select this option to run a reorder process for 1,000 items, but do not want to print all items on one report. For example, where you have more than one user who is responsible for raising purchase orders, and you want to print the reorder calculation output by item code range, or location.
Warehouse Option
You can select these options:
- Company - Select this option to calculate reorder quantities for the whole company.
- Warehouse Range - Select this option to calculate reorder quantities by warehouse, or range of warehouses. Select this option to also select the One order per supplier option.
Generate PO
You can select these options:
- None - Select this option if you do not want generate purchase orders using the calculated suggested reorder quantities.
- Purchase Orders - Select this option to generate purchase orders using the calculated suggested reorder quantities. If selected, these parameters may also be selected:
Use default status
Select this option to apply the default hold status for the re-ordered item's supplier. If you don't select this option, you can assign a status to apply.
If a hold status
is assigned, automatically generated purchase orders will be hold, and
will require 'human intervention' before they are released, edited, or
deleted.
Include supplier discount
Select this option to include the supplier's discount in automatically-generated re-order values.
Branch
If you want to filter re-order output by branch, you can select a branch here.
If you do not
want to filter the output by branch, select N/A
Not applicable.
One order per supplier
Select this option to combine multi-warehouse reorders (where the Warehouse Option is Warehouse Range) into a single purchase order where the reorder supplier is the same. If you select this option, you can select a Location to specify a single receipt location. If the option is not selected, a separate order is generated by warehouse or supplier.
Location
This filter is available if the Warehouse Option is Company or the option to create One order per supplier is selected. The location represents the purchase order receiving location, which defaults to the order header and lines.
You can leave
this field blank.
Inventory item order within purchase order
This option determines the order in which the inventory items will be generated in the purchase order - by item code, or by item description.
Parameter Table
You can filter the output of the reorder report by supplier code, inventory analysis code, or item code. If you have selected the Warehouse Range option, you can also filter the output by location. If you do not specify a From and To range, the reorder process includes all codes.
Number of Days Carry
This is only used for items that have a forecast reorder type designated. It is an optional value, used to influence the value of forecasted average period sales.
Preferred Supplier Only
If this is option selected, only items that have a nominated preferred supplier within the selected supplier range are included in the process. Preferred suppliers are assigned to items in Supplier Details Maintenance.
Sales Weightings
Use this option to fine tune the sales forecasting process by making manual adjustments to the demand history. This is enabled if you are using a forecast reorder type. A weighted average period sales figure is calculated by applying the weighting value entered into the Sales Weighting table to the corresponding demand history for each inventory item/location combination.
Percentages are calculated by Greentree Desktop when a weighting is entered into the Weighting column. As you alter weighting values, the percentage values are dynamically updated, so that the total percentage for all historic periods is 100%.
A suggested reorder quantity will be determined as the quantity required to satisfy the average sales for the period of days carry plus lead time. The detail displayed in the sales weightings table columns is:
- Demand History Period - This displays the number of periods applicable to the current inventory calendar year. The calendar period names displays beginning with the current inventory calendar period, for X periods back, where X is the number of periods in the calendar year. This process spans two calendar years, to enable a rolling calendar to be weighted at any time.
- Weighting - Enter a value in this column to correspond with a demand history period. When a value is entered, Greentree generates a relative percentage to be applied against the demand history value for that period. The percentage will be applied against the demand history when calculating the forecasted demand, and hence the suggested reorder quantity for items.
- Percentage - This is calculated when weighting value are entered or changed. At any time, the combined total of all percentages will be 100%.
Examples of where you can use sales weightings include smoothing items that are exposed to seasonal fluctuations (for example, assign a lesser weight to a period or periods that were influenced by a seasonal factor, so that the rest of the calendar year is not distorted by it), or reducing the weight of historic period sales, which were disproportionately high due to a promotion.
Exclude indent items
You can specify that an item is an indent item in Inventory Item Maintenance - Defaults. If you do not want to include these items in the reorder process, select this option to exclude them. If this option is not selected, the reorder process includes them, which means that based on the nature of indent items, a reorder quantity will be suggested for any indent item that has some demand against it (for example, a backorder).
Printer/Address
You can select to display the report on form, or output it to a printer connected to your workstation. The Address defaults in read-only format to the location of the printer when selected. These fields will be invisible if the Report Name selected was None - Calculate Only, as this implies the output will not be printed (at this time).
Generate
This button is enabled if the option to generate purchase orders has been selected, and the reorder run is calculated Calculate has already been activated. Click the button to generate purchase orders, using the suggested reorder quantities. You can only click the Generate button once, even though the Calculate and Print can be activated more than once for a reorder run. This applies to the creation of purchase orders:
- When you click the Generate button, Greentree prompts you for a narration (if you want), which defaults to purchase orders at both the header and line levels. You can identify purchase orders that were generated by the reorder process. For example, you can enter a narration Generated by Advanced Reorder Process 01/09/04.
- If you selected the Company warehouse option, Greentree generates a single purchase order per supplier. If locations are being used, the purchase orders will be assigned the default location, as specified in Module Control - Defaults.
- If you select the Warehouse Range warehouse option, a single purchase order per supplier will be generated for the warehouses nominated in the reorder run.
- The order in which item lines are created on purchase orders is determined by the Inventory Item Order within Purchase Orders option that is selected.
- Where a hold status is nominated for purchase orders, you can't print purchase orders until the hold status is released.
- The default delivery address assigned to each order is determined from the default option set in Purchase Orders Module Control.
- If an item has a purchasing unit of measure in use that is different from the stocking unit of measure, suggested order quantities and values will be represented in the purchasing unit Greentree converts stocking to purchasing as part of the reorder process).
This button is accessible once the Calculate is activated for the reorder run. Click this button to print the reorder report, which prints details for your selections, and the calculated suggested reorder quantities. A reorder run can be recalled (by name) and recalculated or reprinted (a calculate must always precede a print if you want the report to reflect the latest calculation). When you click the Print button, another form will appear, allowing you to specify output parameters.
Calculate
Click this button to run the reorder process, and calculate the suggested reorder quantities, using the parameters you have entered. This process can take a considerable amount of time, depending on the number of inventory items included in the selection, and the number of warehouses and locations.
You can recall and recalculate a reorder run if the process parameters and selections never change. You can recall the same reorder run at the same time every month, and recalculate to generate suggested reorder quantities for the new month.
If
you expect an item to be included in a reorder run, and it does not print
on the report, the most likely reasons for the item not being included
are:
- Inventory locations are not set to being both stocking, and warehouse.
- Active supplier details are not set up.