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Evo-ERP and DBA Classic >> Sales >> Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS update
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Message started by kevind on 09/15/03 at 07:58:55

Title: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS update
Post by kevind on 09/15/03 at 07:58:55

I finally took the plunge and updated my DBA 2002.4 to the latest ISTS update. :D

However, I cannot seem to access the Header Screen on any Sales order. When I choose a Sales Order from the pick list, it starts to show the header screen, then immediately jumps to the line Item screen. :(

If I click the button to access the header screen, it again starts to draw it up, and then jumps back to the line item screen. :-/
This is going to make sales activites quite a challenge today. Any suggestions? ???

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by Lynn_Pantic on 09/15/03 at 09:11:37

The newest update posted Friday? Works fine here. Does it make any difference if you are editing an existing order or trying to enter a new one? Does PO-A work OK?

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by kevind on 09/15/03 at 10:33:47

All I did was select an existing open order from the pick list. This order already had the RTI flag set to Y. It displays the header, then immediately jumps to the line item screen.

I just turned off the new feature to "Calc BO on Available to Ship" and now the Header screen stays up.

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by Lynn_Pantic on 09/15/03 at 11:26:46

OK, I bet I know what it is, thanks I will get it fixed.

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by kevind on 09/15/03 at 13:19:39

Lynn,
While your at it, Please check that this new feature works the way you intend.

I was entering an order for an item that showed 38 available when I clicked the Stock Status button.

I entered 10 and it immediately moved the 10 to the Backorded column. I deleted this from backorded, moved back to the qty shipped field and entered 10 again. This time, it entered 20 in the Backordered column. ???

If you cannot duplicate, I could turn this feature back on and come up with a sequence of steps that would illistrate what I saw.

Thanks!

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by Lynn_Pantic on 09/15/03 at 14:17:32

It is not looking at the "Available" in the Stock Status button. It is calculating "Available to Ship" by taking on-hand and subtracting On Sales Order and On Back Order on the presumption that previously entered orders get to go first. The DBA "Available" adds back in On PO and On WO quantities even though they are not yet truly available.

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by kevind on 09/16/03 at 13:50:07

On the face, This seems like sound logic.

However, I think you should only subtract "On Sales Order" from "On Hand" because the "On Sales Order" is the quantity you have already planned to ship. You can only ship Items that are "On hand". Any Order quantities that excede the "On hand" need to be put "On Back Order".

For example:
1. On Hand is 10, On Sales Order is 0, and On Back Order is 0 for an item # ABC.
2. An order is entered for 5 ABC's to a customer whos credit is ok. Therefore, 5 are set to ship and 0 Backordered.
3. Another order is entered. This order has several Items on it along with 3 ABC's. The customer wants one shipment. You choose to backorder the 3 ABC's that they want till everything is available.
4. Now an order for 5 ABC's is entered for a third customer. You should be able to allocate 5 to be shipped and 0 backordered.

Another example is a customer who's order is delayed for whatever reason. A new order comes in from another customer and you want to "Borrow" from an order that has some ABC's on SO. You could go into this other order, Backorder some of the items to free them up for the new order.

Ideally, if you enter a quantity for an order that excedes the available, you should be presented with 3 options:
1. Override the automatic backorder and just ship what is entered.
2. Ship what can be shipped and Backorder the balance.
3. Borrow from another order.

These are actual scenarios that we deal with every day.

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by aricon on 09/16/03 at 16:18:26

Kevin,

I also implement (and am a VAR for) Epicor Software. The 2 systems from them for Manufacturers are Vista (lower end) and Vantage (higher end). Vista is really just Vantage with a bunch of stuff turned off.

Anyway, what you are talking about is supply orders and demand orders linking. Systems like Vista and Vantage DO that.

With the current data structures that DBA has in place that is not so easy to do. Not impossible, but certainly not a 2 hour programming change.

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by Lynn_Pantic on 09/16/03 at 17:04:59

SO-E does give you that capability to manually force an order to ship and "borrow" parts from another order that is waiting to ship complete or for whatever reason. The logic in SO-A that can be turned on with the new setting is really designed primarily for entering new orders and allocating shipments on a "first come-first served" basis. SO-E would then be used to override this and ship something that SO-A thinks should be backordered.

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by kevind on 09/16/03 at 17:08:35

Actually, What I am talking about is letting SO-A make the same decisions / suggestions that a human would make using simple calculations with the available data.

Nothing more, Nothing less.

No automation, just real time, order entry calculations.

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by kevind on 09/16/03 at 17:23:55

We must have been composing Replies at the Same time!

OK, Now I understand the correct way to borrow from another order and ship. However, I still do not think that qty on Backorder has any place in the SO-A calculation based on the definition:

Quote:

... the new setting is really designed primarily for entering new orders and allocating shipments on a "first come-first served" basis.

I submit that if "On Hand - On Sales Order" is a positive number, that is the number of units available for immediate shipment on the order being entered.

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by Lynn_Pantic on 09/17/03 at 10:13:53

I see your point somewhat Kevin but consider this scenario as well -
1. 0 of Part ABC on Hand. Enter SO for 10, they get backordered.
2. Enter Finished Production for 20 part ABC, now have 20 OH and 10 BO
3. Enter SO for 20. By your logic, all 20 would go to this order bypassing the earlier order when in fact the previously entered order should have "dibs" on the first 10 parts.

Everybody has their own "rules" which is why this feature can be turned on or off by default setting and can be overridden completely by manually releasing orders in SO-E.

You can please all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time.... ;)

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by aricon on 09/17/03 at 10:19:55

Which is why systems like Vista/Vantage, Visual Mfg., Made2Manage, etc. use "linking". You create your sales orders, you create work orders. Independent entities until you determine which supply order (work order) you will use some quantities from to fill which demand orders (sales orders) and you create a link between these and then ship and invoice.

Title: Re: Cannot access Order Header in latest ISTS upda
Post by Lynn_Pantic on 09/17/03 at 17:05:32

Actually, when you use SO-N to generate the work order, there is a link embedded in the data tying the work order to the sales order line and some reports and custom programs have been developed to take advantage of it. This could be further developed and used more places if there is interest.