IES Purchasing: Supplier Dispatch Note Import

Purpose

The purpose of this Document is to explain how Goods Received can be automatically processed by importing a Supplier Dispatch Note, and how this facilitates Landed Cost Processing as well.

Introduction

A Supplier Dispatch Note is a document that lists the Items shipped in the current dispatch, i.e. which becomes a receipt of Ordered Goods, and in the case of importing possibly includes 1 or more ‘shipped’ containers, or a shared part of a shipped container. Supplier Dispatch Notes can include multiple Purchase Orders without necessarily including all the Order Items on those PO’s. By having a ‘dispatch import’ facility, it is much easier to process the Goods Received, because the system can do it automatically instead of each Order Item having to be processed by an Operator, by Purchase Order. In addition, the system is able to flag all the included Order Items as a ‘basket’ which may easily be retrieved for Landed Cost Processing, i.e. the Items will be correctly listed on a weighted basis for Landed Cost processing, with no effort at all.

In the illustration above, which includes only a few Items, it is clear that if the Dispatch Note includes only SOME Items from a range of Purchase Orders (which may possibly run into hundreds of Items), it could be a major task for an Operator (User) to process each received Item correctly, by Purchase Order. And when it is time to perform Landed Costs on weighted basis, all the Purchase Orders would have to be listed, which will then include all Order Items on those Purchase Orders, and one would have to ‘weed out’ the unwanted Items before performing the Landed Costs.

However, by using the Dispatch Note Import, the system will automatically process all the GRV’s (Goods Received Voucher processing), and at the same time flag the ‘basket’ of Items as a group for possible Landed Cost processing. (Hint: The Landed Cost option for ‘basket’ processing is discussed in the Landed Costs User Manual).

Importing and Processing a Dispatch Note

The required Data Layout is very simple, and can easily be formatted from a supplied Spread Sheet from the Supplier, and saved as .CSV before importing. If no such Spread Sheet is available from the Supplier, then it is a simple task to prepare it. The system offers the following when ‘View Data Layout’ is selected.

Once you select the file to import, the system will scan it’s contents, and scan all Order Items for the current Supplier on any Open Orders, i.e. Items that have not been received yet.

The Import screen has 3 tabs: -

Matched Items

Includes all Items where the system matches an Order Item Quantity on the Dispatch Note with an Order Item Quantity not yet received (and the system will automatically match Supplier Codes with Stock Codes if the UPC’s are specified on the Stock Code Master) ;

Supplier Surplus

Includes any Items that are present on the Dispatch Note but are not on order, or cannot be matched to a Stock Item ;

PO’s Remaining

Includes all other Items for this Supplier that are still ‘on order’ and not in the current dispatch ;

If indeed any items are present on the ‘Supplier Surplus’ tab, then it is a good idea to abandon the processing at this stage, specify the necessary UPC’s for matching, flag the unwanted Items for Return, OR process a new Proforma Order for excess Items that you wish to retain (and have the Proforma approved so the Items can be listed as ‘on order’ and therefore matched if the Dispatch Import is attempted again.

When all Items are correctly matched, just choose “PROCESS GRV’S” for the system to automatically process the Items as received.

It is possible that during this step (auto processing) some errors may occur. For example, if a Purchase Order that should be processed is found ‘locked by another User’, it will not be processed, but the system will report the fact. In such case, the Dispatch can be imported again afterwards, and processed again. BUT the dispatch note file should be edited 1st, to include ONLY the Items that could not be processed. If not, some Items may be incorrectly processed in the next attempt. For example, if Item XXX were on order for a quantity of 10, and the dispatch includes 5, then the 5 will be matched and processed in the 1st attempt. If the same 5 is present on the 2nd import, they will be processed again because there are still 5 on order, but this is wrong because that would add up to 10 being received instead of 5 only that were included in the dispatch.

Note: If the same Dispatch is processed more than once, i.e. in parts, the parts can still be ‘collectively’ selected for Landed Cost processing (see the Landed Costs User Manual).

Query a prior Dispatch Note

Once a Dispatch Note has been processed by choosing “PROCESS GRV’S”, this is final, and irreversible. Any corrections to this can only be done 1 by 1 by processing a Purchase Order itself.

A Dispatch Note that has been processed can be queried, and will only show Items that are fully processed. In other words, any Item that originally showed as a ‘match’ but could be some reason not be processed will be dropped and will not be listed on the processed Dispatch Note.

From the main Purchasing options, choose Query, then choose ‘Supplier Dispatch Note (Imported)’.

 

© Infolab, 2006