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PO Entry

Purchase Order Entry​

From the DockMaster menu, select Inventory Management > Purchasing > PO Entry

This section allows the user to print and e-mail orders to the suppliers for items that exist in your Inventory File, or for non-inventory items. In addition to the number of items ordered and unit cost, a Purchase Order provides valuable information to the Vendor, such as shipping and billing information, special comments, etc.

Note: DockMaster has a standard Purchase Order form built into the system that prints on 8 1/2" by 11" plain paper.

Purchase Order Number - Several options are available at the Purchase Order Number prompt.

  • Enter N and press Enter to create a new PO; you can also click the New button on the Command Panel. Note: PO numbers will be automatically generated by the system.
  • Enter a PO Number if you are maintaining an existing PO. Press F6 to select from a List of all Open or Partially-received Purchase Orders. Press F7 to select from a List of all Back Orders, or F8 to select from a List of all Recommended Orders.
  • Vendor ID - Enter a Vendor ID. Press F6 to select from a List, or type in a backslash "" followed by a name to access a cross-reference List. Note: If maintaining an existing Purchase Order, this field will already be filled and cannot be edited.

Links to Inventory Maintenance and Vendor Maintenance will appear at the bottom of the window once a Purchase Order is created or selected.

General [tab]

  • Clerk ID - Enter a Clerk ID. The default Clerk ID will be the current clerk logged into the system.
  • Purchase Order Date - Enter a Purchase Order Date. The date will default to the current date.
  • Default Delivery Date - Enter a default delivery date to override existing delivery dates on all the parts in the Purchase Order. When the date is entered, a message will come up asking if you want to Change Delivery Dates for all Parts. If you answer, "Yes" to this question, all delivery dates will get updated. If you answer, "No, the delivery date will be removed from the field.
  • Ship Via - Enter the Ship Via information. For example, UPS Red, Fed Ex (next day air), etc.
  • Comments - The Comments section allows you to type in special instructions that will print on your Purchase Order.
  • Vendor Order Comments - Vendor Order Comments are special instructions that display for each vendor. If you entered any Ordering Comments in the Vendor File, the comments will display in this field. See Vendor File for more information.

All Parts currently on the Purchase Order will appear in the grid at the bottom of the General tab. Parts are added to this grid through Purchase Order Parts Maintenance (see below). Once a Part has been added to the Purchase Order, the Purchase Order Parts Maintenance window for that Part can be brought up by double-clicking the Part from the list. Right-click a Part to list other available options.

Bill To / Ship To [tab]

Note: The information that defaults into the Bill To and Ship To tab is derived from the Location File.

  • Click on the Bill To/Ship To tab to override the default Bill To and/or Ship To address on a Purchase Order. Click in the Bill To or Ship To area to pull in address information for a Customer if you are drop shipping the items from this PO. Press the F6 key to enter a Customer Number; the customer’s address will appear once selected.

Receiver Information [tab]

Click on the Receiver Information tab to display the Quantity Received for each part on a Purchase Order. The column labeled Received Qty is updated as you receive merchandise through the Inventory Receiving program.

Purchase Order Parts Maintenance

The Part Entry process uses a separate window to update the Parts grid shown on General tab of the Purchase Order Entry screen. You cannot type directly into the Parts grid; however, you can click the Close box to close the line item for a part.

You can display the Purchase Order Part Maintenance window by double-clicking in the Parts Grid portion of the screen, or pressing the F6 Add Part key. Other function-key options available are F8 Add Part/Dup WO and F9 Inventory Maintenance.

Display the Purchase Order Part Maintenance window by double-clicking in a blank area of the parts grid, or pressing the F6 Add Part key. Other function-key options available are F8 Add Part/Dup WO and F9 Inventory Maintenance.

Adding Parts to a Purchase Order

  • Part Number - Enter a Part Number or type a part number or key word preceded by a backslash "" to access a cross-reference list.
    • Enter a semi-colon followed by any alphanumeric characters to order a non-inventoried part. DockMaster will not verify the item against your Inventory File. This functionality enables you to order office supplies, fixed assets, or any other item that does not move through your standard inventory parts file.
    • If the part is already on order, you will receive the message: This Part is already on order. Continue? Click Yes or No.
    • If the part is not available from this vendor, you will receive the message: This Part not available from this Vendor. Add Vendor to Part? Note: If you click Yes, the current vendor on the PO will be added to the Part File with the cost entered in this window.
  • Part Description - The Part Description is displayed; you can modify the description for this PO if desired. Changing the description in a PO does not affect the main Part File.
  • Buy Quantity - A Buy Quantity may be displayed and unable to be modified. A value may be entered if prompted, and will default to 1.
  • Order Quantity - Enter an Order Quantity for this part. If you set up minimum, maximum, and multiple order quantities for this part in the Inventory File, the system will check and give error messages if the quantity entered does not adhere to the limits set.
  • Cost Per Order - The Cost Per Order will default to the catalog cost for the Vendor on this PO. Click on this field to modify the cost. If there is quantity cost breaks available from this vendor, the system will automatically adjust the cost based on the Order Quantity.
  • Extended Cost - The Extended Cost is the Order Quantity multiplied by the Cost Per Order. The Extended Cost can be modified if desired, however, if you tab or enter through the fields in this window, the Extended Cost will get recalculated.
  • Delivery Date - The system uses the Lead Time field in the Inventory File to calculate an expected Delivery Date for this part.
  • G/L Account – This prompt is only active if you are entering a non-inventoried part. The Accounts Payable module will use this account number as the default Debit entry when a receiver containing this part is attached to an invoice.
  • Comments - These part Comments will print below the part description on the Purchase Order form.

Pressing the Update button will add the Part to the Purchase Order grid and reopen a blank Purchase Order Parts Maintenance window to continue adding Parts to the Purchase Order. Click X in the upper righthand window to close the window when done adding Parts.

Sorting Parts on a Purchase Order

Once parts are entered into the Parts grid, click the Part Number column heading to sort the parts in ascending or descending part number order (each click will reverse the current sort order). Some vendors require you to list parts on a purchase order in part number order - this function allows you to do this.

Assigning a Part to a Work Order

Note: This option only works when the Service module is installed.

While in the Parts Entry window, parts can be assigned directly to a Work Order at the time you enter a Purchase Order. You will be required to enter a Work Order Number, Operation Code, Technician Id and Quantity when assigning the part. This process will automatically create a Special Order for the part and follow the update procedure set in the Special Order Parameters when the part is received. If the prompt Update W/O from Receiving is enabled, the part is automatically added to the Work Order when received. You can assign parts to multiple Work Orders or multiple Operation Codes on the same Work Order.

  • Work Order - Click in the Work Order column to assign this part to a Work Order. Enter the Work Order number or F6 to select from a List.
  • Opcode - Click in the Opcode column to assign this part to an Operation Code on the Work Order selected. Enter the OpCode or F6 to select from a List.
  • Tech - Click in the Tech column to assign the Technician who ordered this part. Enter the Technician ID or F6 to select from a List.
  • Order Qty - Click in the Order Qty column to assign an order quantity for this Work Order Operation.
  • Click the Update button to save the Work Order.

Exporting a Purchase Order

To export a Purchase Order, open the PO and click the Export PO button.

  • Export - Click the button next to the appropriate Vendor. Note: Some vendors will display additional options at the bottom of the window.
  • File Name - This prompt will default to the standard Directory and Path for each vendor selected. Click the Browse button to change the directory and/or file name.

Options that may be displayed for certain Vendors appear below:

  • Order Type - Click the down arrow to select an Order Type for this PO.
  • Ship Via Code - Click the down arrow to select the Ship Via Code for this PO.
  • Distribution Center - Click the down arrow to select the Distribution Center for this PO.
  • Cross Ship - Click the down arrow to select Yes or No to cross ship this PO.
  • Back Order - Click the down arrow to select a Back Order option for this PO.

Click the Export button to export the PO.

Closing a Purchase Order

Note: A partially received Purchase Order is considered open until it is closed, or all items have been received. If a Purchase Order is partially received and the Vendor does not back order parts, then the Purchase Order should be closed and the Parts reordered, if necessary.

Click the Close PO button to close a Purchase Order.

Closing a Line Item on a Purchase Order

To cancel or close a line item that will not be received on a Purchase Order, click the Close box in the Parts grid on that line item. If a line item has been forced closed, the line item will appear in red. Press the Save button to file the change.

Deleting a Purchase Order

Note: You cannot delete a partially received Purchase Order; you can close the PO to remove it from the Open List.

To delete a Purchase Order, open the PO and click the Delete button. A message is displayed: Are you sure you want to delete this Purchase Order? Click Yes to delete the PO.

Printing a Purchase Order

Open a Purchase Order and click the Print button. A message is displayed: Print stockroom location? Click Yes or No to continue. The Print Controller is then displayed. Select the Printer and click Print in the Print Controller to print the Purchase Order.

E-mailing a Purchase Order

Open a Purchase Order and click the Print button. A message is displayed: Print stockroom location? Click Yes or No to continue. The Print Controller is then displayed. Select the Email Options tab. Enter Subject and Body of the email, then add the recipient(s) to the E-mail Address field. You may search for email addresses with the various options, which will be added to the E-mail Address field as they are selected.

Viewing Sales & Purchasing History on a Part

Click on any Part in the Parts grid and press shiftF7 to display a Part History window. This window displays monthly sales and purchasing history for the Current Year and Last Year, as well as, Year-to-date Sold, quantity sold Last Month, quantity On Hand, and quantity On Order.

Adding Special Ordered Parts to a Purchase Order

The Special Orders button at the bottom right side of the screen allows you to view and select Open Special Orders created for the Vendor selected on a PO. Once a Special Order is selected, all parts from that order are added to the Purchase Order. Click on each Special Order you want add to the Purchase Order or press F8 to Select All parts. Double-click on a Special Order to pull the parts from that order into the PO.

Adding Back Ordered Parts to a Purchase Order

Click the Back Orders button to add ‘back ordered’ parts to the current Purchase Order. While in the Back Order Listing window, click on each ‘back ordered’ part you want add to the Purchase Order or press F8 to Select All parts. Click the Select button to add the parts to the PO or click Cancel to exit the window without processing the parts. You can also double-click on a ‘back ordered’ part to pull the part into the PO.

Approving Recommended Purchase Orders

Once you run the Generate Recommended Purchases program, you can list and approve the Purchase Orders through the Purchase Order Entry process.

  • At the Purchase Order Number prompt, press the F8 Recommended Orders function key to display a list of unapproved Orders.
  • While in the Recommended Purchase Order Listing window, click on the Recommended Order you want to convert to a Purchase Order and press the Select button.
  • The Recommended Order will convert to a Purchase Order and display on the screen; at this point, simply verify the parts, quantities and cost and click Save.