Select Consolidate Requests to start the Consolidate Requests wizard.

The Consolidate Requests Wizard Creation Rules window of the wizard prompts you to enter the rules to be applied when suggesting the purchase orders to be created.

A maximum of four tab-cards may be available, this will depend on the modules that you have unlocked within your system and the selection of request types you made on the first window of the wizard.

The options on each tab card are described below. Use the links to move quickly to the tab you wish to work with.

These rules control if and how multiple requests are combined on the suggested purchase orders.

One purchase order will be created for each Supplier.

Multiple lines, for Stock and Price items, with the same code will be consolidated into one line on the purchase order.

One purchase order will be created for each Supplier.

Multiple lines, for Stock and Price items, with the same code and the same required by date will be consolidated into one line on the purchase order.

One purchase order will be created for each Supplier.

Multiple lines for Stock and Price items with the same code will remain as individual lines on the purchase order.

Separate purchase orders will be created for each detail line from the purchase requests.

These rules control how Suppliers are selected for the purchase orders and how Supplier terms are applied to place the most advantageous order.

You can select to permit the use of Supplier accounts that are On Stop or for which you have exceeded your credit limit.

Even if these options are unticked, you will be able to select these Suppliers when preparing the purchase orders. The Supplier code will appear with an asterisk (star symbol) to indicate the status.

Apply Supplier Lead Time - this option affects the required by date of the purchase order that is generated.

If this option is ticked and you have selected to Consolidate Lines:

If this option is ticked and you have selected to Consolidate Lines by Required Date or one of the Do not Consolidate options:

A Supplier lead time can be entered on the Terms window opened from the Supplier record.

Apply Supplier Minimum Order Quantity - if this option is ticked, any additional quantity required will be incorporated into the quantity that should be ordered.

Upgrade to Buying Unit - if this option is ticked, the suggested order quantity will reflect the buying unit level that has been recorded.

If, as a result of ticking either or both of these options, the order quantity is increased, this may be shown as an increased quantity or as an additional line. This is dependent on the method of consolidation you have selected.

If you have selected to Consolidate Lines:

If you have selected to Consolidate Lines by Required Date or Do not Consolidate Lines:

If you have selected to Do not Consolidate Orders:

Minimum Order Quantity and Buying Units are entered on the Buying Prices Table.

Before you can create the purchase orders, a price and supplier must be selected. These rules will be applied to establish the price that will be used and to offer a recommended supplier if this information is available.

Select from:

You will have to select the Supplier code before the requests are converted to purchase orders.

You can specify the Supplier that should be used when preparing the purchase orders.

Enter the Supplier code in the field provided or open a list of Suppliers by clicking on the search function. A double click on the list will select the Supplier code and close the list.

If you are creating orders from Purchase requests that already contain a Supplier code, this will not be overwritten by the selection of a different Supplier here.

If a stock record has more than one price entered on the Buying Price table, then the lowest price is selected for the purchase order.

If the Best Price has a designated Supplier, this Supplier will be pulled through to the suggested order automatically.

If the Best Price does not have a designated Supplier, you will have to select one for the order.

All lines for the same item will be assigned the Supplier who offers the best price for the total quantity of the item, irrespective of whether the quantity on the individual lines fall within the quantity range for the best price. This should enable you to establish how best to utilise your ‘buying power’ to get the best purchase price.

This is a pull-down menu that will enable you to select any one of the ten price lines.

The selected price line will then be used when preparing the order.

If the selected price line has a designated Supplier, this Supplier will be pulled through to the suggested order automatically.

Rules for Sub Analysis type stock records:

The System Stock option: Use Main Cost will change the way the rules are applied for Sub Analysis type stock records.

If you have selected to use the Best Price or the Price Line method for stock pricing, no supplier code will be selected automatically for Sub Analysis type stock order lines.

The recommended supplier code will only be populated if you select to use a Specific Supplier.

Use Main Cost - if this system option is selected, orders will use the Cost Price from the main Stock record, rather than the cost information from the Sub Analysis record.

When consolidating requests created from Sales Orders flagged as BTB when processed, you can:

Apply Sales Order Costing Details - If you have selected one of the Do not Consolidate options on the Consolidation tab:

You can select to copy the costing details from the sales order to the purchase order detail lines.

Deliver Direct to Customer - Ticking this option will copy the delivery address from the sales order header to the purchase order header.

Only requests where the Supplier, Customer and Delivery address match will be combined. This will limit the amount of consolidation that can be achieved for the purchase orders.

Here you can select the rules to be used when creating purchase orders based on Stock Recommended Levels:

Select the basis for the stock calculation:

Physical
Physical - (Allocated Stock + Unallocated Orders)
Physical - (Allocated Stock + Unallocated Orders) + Order In
Physical + Order In
Physical - Allocated Stock
Physical - Allocated Stock + Order In

Select the stock level required:

The menu includes Zero, Minimum, Maximum and Maximum only if physical is below minimum.

So in combination, you can bring stock levels to their recorded Minimum or Maximum level and also bring all other stock levels to zero.

If the stock item has:

Then selecting:

Considerations

Sub Analysis - For sub-analysis type stock items:

Minimum Order Quantity:

If the selected price line has a minimum order quantity, you must tick the option Apply Supplier Minimum Order Quantity on the Supplier tab in order for this to be taken into consideration.

For example, if 6 items of stock are needed to bring the stock to the required level but there is a minimum order quantity of 10 set against the Price Line 1, then order level will be increased to 10.

Additionally, if the Supplier you select is specified against Price Line 2 and the minimum order quantity for this price line is 12, the recommended order quantity will be increased to 12.

This additional quantity can be seen on the Supplier and Price Summary.

Superseded stock

Superseded stock will not be considered when suggesting purchases for Stock Recommended Levels but will be considered if the code exists on purchase requests created via sales orders, works orders or purchase requests.

Use this button to save the selections you have made and the field values you have entered as defaults for when you use the wizard again. This button acts on the tab card currently in focus.

This button acts on the tab card currently in focus by clearing all the fields and resetting the search operators to Range (Production Sort and Stage on the Works Orders tab will be set to Equal) .

Move back to the previous window of the wizard.

You have finished the entry of information in the wizard. Selecting Finish will activate the search and build a list of the items for which you might wish to create purchase orders. You will be able to return to the wizard from the next window if you choose.

You can cancel the wizard at any time.