2. Dispatch orders (Shipping)

Warehouse operations – Dispatch orders (Shipping) #

Introduction #

Sales dispatch is used for shipping items to customers against a previously entered sales order.

Items from many different sales orders can be included into a single dispatch providing that all of these orders have the same delivery address.

If you need to send products to a customer without a sales order, consider using the Direct Sales feature instead.

Licensing #

The following optional license modules affect order dispatch (See the Admin->Licensing section for more details):

Note about closing a dispatch #

Be aware that dispatches need to be “Closed” as well as “Activated” before the dispatch appears in the invoice section. This behaviour is therefore slightly different than other forms in the system. The reasons for this are explained later in this article.

Creating #

There are four ways to create a new dispatch. The only difference is if the order and lines are prefilled or whether they have to be selected. Even if they are prefilled, the lines can always be edited, removed or added to.

1. Click the [New shipment] button on the Warehouse home. This will create an empty dispatch.

2. Select a sales order from the ship order grid in the Warehouse home. This will create a dispatch with the open lines of that single sales order included.

3. From the ‘Dispatch orders’ section of the Warehouse ‘Operations’ side menu click the [New] button.
4. From the [New] button on an existing dispatch.

Unless an order is already selected (choice 2 above), the first screen presents a list of customers to whom product is due. Select one of these to create a new dispatch.

Create a dispatch by selecting a customer with open sales order lines.

After opening the dispatch, press the Add lines button to select the lines to be included (if they are not included already).

Important: Note the check box called “Show only lines that can be shipped”

This will be selected by default and it will cause the grid to only display the sales order lines that the system thinks is available for shipping. If the order you wish to ship is not listed, try clearing this box and press retrieve. Open an item’s popup item card and look at the stock transactions to evaluate the reason. It may be that the product is out of stock, all products are allocated to other customers or partial shipment limitations. It is however possible to select items even if they are not shown by default. However if negative inventory is not permitted (set in system settings) then activation of the dispatch might not be possible later.

Add items by pressing the Add lines button. Enter criteria and press retrieve if appropriate, check mark the required lines and press Add selected.

Enter any other data that is needed on the shipping papers.

Shipping costs #

If a shipping cost is specified in the dispatch, the amount specified will be added to any invoice created automatically from this shipment.

Serial numbers and lot tracking #

If any items are marked in the item card to require serial numbers or lot numbers, then the relevant tab will be displayed. It is required to enter this data before activating the dispatch by selecting the line and entering the required information. Serial numbers can be entered either by selecting the numbers from a popup list, or by using a barcode read from the product itself.

Dispatch and dedicated work orders #

Dedicated work orders are created from a sales order line. They are used when the business process is based on make-to-order or engineer-to-order concepts.

When a work order is completed, its product is taken to stock the product, regardless if the dedicated work order is in use or not. It will be allocated to a sales order. If dedicated work orders are NOT in use, it is possible to ship an individual product to a customer to whom the product is not allocated. The system will give a warning about this but it will be allowed because it is assumed that all products with same item id are identical. However if a dedicated work order is used, it is assumed that products with same id are not necessarily identical, and so the system will prevent shipment of a product to a customer unless it is allocated to the selected sales order line. This allocation status can be seen from the Allocation column on the Add lines popup window.

Package details #

It is optionally possible to specify the details of individual packages (not available in standard edition). Press package details button.

Here it is possible to enter the necessary customs, weights and measures etc. This is typically used for international shipping or shipping large items. If a line item is divided between different packages, press the Split selected lines button to create the necessary extra lines.

Printing reports #

Select the reports to be printed and press the print button. Optionally first check the e-mail box if you want the reports emailed to yourself as PDF attachments rather than opening on the screen. Note that on this screen multiple PDF reports can be opened simultaenously; they will each open in the own window.

If reports shows two sets of quantities, the second in brackets, it is because the item has a “sales unit of measure” specified on the item card. See the article about material items for further information.

Completing the dispatch #

The dispatch is activated using the button on the screen. Activation will carry out the following:

• Check for any missing data or logical errors in the data entered.

• Reduce the quantities of the shipped items from stock.

After activating it is still possible to print documents and edit package details. It is no longer possible to change lines or quantities.

If only part quantity of the sales order has been shipped, it is possible either to leave the rest of the order open or, by pressing the part delivery tab, to close out the final quantities of the sales order lines. In the latter case it will no longer be possible to make new shipments against the sales order lines.

If the current user has user roles for the invoicing features of the program, it is possible to create the invoice for the dispatch by pressing the Create invoice button. This is optional, as it is also possible to leave the dispatch for later invoicing, possibly by the bulk invoice routine in the Invoicing section.

After the invoice is activated and no further processing or printing is required, the dispatch should be closed by pressing the Close dispatch. Its status is set as “Invoice queue” until it is invoiced.

Invoicing a dispatch #

If the user has Bookkeeping rights, it is possible to create invoices after activating the dispatch but before closing it. Invoices are normally done at this stage when it is required to put an invoice in the same package with the products. Otherwise the dispatch should be closed and invoicing will be done from the invoice section (i.e. by an office person rather than a warehouse operator.

Closing the dispatch #

Whether invoices are created at this stage or not, remember to press the Close button to complete the dispatch. If invoices are not created at this stage, this dispatch will not be shown in the invoice section unless it is closed.