Sales Orders/Price Lists
From PERPWiki
Back to User Documentation - Sales Orders
PRICE LISTS (REQUIRES MAJOR REVISION!)
- New price list
- Edit New List
- Edit Existing List
- Remove price list
- Stock List Price Tab
Contents |
Overview
pERP may require some changes in how you think about price lists. The printed price lists we're accustomed to will be more for internal use, and the salesman's price book will be a thing of the past. You can still print them out and give them to a dealer or to the sales team, but they will no longer be necessary for that purpose, as anyone with a computer and proper access level will be able to review the prices.
Terminology
It may be helpful to first explain some terminology. The User Administration Pricing section allows control over the pricing structure for the sale of products and services. These fields must be set by an Administrator with high level access.
Here is a definition of the main fields in this section:
- Sales Areas might be better named Price Areas. This field permits definition of geographical areas where a particular pricing structure is in effect, such as US West, US East, US Mid-west, and US South. This will allow for four different price lists. Another example might be US Corporate Dealers, US Independent Dealers, and Factory Sales.
NOTE: Sales Area has nothing to do with physical territories covered by sales agents. These are called Sales Territories. You might have a dozen agents in California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona, all using the same US West pricing structure.
- Sales Types again might better be named Price Types. This field allows you to set different pricing levels, such as Dealer, Wholesale, High Volume, Factory Discount, and MSRP. Each price type can vary within a Sales Area. The four sales areas given above, multiplied by the five sales types here, can give a total of up to 20 different price lists that could go into a national sales agent's price book. In Apollo, the types are Cost and Retail.
- Sales Category (or Price Category) allows you to specify pricing for different product lines. Suppose that Sample Manufacturing Company begins producing a line of high-end luxury super-widgets. They might then have a Standard Widget Price Book, and a Super Widget Price Book. Each of these price books could have a different price list for each area and type. However, they could also just have a single Widgets category and expand it to include both widget types. A manufacturer of fiberglass products might uses Categories of Spas, Bathtubs, and Whirlpools.
You can see that these three fields have the flexibility to meet the needs of any business, retail or wholesale, from providing an extremely simple structure (Canadian, Dealer and MSRP, one product line) to handling the needs of a complex international pricing structure.
- Price List - this is a common term for a product price sheet -- a set of products with their attached prices. This may lead to some confusion in that to pERP, "Price Lists" is a list of product price sheets.
Chronology
Chronology is important in pricing. Price changes come into effect at a specific date and time and end at a different date and time (this allows you to create Weekend Sale pricing, or One Day Discount pricing and so on, and have pERP take care of resetting the prices back to normal at the end of the sale).
A current price is one that is in effect, and has an Effective From date/time that is equal to or before today's date and an Effective to date that is blank or is after today's date.
- Users will always see current prices (unless they want a price history).
- Sales orders will always use the pricing that is in effect on the date/time of the order. This allows you to back-date or forward-date orders to catch specific pricing if required.
Viewing Price Lists
From the Sales Orders application page, choose the Price Lists icon; or use the sidebar and select the Price Lists link. This will open a page of existing price lists, if any.
Figure 8-5 A sample Price Lists screen. Click on the thumbnail to view the full image.
This page allows users to view price lists. If your screen does not look exactly like this, do not report this as a bug. Different browsers and settings affect the appearance of any given page.
Not all users will see all the icons on the right hand side of the figure. Do not report this as a bug. Your access level determines which icons you can see and which actions you can take. If you need to edit price lists from this screen and do not see the Edit icon, for example, please contact your system administrator stating what you need to access and why.
The top part of the screen is the Search Bar. The contents of the Category and Status filters have previously been set in Administration. Normally, only the Sales Manager and other selected people have access to these lists, and the average user is not allowed to change them. However, all users can select from the lists to filter the price lists.
- Category - this will filter by sales categories as described above. The default is "All".
- Status - the choices for this are "All", "Current" (default), and "Previous".
If a price list you're looking for is not showing, check the Category and Status field settings in the Search Bar.
The available headings are:
- Sales Category - The Sales Category as defined in Overview. If the filter is set to a specific category, only price lists of that category will be listed under this column.
- ID Number - The number of the price sheet, created by pERP for internal tracking. It is often helpful to refer to this number, especially in bug reports, because it is a unique identifier.
- Sales Area - The Sales Area as defined in Overview.
- Sales Type - The Sales Type for this product price sheet, as defined in Overview.
- Currency - The currency of the price sheet, as set when the price list was created. A given price sheet can have only a single currency.
- Price List - The so-called "private" name of the price sheet, invisible to customers but visible to all staff with access.
- Title - The so-called "public" name of the price sheet, displayed to customers who log in under an account.
- Effective From - When did this price list begin? (not shown in this view)
- Effective To - When will this price sheet expire? If blank, prices are effective until further notice, or until someone sets the sheet to expire at some date and time.
Creating a New Price List
Editing a Price List
Discontinued stock should be: - Sold as long as there is inventory
Anything with a price can be sold. Retired stock will not show on a price list. Once something discontinued runs out of stock, it will be be retired and not show on the price list.
IMPORTANT: PRICE LISTS INTERACT WITH OPTION PRICING [IS THIS IN THE OPTION DOCS??] AND STOCK PRICING. IF YOU HAVE AN OPTION WITH A DEFAULT PRICE AND A STOCK ITEM THAT OVERRIDES that price, the override takes precedence.
REVIEW THIS:
Say the default price for GreenGlow acrylic is $0.00 for price list A (as set in the options list). If somebody adds a surcharge of $10 for that option for the Grandiose Spa on Price list A, the override takes precedence.
On Price List A, the price for GreenGlow acrylic is $10 for the Grandiose Spa, $0 for every other spa. Somebody else changes the default in the options list to say $15. On price list A, everything that was not overridden will be set to $15, but the Grandiose, which was manually overwritten, will stay at $10. To remove the manual override, set the Grandiose price on Price List A to the default. This will clear the override and restore the default without removing that option from the price list.
To remove the GreenGlow option from Price List A for the Grandiose Spa, you must go to the option list and set the default price for GreenGlow option for Price list A to N/A. Doing this will remove the default in price list A, but the former default ($15) will be kept as an override for every item that previously had it. You can now go back to Price List A and set the price for GreenGlow to N/A to exclude it from the price list. Customers will not be able to order a Grandiose Spa with GreenGlow acrylic, but GreenGlow is still sold at $15 for every other spa.
To remove the GreenGlow option from Price List A for all spas, set the price for the option to N/A for each spa. Any dealers using this price list will not be able to order GreenGlow at all. They won't even know that is an option we offer. Other dealers buying off other price lists may still order GreenGlow at whatever price has been set for them.
To remove the GreenGlow option completely (discontinued), set the Effective to date for the GreenGlow option. After that date, all customers can only order GreenGlow from in stock spas. This is a manufacturing change, and all customers will be affected, it does not matter which price list they use. Dealers who use Price List A should not be able to buy GreenGlow on a Grandiose Spa because they're Not Allowed. For other spas on Price List A, the GreenGlow option will cost $15 while supplies last. After supplies of other spas are exhausted, customers are not allowed to buy the GreenGlow option.
Because of the great flexibility in how products can be manufactured (with options on options) and the flexibility in which products can be priced (different pricing for various geographic areas and dealer groups as well as options permitted to some areas/groups and denied or free to others), pERP begins by making a distinction between BUILD OPTIONS and PRICING OPTIONS.
Before you can set the pricing structure, the sysadmin must have a clear picture of exactly how the product is built. What options are PERMITTED for each given product? When somebody says, "Oh, by the way, the framistan is optional" when it's been set up as part of the bill of materials, it means the price structure (and the BOM) have to be redesigned. One manufacturer provided their pERP setup team with printed BOMs that included black parts for some products and stainless steel parts for others, and that's how they were done. The team was later told that stainless steel was optional on some products and standard on others. This little snag caused considerable confusion and delay.
So the first stage is to be clear on your manufacturing. Is it POSSIBLE to build a Triton with a volcano jet? Is it POSSIBLE to install a left-handed handle on a right-handed widget? CAN a Framistan come with stainless steel knobs?
EDIT NEW LIST
Once price lists have been created, there are two ways you can check, add, or edit prices.
1 The first, using the Price Lists section, is described here, and is probably the easiest way to enter prices
2 The second, using the Stock List, is described below under the heading "Another Way to Handle Pricing". It may be the easiest way to enter or check [or update? Undetermined] pricing of a specific item.
Note: Changing a price will create a new pricelist under some circumstances, and we don't want to clutter up pERP with junk pricelists. Read this section carefully to understand how to edit prices.
The new price list will already contain the list of items from the category you have selected. This comes from the Stock List, where individual stock items have been assigned to a particular sales category.
If this list of items in your price list is incomplete or incorrect, contact your manager (or, if you have edit access to the stock list, go to Stock > Stock List > the SKU for the item in question > Links Tab > Pricing Tab > Sales Category > Select the right category > Add > Save. When you come back to the price list, the item should now be in the list).
NOTE: Remember, pERP is a work in progress. In the present version of pERP, categories are not grouped under the parent. That is, you will need a Parts price list (anything not categorized), a Cabinet Materials price list, a Covers & Skins price list, and so on. So a complete Parts Price List presently needs six partial lists. Once the report section is written, you will be able to print out a complete, categorized and indexed price list.
When you first create a new price list, the screen will resemble that shown below, but the prices will be shown as 0.000 for each item. Mandatory fields are shown with yellow fill. Isn't Sales Type also mandatory? And if Public Title is left blank, will Name be printed on the report?
IMPORTANT:
Before you start entering prices, check to be sure that the Effective From date is sufficiently far in the future to give you time to complete your work and get all the prices in. If it is not, set that date further into the future and save the list again. Changes made to a future price list will not create a new price list or generate any error message.
One benefit of pERP is that if we have a new stock item, its pricing category can be set and it will automatically be entered onto the appropriate price lists. Someone will need to put in the price of the new stock item.
Figure 8-9 Editing a price list.
If for some reason the wrong Currency, Area, Type, or Category is showing, you can change them. You can also edit or change the Name and Public Title. Be aware that even these seemingly minor changes may be regarded by pERP as a new price list - see page 8. If you do make such changes, be sure to Save before going on.
Each item in the list will show our stock code (SKU), our description of the item, and a blank field for the price for this item in this Area and Type. Where options area available, there is a price field for the option.
Simply enter the correct price in each field.
When you are done, click Save-or if you need to restart or you have changed your mind, click Cancel.
TIP: You can click Save at any time to hold changes made so far (a good idea on a long price list!) then carry on entering prices.
Once you have saved the list, press Cancel to return to the main Price List screen. You will see your new price list now included on this screen.
Figure 8-10 Note that the status is set to "All", otherwise price list 2 would not display because it has not yet come into effect (post-dated).
VIEW AN EXISTING PRICE LIST
If you see the View icon (a magnifying glass) to the right of a price list, you can look at it and print it out. Viewing does not allow you to make any changes.
Figure 8-11 The top half of a lengthy parts price list.
In the image above, prices are not accurate due to a bug present at the time the screen shot was taken. This bug has since been fixed.
To print the price list, use File > Print or CTRL > P (on PC) or Apple-P (on Mac).
This will give a screen print for internal use.
A different print format is planned for customer use. It will use the public title and will not show the Sales Type.
Note: Once all the price lists have been created, the bar at the top of the screen in Fig. 8-9 is intended to be used to move between price lists. The date field at the top right allows you to see "snapshot" pricing as it was, is, or will be on any given date.
Changing the date will mostly produce an empty screen in the beginning, but as we develop a pricing history and begin to work on future pricing, this facility will be more useful. Parts pricing, for example, is reviewed and updated quarterly, and you can use this field to check and pricing for upcoming quarters.
Note: an empty price field means either that the price list is not allowed (a specific part may only be available in the US, for example, so should not be entered for a Canadian price list) or most likely that nobody has yet entered the price for that item.
Figure 8-12 Click Cancel to return to the main screen.
Cancel - click the cancel button at the bottom to return to the main screen, or use the icons or sidebar.
EDIT AN EXISTING PRICE LIST If you can see the Edit icon (a pencil on a piece of paper) by a price list, you have access to change it. And if you don't see it, you may still have access via the Stock List. See "Another Way to Handle Pricing" below.
If you do not see this icon and you need this function as part of your work, please contact your manager.
Editing a price list can have far-reaching consequences. Before you edit a price list, be sure you understand all the implications and results. See the Important Note below.
Figure 8-13 This caution warns you that you have edited a current price list. There may be some (very few) circumstances where this is okay, such as correcting a typo in the private/internal price list name.
Figure 8-14 The Edit Price List screen.
This screen is identical to that for editing a new price list except that the price fields will contain numbers. You can change prices, edit the name or other fields. These changes will not be accepted until you click Save.
Because current price lists have a history, making a few changes and saving, make a few more changes and saving etc. will create a multitude of price lists. You are advised to make multiple changes all at once before saving your work.
If you are making changes to a future price list, however, you can save your work in increments, a step at a time. See the Important Note below.
TIP: If you look at a price list and think, "That item doesn't belong in this price list!", you can handle it if it's a future price list and you have sufficient access (if not, point out the error to your manager). The solution is Stock List > find the item > Pricing Tab > Pricing Category > Delete the category that is wrong. This will remove the item from the price list.
Click Cancel to exit without making any changes. Click Save when done, then click Cancel to return to the main price lists screen.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Chronology is important in pricing. Users always see the current price list. Any orders, sales, etc. that come in will always use the current price list, that is, the list that is in effect on the date of the order.
A current price list is one that is in effect, and has an Effective From date that is equal to or before today's date and an Effective to date that is blank or is after today's date. A price list becomes current at one second after midnight on the Effective From date and will remain current until midnight on the Effective To date.
When you edit a current list and save your edits, pERP will automatically close out the price list you edited and create a new one with your changes, effective at the time you save your edits. This is why we advise changing the list and then saving all the changes.
Note the cautions and information messages in the figure below.
Figure 8-15 Messages resulting from changes to the Name and Public Title. Edits to a current price list (#15) have resulted in the creation of a new price list with a new number (#56)
Figure 8-16 Warnings that appear when you edit a current price list. Try to avoid doing this - get your price list all worked out and enter it as a future price list, and make all your edits and corrections before it goes current.
This is a date stamp only, and time is not taken into account. All orders received on the date of a price edit will be affected by that edit. So if you change a price list on June 15 at 11:45 pm (you're working that late to get caught up), all orders that came in on that date will be set to the new price structure.
In order to avoid this, when you edit a current price list be sure that you set the effective from date for tomorrow or later. [CONFIRM THIS]
A future price list is one that has not yet come into effect. Its Effective From date is after today's date. If you edit a future list, the previous list is not retained and your changes become the new future list.
The best practice will be to create a new price list as a future price list with a date well ahead of the planned implementation date (just in case you have to hold it back for further revision. We seem to do this a lot, and seldom get a final price list out on time).
A future list is the easiest to edit and adjust without cluttering up pERP with provisional or temporary or incorrect pricing. Ensure that all prices are correct, then set the Effective From date for the actual implementation date.
ADDING A NEW ACRYLIC OPTION TO A PRICE LIST
July 7, 2008
The following have to be done, in this order
1. The new acrylic has to be added to the stock list. Supplier and cost information are optional from the pricing perspective
2. The new acrylic has to be set as an available option for each spa that can have that color. At present, this must be done spa by spa, one at a time. [= In the future, it might be possible to have you identify the category and check the products for which the option is available.]
3. Go into the Price Lists section and edit each price list for which this new option is available. If the option is coming in two weeks, be sure to set the date properly.
a. If the new color is available for all spas, you may prefer to set its price on the Default Option Pricing page.
b. If it is available only for specified models, set the default price to N/A and set the actual price for those models. Leave the price for all other models at N/A (which means use the default, which in this case means "take this off the price list")
REMOVING A PRICE LIST
If you see the Delete icon (a red X on a piece of paper) it means that you have authority to delete a price list. This is meant to be available only to Administrators.
Deleting anything in an ERP is not advised, as it may have unforeseen and potentially disastrous effects. Admin users should not go clicky clicky on anything they don't understand, unless they're checking to see what breaks. Most users, including managers and owners, should not have delete permission on anything.
If you see this icon and you are not sure you should have it (and you shouldn't!), please contact pERP@goarctic.com and report the situation.
Deleting a price list is a drastic action that will remove the list entirely. A deleted price list will not be archived or retained in any way, and any orders based on the list will be affected unpredictably. There is a warning screen so that this action cannot be taken accidentally.
The safest and easiest way to remove a price list is to set its Effective To date to yesterday. The price list will then be archived and will be shown when the Status field on the search bar is set to Previous or All. Orders that use or have used that price list will not be affected.
Only users with access allowing Edits will be able to remove a price list in this way.
ANOTHER WAY TO HANDLE PRICING
Pricing can also be entered through the Stock List > Pricing Tab.
Figure 8-17 The Pricing Tab for a SKU card.
In Figure 8-15, the Sales Category has been set to Parts, which means that this particular Stock Item should be included in the Parts price lists. There are presently two price lists in effect - Parts - Canada - MSRP (Canadian Retail Parts Prices) and Parts-International-Warehouse (European Warehouse Price List). The price fields are currently set to $0.00, but if, and only if, this is for a future price list, they can be updated by those with sufficient access.
CAUTION: EDITING A PRICE IN THIS CARD MAY HAVE UNFORSEEN CONSEQUENCES AND IS NOT ADVISED. DO THIS IF AND ONLY IF YOU ARE CERTAIN THAT THE PRICE LIST IS NOT CURRENT.
