System allows handling inventory as consignment and updates related system flows accordingly. Stock administrator can decide, which items in which devices are handled this way. Combination of items handled as consignment and items purchased in ordinary way is supported. System also supports different setup for the same item in two different devises as well. Consignment functionality within the system consists from following areas:
- Item can be assigned to a device with Consignment flag to specify that item is handled in this device as consigning
- Items with Consignment flag are added to separate orders for new items
- Orders to obtain new consigned items can use different order template than orders to purchase items in normal way
- System can automatically send consumed quantity of consigned consumable items to vendor on weekly. Biweekly or monthly basis – consignment invoicing. Consumed quantity is decreased by items returned as not used by users.
Setup system for consignment
Consignment can be turned off completely in the system settings. To allow/disallow consignment, set Allow consignment option in system settings. Turn option on to allow set item-device relation to consignment. To specify item-device relation as consignment, check Consignment option during assigning item to device. Consequently, these items can be added only to purchase orders set for consignment and consumed quantity will be added to consignment invoice request if invoicing is set on item’s vendor.
Order consignment items
Consignment items cannot be combined with not-consignment items in one order. To create an order for consignment items, follow steps described in Purchase and service orders and select option Consignment for a new order. When scheduled script is defined to create purchase orders automatically, system will create separate orders with Consignment setting automatically if any of consignment item is about to be ordered.
Consignment invoicing
If set, system can automatically calculate consumed quantity of consumable items marked as consignment and provide it to specific vendor in form of consignment invoice request. Consignment invoice request is always based on consumption of items during specific period and is generated every time at the end of the period:
- Weekly – first day in a week of the period must be set. Invoice request is then generated since that day until day before this day in the next week
- Biweekly – first day in week of the period must be set. Invoice request is then generated since that day until day before this day in the next two weeks.
- Monthly – first day in a month must be set. Invoice request is generated since that day until day before this day in the next month.
If day 31 is selected with monthly period, invoice period will end on day before 31st day in following months. This could lead to invoice period longer than one month if following month has 30 days only
Total consumed quantity of items within period p is calculated as:
Date of pick and return is determined by date when this event is synchronized to AP. Based on this approach all events are taken in account when device is not synchronized in regular basis.
To set vendor for automatic sending of consignment invoice requests, select Generate consignment invoice requests in vendor detail and specify period and distribution channels.
When vendor is saved, period for next invoice is generated according to current date (current week, current month).
Changing of period can result in situation, when quantity in invoice request already sent is also added to a new invoice request.
To automatically send invoice request to vendor when it is generated, specify at least one distribution channel and set Send automatically. If Send automatically is not set, invoice request is only created and must be send manually by user.
Invoice request is automatically generated day after the period ends and can be found in list of all invoice requests. System automatically set dates of next period and shows this information in vendor detail.
Manage consignment invoice requests
Each invoice request can be in one of two states indicating, if it has been already sent to vendor:
| Prepared | Invoice request is created, but it has not been sent to vendor. Sending must be performed manually from invoice request detail. Invoice requests will be created with this status if Send automatically is not checked on vendor settings |
| Sent | Invoice request has been sent to vendor. Invoice requests will be created with this status if Send automatically is checked on vendor settings or invoice request has been sent to vendor manually by user from invoice request detail |
To manage consignment invoice requests created by system, navigate to Consignment invoice requests option in Order lists menu.
Opens detail of selected invoice request
Deletes selected invoice request. New invoice request will not be created for this period again
Enables multi selection of invoice requests for mass delete On invoice request detail following options and information are available to work with opened invoice request:
Saves changes performed on the invoice request. User can change only send options. Other information is read only
Provide the invoice request to a vendor. Invoice request is send using distribution channels and formats defined in send options. Channel settings is obtained from vendor detail, integration tab
Replacing Send invoice when status of invoice request is Sent. Resend invoice request to specified distribution channels.
Generates preview of the invoice request in formats selected in send options. When preview is ready, download file(s) from notification bar. Preview cannot be created for B2B message.
Deletes the invoice request. New invoice request will not be created for this period again
General information
All information are read only.
| Option name | Functionality |
| Invoice request ID | Automatically generated ID of the invoice request |
| Vendor | Vendor, for which invoice request is generated. Invoice request contains only consumption of items assigned to this vendor |
| Stock | Stock, for which invoice request is generated. Invoice request contains only consumption made within this stock |
| Date send | Date and time when invoice request has been sent to vendor. Empty if invoice request is in Prepared state |
| From | Data and time of beginning of the period. Invoice request contains only consumption made inside this period |
| To | Data and time of end of the period. Invoice request contains only consumption made inside this period |
Invoiced items
All information are read only. List contains all consumable items, treated as consignment, which has been consumed during the period. List is aggregated per item. Consumed quantity is always in pieces.
Send options
On send options tab channels for sending the invoice request to vendor can be selected. When invoice request is sent or resent, invoice request will be sent to all selected channels in selected formats. By default, these settings are set according distribution channels defined on vendor detail, Consignment invoicing tab.
B2B, Web service, FTP and email settings are set on specific vendor detail
For PDF and Excel format template can be selected. List contains only templates of type invoice request from system settings.
When email is selected as a channel, it is possible to specify custom content (subject and body) of the email. This setting will override email content setting set for vendor.