Every POS terminal is identified by a unique ID (number) and is set up with a corresponding terminal record to determine the daily use of the terminal. The terminal details are set up on the system to allow access to either Parts Point-of-Sale, Service Point-of-Sale, or both, and are used by your terminal when you access Point-of-Sale. The details determine where specific documents are printed, dependent on which terminal requests the document and where, in the Nominal Ledger, any cash received is analysed (till accounts), and other default settings.
Parts and Service department terminals are usually set up to access just their own department's details. For example, a service terminal is normally only allowed to access the Service department, and holds the default service account, together with the correct printers for job cards and service invoices.
When the system is set up, terminal number 0 (zero) is created, which takes effect when a terminal is used that does not have its own defaults.
Note: Terminal details are set up by your managers and Autoline consultants. If you are unsure what to do, contact your System Manager in the first instance.
Standard functionality exists that allows you to create, and maintain, records.
To access terminal details:
From the Rev.8 Master Menu, select the Point-of-Sale option and Company you require.
The POINT-OF-SALE menu is displayed.
Select Miscellaneous options.
The SO MISCELLANEOUS OPTIONS menu is displayed.
Select the Terminal details option.
Note: The number of your terminal is displayed in the Title Bar of the form header.
The Terminal Details form is displayed when you select the Terminal details option from the SO MISCELLANEOUS OPTIONS menu. From this form, you can set up and maintain terminal details.
Terminal number: Enter the up-to-5-digit, terminal number.
Warning: DO NOT REMOVE TERMINAL 0 (ZERO). It is used by the parts Inter-Company transfer daemon. If you remove terminal 0, the daemons will stop.
Tabs:
There are four tabs to complete:
Miscellaneous (If installed)
VHC (If installed)
Terminals are copied when systems are first set up. This is normally undertaken by a consultant.
How do I copy (clone) a terminal details map?
Display the terminal number you want to copy.
Select copy option and click Create.
Enter the new terminal number into the Terminal number field and press the TAB key.
Click Create.
The message area displays:
Record created OK.
The new terminal can now be quickly amended if any difference in settings are required.
Point-of-Sale access: Allows you to set up Point-of-Sale access for the terminal. Enter one of the following:
- P: access to Parts Point-of-Sale
- S: access to Service Point-of-Sale
- B: access to both Parts and Service Point-of-Sale
- W: Wholesale
Note: In Point-of-Sale, the initial tab sequence for Parts and Service terminals is: 1) WIP number; 2) Customer name/search; 3) Customer address; 4) Phone number; 5) Product. In a Wholesale situation, where only trade calls are taken, there is a requirement to enter the customer details, part numbers and quantity only. The W setting is included for future development so that, when you set this field to W, access is given to Parts Point-of-Sale and the initial tab sequence is set to: 1) WIP number; 2) SL Account number; 3) Customer order number (if mandatory); 4) Product.
Default franchise (Parts/Lab): This is a split field in which the default franchise is set, to save you from having to enter a franchise letter as a prefix to part numbers or a vehicle at Point-of-Sale. The first field holds the up-to-three-character, default franchise for parts. With the exception of parts from a franchise other than the default specified here, you are required to enter the part number only in the New product field of the WIP. The second field holds the single-letter, franchise identifier for vehicles, which is defaulted into the Extended Vehicle Details form. It is of most use when you are running more than one franchise, with separate selling points, thus allowing a different franchise letter in a multi-franchise company set-up.
Note: If the first field is left empty, you are always required to enter the part number in full at Point-of-Sale.
Default department(s): The default department letter is defaulted into the Department field on the Codes tab of the Point-of-Sale form. The letter used determines which cost centre in the Nominal Ledger gets the benefit of any sales transactions. This depends on the settings within the nominal permutations table. Any department codes entered here are validated against the department codes set up via SO MISCELLANEOUS OPTIONS.
The Department codes used must also be set up on the Main tab of the POS parameters. The department letters most frequently used are:
- P: Parts
- W: Workshop
- B: Bodyshop
The order in which you enter the department codes here also affects the WIP search facility in Point-of-Sale. For example, in order for a Parts department to search for Workshop and Bodyshop WIPs, enter the letters WB after the letter P. You can also enter a ? here after the department letters, to prompt the user of this terminal to select a default department when they enter Point-of-Sale.
Default account: The default account is the Sales Ledger account that would be most frequently used by this terminal. This account number automatically appears on the Account tab of the Point-of-Sale form. It would normally be set to the appropriate cash sales account for the department concerned.
Note: The default account setting may be altered at Point-of-Sale.
Default discount: This is the discount category referenced in the header row of the discount map as the discount transaction code, which determines the discount terms to use when parts are sold. The default letter is defaulted into the Discount category field on the Codes tab of the Point-of-Sale form, and is used for all parts issued unless you specifically change the discount category transaction code on the parts being issued.
Note: The following fields are for nine printers that can be separately specified by name or number. THEY MUST ALL BE SPOOL PRINTERS.
Picking slip printer: This determines where picking slips are printed by this terminal.
Requisition printer: This determines where parts requisitions are printed by this terminal. Requisitions are normally used when issuing parts to Workshop jobs and have the effect of de-carding stock.
Job card printer: This determines where job cards are printed by this terminal.
Note: This parameter is also used as to define the default destination printer for VHC Check lists, if the VHC Tab is available the system uses the printer defined in the VHC Tab.
Parts inv. printer: This determines where parts invoices are printed by this terminal.
Service inv. printer: This determines where service invoices are printed by this terminal.
Purchase order printer: This determines where purchase orders are printed in Point-of-Sale and Purchase Control. If you are printing from the POS Sublet Details form, a sub-let order is printed. If you are printing from the Purchase Order Header form for an order that has an Order type other than L, a purchase order is printed. If you are printing from the Purchase Order Header form for an order that has an Order type of L, a sub-let order is printed.
GRN printer route: This determines where Goods Received Notes are printed by this terminal.
Loan car agreement printer: This determines where Loan agreement start and return forms are printed by this terminal.
Non-legal printer: This determines where estimates, pro-formas, and notifications, are printed by this terminal.
Till account code: The till account is used to control cash received at Point-of-Sale directly into the accounts system. This is a split field. Enter the cost centre in the first field and the expense code in the second field. Normally, different till accounts would be set up in the Nominal Ledger for each department. When you tell the system that you have received cash in the Point-of-Sale system, the relevant account is debited in the Nominal Ledger. This allows the Accounts department to control all aspects of cash received at Point-of-Sale.
On exit control: This field determines what happens when you complete a transaction in Point-of-Sale. There are three options:
O: Operator. The Operator prompt is displayed, in which the previously selected operator code is defaulted.
C: Clean start. The Operator prompt is displayed without an operator code selected.
W: WIP number. The cursor is positioned in the WIP number field.
Note: If you leave this field empty, the system uses the Cursor on exit field on the Miscellaneous tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters.
Franchise control: This terminal-based parameter is used to restrict the use of certain franchise codes from specific terminals. If the franchise codes are preceded by an equals sign =, they can be used by that terminal. If they are preceded by an exclamation mark !, they cannot be used by that terminal. In this way, Service department-controlled stock, such as oil and lubricants, can be restricted to workshop terminals. Other stock - such as bodyshop panels - can be restricted to the body shop, genuine parts to the Parts department, and so on.
Note: This Franchise control parameter is utilised by POS in determining the Franchise based usage restrictions within Vehicle Health Check summary function.
Suppress documents: Enter the document types in this field that you want to preclude from printing - for example, to prevent certain terminals from printing job cards or requisitions. The values that can be entered here are:
- I: Invoice
- R: Requisition
- P: Picking slip
- J: Job card
- E: Estimate
- N: Notification
- L: Load/Pick control (if Order Tracking is installed)
- F: Pro-forma
Default RTS company: This parameter controls the default Manufacturer systems company used by a particular terminal in Point-of-Sale. Thus, for multi-franchise dealers, different terminals can default to their specific-manufacturer-operations file (if relevant).
Note: If this field is left empty, the company default set up on the Main tab of the POS parameters is used.
WL allowed: Is Workshop Loading allowed from this terminal?
IDC Pop Up: Is Inter Department Communications allowed from this terminal?
POS program overlays:
From time-to-time, extra functionality may be provided for specific customers by writing assisting, or overlay, programs, which are added to the standard, Point-of-Sale programs where necessary. These have normally been commissioned by specific customers to carry out non-standard functions. If such features are required then, once programmed, the program names are entered here. Up to four overlays can be used on any one terminal.
By entering the word FORMATS? in any of the four overlay fields in a POS terminal details record, that terminal will be offered a choice of formats to use when printing an invoice, or any other document. If more than one invoice format exists, for example, a window is displayed showing the formats in a menu for selection. If only one exists, it is selected automatically and no menu is displayed.
The following nine parameters are tick-boxes for Point-of-Sale, and control the following:
Available: Is the Fastrack program available to this terminal? Not used in Rev.8
Load on entry: When ticked, this will load a menu onto a WIP if the Default menu on Service WIP or Parts WIP parameters are populated; when a WIP is accessed by the user, they will be prompted with a message to load the default menu. If this flag is not ticked, no message or menu will be displayed on a WIP. Service option must also be selected for this functionality to operate.
Vehicles: Are vehicle details relevant to this terminal during Point-of-Sale?
Parts: Tick this box if the terminal is to have full access to part numbers within Point-of-Sale. This parameter can be used in conjunction with the Parts access to labour parameter on the Parts 1 tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters. If a Service terminal requires access to display parts details only without the ability to edit parts lines information, this Parts tick-box must be left blank, with the POS parameter Parts access to labour set to D. This enables a Service terminal either to double left-click the Part number or Line No. column, on the POS grid form, to display parts information.
Note: If this box is ticked, the parameter settings on Parts access to labour will have no effect on the terminal.
Service: Tick this box if the terminal is to have full access to labour RTS codes within Point-of-Sale. This parameter can be used in conjunction with the Workshop access to parts parameter on the Labour tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters. If a Parts terminal requires access to display labour details only without the ability to edit labour lines information, this Service tick-box must be left blank with the POS parameter Workshop access to parts set to D. This enables a Parts terminal to double left-click the Line No. of a labour line on the POS grid form, to display the labour details.
Note: If this box is ticked, the parameter settings on Workshop access to parts will have no effect on the terminal. Further help with setting up these access parameters can be found by clicking on Examples.
Full POS: Is the full, Point-of-Sale program available to this terminal? Not used in Rev.8.
RTS without model: Is it possible to enter and use a Repair Time Schedule operation number without cross-referencing it to a vehicle model code?
Tip: Refer to your System Manager for further information in this area, if required.
VSB costing: Determines whether the Vehicle preparation option on the Links menu is displayed in Service Point-of-Sale.
Text access allowed: Can this terminal enter text type RTS codes?
Warning: If a POS terminal is not using the expected defaults, it is possible that the user's log-in details are overriding terminal default details. After checking the settings in the Point of Sale terminal details record, check the Guest Tab in System utilities/Management menu/User details to ensure that the POS terminal number is not set to another terminal number whose terminal defaults may not be appropriate for the work being processed.
This tab allows you to create up to five, user-defined buttons for each terminal on the Display Stock Card form in Stock Management, and up to five options for each terminal on the Reports menu in Point-of-Sale and PURCHASE CONTROL. These are used to run standard Autoline, or user-defined, reports written in Report Generator, and should be used in preference to the system parameters for full terminal control. To create a button, or option, complete the following fields for the appropriate module:
Note: It is possible to set up user-defined buttons in the SO system parameters and the SM system parameters. In both cases, the user-defined buttons defined here in the terminal details over-ride the user-defined buttons in the SO and SM system parameters. For example, if report ID K83 is entered in the first field position of the SO System parameters and report ID K82 is entered in the first field position of the Point-of-Sale group-box in terminal details, only report K82 is displayed on the Reports menu in Point-of-Sale, because the terminal details take precedence. In order for report K83 to be displayed for this terminal, you must enter the report ID in the second field position of the System parameters (assuming that the second field in the appropriate termin al details record is empty).
Button/report ID: Enter the three-character report ID - for example: K82 (Detailed parts report).
Button text: Enter the title of the report (up to 30 characters approximately may be specified) - for example: Parts. In Stock Management, this is used as a label for the button on the stock card. In Point-of-Sale, this becomes the option name on the Reports menu.
Button/report ID: Enter the three-character, report ID - for example: K82 (Detailed parts report).
Button text: Enter a short title for the report (up to 11 characters approximately may be specified) - for example: Parts. In Stock Management, this is used as a label for the button on the stock card.
Button/report ID: Enter the three-character report ID - for example: K82 (Detailed parts report).
Button text: Enter the title of the report (up to 30 characters approximately may be specified) - for example: Parts. In Purchase Control, this becomes the option name on the Reports menu.
This tab allows you to record up to five point of sale (SO) reports for each terminal, so that when the user is accessing workshop loading via point-of-sale, these reports can be listed and run from the Load, Technicians, Jobs, and Activity forms. These are either standard Autoline or user-defined reports written in Report Generator. To enable the reports as described, complete the following fields.
Button/report ID: Enter the three-character report ID - for example: CCA.
Button text: Enter the title of the report (up to 30 characters approximately may be specified) - for example: Courtesy car availability. In the workshop loading forms via point-of-sale, this name is listed on the Reports option found on the menu bar.
General notes to be considered:
POS parameter Workshop access to parts and Parts access to labour will only have an effect in POS when they are set to D and the POS options on the Terminal details form Parts and Service are un-ticked.
The POS options on the Term details form Parts and Service, take priority over the Franchise control parameter. For example, on a Service terminal, if the Parts is un-ticked and the Franchise Control has =R, the service terminal will not be allowed to edit or display any parts regardless of the part franchise.
The Franchise control parameter will filter which parts franchises are allowed to be edited or displayed, when the Parts box is ticked or if the POS parameter Workshop access to parts is set to Display.
The Service and Parts terminals will always be allowed (regardless of settings) to HOLD all labour and parts lines and amend the W-code and Menu codes and their column headings, regardless of the vehicle or parts franchise.
Terminal Details form POS options
Parts and Service boxes both ticked.
Franchise Control set to =R
POS Parameters
Parts access to Labour set to N.
Workshop access to Parts set to N.
Functionality:
The Service terminal will only be able to add/edit and display the Parts details form and Display part records for those lines of R franchise.
The Service terminal will not be allowed to display other franchise part lines.
The Service terminal will be allowed to add or edit all labour lines.
Terminal Details form POS Options.
Parts box is Un-ticked
Service box is ticked
Franchise Control is set to =R
POS Parameters:
Parts access to Labour set to Y.
Workshop access to Parts set to Display
Functionality:
The Service terminal will only be able to display the Parts details form and Display part records for those lines of R franchise.
The Service terminal will not be allowed to display other franchise part lines.
The Service terminal will be allowed to add or edit all labour lines.
VHC printer: This determines where VHC Check list documents are to be printed by this terminal.
Note: If this parameter is not setup the VHC checklist will use the printer defined in the Terminal Details Job card printer.