See also: Introduction
The Advice Note and Order Processing form displays the advice note and stock order files received from the manufacturer, and enables you to control the upload of data into the Autoline Purchase Control module. The Autoline system is updated either automatically overnight or manually following the process outlined in the Uploading and Converting Files topic.
To display the Advice Note and Order Processing form:
From the OPERATIONS menu, select the Advice note menu option.
The ADVICE NOTES MENU is displayed.
Note: The Advice note menu option is only displayed if your advice note software is upgraded from Version 1 to Version 2. If you only have Version 2 software installed, you do not see this option. Proceed to the next step.
Select the Advice note maintenance option.
If there is more than one Purchase Control company, you are prompted to select the company.
Select the PC Company.
The Operator form is displayed.
Enter your Login and Password, and click OK.
Note: It is possible to specify a Default operator on the General tab of the standard Advice Note parameters. This parameter must be completed in the event that the advice note is uploaded and converted by a Timed Operation.
The Advice Note and Order Processing form is displayed.
| Menu bar | Toolbar | Action |
|---|---|---|
| File > Exit |  |
Returns you to the OPERATIONS menu. |
| I want to > Import a manufacturer's electronic advice file |  |
Uploads and convert files from the manufacturer. |
| I want to > Convert an imported advice file |  |
Converts the manufacturer's advice note and order files. |
| I want to > Search the advice file |  |
Enables you to search advice files for a part number, part description, bin location, advice note number, order number or order reference. |
| I want to > Manually purge advice note file | — | Enables you to manually purge (delete) old advice note data and/or source (raw) data files from the Autoline system. |
| I want to > Print the selected advice note | — | Prints the selected advice note to the currently selected printer. |
| I want to > Attach the selected advice note to Purchase Control |  |
Enables you to link a single advice note to Purchase Control. |
| I want to > Attach multiple advice notes to Purchase Control |  |
Enables you to link multiple advice notes to Purchase Control. |
| I want to > Delete the selected advice note |  |
Enables you to delete an advice note. |
| I want to > Print the selected order | — | Prints the selected order to the currently selected printer. |
| I want to > Accept the selected order |  |
This command is enabled if the selected order is an unprocessed manual or suggested stock order. It enables you to accept the order. |
| I want to > Reject the selected order |  |
Enables you to reject the selected stock order. |
| View > View unprocessed advice notes only | — | Displays unprocessed advice notes only on the Advice Notes tab. This command is only enabled when the Advice notes tab is displayed, and is ticked by default. |
| View > Standard Parameters |  |
Enables you to access and maintain the standard advice note parameters for the currently selected PC company. |
| View > Franchise specific parameters | — | Enables you to access and maintain the franchise-specific advice note parameters. |
| View > File usage statistics |  |
Displays advice note file usage statistics, and enables you to flag files ready to be purged. |
| View > Sort grid by > Part number |  |
Enables you to sort the contents of the grid by part number |
| View > Sort grid by > Bin location | — | Enables you to sort the contents of the grid by bin location |
| Utilities > View advice note file | — | Enables you to view the advice note data file. This menu is only visible to priority 9 users. |
| Utilities > View advice note control file | — | Enables you to view the advice note control file. This menu is only visible to priority 9 users. |
| Utilities > View parameters | — | Enables you to access and maintain the standard advice note parameters in a table. This menu is only visible to priority 9 users. |
| Utilities > View special franchise parameters | — | Enables you to access and maintain the franchise-specific parameters. This menu is only visible to priority 9 users. |
| Help > Help overview | — | Displays help on the current application using the default browser. |
| Help > Context help |  |
Displays help on the currently selected tab. |
| Help > Key to exception codes | — | Displays a list of possible exception codes that can appear on any advice note. |
| Help > About | — | Displays version and copyright information. |
Tabs:
Up to three tabs are displayed on this form, depending on whether you receive both advice note and stock order files, or advice note files only:
Note: Not all functions are available to every manufacturer. Functionality is determined by the amount of information supplied by each manufacturer.
If your manufacturer only supplies advice notes, this is the only tab displayed.
Advice note list:
By default, this group box displays a grid listing any unprocessed advice notes waiting to be linked to Purchase Control.
Tip: To display processed and unprocessed advice notes, untick the View unprocessed advice notes only command on the View menu.
Advice note number/Container code: The advice note or Goods Received Note (GRN) number. Select an advice note and right-click to display a shortcut menu with the following options:
Link selected advice to Purchase Control: Automatically generates a printable list of any exceptions that may exist, and enables you to update Purchase Control.
View exceptions for this advice note: Displays a list of any exceptions advised when the Link selected advice to Purchase Control command was last selected.
Print advice note: Prints the selected advice note to the currently selected printer.
Delete this advice note: Deletes the selected advice note.
Warning: You cannot recover an advice note after it is deleted.
Parts on selected advice note:
This group box displays a grid listing the constituent parts on the selected advice note. For each part, the following details are displayed:
Tip: To view the stock record for a part, select a part in the grid, click the right mouse button and select the View stock record for this part command from the shortcut menu.
To sort the information in the grid, click the heading of the column you want to sort by.
Order no.: The manufacturer's order reference which is recorded in the Dealer comms field of the purchase order header when the order is created.
Part number: The part number in the manufacturer's format.
Description: A description of the part.
Qty: The quantity supplied.
Bin:The bin location.
Retail: The actual retail cost.
Cost: The actual cost charged.
Note: In some cases, a cost of 0.00 (zero) is displayed here. In these cases, the cost price is calculated automatically in Purchase Control using the retail price and discount code (in the POS discount map).
Surcharge: The surcharge value on the part.
Discount: The discount code held against the part number on the stock record or master price file.
Replacement part: The replacement part number.
Type: F or T. The type relates to the replacement part. It indicates whether the part is superseding From or To.
Order qty: The quantity advised on the original stock order.
Order cost: The cost advised on the original stock order.
Order retail: The retail advised on the original stock order.
Exception codes: The exception codes are used for reporting purposes. Standard exception codes are highlighted in red on the exceptions list, and are as follows:
CD: Cost price variance
QD: Quantity variance
NO: Part not on purchase order or part already advised
QS: Quantity split over two purchase order lines
PH: No purchase header raised for this order
RD: Retail price variance
SB: Special buy price variance
SX: Special buy part
XP: Surcharge price variance
ZC: Zero codes price found where actual cost price was expected
ZQ: Zero quantity found, no further action possible
Note: Some manufacturers may also have their own specific codes. For example, if the manufacturer supplies superseded parts details, it is possible to warn you about any superseded part that appears on the advice note but not on the purchase order, and tell you which part it has superseded. Manufacturer-specific exceptions are shown in green.
Exception description: A description of the exception.
Status of selected advice note:
This group shows the status of the currently selected advice note. For example:
Advice note unprocessed. Awaiting link to Purchase Control.
Advice note unprocessed. Awaiting link to Purchase Control. Exceptions were found at the last attempt to link this advice note.
Advice note partially linked to Purchase Control. Exceptions were found at the last attempt to link this advice note.
Advice note fully linked to Purchase Control.
Advice note fully linked to Purchase Control. There were exceptions reported when this advice note was linked.
See also:
Linking GRNs to Purchase Control
If your manufacturer or parts supplier supports an automatic ordering or parts central replenisher system, you may receive orders along with your advice note. In this case, the Order Processing tab is visible, on which a list of orders is displayed.
Tip: The display of the Order Processing tab is controlled by an Advice Note parameter (Enable order processing) on the Order processing parameters tab.
It is possible to receive three types of order:
You must accept or reject manual orders (this includes any manual suggested orders). For further details, see the Stock Orders topic.
This group box displays a list of stock orders in a grid. For each order, the following details are displayed:
Order: Purchase order number generated by the Autoline system.
Reference: Order number by which the manufacturer knows the order. This is the order number that appears in the Dealer comms field on the purchase order header in Purchase Control.
Date: Date when the order was processed.
Select any order in the list in order to view the constituent parts.
Tip: To print an order, right-click the order, and select the Print Order command from the shortcut menu.
Parts on selected order:
This group box displays a grid listing the parts on the selected order. For each part, the following details are displayed:
Order no.: The order number generated by the Autoline system in Purchase Control.
Order ref.: Dealer order reference number.
Part number: Part number in the manufacturer's format.
Description: A description of the part.
Order qty.: Quantity placed on order by the manufacturer.
On hand: The parts quantity currently held on the Autoline system.
On order: The parts quantity currently on order with the manufacturer.
Cost price: The cost that will be created on the purchase order.
Status of selected order:
This group box gives an indication of the status of the selected order, such as: Manual order. This order has not been created in Purchase Control. This order had not been linked to Purchase Control.
Some manufacturers also supply back order and supersession data with their advice notes. In this case, a Status tab is displayed that enables you to view this information. For further details, see the Supersessions and Backorders topic.
Note: The data displayed on the Status tab is for information only and no action is required.
Order reference list:
This group box displays a list of orders containing any supersession or back order data.
Order reference: Dealer order reference number.
Parts information on selected order reference:
This group box displays a grid listing special parts information on the selected order reference. For each part, the following details are displayed:
Order no.: The order number generated by the Autoline system in Purchase Control.
GRN ref: The Goods Received Note number.
Code: The discrepancy code. There are three possible codes:
- Amend: There is an amendment to the original order. This indicates either an amendment to the quantity supplied or a supersession.
- Replace: The part placed on order has been superseded. The superseded and new part numbers are displayed.
- Backorder: The total number of parts ordered cannot be supplied. The parts have been placed on backorder.
Part number: The part number on the original order.
Replacement part: If the part on the original order has been superseded, this is the number of the part that replaces it.
Type: The type relates to the replacement part. It indicates whether the part is superseding From or To.
Ordered: The original order quantity.
Supplied: The quantity that you will receive.
Backorder: The quantity on backorder.
