The parameters contain general default information and details about POS functionality. There are six tabs to complete:
To access the parameters:
From the FORD OPERATIONS menu, select the Menu pricing option.
The Menu pricing maintenance menu is displayed.
Select the Menu Pricing Setup option.
If there is more than one Point-of-Sale (SO) company, the system prompts you for the SO company.
Select the SO company.
The Service Menu Pricing Setup form is displayed.
Click the parameters 
button.
Tip: Alternatively, select the Parameters option from the Settings menu.
The Parameters Form is displayed.
This form is displayed when you click the parameters button on the Service Menu Pricing Setup form. From this form, you can customise the way your system operates.
Buttons:
Help: Displays this help topic in the default browser.
Save: Saves changes to the record.
Cancel: Cancels the operation.
Each Ford dealership within a region can determine which labour rate codes to use for Competitive, Fleet or Rapid Fit prices, and Rapid Fit department codes.
Note: If you do not enter labour rate codes here, the system uses the labour rate code set up on the Miscellaneous tab of the parameters.
Region: Two-digit code that identifies the region the dealership comes under, used by the Service Menu Pricing interface to validate the prices applicable to your region.
Competitive labour rate code: Labour rate code used for Competitive prices. At the time of writing, Competitive prices are not supplied by Ford.
Tip: Position the cursor in the field and click the Ellipsis button [...] to display a valid list of labour rates.
Fleet labour rate code: Labour rate code used for Fleet prices.
Rapidfit labour rate code: Labour rate code used for Rapid Fit prices.
Rapidfit department codes: Single-character alpha code that identifies the department codes used in POS by Rapid Fit. Normally Rapid Fit or Fast Fit. In POS, this code is entered in the Department field on the Codes tab of the WIP.
Note: If you are not in a Rapid Fit department, you will not see this field.
Administrator group on Miscellaneous tab:
This company converts: Select this check-box if your company carries out the upload and conversion of menu pricing data. If two or more companies use the same menu pricing data, you must specify whether your company carries out the upload or not.
Note: If another company performs the upload and conversion, this field is not editable. A message is displayed advising which company runs the conversion.
Email address: E-Mail address of the person you want to notify in the event of a problem or when the conversion of menu pricing data is run by Timed Operations. This is normally the System Administrator. For example, if unmapped fluids are identified when a menu is selected in POS, an E-Mail is automatically sent to the user identified here. The E-Mail sent when the conversion is run reminds the user identified here to complete the fluid mapping.
Usage statistics: If this check-box is selected, the system automatically supplies details of the menus accessed, price negotiations and menus loaded, as a total and also by date.
Automatic backups: If this check-box is selected, when an Import and/or Conversion of menu pricing data is carried out the system automatically backs up the raw source (import) or KISAM files (conversion) beforehand.
Backup directory: Directory on the Autoline server to be used to hold backups of menu pricing source data or KISAM data files. This applies whether the backups are taken automatically or manually using Backup and restore from the File menu in the Menu pricing setup option.
Defaults group on Miscellaneous tab:
VAT inclusive: This check-box is selected if fixed price menus are VAT inclusive.
VAT code: VAT code/rate is to be applied to the menus.
Exempt VAT code: VAT code/rate to be applied to menus that are exempt from VAT.
Labour fran code: Single-letter franchise identifier used for Ford labour rates. The franchise identifier is held against the Ford franchise code created via the Franchise details option in Franchise Data.
Labour rate code: The default labour rate code used to analyse the labour sale element and determine the hourly charge-out rate.
Text labour rate code: Code in the Point-of-Sale labour rates table used for entering text/report labour lines onto a WIP, used by the Service Menu Pricing interface when the Items and menucode option button is selected in the Load style group box on the Point of Sale tab of the parameters. The system adds the fixed price menu header line to the Point-of-Sale file.
Part number prefix: Franchise letter for Ford parts held in the stock file.
Analysis code: Single-letter identifier for reporting purposes, used to analyse menu sales. Any analysis code entered here is overridden if an analysis code is entered in the menu header.
Default WL group: Workshop Loading group code. The default normally used is A but this can be overridden in Point-of-Sale if required.
Note: It is unlikely that a WL group will be entered on the menu header. However, if it is, it is used in preference to the Workshop Loading group code entered here.
If you want to use a unique labour franchise code and labour rate code for different departments, you must enter them here. For example, in a Ford dealership, it is possible for a normal service department, and trucks and vans, to exist under one Point-of-Sale company.
Note: If you do not enter unique labour franchise codes and labour rate codes for different departments here, the system uses the Labour franchise code and Labour rate code set up on the Miscellaneous tab of the parameters.
Department code: Single-character alpha code held on the Main tab of the POS parameters that identifies the department. In POS, this code is entered in the Department field on the Codes tab of the WIP.
Labour franchise: Single-letter franchise identifier used for Ford labour rates. The Single-letter identifier is held against the Ford franchise code created via the Franchise Data, Franchise details option. Position the cursor in the field and click the Ellipsis button [...] to display a valid list of labour franchise codes. Any labour franchise code entered here overrides the labour franchise code entered on the Miscellaneous tab of the parameters.
Labour rate: Default labour rate code used to analyse the labour sale element and determine the hourly charge-out rate. The labour rate codes are created via the POS, Miscellaneous options, Labour rates option. Position the cursor in the field and click the Ellipsis button [...] to display a valid list of labour rates. Any labour rate code entered here overrides the labour rate code entered on the Miscellaneous tab of the parameters.
Functionality group on Negotiation tab:
The Negotiation flags enable you to customise functionality of the Service Menu Pricing interface in POS. Following is a description of each of the Negotiation flags and how they affect POS functionality:
Tip: Flags that are currently in effect are highlighted. To toggle a flag on or off, click the record.
Note: The first four flags relate to the four groups of figures displayed on the Product line of the Header on the Service Menu Pricing Negotiation form. These figures are provided for dealer information only. If you leave one of the flags unselected, the value is displayed in POS as zeros.
- Show cost price: Displays cost price on the Product line of the Service Menu Pricing Negotiation form.
- Show minimum selling price: Displays minimum selling price on the Product line of the Service Menu Pricing Negotiation form.
- Show profit: Displays profit on the Product line of the Service Menu Pricing Negotiation form.
- Show profit percentage: Displays profit percentage on the Product line of the Service Menu Pricing Negotiation form.
- Show cost values as they change: Updates values as they change on the Product line of the Service Menu Pricing Negotiation form.
- Hide Disc% column heading: Hides the Disc% column on the Pricing tab.
- Allow itemised loading: Enables you to load the menu and have the prices itemised.
- Display picture of vehicle in POS: Relates to Graphical User Interface (GUI) systems only. Displays a picture of a vehicle on the Ford Service Menu Pricing form of the Service Menu Pricing POS interface.
- Ignore SL labour rates: If selected, the system ignores the labour rates set up in the Sales Ledger record and uses the labour rate code entered on the Miscellaneous tab of the parameters. See also: Default Labour Rate.
- Ignore SL labour discounts: If selected, the system ignores the labour discounts set up in the Sales Ledger record and uses discounts applied by the operator via the Service Menu Pricing interface in POS. See also: Labour Discount Limits.
- Ignore SL parts discounts: If selected, the system ignores the parts discounts set up in the Sales Ledger record and uses the discounts applied by the operator via the Service Menu Pricing interface in POS. See also: Parts Discount Limits
- Ignore menu pricing default labour rate code: If selected, the system ignores the labour rate code entered on the Miscellaneous tab of the parameters and uses the labour rate on the Ford Labour Operation Number (LON) code file. See also: Default Labour Rate.
- Display promotional prices on entry: Displays alternative prices on entry to the Service Menu Pricing Negotiation form.
- Use stock special sale prices: Causes the system to use special sale prices held on the Prices tab of the stock record, if today's date falls within the Start and End dates.
- Allow negative discounting: Enables you to increase the selling price above the retail price.
Note: Financial postings and variances are controlled by four fields on the Main tab of the POS parameters: Menu price account, Parts menu price account, Labour variance detail and Parts variance detail.
Default load type group on Negotiation tab:
Select one of the following option buttons to determine the default load type offered to users in Point-of-Sale:
Fixed: If selected, the system selects the Fixed load option as the default load type in POS.
Itemised: If selected, the system selects the Itemised load option as the default load type in POS.
No default: If selected, the user must manually select either the Fixed load or Itemised load option as the load type in POS.
Minimum selling price group on Discounting tab:
Select one of the option buttons to specify whether the system should calculate the minimum selling price from discount limits for parts/labour or menus:
Note: In both cases, the calculation is restricted by the Minimum profit margin field.
Discount limits group on Discounting tab:
The Discount limits enable you to specify, by user priority, the maximum discount percentage that a user can apply within POS. When you select a menu in POS, the system checks to see if default discount rates exist for menus, parts or labour. You can override these discounts if the maximum discounts entered here are higher for your priority. For example, in the table shown below, priority 8 users can apply a maximum discount of 10% against parts, 10% against labour, and 25% against a menu. However, if the default discounts are higher for menus, parts or labour, the system uses these instead.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Parts 10 Labour 10 Menu 25 Sets the allowed minimum profit margin percentage. See the following example in which the minimum profit margin is set at 25%.
Note: If the customer on the Sales Ledger account is entitled to a discount that takes them beyond the minimum profit margin, the system overrides the minimum profit margin temporarily.
JOB: Minimum profit margin @ 25%
COST:
Part 12345 x 2 @ £23.90 47.80 Labour 0.80 @ £10.00 8.00 Total 55.80 SELLING:
Part 12345 x 2 @ £39.75 79.50 Labour 0.80 @ £32.00 25.60 Net 105.10 VAT @ 17.5% 18.39 Total 123.49 CALCULATION:
£105.10 (net) - £55.80 (cost) = £49.30 (profit)
£49.30 x 25% = £12.33
Minimum Selling Price =
£55.80 (cost) + £12.33 = £68.13
From the Point-of-Sale tab you can maintain parameters that relate to Point-of-Sale functionality.
Load style group on Point of Sale tab:
Do you want the Service Menu Pricing interface to load items only, or menu codes and items? Select one of the following option buttons:
- Items only: The system loads labour and parts lines associated with the menu to the WIP.
- Items and menucode: The system loads an additional fixed price line to the WIP against the applicable menu header. This means that the overall menu price always appears against an appropriate description of the work involved.
Load settings group on Point of Sale tab:
Load parts at memo status: Select this check-box if you want the Service Menu Pricing interface to load parts contained within menus at Memo status. If the check-box is selected, it overrides the normal setting for the company in the Status if stock field on the Options 2 tab of the Flags-Priorities Point-of-Sale parameters, which is typically set to Picked if stock is available and 1 for a lost sale if there is insufficient free stock. In this case, you will avoid allocating available parts stock to jobs created via menu pricing at the point of raising an estimate.
Default status for labour lines: Displays the default status for labour lines on the WIP.
Default status for text lines: Displays the default status for text lines on the WIP.
Show menu discounts on WIP: If this check box is selected, menu discounts on the WIP are displayed.
