When you have entered the required customer, account and order information onto the WIP, you can proceed to input the parts requirements. Parts are input via the first field in the New product group box on the Point-of-Sale form. Within this field, a number of options are available to put a new parts line onto the WIP.
Type in a part number and press the TAB key. New users should remember that the manufacturer's part number on the Autoline system is prefixed by a franchise code of between one and three characters (normally just one) denoting the franchise to which the part belongs.
Note: If a default franchise for parts is identified in the terminal details, you do not need to prefix the part number with the franchise code in Point-of-Sale.
To enter a quantity of parts, do one of the following:
Enter the part number followed by the Fast entry separator identified on the Parts 1 tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters and the quantity of parts that you want to load onto the WIP.
Enter the quantity of parts followed by the Fast entry separator identified on the Parts 1 tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters and the part number that you want to load onto the WIP.
Note: If you use the second method to load a quantity of parts, you must prefix the part number with the franchise letter.
Use the word-search option. To do this, click the Ellipsis button [...] and select the Part number option. Simply type in a word or group of up to three words (a minimum of three letters and each word separated by a single space) that you think may exist within the part record, and press the TAB key. This is so the system can match them in the stock file.
For example, if you enter the text filter oil F123, all parts with the words Oil and Filter and with a part number commencing F123 are displayed, together with the following details: part number; description; total stock on hand; free stock (total stock minus customer reservations); bin location; selling price. To select the required part, double-click the parts line. The word search takes a little practice but you will find it a useful tool for identifying parts from the stock file.
Note: The word search utility is not case sensitive, so the input of upper or lower case letters will have no impact on your search results.
Enter one of the following symbols and press the TAB key to invoke a search:
Enter any details known about the part and click the OK button. The part number search works on a stem or contains basis. For the word search you can enter up to three words (see item 3). Enter any details known about the part number, its primary description, its alternative description or the model code to which it belongs. A list of matching records is displayed.
Click the Ellipsis button ![[...]](Ellipsis.gif){kind=small}
and select one of the following options to invoke a search:
Part number: Prompts for a part number or word search of the stock file
Pricefile: Prompts for a part number or word search of the manufacturer's price file
See also:
To create a parts line:
In the New product group box on the Point-of-Sale WIP, enter the part number, using one of the five methods described above.
You will get one of the following results:
If the part number is found on the stock file, you may get one of the following results:
If any supersessions/alternative parts exist for the part, they are displayed in a list, together with the original part number. Select the required part.
Any additional text held against the part is displayed. Click the Close button.
The Part Details form is displayed. Complete the part details and click OK to load the part onto the WIP.
Note: Changes made within the Part Details form generally only influence the transaction you are working on. For example, a change made to the selling price here would not be a permanent change within the stock system, but only affects the current sale.
If the part number is not found within the stock file, the system searches the manufacturer's price file for a match. If the part is found in the manufacturer's master price file, the system displays the message: [Part Number] Not found on Stock file, and gives you the option to Create from price file or Re-enter. Do one of the following:
Click the Create from price file button to load the part from the manufacturer's price file. The Part Details form is displayed. Complete the part details and click OK to load the part onto the WIP. When the WIP is saved, the part will be created within the stock file as a non-stock line.
Click the Re enter button to return to the WIP and re-enter the part number.
If no match is found in either file, you are given the option to Create stock record or Re enter. Do one of the following:
Click the Create stock record button. The Part Details form is displayed. Complete the part details and click OK to load the part onto the WIP. You will be expected to provide a description for the new part because no information on the part is available anywhere. No pricing information is required at this point because it is assumed that the part will be placed on order for the customer. The correct pricing information will be provided when the part is received through the Purchase Control module. Any part created in this way will also be created as a non-stock line in the stock system.
Click the Re enter button to return to the WIP and re-enter the part number.
If you enter a part via the method above and that part is subject to a manufacturer exchange unit surcharge then it is possible, when the part is transferred to the WIP line and depending on the set up of the Auto-create surcharge and Default surcharge status fields on the Parts 2 tab of the Flags-Priorities POS parameters to be prompted with the following three options:
Continue: This option signifies that the old unit has not been returned by the customer and the resulting invoice reflects both the value of the surcharged part and the surcharge value. This latter value may then be credited at some future point when the customer returns the old unit.
Create-surcharge-credit: This option signifies that the customer has returned the old unit and automatically creates an additional line on the WIP with the same part number as the original part with a suffix added. The line value is the surcharge value of the original part and the issue quantity is set to the same as the original part but is negative.
Note: The suffix is identified in the Suffix on surcharge field on the Details tab of the Stock Management franchise table
This results in the invoice reflecting the price of the part, the surcharge value and then a negative surcharge value reflecting the return of the old unit. The net value of the part is therefore purely the surcharged part selling price because the other two values will contra each other out.
Reserve-surcharge-credit: This option also creates an additional line on the WIP with the same part number with a suffix added and of negative quantity. It does not credit the surcharge but holds it on the WIP until the old unit is returned.
The manufacturer's price file search is invoked by entering an @ symbol, followed by the franchise letter of the manufacturer concerned in the New product field. So, to scan the Ford price file for example, the input would be @F or for Nissan the input would be @N.
Following the procedure outlined below, multiple parts lines can be added to the WIP and may have different statuses. It is possible for a WIP to contain lines for immediate issue, other lines that are to be recorded as lost sales and other lines awaiting supply from the manufacturer.
To search the manufacturer master price file:
Note: Parts exist in the manufacturer price file without the prefix letter assigned by the Autoline system, so any search text should not contain the franchise prefix.
In the New product group box on the Point-of-Sale WIP, enter an @ symbol, followed by the franchise letter of the manufacturer, and press the TAB key.
A Price File form is displayed with a heading that indicates which manufacturer file is being referenced.
Enter the text to narrow down the search made by the system.
Note: Whatever text is input by the operator is matched against the part number field of the price file. An example of this is when an input of 123 is made, then all parts in the price file that commence with 123 are displayed. An input of 12355 further masks the search, and only parts commencing with 12355 are shown in the search results.
Click the Part number button.
A list of matching records is displayed.
Double-click the record that you want to transfer to the WIP for further action.
The Part Details form is displayed.
Note: The franchise prefix letter is automatically added to the part number by the system.
Point-of-Sale warns the operator that the part does not exist on the stock file and provides a choice of two options.
Do one of the following:
Select the Create from price file option to load the selected information from the manufacturer price file onto the WIP parts line which may then be edited as normal. When the WIP is saved, the part is created within the stock file as a non-stock line. The WIP may be saved at any time, at which point a WIP number is allocated, although a WIP number is only assigned the first time the WIP is saved. The WIP may be re-accessed and have new parts added or existing entries edited as required.
Select the Re-enter option, to enter a different part number.
In the same way that the manufacturer's price file can be accessed from within the WIP, access to the menu pricing file is also provided.
To search parts or service menus:
In the New product group box on the Point-of-Sale WIP, enter an * symbol and press the TAB key.
A familiar database search window is opened with a heading indicating that the Menu Codes file is being referenced.
Tip: It is also possible to type in * and the menu code to load the menu. For example, *MOT. If the system finds the menu, it is loaded onto the WIP.
Enter text for the purposes of narrowing down the search made by the system.
Note: Whatever text is input by the operator is matched against the menu code field of the file. An example of this is when an input of 123 is made. In this case all menus in the file that commence with 123 are displayed. An input of 12355 further masks the search and only menus commencing with 12355 are shown in the search results.
A list of matching records is displayed.
Double-click the required record.
The menu is transferred to the WIP for further action.
Loading Customer and Vehicle Information
Service Point-of-Sale Operation
The W Code and Menu Code Facility
