This tool provides the capability to substitute one inventory item for another during a sale. When you look up an item that is out of stock, you will be given the substitute items, and be permitted to select one of them instead. If there are no substitutes, or you choose to do so, the program will continue to allow you to sell to negative levels. The tool permits multiple items to be substitutes for each other. Whatever is received into inventory and currently in stock is available for delivery. The tool is very easy to setup and use.

If your company sells items that need to be tracked separately for inventory purposes, but are substitutes for each other, this enhancement is the key. For example, if a customer orders a 12 volt Eveready battery which is out of stock, the current ACCPAC program will beep and warn you that the balance is zero. With this tool if there is a substitute item, the computer will pop up a choice of possible substitutes and ask if you would like to substitute. If you want a substitute, the program will quickly review the substitutes available and list those that are available. You can then select the appropriate item and continue with the sale, or press escape to keep the one originally entered

To maintain the substitutes, go to inventory maintenance. There is a new choice at the bottom.

Notice the choice for "More". This provides a pop up screen like the one depicted in the screen below. From this screen you have a few choices. To quit without doing anything press [Escape]. To edit, or delete one of the choices, highlight it and press enter. To add a new one to the list, press the "A" key and a new one can be added.

Substitute Usage

Once the substitutes are entered they will automatically pop up when needed. Whenever an item is entered on a Sales Order or Invoice and the item is not on hand, a pop up list of substitutes will come up. To select one of the substitutes, highlight it and press Enter. To keep the item originally entered press Escape. All other functions work as they normally do.

Before you can begin using the Sales Commission tool, you must first enter the salespeople. Since there is detailed information tracked on each salesperson, the standard ACCPAC lookup table is no longer used.

A new choice has been added in AR and SO modules called "EXTENSIONS"

When highlighted, a pull down menu to Maintenance/Reports, choose Maintenance and go to Salespeople and the following screen will appear:

Before entering the "Sales Rep #" you must first determine what numbering system will be used. It can be any two digits or letters corresponding to that sales person. For example, Jim Jones "JJ" salesperson initials, or assigning a number sequence or employee number. It should be something easily accessible to those entering the invoices and maintaining the salespersons file records. (Most commonly used are initials)

When you enter a number that doesn't exist in the file you will see this screen

When you choose "add" the following screen will appear and you are ready to enter a new salesperson.

 Enter the salesperson's basic information, name, address, and phone numbers.

Date Started: The program will automatically enter the current date here, but you may type in any date.

Territory: This is a field that may be used to identify the sales territory the salesperson is assigned. It is not a mandatory field.

Code: This field lets you distinguish between different groups of salespeople. For example, you might give those salespeople who specialize in automotive parts a code of "A" so that you can see reports just for that code.

Type: This is another field that will let you differentiate between salespeople. You may use this field to distinguish a level of experience of further break down a sales specialization such as, automotive/tire in conjunction with the code field.

Source: Use this field to record where the salesperson heard about the company, the opening for the position, or what placement service provided the individual.

Note: Used for any pertinent comment. Can be changed or modified at any time.

Paid Upon: This field is used to indicate at what point in the sales process the salesperson is to be paid their commission.

Enter:

O = when the order is placed.

I = when the customer is invoiced.

P = when the customer has paid for the order.*

* When P is selected, a partial payment of more than 50% on an invoice will release the total commission amount generated. This can be modified.

Base on: Commissions are paid on either gross sales or the profit from the sale.

Enter:

G = for gross sale

P = for profit on sale

Goal Time: Sales goals may be established for either the period-to-date or the year-to-date.

Enter:

P = for period

Y = for year

Commission Rate: Enter the commission rate (percent) here. You would enter 10.5 for a rate of 10.5%

Sales Goals: There are four possible sales commission levels for use. The first level is automatically understood by the program to be one cent less than any figure entered into level two. For example if level two is 5,000.00 than level one is perceived to be $0 - 4,999.99. Once the amount in level two is reached the commission percentage entered under level two will become the new commission rate for all subsequent sales and so on through each level. If you choose not to use any levels, the program will use the value entered in the Commission Rate field. You may choose to use level two but not three and four and so on.

The following fields are maintained by the program. Once initial values are entered they can not be changed through the "Edit" feature. They can be edited through the "manager" selection, which is password protected. Care should be taken to validate the values prior to entry.

Last Sale Date: This date comes from the invoice of the salesperson's last sale.

PTD Sales: This is the dollar amount of sales that this salesperson has made during the current period. It is necessary to enter this amount when using the sales goal amount for period to date goals.

YTD Comm: This is the dollar amount that this salesperson has made during the current year. It is necessary to enter this figure if using sales goal amounts for year to date.

Last Sale Amount: Enter the total dollar amount of the salesperson's last sale. This will help set the starting point of new invoices entered. It will not be used in determining any commissions and will be hereafter maintained by the system.

Paid Comm: Enter the total dollar value of the commissions paid to date to the salesperson. This will be the starting amount that will hereafter be maintained by the system.

Bal Owed: This field is not available to enter a value into. It will be maintained by the system hereafter. Only invoices generated after installation of tool will be maintained.

Last Payment Amt: This is the amount of the last payment made by a customer of the salesperson. This field is associated with the last payment date field mentioned above.

When you have entered all the necessary information, press enter and this screen will appear:

Choosing "Save" will save salesperson entered. "Edit" will allow you to change information before saving and "Cancel" will end entry without saving that salesperson's information.

Remember that once the initial setup is saved the fields mentioned above will not be changeable in the standard Edit function. It will be password protected under the option "manager".

The Sales Commission Tool will only effect those invoices entered after the tool has been installed and the salespersons parameters established. It is recommended that this enhancement be installed at the close of a period or only when sales commissions have been reconciled and the balance forward amounts are determined.

Any Sales Order (if sales orders are used) open when sales commission tool is installed will need to be updated to reflect the correct salesperson information. They will not update automatically.