...
VMI configuration form allows users to specify which customers, locations and items can be managed for each division. In addition, they can specify the minimum perpetual inventory for each item. Then, the configuration information is used to determine when a product's inventory is below the threshold.
This form is used both as a search form and the starting point for creating new configuration records.
- To create a new configuration, users must enter Division, Customer, and Location.
- All parameters are optional for searching
...
VMI Configuration Search Form
This form is used both a search form and the starting point for creating new configuration records
- To create a new configuration, users must enter division, customer, and location
- All parameters are optional for searching
VMI Configuration Form
Header Fields
To create a new configuration, through the VMI Configuration Search form you can select a division, a customer, and a location then click New. This will open the configuration form itself.
Once in the form, users can enter start and end dates. These are optional fields, but the pair of dates must be unique for the division/customer/location. That is, there are can be multiple records with the same start date as well as with the end date, but a specific start and end date must be unique for division/customer/location. This includes blank dates (null values).
Detail Fields
Once a new configuration is requested, the VMI process will attempt to find a customer order template that matches the criteria. If a template is found, the the process will load its list of items to the configuration detail.
...
Below is the layout of the import CSV recordfile. Only four fields from the CSV that are used to update the vendor inventory:.
- Supplier Store ID = Customer, Customer Location
- Item Number = Item Code
Business Day = Transaction Date
Units = Units
...
Users can alter the current inventory through this form.
At any time during after VMI configurations have been created, users can manually adjust the available vendor managed inventory quantity.
The form updates similarly to the ERP Physicals forms. That is, the value entered in the Units will replace the Ledger Units after saving the changes. The process creates ledger transaction records with the difference between the values.
...
The On-Order Units represents to total units for the item from open orders that have not been invoiced. This number is not affected by the change to the Units. The On-Order Units are reduced when customer orders are cancelled or through the VMI export process.
The Total Units is the sum of the On-Order Units and the ledger Units.
VMI Create Orders Form
Description
VMI configuration establishes required perpetual inventory levels for each store. The VMI import process reduces a customer's balance and eventually will require new order requests to relieve the deficits.
Using the current VMI balance and the configuration minimum units setting, this process determines which stores need deliveries and creates orders for them with the required items to fulfill the target.
The VMI balance is updated when invoices are sent to Prescient, and when customer sales are imported from Prescient.
Calculate Button
Click on the Calculate button and the sales order generator will start identifying customers with perpetual inventory deficits and calculates the quantity to be order for each item.
When determining need for an order, it uses this math.
Target Units - (Current Inventory Balance + Invoices not Sent to Prescient)
...
Example:
Target Units = 10
Current Inventory Balance = 4
Invoices not Sent to Prescient = 2
...
New Order = 10 - (4 + 2 ) = 4
Calculate
...
The sales order generator identifies customers with perpetual inventory deficits and calculates the quantity to be order for each.
The calculation determines the perpetual inventory deficit for each item.
Mix Products
Order quantities are initially calculated as multiples of the factor, but the process then uses the mix and factor configuration settings to determine if it's possible to package quantities for different items together to make a whole factor.
Since there can be two or more VMI configurations for a customer location, the "effective VMI configuration" is based on the VMI configuration with the shortest date range (most specific) and is within today's date.
For example. Everything is ordered to fill "Carts"
. Everything ordered is in "Shelves"
. How many units fit on a shelf varies by item.
. When an item is flagged "Mixed" they are able to have shelves shared on a cart to fill an order.
Examples:
- If product 0116172 needs 5 shelves and product 0316184 needs 2 shelves because both products are set to Mix = Y, are the same Type (SHELF) and the same Factor (3) then their needs can be combined to determine quantity to order. (All of these three things need to be the same in order to be grouped in a mix.)
* The type SHELF is shipped on a metal cart and there are 3 shelves on a cart. This is where the factor 3 comes into play. We also need to only sell full carts.
* Product 011672 is 5 shelves which is a 1 and 2/3 carts.
* Product 0316184 is 2 shelves or 2/3 of a cart.
In the scenario above, what the software needs to order is Product 011672 for 4 shelves and Product 036184 for 2 shelves, this gives us two full carts. This is because the factor of 3, which is interpreted as a single cart (3 shelves = 1 cart) - The mix isn't a "replacement" quantity its that the items can be mixed on the same cart.
...
- If product 0516184 needs 10 shelves because it has Mix = N then its needs cannot be combined with 0116172 and 0316184. Product 0516184 does have a Factor of 3, so the software needs to order 9 shelves or three full carts.
...
- If product 1513115 needs 2 cases because Factor is 1 and Mix = N then software needs to order 2 cases.
...
There are three items with the same factor (factor of three). In the column "Need", these are the units needed for each item to reach the target for that item.
Since we don't want to order fractional units, each item is adjusted up to the whole number as shown in column "Adjust up". This is what we want, ordering more. The issue is the total is 17, which is not divisible by three.
The next factor value up is 18 but the total is 17 with a difference of one. We need to give the difference to one of the item to make 18. The logic is to give the difference to the item with the highest units to order. In this case it's item #2 which was adjusted to 8. It will get the difference, ending with 9.
Generate Button
Once item quantities have been calculated, click on the Generate process creates customer orders button to create customer order for those customers.
The created customer orders must then travel through the standard logistic and invoice workflow process that all customer orders go through.
VMI Export Invoices Form
Once these orders have completed their logistics workflow and invoices have been created and registered, users can generate export files that will be sent to Prescient. In addition, this process updates the current balance to account for the invoiced quantities.
The file will be created in the folder which has the file path being set in the Export Directory, under Customer Order tab in System Settings.
In addition, this process will add the invoiced quantities to the current balance.
The file contains information from invoiced orders with a format and specifications required by Prescient.
To generate the file, users can access the Invoice Export form. All search criteria are optional.
The results are orders that have been invoiced and registered but not yet submitted to Prescient.
Export Button
After orders are retrieved, all or some of them can be included in a generated csv file by clicking on Export. The file name and location are configured with the global setting VMIExportFilePath
Commit/Update
After the file is generated, the process will prompt the user whether or not to commit the exported orders.
Committing orders does two things:
- Update to the VMI ledger for each item with an addition of the order line quantity
- An entry in the table VMIExportLog for the order ID. Once an order has entry in this table, the Invoice Export will not include it in its retrieve results.
VMI Reports
There are three custom reports available. They are accessible from Orders→Report Wizards menu.
