Features
The Features functionality provides a way for furniture dealers to define features in EPASS that will be cross referenced between invoicing, purchasing and wireless inventory/warehouse management.
Setup
There are a few areas that need to be set up before using the Features option.
Variables
Ensure that the Invoicing Variable for Backorders is selected. This will ensure the PO linking from purchase order to invoice. It will also mark the model ordered “exclusively reserved”.
Security
Enable the security option for Tables: Features.
Line Verification
An option in Invoice Type has been added for verifying model lines with feature only.
Adding Features
Now, it’s time to start adding features. In the furniture business, there are many different features to choose from. The features provide a guideline for the sales team to define the options requested by the customer.
The next step is to add the features to a brand code. There is a new tab, Settings 3, which allows the user to link the product code and the features code to the brand. In the example, we added a material features guideline for all stationary sofas within the Albany brand.
One important item to note is that there is one product code to one feature.
If the Material feature linked to this brand and product category is not applicable for this model, it can be overridden on the Model cont. tab with another feature.
New Table and Fields
| Table | Fields |
|---|---|
| Features | Code, Description |
| BrandFeatures | BrandCode, ProductCode, FeaturesCode |
| Model | FeaturesCode |
| InvoiceModel | FeaturesCode, Features |
| POModel | FeaturesCode, Features |
| InvoiceArchiveModel | FeaturesCode, Features |
| ProjectComponent | FeaturesCode, Features |
Existing Tables
| Table | Fields |
|---|---|
| POSerial | Features |
| Serial | Features |
System
Invoicing
When adding a model to the invoice, the feature must be defined before clicking OK. Otherwise, a message box will warn the user to define the features.
To define the feature, the user can double click into the field or click the Features link.
The second model that was added had different features than the sofa. This was overridden in the model record.
When copying an invoice, splitting a line, and splitting an invoice, all features along with the predefined features from the original invoice will be copied over. There is no warning message.
Features not applicable to a model can be blanked out.
In this example, the related model also includes the feature; however, the warning message only appears when adding the main model.
The Invoice Auto Reserve Utility doesn’t allow the user to backorder Exclusive Reserve models. This utility won’t be affected because, once the user fills in the features on the invoice model line, the Reserve Exclusive checkbox will be automatically selected.
Project Component
When importing or exporting a project, the features are also carried forward into the project.
Invoice Archive
Features will carry forward into invoice archive.
Purchasing
The purchaser creates a PO and links the model to the invoice. Once the invoice is linked, the salesperson is no longer able to modify the features. However, the purchaser is able to modify the features in the PO. The changes are not automatically made to the invoice; therefore, the purchaser would have to communicate the changes to the salesperson.
The features are carried into the purchase order when using OE-04 and SN-27 for ordering. Below is a sample using the OE-04 ordering report.
There is a new option in Print Purchase Order to include features in the print out.
Serial Inventory
In Serial Inventory Maintenance, the user will be able to view the Features column. Remember to select “Show Serial Numbers" in the search options. Otherwise, the user will not see the Features.
The Features column is an available option in the serial screen.
Features is available in the serial record.
Wireless Inventory/Warehouse Management System
The features are carried over when you manually receive a serial, use wireless inventory or use warehouse management to receive a serial.
The model on the invoice is exclusively reserved once the model is received.
There is no logging in the audit trail for features
February 23, 2023