The system uses flags (dedicated data fields) in both the Catalog and the Inventory Files to allow you to control the different fulfillment methods that can be used for each inventory item in the system. Each Catalog and Inventory record contains a Special Flag and a Vendor Ship flag.
The contents of the Special and the Vendor Ship flags can be defaulted into each new Catalog record during setup. The settings can then be changed or accepted as needed for each item. As Inventory Items (warehouse records) are created for each Catalog Item, the information in the fulfillment flags can be synchronized or copied into the inventory records by the system automatically, or the flags can be defaulted at the inventory level and maintained at that level (please see the documentation for the Product Management System for more information about item setup and maintenance).
The level at which you maintain the flags is based on your system configuration which should be based on where it makes sense to maintain the data. The flags are normally maintained in the catalog file (and copied to the warehouse records for the catalog item) if the flags should be the same in all warehouse locations for all items. The flags are normally maintained at the inventory level (and are maintained at that level vs. being synchronized with the catalog record) if the flags need to be or may need to be set differently in different warehouse locations).
Regardless of what level the special and the vendor ship flags are maintained at, the flags in each inventory record are used by the system during processing.
The special and the vendor ship flags in the inventory record are used to control the fulfillment options that can be selected for the sales order lines you enter for the item. Each of these flags can be set to three different values and they are sometime referred to as 3 way flags for that reason. The valid options for the flags are as follows.
Inventory Special Order, Vendor Ship Flags
|
Value |
Behavior in Sales Order Entry |
|
Y |
Item must be special ordered or vendor shipped (obviously only either the vendor ship or the special flag can be set to “Y” at one time). This option forces you to use the fulfillment method defined for the item. A “Y” in the vendor ship flag and a blank or N in the special flag would force you to process each order line as a vendor shipment line. A “Y” in the special flag and blank or “N” in the vendor ship flag would force you to process each order line as a special order line. |
|
N |
Item may not be special ordered or vendor shipped. If an “N” is entered in the Inventory Special Order or Vendor Ship flag, the system will not allow the fulfillment method to be used for the item. This setting can be used to disable vendor shipment or special order processing for the item. If both the special order and the vendor ship flag for the item are set to “N”, then only the warehouse fulfillment method can be used to purchase the item |
|
Blank |
The Item can optionally be vendor shipped or special ordered. The order entry program will allow only one flag to be set to “Y” (Sales Order Entry will not allow you to set both the special and the vendor ship flag to “Y” for a single sales order line. |