| If you are involved in managing inventory, you | | | | measure. |
| are aware of the hassles that can arise due to | | | | Minimum and maximum quantity setup |
| purchasing issues. Having far too many of an | | | | This handy purchase order tool allows you to set |
| obscure item or running low on a bestseller, are | | | | up minimum and maximum amounts by item. This |
| sure clues that you and your company can | | | | allows you to run a report to see which items are |
| benefit from a more robust purchasing and | | | | running low and need to be ordered, or which are |
| inventory management tool. Technology has | | | | overstocked and may need to be liquidated. |
| advanced over the years, such that you no | | | | Drop shipment |
| longer need to keep track of purchasing activities | | | | Most businesses do receive requests for drop |
| on paper. Consider these benefits offered by | | | | shipments, at least every now and then. If you |
| software programs of today. | | | | need to order items and have your supplier ship |
| Order suggestion | | | | them directly to your customer, a tool for |
| A major benefit of using software is it can easily | | | | handling drop shipments is a must. Handling drop |
| collect and analyze data, a task that would take | | | | shipments means that the system will allow you |
| an employee much longer to do manually. Look | | | | to specify a ship-to address that is different than |
| for a purchase order system that can analyze | | | | your own address. Without this tool you will end |
| past demand, and suggest which orders need to | | | | up manually entering ship to data which results in |
| be placed based on that knowledge. You can then | | | | wasted time and increased margin for error. This |
| use the report as a starting point, and use your | | | | feature is crucial for those who drop ship large |
| own judgment on which purchase orders to | | | | quantities of items. It should also allow you to |
| create for which items. A purchase order system | | | | identify the sales order to the purchase order, so |
| should also track who the item has been | | | | that the sales order can automatically be invoiced |
| purchased from in the past and automatically | | | | as soon as the vendor communicates that the |
| order it from the last vendor and default the cost | | | | order has shipped. |
| to the last cost paid for the item. If you aren't | | | | Receive partial orders |
| ready to make the jump to having the system | | | | As we all know, sometimes the orders we place |
| recommend what should be ordered, look for a | | | | are not always delivered in full. In these cases, it's |
| system that will allow you to simply enter a list of | | | | helpful to have the choice of whether to receive |
| items that need to be ordered. The system will | | | | the partial shipment and keep the rest of the |
| then assign the vendor and last purchase cost, so | | | | purchase order open, or to simply receive the |
| the purchase order is quickly and easily generated. | | | | items and cancel the remainder of the items. |
| Flexible item ordering | | | | Sometimes the vendor will notify you that they |
| Your business likely has its own set of product | | | | have shipped what they have and the remainder |
| numbers that are different from your vendor's | | | | of the order will be canceled. A proper purchase |
| part numbers. Since your vendor is typically | | | | order system will include an option that allows the |
| unfamiliar with your item numbers, it's best to | | | | user to cancel the remainder of an order, instead |
| place orders using their numbers. Some purchase | | | | of having to manually cancel each line. |
| order systems allow you to create and print | | | | All of these purchase order software tools can |
| purchase orders using both numbers, which is | | | | help you keep your inventory stocked with the |
| extremely helpful to you and your vendor. | | | | items you need, and lean on those that you don't. |
| Another flexible purchase order tool is the ability | | | | They also help you manage purchase orders |
| to place orders in multiple units of measure, in | | | | more efficiently, saving your company time and |
| case you need to purchase the item in one unit | | | | money. |
| of measure and sell it in a different unit of | | | | |