SuperOrd is a sales and purchase order processing and invoicing software package which is both based on and closely integrates with SAGE Line 50 for DOS. SuperOrd provides extensive finely tuned facilities for processing orders, invoices and stock. It also incorporates a number of efficient reporting and data import/ export tools.
SuperOrd incorporates the following features:One of the most important of SuperOrd's facilities is the ability to set up special discounting and stock pricing rules which are then applied automatically when entering orders and/or invoices.
Special discount rules include:Discount profiles on a customer by customer basis providing for discounts both by stock category and by stock code. The profiles can also hold override prices for specific stock codes.
When entering or editing sales orders or invoices:
The item entry screen displays a considerable amount of additional information on stock cost and availability and also shows the profit margin on the current item.
The special discounting and pricing rules are initially applied when creating a new item. Thereafter, the operator can easily override the initial special price either by entering a new price (SuperOrd then immediately recalculates and displays the discount and profit margin) or by entering a new discount.
The operator can quickly and easily:
When creating new orders or invoices, delivery addresses and alternative sales ledger addresses can be automatically entered. For sales orders and sales invoices, delivery addresses can also be selected from a list linked to the sales record, or may be read in from another sales ledger record.
When selecting a customer or stock reference, the standard SAGE F4 index lists are enhanced with selective filtering and free text search facilities.
An individual customer can have a general purpose discount profile as an alternative to a specific profile. The general purpose profile can be applied to any number of customers.
At exit from the order or invoice, automatic entry of payment details can be forced on a customer by customer basis. This feature also ensures that cash sales orders or invoices can be fully completed.
In conjunction with an overall work area facility, default next order
and/or invoice numbers can be allocated to (say) different members of staff.
A number of the special order and invoice facilities are triggered by reference to a special add-on data file that SuperOrd maintains alongside the SAGE sales ledger data file. The add-on data file holds for each customer:
Details of invoices and orders may be extracted to a customer history file which is designed to hold large amounts of data. Various historical analysis reports can then be obtained from this data without interfering with the standard day to day invoice or order entry operations. These reports include profit and stock usage analysis.
SuperOrd also allows profit analysis to be carried out on the current invoice and order data sets.
As well as holding customer special discount and pricing rules, the customer profiles can also hold repetitive delivery stock items, ie the information for such items includes the period, the next due date, pricing information and the last invoice number and date on which a delivery occurred.
A customer discount profile report allows repetitive items to be quickly identified.
SuperOrd provides a number of facilities for the rapid and efficient processing of sales and purchase orders.
Sales orders may be interactively allocated and despatched.
If stock is not available because a delivery has just been received or where perhaps a pack has to be split, then a stock transfer and adjustment facility may be accessed from within the order allocation process allowing in-stock quantities to be immediately updated. The stock transfer routine allows for the immediate splitting of a pack by creating a new stock code and then writing matching Adjustment Out/Adjustment In transactions (with quantities adjusted for pack size).
Quick order acknowledgement and despatch note document printing is provided.
Sales orders may be interrogated for stock shortages. Thereafter, purchase orders may immediately be created:
A number of special routines are available to assist with the processing of invoices.
Invoice type selection - When editing existing invoices, the invoice type is automatically picked up, ie the user does not have to select the invoice/credit note type as per SAGE, rather SuperOrd simply displays the appropriate invoice/ credit note type.
Invoice batch printing automatically selects the appropriate template type so that mixed batches of stock invoices/credit notes and free text invoices/credit notes may be printed in one run. Also, more than one copy of each item may be printed.
Delivery note to invoice consolidation - Invoices which represent delivery notes may be consolidated into one invoice per customer.
Customer returns - A customer returns procedure allows a specific
invoice to be accessed and a credit note rapidly created for items on that invoice.
The resulting credit note can then be edited if necessary.
SuperOrd includes an extensive set of enhanced purchase order, delivery and invoice processing facilities.
Links to EDI systems - SuperOrd permits purchase orders to be quickly created from invoices or sales orders, the resulting purchase orders may then be immediately transmitted to the supplier via EDI (electronic data interchange). Thereafter, order acknowledgement and/or delivery information can be processed back into both the purchase order and to any linked sales order.
SuperOrd includes EDI links for Spicers, Heathlink and IP Progress/Prolink.
Purchase deliveries - Deliveries being made against purchase orders are retained in their own purchase delivery file. This allows stock levels to be immediately updated whilst waiting for the matching purchase invoice to be received. Once the PI has been received, the delivery invoice can be posted into the purchase ledger with the option of updating the last stock purchase price. Delivery charges can be appended before posting the PI.
Purchase invoice daybook - Where detailed delivery information is not required, the SuperOrd purchase daybook can be used to batch input of both purchase ledger and non-purchase ledger type items. The daybook module allows batches of purchase ledger items to be prepared and checked before being posted directly into the SAGE purchase ledger. The batched information is retained in the daybook until specifically removed. Each daybook item has an approved flag, which can allow for a junior member of staff to enter purchase transactions, these transactions to be checked by a more senior member of staff before being finally posted directly to the SAGE purchase and nominal ledgers Recurring entries can be processed and previously entered items copied.
EDI invoices from Spicers and Heath may be processed into the purchase daybook, checked, approved and then posted into the purchase ledger.
Purchase discount profiles - Purchase orders may also have discount profiles applied, this leading to more accurate cost prices showing in the orders.
Supplier returns - Supplier returns can be created and posted.
The returns module posts Purchase Credit transactions to the purchase
ledger and Adjustments Out to the stock files.
SuperOrd incorporates a wide range of facilities for processing stock information:
In summary:Look up files - SuperOrd allows the creation of any number of stock look up files. Effectively, these files are identical to the main stock file but remain independent of the main files. Routines are then available to allow stock information to be copied and updated from an individual look up file into the main stock file.
Look up files allow supplier catalogues to be held and easily accessed. The look up files may be cross referenced back to the main stock file.
Product file import - In the Office Products sector, SuperOrd provides built in specifications to allow Spicer, Kingfield, John Heath, Office Point, Dealer Alliance and NPS generic product files to be imported. The user can also set up their own import specification allowing import from any fixed field length ASCII file.
On the fly stock record creation and cloning - SuperOrd provides the following stock record creation and cloning routines. These routines may be employed whilst entering or editing orders or invoices.The user can set up to 9 special pricing rules, allowing different special pricing rules to be applied by stock code and/or category range.
Special price lists can be printed, with optional inclusion of the stock description, units and normal sales price.
A quantity break table enables up to 3 levels of quantity related discounts to be set up for stock categories. Alternatively, an individual category can be set to have no discounts allowed.
Multi component stock make-up and transfer - SuperOrd provides a facility to create multi-component stock make-up and transfer files. The make up routine allows any number of stock codes to be combined in any quantity. The entry screen dynamically shows total made up cost and associated profit margin. Stock Adjustment In or multi-component stock transfers can be applied.
Stock transaction batches - A number of routines facilitate stock transactions, including:The stock file import operation can optionally reset the stock history file and thereafter import dummy stock transactions (thereby creating artificial or "dummy" stock levels).
This set of utilities can allow specific stock codes and their associated stock history to be saved while a major stock file overhaul takes place.
With effect from early 2004, SuperOrd can now accept input via a barcode scanner. This facility is provided by several lookup files which may be created by direct input in the stock record edit screen, batch input from an ascii file or batch input while importing a Product File.
Barcode label printing using EAN13, EAN13+, EAN8, EAN8+ and CODABAR
barcode formats is also incorporated.
SuperOrd incorporates a number of routines which allow export/import of data to SAGE Line 50 for Windows. Generally, the data is always transferred via CSV (comma separated value) ASCII files.
SuperOrd is a Windows console mode application (also known as a DOS application). It runs happily under Windows 95, 98, 2000 and XP, and can be fully integrated with the Windows desktop and Start Menu. SuperOrd uses a full Windows style setup which takes care of installing the necessary Windows control icons and shortcuts. Multiple instances of SuperOrd may be run simultaneously.
SuperOrd is also designed to work on networks and has been tested on the following networks:When used with SAGE Line 50 for DOS, SuperOrd reads and writes directly to the SAGE files. At all times the integrity of the SAGE data files is maintained so that SAGE may still be used if required.
The additional data required by SuperOrd is held in "add-on" files kept alongside the relevant SAGE data files. These additional data files can not be seen from within SAGE but all relevant SAGE data can be seen inside SuperOrd.
SuperOrd uses text only style input and display screens. Whilst these are not considered very fashionable in 2004, they do have some useful attributes: