Min-Max Buying Recommendations

Menu Path: Purchasing $Images\bluerarw.gif$ Purchase Processing $Images\bluerarw.gif$ Min-Max Buying $Images\bluerarw.gif$ Min-Max Buying Recommendations

Purpose

Create purchase orders based on buying information created from buying ID’s.
Modify buying information in the software or using Excel.
Import buying information from Excel or Demand Forecasting programs.

Overview

Use Min-Max Buying Recommendations to transform min-max and external third-party buying information into purchase orders.

For min-max buying, after a user creates a buying ID and then creates buying information based on that ID, the ID can be selected in this window and the proposed purchase orders are displayed. Before creating purchase orders, you can make adjustments to products for purchase or export the data to an Excel file and make modifications, then import it back to create orders. For more information, see Min Max Purchasing.

Note Products marked as discontinued in Product Maintenance are not recommended for purchases in Min-Max Buying Recommendations.

For demand forecasting, after the third-party demand forecasting information has been created and requisitions have been generated by the third-party software, you can import that information into this window for review, adjustment, exporting to Excel, and finally purchase order creation.

When you are ready to create purchase orders, verify or change the purchase order class entered in the PO Class field. Purchase orders will be created for the selected purchase order class. The default purchase order class is entered in this field if it was set up for your user ID in User Extended Options. Click the Create button to create purchase orders based on the data on the Results tab.

Note One purchase order is created for each supplier contained in the buying information.

Purchase orders created through this process are finalized in Purchase Order Maintenance. This allows you to make any modifications to products on the orders. The purchase orders must be ordered to update quantities on order displayed in Inventory Matrix Inquiry.

If you purchased exactly what was recommended, the buying ID will automatically close. If you elected not to purchase quantities of certain products, the buying ID is available the next time you access Min-Max Buying Recommendations, and will remain available until all products have been ordered for it. If you do not want to purchase any of the products that remain for the buying ID, you can manually close it out by deleting it in Min-Max Buying Maintenance. Products that you did not purchase will be part of the demand forecasting calculations the next time you create and run demand forecasting information using third-party software.

Min-Max Buying

The following criteria are used to determine if a product is recommended for min-max buying:

In Product Location Maintenance on the Buying tab:

Min-Max must be entered in the Buying Method field for the product.
A primary supplier must be entered for the product.
The available quantity must be below the minimum stocking level entered in the Minimum Stock Level field for the product.
A maximum stocking level for the product must be entered in the Maximum Stock Level field.

In Product Location Maintenance on the Warehouse tab:

The Can Be Sold check box must be selected for the product.
The Discontinued check box must be cleared for the product.

The following criteria are used to determine how the purchase quantity is calculated when the minimum stocking level is below the available quantity:

In Supplier Product Maintenance:

If the supplier’s minimum purchase quantity is entered for the product in the Min Purchase Qty field, order the minimum.
If the purchase increment is entered for the product in the Purchase Increment field, round the order quantity to a multiple of that number.

In Product Location Maintenance:

If the minimum purchase quantity entered in the Minimum Purchase Quantity field is greater than zero, order the minimum (assuming the minimum purchase quantity is not greater than zero in Supplier Product Maintenance).
If the purchase increment entered in the Purchase Increment field is greater than zero, round the order quantity to a multiple of that number (assuming the purchase increment is not greater than zero in Supplier Product Maintenance).
Bring the available quantity of the product up to the maximum stocking level quantity.

You can accept the recommendations of the system or modify the data according to your needs. This can be done in the window or in Excel. There are two methods of Excel exporting. The Import Format method should be used to export data with the intention of modifying it, and then importing it back. This export method only includes columns needed for the import format (see Min-Max Buying Recommendations Import Format). The Browser Contents method is more descriptive and is used for hard copy reporting.

If you change the recommendations, but decide not to accept the changes, click the Undo button in the ribbon to undo the changes and reset all the buying information to the original recommendations.

Demand Forecasting

The demand forecasting import allows you to import a demand forecasting import file from third-party demand forecasting software. Click the DF Import button in the ribbon to display Demand Forecasting Import, which requires you to select an import file name and path, as well as the external forecasting system used to create the file (MARS or Demand Solutions). This file is the requisition file generated by the third-party software with a .req file extension. The View Import Log check box is selected by default so you can view a log of the import data. After the Import button in the ribbon is clicked, the Import Status field displays the status of the import process.

After the import is complete, data will not be visible on the Results tab in Min-Max Buying Recommendations until you enter the buying ID that the import created in the Buying ID field on the Select tab. A buying ID is created for each requisition number that the third-party demand forecasting software created. The buying ID is based on the buying location prefix and the requisition number.

Example If the requisition number is 00000005, the buying ID will be XXX00000005, where XXX is the location prefix.

After data is displayed on the Results tab, you can make adjustments to the purchase quantities and select whether to add products to purchase orders. Alternately, you can export the data into an Excel spreadsheet, make modifications per your requirements, and import it back into Min-Max Buying Recommendations to create purchase orders.

For more information on setting up the demand forecasting import file, see Demand Forecasting Import Format.

Ribbon Home Tab Buttons

Button	Description
Exit	Click this button to close the Min-Max Buying Recommendations window.
Create	Click this button to create purchase orders based on the recommendations displayed on the Results tab. When you create purchase orders, you are asked if you want to edit them in Purchase Order Maintenance. After you create purchase orders, a report is output based on the options selected on the Print Options tab. This button is only available if the Results tab is displayed.
Update	Click this button to edit recommended purchasing information on the Results tab before creating purchase orders. This button is only available if the Results tab is displayed.
DF Import	Click this button to display Demand Forecasting Import, which allows you to import recommendations from third-party software.
Show Data	Click this button to display information on the Results tab based on the criteria selected on the Select tab.
Import	Click this button to import buying recommendations from a file. For information on the format of the import file, see Min-Max Buying Recommendations Import Format. You can import from the following file types: Excel (.xls, .xlsx, .xlsm, or .xlsb) Note If you import from an Excel workbook that contains multiple worksheets, data is only imported from the first worksheet in the workbook. comma-separated list (.csv) text (.txt) data (.dat) Note To import a .csv file, enter your data in Excel, and then save the worksheet as a .csv file. Each field in a .txt or .dat file must be separated by a caret (^) character. There should be no spaces between each field in a .csv, .txt, or .dat file.
OK	Click this button to accept changes made in the Products to Produce grid. This button is only available after you click the Update button in the ribbon.
Cancel	Click this button to reject all changes made in the Products to Produce grid. This button is only available after you click the Update button in the ribbon.
Undo	Click this button to undo all changes made in the Products to Produce grid, but continue editing the information. This button is only available after you click the Update button in the ribbon.
Attachments	Click this button to display Attachment Entry, which allows you to view attached files for a selected supplier. This button is only available if you clear the All Suppliers check box and select a specific supplier.
Product Maintenance	Click this button to display Product Maintenance, which allows you to view and update information for the selected product in the Products to Produce grid. Note If you are not authorized to use Product Maintenance, the Product Inquiry window appears instead, and allows you to view product information.
Supplier Product Maintenance	Click this button to display Supplier Product Maintenance, which allows you to view and edit supplier-specific product information for the selected product in the Products to Produce grid.

Select Tab Fields and Buttons

Field or Button	Description
Buying ID	Enter the buying ID for which to display buying recommendations, or click the Lookup button to select a buying ID. For information on setting up a buying ID, see Min-Max Buying Maintenance. Note Use Min-Max Buying Select to create buying information for this buying ID before selecting it.
PO Class	Enter the purchase order class to use for created purchase orders, or click the Lookup button to select a purchase order class. This field defaults to the purchase order class set up for your user ID in User Extended Options.
All Suppliers	Select this check box to display buying recommendations for all suppliers. This check box is selected by default.
Supplier Code	Enter a supplier code for which to display buying recommendations, or click the Lookup button to select a supplier code. This field is only enabled if you clear the All Suppliers check box.
Name	Enter a supplier name for which to display buying recommendations, or click the Lookup button to select a supplier name. This field is only enabled if you clear the All Suppliers check box.
Quantity Display	Select whether to display quantities on the Results tab in the selling or purchasing unit of measure. Note Quantities in the Quantity and U/M columns in the Products to Produce grid are always displayed in the default purchasing unit of measure.
Include not Available Bins	Select this check box to include quantities in not available bins when calculating recommend quantities (thus decreasing the recommended quantities).
Export Option	Select an option for exporting to Excel, as follows: Import Format - Export only columns that are required for importing back into the software when you export to Excel. Browser Contents - Export all information from the Products to Produce grid to Excel.
Sort by	Select a method for sorting buying recommendations on the Results tab.
Filter Items	Select whether to display buying recommendations for non-stock and stock products, and for either all supplier products or products below the minimum.

Results Tab Fields and Buttons

Field or Button	Description
Products to Produce	This grid displays recommended purchases. You can click the Update button in the ribbon to manually change the recommendations before creating purchase orders. Double-click a product to display Product History Inquiry, which allows you to view historical data for the product.
Totals by Supplier	This grid displays the totals for each supplier based on the information in the Products to Produce grid, and thresholds set up for the suppliers.

Print Options Tab Fields and Buttons

Field or Button	Description
Output Option	Select one of the following output options: Screen - Output to a PDF so you can immediately view the report. If you select this option, you cannot output using Scheduling Assistant. File - Output to a PDF, Excel, Access, or delimited file to be stored for later use. If you select this option, specify the file type and either the output folder or file name. Printer - Output to a selected printer. If you select this option, specify a printer in the Printer field and the number of copies to print in the Number of Copies field. Email - Output to your default email application. If you select this option, you are prompted to select recipients for the email, then an email is created with the report attached as a PDF file. Excel - Output directly to Excel. You can specify the location of the Excel application in the Spreadsheet File field in User Profile Maintenance. If you output to Excel, the report may include additional information. If you select this option and select to output to Scheduling Assistant, you are prompted to select recipients for an email, and Scheduling Assistant sends an email with the report attached as an Excel file.
Save Report File	Select this check box to save the Crystal Reports report (.rpt) file for the report to the folder entered in the Report Working Directory field for your user ID in User Profile Maintenance. You can use the report file to customize the report. For more information, see Crystal Reports FAQ. This check box is only available if you select the Screen radio button.
Save Access Database File	Select this check box to save the Access database (.mdb) file for the report to the folder entered in the Report Working Directory field for your user ID in User Profile Maintenance. You can use the Access database file to customize the report. For more information, see Crystal Reports FAQ. This check box is only available if you select the Screen radio button.
Output File Type	Select whether to output to a PDF, Excel, Access, or delimited (CSV, DAT, or TXT) file. These radio buttons are only available if you select the File radio button.
Specify File Name	Select this check box to specify the file name of the output report. This check box is only available if you select the File radio button.
Output Directory	Enter the location for the output report, or click the Lookup button to navigate to and select a location. This field is only available if the Specify File Name check box is cleared.
Output File Name	Enter a location and file name for the output report, or click the Lookup button to navigate to and select a location and file name. The file extension of the file name should match the selected output file type. This field is only available if you select the Specify File Name check box.
Excel Format Name	Enter an Excel format name, or click the Lookup button to select an Excel format name. Excel formats can be set up to specify which fields are output to Excel, and the order and sort order of the fields. This field is only available if you select the Excel radio button.
Format Maintenance	Click this button to display Excel Format Maintenance, which allows you to set up Excel formats. This button is only available if you select the Excel radio button.
Save As Type	Click the Lookup button to select whether to save the delimited file as a CSV, DAT, or TXT file. This field is only available if you select the Delimited radio button, and only enabled if the Specify File Name check box is cleared.
Include header	Select this check box to include a row of header information in the exported delimited file, which labels the data. This check box is only available if you select the Delimited radio button.
Delimiter	Enter a comma (,), caret (^), or vertical bar (\|) as a delimiter for the exported delimited file. This field is only available if you select the Delimited radio button.
Enclosing Character	If you want to use single or double quotation marks around data exported to a delimited file, enter ' or " in this field. Even if this field is left blank, text fields that have commas or carriage returns are enclosed in quotes. This field is only available if you select the Delimited radio button.
Printer	Click the Lookup button to select a printer. This field is only available if you select the Printer radio button.
Subject	Enter a subject for the report email. This field is only available if you select the Email radio button. If you leave this field blank, the subject is the report title.
Report File Prefix	Enter a prefix for the report file name. This field is only available if you select the Email radio button.
Add Additional Comments	Select this check box if you want to include additional comments with the emailed report. If you select this check box, the Additional Comments window appears after you click the Print button in the ribbon, and allows you to enter the comments. This check box is only available if you select the Email radio button.
Print Full Heading on All Pages	Select this check box to include the entire heading from the first page of the report on all pages of the report. This check box is cleared by default, and only enabled if you select the Screen, File, Printer, or Email radio button.
Print Title Line on All Pages	Select this check box to include the report title, page number, and printed date/time on all pages of the report. This check box is selected by default and only enabled if you select the Screen, File, Printer, or Email radio button, and if the Print Full Heading on All Pages check box is cleared.
Report Language 1	Enter the first language for the report, or click the Lookup button to select a language.
Report Language 2	Enter the second language for the report, or click the Lookup button to select a language. If you enter a language in this field, the report is printed in this language and the language entered in the Report Language 1 field.
Horizontal Shading	Select this check box to include horizontal shading on alternate lines of the report to make it easier to read report data. This check box is cleared by default, and is only enabled if you select the Screen, File, Printer, or Email radio button.
Collate	Select this check box to collate the printed copies of the report (if you are printing multiple copies of the report). This check box is cleared by default, and is only enabled if you select the Printer radio button and enter a value greater than 1 in the Number of Copies field. Example You are printing five copies of a 20 page report to distribute to five different people. Leave this check box selected, so that pages 1-20 of the first copy prints, then pages 1-20 of the second copy, etc. If you clear this check box, five copies of page 1 prints, then five copies of page 2, etc.
Horizontal Shading Color	Click the Lookup button to select the color of horizontal shading on the report. This Lookup button is only enabled if you select the Horizontal Shading check box.
Number of Copies	Enter the number of copies of the report to print. This field is only enabled if you select the Printer radio button.
Process	These radio buttons are disabled in this window.
Task Occurs	These radio buttons are disabled in this window.
Time	These fields and radio buttons are disabled in this window.
Date	This field is disabled in this window.
Task Description	This field is disabled in this window.
Scheduling Assistant Queue	This field is disabled in this window.
External Email	This check box is disabled in this window.
Screen Alert	This check box is disabled in this window.
Internal Email	This check box is disabled in this window.
Report Files	This grid displays report files set up for the report, and is only available if report files are set up for the program in Report File Maintenance. This grid includes the following columns: Print - Select the check box in this column to output the report file. Number of Copies - Enter the number of copies of the report file to print. This column is only available if you select the Printer radio button. Report Description - This column displays the description of each report file. Report Filename - This column displays the .rpt file name for each report file. Report Name - This column displays the name of each report file.