Purchase Orders - WebTMA 7

Path: Material > Purchase > Purchase Orders / Identity Tab

WebTMA software allows users to submit regular Purchase Orders as well as designate a Purchase Order as a Blanket PO. Once any items are received, changes to the record are made using the PO Change Order window to maintain good accounting practices. The exception to this rule is Blanket Purchase Orders.

If a PO has been authorized but no items are received, you can edit the record; however, WebTMA resets the PO status to “Requires Authorization.”

Purchase Order Details

When some or all items on a standard Purchase Order are logged as received, the PO only allows limited editing of the Status field and the Comments section. This is true whether or not the PO is marked Closed. Note that the PO Change Order window is available to make more changes for partial receivings. Once again, Blanket POs are an exception to this restriction.

In addition, WebTMA gives you at-a-glance status information on the right side of the window. Look for these terms in bold type Authorized, Authorization Required, Open, and Closed under the Status field. Records can be opened and closed using the Open/Close link on the Action Menu. In WebTMA Plus, any remaining encumbered funds are unencumbered on a closed PO.

The Purchase Order Action Menu links facilitate a number of actions including authorizing an order, receiving items, tracking, invoicing, and opening/closing POs.

The Purchase Order label can be renamed by the WebTMA System Administrator using Admin > Text Management.

If changes are made to an active Purchase Order, that is some items have been received but the PO is not complete, these changes are recorded using the PO Change Orders window. Any changes made to the PO are listed in the read-only Purchase Orders / Change Order Tab.

TIP: The Material Browse window includes options to search for Purchase Orders by specific dates, status, and other Purchase Order fields.

How to Create a Purchase Order

You can create a Purchase Order from this window without having either a Request for Quotation or a Purchase Requisition; however, the Purchase Order Item Details Section has links to Add Purchase Order Line, Select Purchase Requisition, Select Vendor Purchase Requisition, or Add Understocked Part. Use the Purchase Requisition selection links to choose line items from existing PR records. The Understocked Part link is used to review and select Parts that are below the minimum level specified by the Warehouse and add them to the current Purchase Order.

When an RC Code is entered, the Part selections are limited to anyone with the selected Repair Center on their User record.

From the Purchase Orders window:

1. Choose Add on the WebTMA toolbar.
2. Complete the required fields.
3. Select the Add Purchase Order Line link in the Purchase Order Item Details Section. This opens the Purchase Order Entry flyout.
4. Go to the next topic How to Complete Purchase Order Entry.

How to Complete Purchase Order Entry

Add items to the Purchase Order Entry flyout using these instructions.

1. First, complete the steps in How to Create a Purchase Order above.
2. Accept the default Part radio button selection.
3. (Optional) Mark the Filter part by repair center or Filter part by Vendor check boxes to limit selections if you have many eligible Parts.
4. Complete the required line item fields (Part, Part Description, Quantity, and Unit Cost).
5. (Optional) Mark the Taxable? check box if applicable.
6. (Optional) Select a Budget Code if you use the Universal Interface UPI Purchase Order Import feature.
7. (Optional) Enter a Comment about the part. This is for information only. Comments do not appear in reports.
8. Choose the Save button on the flyout window.
9. Select Save on the WebTMA toolbar.

Item Details Section

The grid lines are numbered. This feature coordinates with Change Order lines. If a line is deleted in the middle of a number sequence, the number is not re-used, i.e., if line 2 is deleted between lines 1 and 3, the next line number added is 4. If the last line number is deleted, the number is re-used, i.e., line 3 is the last line and is deleted. A new line number 3 is added.

Vendor Section

All the information in the Vendor Information section is read-only and comes from data entered on the selected Vendor's record.

How to Use the Understock Feature

The Understock link is used to review any items in the Warehouse with quantities on hand that are below the minimum. It is a convenient way to order items before they are out of stock. This minimum number is established on the Parts / Part Location Tab.

From a Purchase Order in Add or Edit mode:

1. Choose the Add Understocked Part link in the Purchase Order Item Details Section to open the Add Understocked Part flyout.
2. Mark the check box of any line items desired.
3. Select the Save button on the flyout.
4. Edit a line item to change the Ordered quantity if desired.
5. Follow instructions in How to Complete Purchase Order Entry.

NOTE: The ordered quantity used for an understock line item is the minimum number established on the Part record. It does not relate to any current items on order and can be changed on the Purchase Order.

One Time Purchase Orders

For inventory items that are not stocked, a Part Code is still required to generate an order. Use the OTP (One Time Purchase) option for these types of orders.

OTPs are items your organization never stocks. They are not tracked other than being received on a Purchase Order or distribution to a Work Order from a Purchase Order. OTP distributions from Purchase Orders automatically become Other Charges during the receiving process.

If you need specific tracking for an OTP, create a Part record or a maintenance-worthy item record for the item.

If the Vendor for this One Time Purchase has Taxable OTP line checked on the Vendors / Identity Tab, the Taxable? box in the Purchase Order Item Details grid is checked automatically.

Blanket Purchase Orders

Some organizations have a credit limit with particular vendors. Rather than creating numerous Purchase Orders for all purchases made from the vendor, a Blanket Order is used.

To indicate that a Purchase Order is a Blanket Order, mark the Blanket PO check box on the Other Information Section when you add or edit the Purchase Order.

When checked, you can enter a maximum dollar amount for the Blanket Order in the Limit field. The read-only Blanket PO Balance field indicates the amount remaining in the account based on the limit. Unlike a standard Purchase Order, a Blanket Order can be edited repeatedly even after Parts are received and recorded through the Receivings window.

Blanket Orders are closed by selecting the Open/Close PO link on the Action Menu. If a Blanket Order is closed, it can be re-opened at a later time using the Open/Close PO link once more.

Distributions

On the line item grid, expand the tier and use the Add Distribution link to designate a Work Order for which some or all of the items are ordered. Distribution lines can be added to the Request for Quote (RFQ), Purchase Requisition (PR), or Purchase Order (PO) windows. Line items added to the Request for Quote or Purchase Requisition windows are carried forward to the next module when converted to a Purchase Requisition or Purchase Order.

WebTMA checks to be sure the quantity for a line that has distributions is greater than the total Required Qty of the distributions for the item. If the quantity is inadequate, you receive an alert message.

When the Purchase Order is received (using the Receive link on the Action Menu to open the Receiving window), expand the line item and review the distribution Work Order details. The Receiving purchase line item reflects the quantity received, and the Work Order / Costs Tab is also updated with a materials line item.

In the event of a partial shipment, Parts are issued in the same order the distribution lines were entered on the Purchase Order. The first line item is filled, and if any Parts remain, they are distributed to the next Work Order. This pattern repeats until the quantity of shipped parts is depleted.

How to Add a Distribution Line

If your organization allows Distributions to remain open on closed Work Orders, the Distribution Entry flyout displays both open and closed Work Orders in the Distrib Work Order # selection window. If distributions are not allowed on closed Work Orders, the selection list does not display closed Work Order numbers.

In Add or Edit mode:

1. Expand the desired line.
2. Choose the Add Distribution link on the next tier to open the Distribution Entry flyout.
3. Select the Distrib Work Order # and the Task auto-populates.
4. Enter the Required Qty needed for the Work Order.
5. (Optional) Complete elective fields on the window.
6. Choose the Save button on the flyout.
7. Select Save on the WebTMA toolbar.

UDF Section

The UDF Section is available to record information or data that is not included in the predefined fields of a record. The Section is found on many windows. These are added by your WebTMA System Administrator.

You can also create corresponding UDF fields for two windows: Work Order and Request Log. If you create UDFs in the System Form Attributes window for each window and these share the same label and the same data type (i.e., Name and Type), the contents of the UDF field on your Request is carried to the corresponding UDF field on the Work Order when accepted.

These UDF fields can also be included on the Service Request Form / Layout Tab when System Administrators create new Service Request Forms.

Want to Learn More?

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