fundamental difference between open and backorders

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What is the fundamental logic difference MAS uses when entering line items to sales order that exceed available quantity?

To be clear, suppose you're entering a sales order line item that has an available quantity of 5. If you enter quantity 6, you are prompted (among other choices) to first/default Accept Quantity Entered option –documentation says this will disregard the available quantity and accept the quantity entered. This option is available only if the appropriate security is set up. Alternatively, the last option is to Backorder item—documentation says this will back order the amount of this item that is not available to fill the order.

None of the documentation I've found indicates the difference--aside from the fact that backordered items will show up on the backorder fill report when a PO is received with the backordered item(s).

I guess my real question is what scenario would make sense to choose the first option--to 'accept quantity'?

I can't think of a reason you'd want to put an item on an order and not ship it out when it is available, let alone make it the default choice. So, it's making me think that perhaps I'm misunderstanding a core philosophy of the open/back order function.

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    Here are some reasons I can think of to choose "accept quantity":

    • You want to print out the sales order and don't want the customer to see you're backordered on something because you expect to be able to get it by the time the order ships
    • You know your inventory is incorrect for some reason and just want to list it as ordered and not backordered.
  • 0 in reply to Sage100User

    Those are two valid reasons I didn't think of. Seems far from what should be default though. Why is 'accept quantity' the default answer? I guess that's what threw me off. I would think there would be some logical reasoning for a 'most common answer' for a default value to be pre-selected. Seems way more logical to backorder items by default.

  • 0 in reply to James Cecorn
    SUGGESTED

    You would think ...

    I went into Custom Office --> Customizer Selection. You can edit that popup screen. It's under Sales Order --> Sales Order Common Entry --> DQTYOVER.

    I tried to find a way to make that the default selection. I moved around the options but when I went to sales order, the options still appeared in the same order.

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    Just because an item would not be available when the sales order is written you should not assume it will be out of stock when shipping date happens which is why you have the option to Accept Quantity. 

  • 0 in reply to BigLouie

    thanks. I guess a poor assumption to think everyone ships the day orders are received as we do. As the user above attempted and failed (as did I)--is there any way to make 'backorder' the default choice? We typically take orders and ship same day, so it IS safe for us to assume if it is out of stock when the S/O is written it will be out of stock when the order ships.

  • 0 in reply to James Cecorn

    I do not know of a way to change the default, but what's the problem?  As soon as you post the invoice, the BO quantity on the SO is set based on what didn't ship.

    Also note that there are options on the Picking Sheet printing screen which deal with BO lines differently.

  • 0 in reply to Kevin M

    We're starting to get to the heart of the original question. I couldn't find any documentation on how open order and back order are treated in MAS....

    "As soon as you post the invoice, the BO quantity on the SO is set based on what didn't ship."

    That info helps.

    So, "what's the problem"...problem currently is that when a PO is received in receipt of goods, anything not specifically set on S/O as a backorder (S/O entry users keep taking the default 'accept quantities') doesn't show up on the backorder report; so goods that are now available to be shipped are not getting shipped when that report is generated at the end of PO receiving.

  • 0 in reply to James Cecorn
    SUGGESTED

    As soon as a "Standard" SO has an invoice posted, the header field "OrderType" changes to "B" (Back Order). 

    For Standard SO (OrderType = S), the true quantity per line is stored in the QuantityOrdered column.  From what I can tell, QuantityBackordered is informational at this stage (for various reports)... but someone can correct me if I am wrong.

    For Backordered SO (OrderType = B), the QuantityBackordered becomes the outstanding quantity (which can be overridden during invoicing if the customer does not want the remaining unshipped quantity).

    I have no particular insights into the the Back Order Fill report, but a fairly simple custom report could be designed to show Open SO lines with QoH (in the appropriate warehouse).

  • 0 in reply to Kevin M

    "but a fairly simple custom report could be designed to show Open SO lines with QoH (in the appropriate warehouse)."

    Which is what we've done. And, it works. I'm just raising an eyebrow at the BO fill report not including items that were added to the SO as 'accept quantity'. So, now we have a BO fill report that offers to print seemingly sporadically (it prints predictably when there's an actual B/O item in the received goods--so, it's only sporadic to the folks in the warehouse that don't understand why standard SO items don't print)

    Additionally, now we have a BO report that prints occasionally (when sales order entry people remember to select out of stock as backorder), as well as this custom open order items received report we have to remember to print for all the rest.

    I get that MAS has a lot of customization that needs to be done. And, we have it working. I was just wondering if I was missing some basic concept of open order vs backorder. Because this seems very backward and klugey for something that seems as common as filling backorders.