Suppliers and purchase orders

Purchase orders take the guesswork out of reordering. Add the companies you buy from, link them to your products, and FullColumn fills an order with everything running low, at sensible quantities. Email it or print it, then receive the delivery against it: stock goes up, and cost prices can update from the invoice. You'll find it under Products → Purchase orders and Products → Suppliers.

#Adding a supplier

1. Open Products → Suppliers and press Add supplier (or N).
2. Fill in the Name and whatever else you have:
   • Contact name and Phone.
   • Email for orders: purchase orders are emailed here.
   • Your account number: printed and emailed on your orders.
   • Notes, such as "Order by Wednesday for Friday delivery. Free freight over $300."
3. Press Add supplier.

Each supplier in the list shows how many of their products are low, orders on the way, and drafts.

#Linking products to a supplier

An order is filled from the products linked to its supplier. Link them either way:

• A whole brand at once: open the supplier, and under Products choose Link all products from a brand…, then press Link with the brand's name. Every product of that brand that's on sale is now ordered from them: as many as the number beside the brand. Archived products stay as they are.
• One product: open the product and choose the Supplier in its details.

While you're in a product, set its Usual order quantity if it comes in packs or cartons (see below).

#How suggested order quantities work

When FullColumn adds low-stock products to an order, it suggests how many, allowing for anything already on order:

• With a usual order quantity: it orders in lots of that (a carton of 6, say) until the product is above its low-stock level.
• Without one: it aims for a month's sales on top of the low-stock level, and at least double that level.

A product is low when it's at or below its Warn me when down to level (low-stock warnings). Change any quantity before you send the order.

#Starting a purchase order

There are a few ways in:

• On Purchase orders, the Running low box lists each supplier with low stock, with Start an order (or Open draft if one's already started).
• New order (or N): choose the supplier, and leave Start with the 3 products running low on to fill it straight away (it counts them). Then press Start draft.
• In the supplier list, press Reorder low stock beside a supplier (Reorder 3 low-stock products inside it), or New order when nothing is low.

The Running low box also tells you when low-stock products don't have a supplier yet, with a link to show them.

#Adding and changing products on a draft order

While an order is a Draft, you can change everything:

• Add product searches your products (or scan a barcode), with the supplier's own products first.
• Add low-stock items pulls in anything else from this supplier that's running low.
• Change each Qty and Unit cost. Costs start at the product's cost price, without GST.
• Set a Wanted by date and Notes for the supplier: both go on the order.

The totals show the subtotal, GST and total. An order holds up to 150 products. Press Save to keep changes, or Delete draft… in the ⋯ menu if you no longer need it.

#Sending a purchase order to your supplier

1. Press Send to supplier.
2. Leave Email it to the supplier on, and check the Email address. The email lists the products, quantities and costs, and replies come back to your salon's email.
3. Press Email and mark as ordered.

Printing it, or phoning it through? Press Print to print it, then turn email off and press Mark as ordered. Either way the order becomes Ordered, so you can receive the delivery against it, and its products and quantities can't be changed any more. To send it again, choose Email it again… in the ⋯ menu. The order shows whether its email went, and if it didn't, why.

#Receiving a delivery from a supplier

When the boxes arrive:

1. Open the order and press Receive delivery.
2. Check each product against the delivery. Every line starts at what's still to come; change any that didn't all arrive, or press Clear and enter what did.
3. If the invoice price is different, change the Unit cost. Leave Update the products’ cost prices on to change the products' cost prices too.
4. Add a note if you like ("Invoice 4471").
5. Press Add 12 items to stock (the button counts them).

Stock goes up for every product that tracks stock, and each product's history shows "Received" with the order number and your note. A product that doesn't track stock is marked received without a count.

#Receiving part of a purchase order

Suppliers don't always send everything at once. Receive what came; the order becomes Part received and waits for the rest. When the next delivery arrives, press Receive delivery again: only what's still to come is listed. You can't receive more of a product than was ordered.

Each delivery is listed under Deliveries on the order, with what came, when and who received it. If the rest is never coming, choose Cancel the rest… in the ⋯ menu: what arrived stays in stock.

#Purchase order statuses

Open shows drafts and orders still waiting; Received, Cancelled and All show the rest. An order past its Wanted by date shows "Was due". A product's details show what it has on order ("6 on order · PO #1002, due 20 Oct").

#Cancelling an order or archiving a supplier

• Cancel order… (in the ⋯ menu) for an order already sent. Let the supplier know yourself: FullColumn doesn't tell them.
• Delete draft… removes a draft that was never sent.
• A supplier's ⋯ menu has Archive, Restore and Delete…. Deleting keeps their products, just without a supplier; a supplier you've ordered from is archived instead, so your order history stays. You can't start new orders with an archived supplier.

#Who can use suppliers and purchase orders

Suppliers and purchase orders need Suppliers and purchase orders. It's off for staff and on for managers to start with, and owners have every permission (roles and permissions). Without it, the Purchase orders and Suppliers tabs don't show. Receiving stock without an order is open to everyone (receiving stock).

#Common questions

#Can I add a product to an order after it's been sent?

No. Once it's ordered, start a new order for anything else.

#The supplier sent a different price. What do I do?

Change the Unit cost when you receive the delivery, and leave Update the products’ cost prices on.

#Does FullColumn tell the supplier when I cancel?

No. Cancelling only changes the order here: phone or email them yourself.

#Why wasn't a low product added to the order?

It's linked to another supplier or none, it doesn't track stock, it's archived, or enough is already on order.