Purchase Item

This help file applies to an out-of-date version of MainBoss.
The most recent version of MainBoss is MainBoss 4.2.4.
For the latest version of this help file can be found here.

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A "purchase item" line in a purchase order requests that an item be purchased from the vendor associated with the purchase order. When you specify an item, you also specify the storeroom where you intend to store it after delivery. To specify both the item and the storeroom, you use a storeroom assignment. For more, see Storeroom Assignments.

Using multi-select facilities, you can add multiple items to a purchase order all at the same time. However, if you specify values for fields like "Order Line Text" or "Quantity", the same value will be applied to all the items you've specified; for example, every item will have the same "Order Line Text". This usually isn't what you want. Therefore, specifying multiple items is most useful when you want to use the default text and quantity for all the items.

To see the Purchase Item editor, click New Purchase Item in the Line Items section of a purchase order. The editor contains the following:

Line Number: A number that can be used to specify the location of this line item in the purchase order. If you don't use line numbers, line items on the purchase order will be sorted in the order they were recorded when you filled out the purchase order. If you do use line numbers, line items on the purchase order will be sorted from lowest "Line Number" to highest.

Purchase Order: This area lets you specify a draft purchase order to include the item you want to purchase. If you reached this window from a purchase order, it will simply be a read-only field identifying the original purchase order.

Otherwise, at the bottom of this area is a drop-down list which will display purchase orders based on the options specified in the "Purchase Order" area. By choosing appropriate options, you can reduce the entries that are shown in the drop-down list, making it quicker and easier to choose the one you want. The possible options are:

Only include Purchase Orders from the Vendor named in the preferred Price Quote for this Storage Assignment: If you select this option, the drop-down list will only include existing purchase orders directed toward the vendor named in the storage assignment's preferred price quote. (If the storage assignment doesn't have a preferred price quote, the drop-down list won't have any entries.)

Only include Purchase Orders from Vendors who have a price quote for the Item in this Storage Assignment: If you select this option, the drop-down list will only include vendors who have ever made a price quote on the item associated with the "Storage Assignment" record.

Only include Purchase Orders from Vendors who have previously supplied the Item in this Storage Assignment: If you select this option, the drop-down list will only include vendors who have ever sold you the item associated with the "Storage Assignment" record.

Do not filter Purchase Orders based on Vendors in Pricing or Purchasing History: If you select this option, the drop-down list will show all draft purchase orders.

Drop-down list: The drop-down list at the end of the "Purchase Order" area shows draft purchase orders that satisfy the options you have specified.

Storage Assignment: This area lets you specify a storage assignment that states what item you want to purchase and where you want to store it. If you reached this window from a storage assignment record, this will be a read-only field identifying the original storage assignment.

Otherwise, at the bottom of this area is a drop-down list which will display storage assignments based on the options specified in the "Storage Assignment" area. By choosing appropriate options, you can reduce the entries that are shown in the drop-down list, making it quicker and easier to choose the one you want. The possible options are:

Only include Storage Assignments which have a preferred Price Quote associated with them: A storage assignment record may or may not specify a preferred price for an item. If you select this option, the "Storage Assignment" drop-down list will only show storage assignments that have such a price.

Only include Storage Assignments for items which have a Price Quote associated with them: If you select this option, the "Storage Assignment" drop-down list will only show storage assignments for items whose records have any associated price quote.

Only include Storage Assignments for items which have previously been received: If you select this option, the "Storage Assignment" drop-down list will only show storage assignments for items which have been previously purchased (i.e. that show up in MainBoss's purchasing history). Typically, this option is combined with Use Pricing or Purchasing history only for the Purchase Order's vendor, in which case the drop-down list only shows items you've purchased from the same vendor.

Do not filter Storage Assignments based on Pricing or Purchasing History: If you select this option, the "Storage Assignment" drop-down list will not be affected by any of the preceding options.

Use Pricing or Purchasing history only for the Purchase Order's vendor: If you checkmark this box, the "Storage Assignment" drop-down list only shows storage assignment records with price quotes or purchases from the same vendor as the purchase order.

Only include Storage Assignments which are below minimum and cannot be replenished using transfers: If you checkmark this box, the "Storage Assignment" drop-down list only shows storage assignment records where the item quantity is below the storeroom's specified minimum, and where there isn't enough surplus in other storerooms to get back up to the minimum.

Only include Storage Assignments which are below minimum: If you checkmark this box, the "Storage Assignment" drop-down list only shows storage assignment records where the item quantity is below the storeroom's specified minimum.

Only include Storage Assignments which are below maximum and should not be replenished using transfers: If you checkmark this box, the "Storage Assignment" drop-down list only shows storage assignment records where the item quantity is below the storeroom's specified maximum, and where transferring items from other storerooms would put those other storerooms below their maximums.

Only include Storage Assignments which are below maximum: If you checkmark this box, the "Storage Assignment" drop-down list only shows storage assignment records where the item quantity is below the storeroom's specified maximum.

Do not filter Storage Assignments based on quantity available: If you select this option, the "Storage Assignment" drop-down list will not be affected by any of the preceding options.

Drop-down list: The drop-down list at the end of the "Storage Assignment" area shows storage assignments that satisfy the options you have specified.

Quantity: Read-only fields telling current quantities of the item in the storeroom specified by "Storage Assignment". The "To Order" value is the quantity that needs to be ordered in order to get back up to the "Maximum" for that storeroom.

Item Pricing and Purchasing History: This area lets you specify a pricing record for the item you want to purchase. Pricing records may be price quotes or actual prices paid in the past. (For more on price quotes, see Item Pricing.)

At the bottom of this area is a drop-down list which will display storage assignments based on the options specified in the "Storage Assignment" area. By choosing appropriate options, you can reduce the entries that are shown in the drop-down list, making it quicker and easier to choose the one you want. The possible options are:

Use Item Pricing or Purchase History only for this vendor: If you checkmark this box, the drop-down list will only contain price records for this item purchased from the specific "Vendor". If you leave the checkbox blank, the drop-down list will also contain price records for other vendors.

Do not include Purchasing History: If you checkmark this box, the drop-down list will only contain price quotes. If you leave the checkbox blank, the drop-down list will also contain actual prices paid to vendors in the past.

Drop-down list: The drop-down list at the end of the "Item Pricing and Purchasing History" area shows pricing records that satisfy the options you have specified.

Suggested Text: A suggestion for what should appear on the purchase order in order to describe this item. This text is taken from the record chosen for "Item Pricing and Purchasing History".

Use suggested text: If you checkmark this box, MainBoss will fill in "Order Line Text" with what appears in "Suggested Text". If you leave the box blank, you should fill in "Order Line Text" yourself.

Order Line Text: The text that will actually appear on the purchase order as a description for this item. Typically, this should be the name and catalog number that this vendor uses for the item.

Use To Order quantity: If you checkmark this box, MainBoss will fill in "Quantity" with the "To Order" value given in the previous read-only "Quantity" line. If you leave the box blank, you must fill in "Quantity" yourself.

Quantity: The quantity of the item that you want to order.

Storage Assignment Item UOM: A read-only field giving the unit of measurement for this item (taken from the item record).

Pricing Basis, Calculated Cost: Read-only fields giving the cost for the item, as based on the record specified in "Item Pricing and Purchasing History".

Use calculated cost: If you checkmark this box, MainBoss will fill in "Cost" with the values in the read-only "Calculated Cost". If you leave the box blank, you must fill in "Cost" yourself.

Cost: The cost of the item(s) ordered. If you fill in "Unit Cost", MainBoss automatically fills in "Total Cost" or vice versa.

Save: Saves the current record. The editor window stays open in case you want to make more changes to the same record.

Save & New: Saves the current record and sets up the window for you to enter a new record. Fields in the new record will be blank or set to default values.

Save & Close: Saves the current record and closes the editor window.

Cancel: Closes the window without saving any changes you've made to the record since the last time you saved. When you Save the record, the Cancel button changes to Close, indicating that you can safely close the window without losing any changes.

Close: Closes the window. This button only appears after you've saved changes with Save or before you've entered any data at all. Otherwise, the button is labeled Cancel.

For more on items, see Inventory Item Records. For more on purchase orders, see Purchase Orders. For more on editors in general, see Using Editors.

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