Many to One Deliveries - Introduction
The many-to-one delivery functionality is an addition to existing functionality used to execute logistic deliveries and create invoices. It makes it easier/faster for users to do the actions needed for cases where multiple items are delivered under the same sales contract.
The Problem
In the typical scenario you have for example 8 similar inventory lots from different purchase that you are shipping all together to fulfill (a part of) a single sales contract delivery line. The shipping company gets instructions to make a single B/L (bill of lading), as you want to sell it to the buy as 1 item.
However, in Agiblocks all these inventory lots are separate items and also recorded as 8 separates sales delivery lines, each with their own P&L. And this is considered correct: you still want to know per item what the results are. For the logistics user however this means they need to split the B/L quantities again in 8 separate line quantities and record them line by line each on their own form. Next when the invoice is being made, it will add only 1 of the items to the invoice, and they need to find and select the other 7 items manually.
The Solution - Delivery forms
Agiboo has further developed the Delivery module to make this process easier.
When you create a shipment with multiple inventory lots going to the same sales contract delivery line, then Agiblocks will group these lines together visually and allow you to use a single execution form for the entire group. Agiblocks will offer the same grouping when you ship multiple purchase lots to the same sales contract delivery line, but not for a mix of inventory items and purchases (then it makes 2 groups).
The execution form for such a group will show on one form for each line the same quantities that are also shown on the individual line execution-forms. Under these lines it shows also an extra line with the totals of these quantities across all these lines.
| • | Users can edit the totals: Agiblocks will then distribute each total over the lines, proportional to the reserved quantities. |
| • | Or users can edit the lines: Agiblocks will then calculate the totals from the lines |
| • | Or users can mix this, e.g. enter the totals and then correct one of the line values |
When the required numbers are entered, all the lines can be executed at once, either on the left, and later on the right, or both at the same time. The effect will be identical to doing all the actions on the individual lines: in fact the lines are executed and not the group.
While there is a group execution form, you still have the forms for the individual lines as well. The group form and the individual line forms can be used next to each other and also be mixed. Changes on one are reflected also on the other one.
To avoid conflicts there is a special rule for when you use the line forms to partially execute a group:
| • | When a group is in a state where the group is partially executed (some lines are executed and others not), then the group form becomes read-only. So in that case further actions need to be done on the individual line forms. |
| • | You can arrive in this partially executed state by executing some but not all lines on the individual line forms, or when the full group is already executed, by un-executing one of the lines on its own form. |
| • | You can get out of this partially executed state by executing the not yet executed lines or by unexecuting the already executed lines |
Invoicing a Multi-Line Shipment
Three improvements were made to make it easier to create the invoices for multiple delivery lines to the same sales contract or counterparty.
| 1. | Agiblocks will now automatically allocate all Sales cost items for deliveries within the same shipment for the same sales contract delivery line as the selected item to the invoice. |
| 2. | Agiblocks will automatically show in the list of unallocated items, all Sales cost items within the same shipment for the same counterparty (but another sales contract delivery line). So you can more easily add all those on the same invoice. |
| 3. | Earlier, when allocating an item to the invoice you would first get a little form to supply details, and only when this form was filled and accepted, the item would be added to the list of invoice lines. Now when allocating a cost item to the invoice, it is immediately added as a line to the invoice. Optionally you can still edit that same form with an edit button on the invoice line. Obviously when required information is missing then editing the form is not optional. In a previous release, a mechanism to configure defaults for VAT/GST related topics was added, so this is often not needed. |
Generating Documents
When generating logistics documents, there is a new merge field on each sales delivery named GroupedDeliveryLines. This object has exactly the same properties as the individual delivery lines, but only the properties related to the group-execution form are filled. Most important is that there you find the totals of that form.
Many to One Deliveries – Editing and Execution
Delivery lines on one delivery will automatically be grouped if a delivery has multiple inventory lots all going to the same sales contract delivery line.
Example:
The grouped information is displayed with the general information at the top in blue followed by each grouped line in grey. Any additional delivery lines not in the group are shown separate in a blue delivery line. In the above example, three delivery lines are grouped while a fourth delivery line is separate.
Editing and Executing a Delivery Line Group
To edit the grouped lines together, select the blue line at the top of the grouping. This will open an edit section where all lines may be edited together.
Enter information into this grouped edit to update all of the group lines. This edit area allows you to enter one value for some information like B/L date and B/L number that will be applied to all line. Quantities for each line will appear separately so values may be individually adjusted. Selecting the green checkmark will save information for the grouped lines.
It is still possible to edit each grouped line individually. Selecting one line in the grouped delivery will open an edit box just for that one delivery. For example, in a group with 2 lines, only one line is executed.
The lines remain grouped, but now all other grouped lines must be executed individually. Editing one line individually will make the group form read-only.
Group Execution and Un-Execution Rules
| 1. | A group is executed when all lines are executed and reverse: executing the group means executing all lines. |
| 2. | Whenever some, but not all of the lines are executed, the entire group form is made read-only. This is to prevent that you can affect the already executed lines. |
| 3. | When all executed, you can un-execute either one line or the whole group. |
| 4. | When un-executing a line, the situation is again the same as for partial execution of the group (i.e. the group section is read-only). |
| 5. | When un-executing the group the situation is again the same as when you never executed anything (all fields are editable). |
| 6. | Adding a line to a group that is fully executed gives the same situation as un-executing a single line and then changing the quantities: the group values are recalculated, while the group form is read-only. |
| 7. | If you delete a line from a group (which can only be done when that line is not executed) then the totals are recalculated and whether the group is editable depends on the other rules. |
| 8. | Splitting a line has the same effect as the combination of decreasing quantities and adding a line. |
Invoicing Changes
For commercial invoices, the invoice screen has changes to the tables showing unallocated cost items and allocated cost items. In both the unallocated and allocated cost item tables, Agiblocks now displays the quantity and price of cost items.
There are 2 workflow changes for Many to one deliveries:
| 1. | When creating a new commercial invoice in the table for allocated items, all Sale Cost items for lines in the shipment for the same contractual sales delivery line will be automatically allocated (instead of just 1 line as before). |
| 2. | In the table for not yet allocated items, when creating a new commercial invoice, all Sale Cost Items for lines in the shipment for other contractual sales delivery lines but for the same counterparty will be automatically retrieved so they can be allocated quickly without searching first. |
Document Merge Fields for Many to One
GroupedDeliveryLines has been added to the set of Logistics end point data fields. This shows the group values of the delivery lines going to the same sales endpoint.
The GroupedDeliveryLines can be used the same way as the other delivery lines. In this release, it has the same properties related to any execution information that is filled in for a group. The Execution field IncomingExecution and OutgoingExecution are used as Execution is deprecated and it is only used for sales endpoints as the group is linked to a sales endpoint.
Please see the Agiblocks Document Template Management Guide for more information.