Reports Features and Functions
Reports: As is the case for all other applications, the reports coming from the Order Entry system should help users get shipments out the door efficiently and on time and also learn where improvements can be made.
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Quotation Forms and Tracking
Quotation Forms and Tracking Options: The process of quoting a job or work order to a customer, particularly in a manufacturing environment, isn't nearly as simple as it is in a distribution environment where everything is fairly simple and straight forward. Some people may want to utilize some form of worksheet to help them prepare a quotation, or note special customer specifications, and/or specific Bills of Material. Once the quotation has been completed, some form of tracking system needs to be in place to track the status of the discussions with the customer or prospect, and to note for planning purposes the probability of the job being awarded.
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Quotation Loading Analysis
Quotation Loading Analysis: As a quotation is being prepared, or even after it has been transmitted to a prospect or customer, users need to be able to analyze how the acceptance of that job or work order might affect the production cycle. This question asks if the system can create a report that visually describes to users the loading that would occur if the quotation were to be awarded. Further it asks if the system can assess the impact of the order on the production cycle.
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Daily Order Analysis
Daily Order Analysis: It is not possible for managers to know everything that happened the day before, particularly in a retail environment or one in which a large number of transactions take place. The production of statistics summarizing all transactions might give them the information required to analyze the previous day.
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Cash Receipts Analysis
Cash Receipts Analysis: Managers in a retail environment tend to deal with immediate revenues such as cash versus other companies whose cycle between order and cash receipt tends to be more lengthy. Managers in this situation might be interested therefore in a report summarizing the cash drawer records. Having reviewed this summary, the manager might decide to concentrate upon one particular area.
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Sales History Report (Sorts)
Sales History Report Sorted by: The analysis of sales history can become a powerful planning tool. In this case the system should have the ability to present sales history information according to a user's wishes so that the information can be used to look at sales for items, customers, territories, etc.
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Sales History Report (Options)
Sales History Report Options: While it is important that users have the ability to extract specific pieces of sales information for analysis, the way that information is displayed is just as important. If an organization users sales quotas or budgets, they should be able to examine actual vs. budget data. Displaying that information graphically might be even more important. Certainly displaying each month for at least the past twelve months is important. Finally, users should receive assistance from the system by having the system look at the sales data and creating a formula based upon that sales history. This particular function would be of great interest as users prepare forecasts.
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Margin Analysis
Margin Analysis Sorted by: While achieving gross revenue targets is important, gross revenue doesn't run a business. The gross margin does. The system should give users the ability to examine the gross margin analysis for exactly the same groups as it does gross sales as in a previous question.
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Job or Work Order Performance Analysis
Job/Work Order Performance Analysis: Once a manufacturing oriented job has been quoted and accepted, it has to be completed in an efficient manner if the profit expected is to be earned. This means that the job or work order costs have to be accumulated and compared as the job is progressing as well as at its completion.
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Salesperson Performance Analysis
Salesperson Performance Analysis: All companies employing salespeople should have some means of tracking their performance. This analysis normally takes the form of a comparison against some standard, such as a budget, past performance, or other salespeople. This information should be available electronically in the format which can be manipulated easily. If salespeople have the authority to reduce prices to some or all of their customers, they might generate sales volume, but hurt their company. Valued salespeople are those who do not have to rely upon price cutting to generate a substantial portion of their sales targets. Part of the process of reviewing the performance of a sales force is the analysis of the degree of price cutting in which each salesperson and the whole sales force engages. One statistic which might be of interest to marketing managers is the ratio of inquiries to firm orders arising from those inquiries. This ratio might give management an idea as to the effectiveness of a particular salesperson. Another ratio approaches performance from the other side. Management may be interested in how many sales are lost. Bad debts should be controlled whenever possible. One source of bad debts might be the failure of salespeople to make detailed inquiries about a customer's financial health. While the ratio of any one salesperson might not say anything in isolation, it may say a great deal more when compared versus other salespeople.
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Reports (General)
Reports (General): While there are specific reports that relate to specific types of work, there are also more general reports that may be of interest to users. This section lists some of those reports.
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Order Entry Features and Functions
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