Direct Sales is for warehouse over-the-counter sales and for mobile sales, for instance spare parts and work from a maintenance call. There is no need to create a sales order to sell items. The sale can be invoiced later like a normal delivery or it can be charged immediately to a cash account. Transfer items to this location using the material transfer features described in the next section.
Direct sales supports multilocation if this feature is licensed. First transfer product to the sales location before using direct sales if negative inventory is not permitted in your system (the setting is in Admin - > System settings)
Direct sales can also be used for sales from a 3rd party logistics supplier. Either the user at the 3PL should be given a login to enter the sales, or sales data can be automatically entered over the API if an integration between the 3PL's computer system is implemented.
Important note:
Direct sales is not designed as a high volume POS (Point Of Sale) system. This is because it is a browser based system. When used with a barcode reader there is no guarantee that data from the barcode reader will be successfully saved to the server if the speed of barcode reading is too high. Check that the correct number of products are entered before finalising the sale.
Licensing
The direct sales module is its own licensed module. Check the licensing section in the Admin menu.
Setting up
Direct Sales needs two setting in Admin - > System settings before it can be used.
Direct Sales Registers
Create one or more registers. Data that is transferred to bookkeeping will be grouped by register. Also different registers will be needed for different currencies (as set by the associated price list) and sales account. Each register can also have permission to sell by invoice or not.
When a direct sale is created, if there is more than one register then the user will be prompted to choose the correct one.
Direct sales payment terms
This is the list of payment terms allowed on the registers. Examples are "Cash", "Credit card", "AMEX" etc. Each payment method has its own clearing account by which direct sales will be summed when transferred to bookkeeping. It is possible to set the default payment type. If no default is set and the register allows invoicing, then invoicing will be default.
In addition to the payment methods listed here, the user may be able to choose "invoicing" if this is permitted on the register.
Using
Open the direct sales screen either from the Sales menu or the Warehouse menu. On the Direct Sales dashboard click the ’New’ link next to ‘Direct sales’.
Buttons for direct sales:
| Complete | When all data on the sales has been entered, the operation is marked as complete. After this the operation status will be ‘Complete’ if the price was charged immediately, or ‘Invoice queue’ if the operation is forwarded to invoicing. Stock items will be reduced from inventory. After the operation has been marked as complete, this button will be replaced by [New]. |
| Receipt | Receipt data will appear in an extra window for printing. It is a PDF report |
| Packing list | Packing list data will appear in an extra window for printing. It is a PDF report |
| Delete | If the operation is under construction, it can be deleted by pressing this button. When the operation is marked as complete, this button will be replaced by [Revise]. |
| New | After the previous direct sales has been marked as complete, a new one can be created by pressing this button. |
| New Version | If the data needs to be changed after the operation has been marked as complete, press this button. This will change the operation status back to ‘Under Construction’. Operations that have been already marked as complete will have the same number as before. |
| Save | Updates the screen with the default values such as the price from a price list if specified. |
Fields on the Direct Sales form:
| Customer ID | The ID number of the customer. Not required if a cash sale. The [-] button will open the partner pick list where it is also possible to create a new customer. |
| Sell from location | The local inventory from where the items are being sold. |
| Payment type | The options are set in Admin -> System settings -> DS Payment types. Additionally invoicing is available if it is allowed on the register. If invoicing is used the Invoice Co. must have a value. The default can be set in system settings. |
| Price list | The appropriate price list for the transaction. The price list will first be set to that of the register, but if the user selects a different customer, the customer's direct sales price list (if specified on the partner card) will be retrieved to the screen and used for subsequent item pricing. |
| Project | These sales will be included in reports concerning the specified project. (Project license is required) |
| Comment | Comment text that will appear on the invoice line if an invoice is created for this sale. |
| Item lines: | A new item is added by filling in the fields in the blank item line. The next blank line appears when the changes are saved. |
| Product ID | Enter the product ID manually, by barcode or by picking it from the list using the [-] button. If the price list is specified then prices will be added when returning to the main form. Check the item status by clicking the item name to open item’s pop-up info window. If a barcode is scanned the system will find the item either from the barcode of the Item ID or from the EAN number of the item. The item will also be found from one of the manufacturer's code as entered on the item card. |
| Quantity and discount | Quantity and discount are entered manually or retrieved from the price list specifited on the partner card for direct sales. (Of course the product must also be on this price list - check the item card). If a discount is specified on both the price list and the partner card, then the discount from the price list will be used. Otherwise the one that is specified will be used. |
| Unit price | Unit price is will be retrieved from the price list, but can be edited. Prices are specified without VAT. If the price is not found on the specified price list, the system will search from the default price list (as set in system settings). In this case a short warning will be displayed to the user that the default price list, rather than specified price list is being used. |
| Currency | Currency depends on the price list that is selected. If no price list is selected, currency will be the default currency of the site (this currency has been recorded in company settings). |
| VAT rate | VAT / GST / Sales tax rate is retrieved from tax code of the sales account specified for the partner, if specified. Otherwise it is from the default sales account of the own company settings in System settings. |
Fill in the fields and press [Save] in the upper left corner of the screen. A new will blank line will appear (there is always one blank line on the screen). It is also possible to use a barcode scanner to enter an item code. This will automatically add it as a new line. Pressing enter while on the line will also save the line.
If you use the menu buttons to go away from a direct sales, it will still exist in your system with a status of "Under construction". They can be listed from the Warehouse menu. Periodically review that Under construction direct sales are not left "hanging" in the system. Either delete or complete them.
Direct sales operations can have the following status:
| Under Construction | An operation that is still being edited (or will be edited later). Either the operation has just been created or it has been marked as complete and set to be under construction again to be revised. |
| Invoice Queue | Payment type is ‘Invoicing’. When this kind of sales operation is marked as complete, the status will be ‘Invoice Queue’. |
| Complete | A sales operation whose payment type is ‘Invoicing’ is completed when it is included in an invoice. If the payment type is ‘Cash’, the operation will be completed when it is marked as complete. |
| Cancelled | A user has made a new version. |
Changes to a completed sale
Changing a completed sale can only be done on the same day of the sale and if the sale is not exported to a linked bookkeeping system.
Press New version. This will set the original sale to be "Cancelled" and will copy the details to a new sale. Note that the modified sale will get a new number. To delete a previously completed sale then make a new version and then delete the new sale.
Price lists and pricing
Price lists are created in Admin - System settings. An unlimited number of pricelists can be created. The price of an individual item can be added to one or more price lists on the item card or by an excel upload. Typically there will be a default price list for the system and then individual price lists as agreed with key customers. Apart from the default price list in system settings, a default price list for the register can be specified and the direct sales pricelist for an individual customer. When creating a new direct sale, the price list of the register is displayed on the screen and can be changed from the dropdown list. If a customer is selected, the customer's direct sales price list will be set if there is one specified.
When entering an item, it will attempt to get the price from the specified price list. If not available it will attempt to find the item on the system default price list. If not found then it will enter with a zero price and display a warning to the user that a line has a zero price. Zero price lines will be allowed when completing the sale.
The currency of the price list sets the currency of the direct sale.
Transferring Direct sales information to your bookkeeping system
Not that direct sales can only be transferred to bookkeeping when Xero is in use. Data is transferred according as specifically crafted invoice data according to the recommendations of Xero for connection of POS systems. One invoice contains all of the sales for one day for one register and each currency, and the lines are summed by payment method. Additionally there is an additional line with a negative amount of the sum which sets the correct amount to the clearing account.
See further information about transferring data to Xero