Special Orders

Special orders enable customers to order items not normally carried in inventory, (i.e. "one-off" orders) or order a special shipment of an existing item (e.g. an order for a larger-than-usual quantity).

• When creating a special order for a new item, the user enters basic item information and the new item is added to Prism inventory with a Special Order flag selected.
• Items that have the Special-Order flag selected can be listed on documents (purchase orders, transfer orders, slips and adjustment memos).
• Items that have the Special Order flag selected can be added to a transaction as a regular sale item or added to a customer order as a regular order item.
• Clearing the Special Order flag in Inventory "upgrades" the item to a regular item.
• If a currently inactive item is listed on a special order, upon adding item to the document the item will be activated and the Special-Order flag selected. 

Enable Special Orders and Set Minimum Deposit Percentage
To create a special order you must first enable the feature in the Prism Admin Console. Navigate to Preferences & Settings > Node Preferences > Transactions > Orders and select the Enable Special Orders checkbox. You can optionally define a minimum deposit percentage for special orders and require that a deposit be taken when a special order is created. After you enable special orders in preferences, the "Special Order" option will become available on the Options button menu on transactions.

Node Preferences > Transactions > Orders:
 
Permissions for Special Orders
You can control employee access to the Special Orders feature using the following security permissions:

Special Order for New Item (not typically carried in Inventory)
1.    Start a new transaction and add the customer.
2.    Click the Options button. Select Special Order.
 
3.    A prompt to create a new item or select an existing item is displayed. Click New Item.

4.    Enter basic item information like DCS Code, Vendor Code, Description 1, Order Cost and Price. The item will be created in Inventory when you click the Save button. If you click Save and then the customer decides to cancel the order, the item will still be in Inventory.
 
5.    Tender the transaction and update.

Special Order for Existing Item (e.g. reorder of previous special order)
Special Orders can also be used to reorder items that are already defined in Inventory (with or without the Special Order flag selected).

1. Start a new transaction and enter the customer.
2. Click Options and select Special Order.
3. In the Add Special Order Item dialog, click the Existing Item button.
4. The Inventory Search screen is displayed. Look up the item using standard procedures.
5. Tender the transaction and update.

Generate PO from SO
When saving a special order, the user is given the option to generate a purchase order for the special order. When generating a PO from a special order SO, the item and vendor information is copied to the PO.  You can edit the resulting PO as needed to add fees, shipping, or even change the target store. (Note: If you carry other items from the vendor you can use the PO as an opportunity to replenish stock.) When generating a PO from a special order SO, the permission to edit the Special Order flag on Inventory item records is enforced.
Order Cost and Cost of items on Special Orders
When you create a new item as part of a special order, you enter the item's Order Cost. When the item is saved to Inventory, the entered Order Cost will be saved as part of the item record. However, the saved item's Cost will be 0.00. When you add an existing item to a special order, you can enter an Order Cost. The item's defined Cost in Inventory will not be affected.

Looking Up Special Orders in Transaction Lookup
To locate special order transactions when using Transaction Lookup, select All Orders in the Transaction Type dropdown.
"Special Order" flag in Inventory
When adding a new item to a special order, the user is prompted to enter basic information for the new item. When the user clicks the Save button in the modal, the item is saved to Inventory with the "Special Order" flag selected. (Alternatively, you can add a new item to Inventory and manually select the Special Order flag.).
Items with the Special Order flag selected can be listed on other documents like purchase orders, vouchers, transfer slips and adjustment memos just like any other item. If added to a regular transaction, the item is added as a sale item.
To promote a Special Order item to a "regular" inventory item, uncheck the Special Order flag (security permission required). You cannot manually select the Special Order flag in Inventory.
Inventory record showing Special Order flag selected:

Special Order items can be added to Adjustment Memos (Qty, Cost, Price)
Adjustments to price in inventory do not affect the "contract" price for any existing special orders but will affect the suggested price when re-ordering the item.