This is a Level III feature

This feature provides you with a built-in email client which allows you to send PO's to vendors with the press of a button.

It is accessed from the Main Purchase Order Screen.  Look to the right of the "Email" address field (lower, center of the screen), and you'll see three buttons.  The first button (a bluish icon) opens an external email client.  It's the next two buttons that we are concerned about here.

The second button is named "Auto Send" and sends a standardized cover letter and an attached copy of the PO to the vendor.  The third button ("Open") opens the internal email program and allows you to personalize the message before sending the PO to the vendor.

The information, below, is about the "Auto Send" button. For information about the "Open" button, see Open Internal Email

"Auto Send" can also be activated by selecting OTHER TASKS >> AUTOMATED EMAIL - INTERNAL PROGRAM.  Or it can be activated with the CTRL+W quick key combination.

"Open" can also be activated by selecting OTHER TASKS >> OPEN INTERNAL &EMAIL PROGRAM - MANUAL MODE.  It also has a quick key combination:  CTRL+G.

In order to use either of these features, you must, first, enter some information in Basic Program Set-up.  To do so, select FILE and BASIC PROGRAM SET UP from the Menu Bar. Click on the "Email Set-up" tab on top of the page.  The Email Set-up page will appear: More Information

IMPORTANT NOTE: to use AnyPO's internal email program, the email account that you use must be with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).  AnyPO's internal email is not designed to work with Yahoo, Gmail, HotMail and other web-based email.  We can customize the program to work with web-based mail, but it does required extra charges in order to do that.  ISP email accounts are very inexpensive (some less than $20 US a year).  You can have multiple accounts and pick your own identifiable domain name.

In Basic Set-up, you will be able to enter the various email parameters that allow AnyPO to access the Internet Service Provider's (ISP's) email server.

Additionally, to use the "Auto Send" feature, you'll need to click on the "Vendor Message" button found in Basic Set-up.  A form will open on which you can write a short cover letter to go along with PO's being emailed to vendors.  Along with the standardized message, you'll also be able to indicate any CC's, BCC's or Reply to addresses you want included.

Once you've entered information in Basic Set-up, you can use either the "Auto Send" or "Open" features.

"Auto Send" Button (Automated Email – Internal Email Program)

Make sure that you have: 1) entered the email set-up values in Basic Program Set-up as described above, and 2) prepared a short standardized email message to go along with the attached PO (which is done in Basic Program Set-up as well).

To send off a PO to a vendor, click on the "Auto Send" button on the Main Purchase Order screen.  The cover message that you prepared along with an attached copy of the PO will be sent to the vendor.

The attachment being sent to the vendor includes both an html and text copy of the purchase order.  The text version of the purchase order assures that it will get through to the vendor no matter what settings they have on their email program.

All in all, this is a very quick and efficient way to send PO's to vendors.

If you use this feature, you should monitor the sending email account to make sure you don't get any bounced back emails.  The internal email program built into AnyPO does not receive emails, but you can monitor the account with your normal email program.  If you get a bounced back email, then you'll want to double-check and make sure you have the correct email address for the vendor.

Additionally, since the internal email program doesn't use a "Sent" box, you'll want to send a blind copy to a company email address.  That allows you to have a record of the PO's sent.  When you set-up the standardized message in Basic Set-up, you can indicate an address for blind copies.

"Open" Button (Manual Mode - Internal Email Program)

The "Open" button is used when you want to personalize the message before sending the PO to the vendor.  You may also wish to add some additional instructions or ask for price quotes.

When you click on the Open button, a form appears on which you type out a message to the vendor.  By default it will attach a copy of the PO.  If you don't want to attach the PO, remove the checkmark.

You can also insert your standardized message.  Do that by clicking on the "Defaults" button.  The standardize message along with any CC,  BC, or Reply To addresses that you have indicated in Basic Program set-up will be pasted in place.  You can, if needed, alter the standardized text and send the mail to the vendor when you are ready.

Note that, as mentioned above, AnyPO doesn't use a "Sent" mailbox to store copies of your sent PO's, but you can send blind copies to another company mailbox as a way of tracking your sent mail.

Additionally, since AnyPO doesn't currently have receiving capabilities, you'll want to use your normal email program to monitor responses from the vendor.

Long Email Addresses

On rare occasions you may run into an email address that doesn't fit in the email address field on the Main Purchase Order Screen.  In those cases, leave the email address field blank and enter the address in the "Notes" area.  Surround the address in double angle brackets, like this:

    <<jacqueline.zimmermann@someverylongnamedcompany.com>>

If you click on either the "Open" or "Auto" buttons and if AnyPO doesn't find an email address in the email address field on the Main Purchase Order Screen, it will look in the Notes area.  If it finds an address surrounded by double angle brackets, it will use that address.