Basic Program Set-Up:
For AnyBook or AnyOrder Users

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The information in this section applies only to those users that utilizing AnyPO in conjunction with AnyBook (publishing business software) or AnyOrder (general invoicing and ordering software).  If you are using AnyPO by itself, you'll want to move to this page: Basic Set-up

 

Important Note:  If using AnyPO in conjunction with AnyBook or AnyOrder, you'll notice that the Basic Set-up portion of the program is not as extensive as is described for the stand-alone version of AnyPO. That's because many of the set-up values have already been entered in the main program.  Instead of requiring you to re-enter common set-up values, AnyPO borrows them from the main AnyBook or AnyOrder program.  Consequently, in the help documentation you may see information about items that don't appear on your screen.  That's extraneous information and you can just disregard it.

 

To reach the set-up page, select FILE and BASIC PROGRAM SET UP from the Menu Bar.

POSetUp2

The Basics page will appear.  Seven tabs run across the top of the screen.  You can select from "Basics," "Shipping Address," "Colors," "Alt PO Number," "User Defined Fields," "Email Messages," and "Miscellaneous."

Before listing the links to each of the pages which comprise AnyPO's Basic Set-up dialog box, it's helpful to make a few brief comments about each:

The Shipping Address page is self explanatory.  You'll want to enter your primary address where goods are to be shipped.
The Colors page looks and functions just like the colors page in AnyBook's or AnyOrder's Basic Set-up area.  It allows you to adjust the colors on the Main Purchase Order Screen.
The Alternative PO Number page enables you to use different types of numbering systems.
The Email Messages page allows you to composed standardized messages for auto sending purposes.  (Email settings will be picked up from the main program).
Finally, the Miscellaneous page includes an assortment of features which you may find useful.

All of the links, below, take you to descriptive information which is directed to AnyPO stand-alone features.  If you don't see some of the described features on your screen, just disregard them.  They have already been picked up by the Basic Set-up found in the main AnyBook / AnyOrder program.

Links to AnyPO's Basic Set-up pages:

Basics Page
Shipping Address
Colors
Alt PO Number
User Defined Fields
Email
Miscellaneous

 

Basic Set-up:  Basics Page

Number of first purchase order.

Type in the number that you would like to assign to the first purchase order.  All subsequent purchase orders will be numbered consecutively starting with the first purchase order.  Purchase Order numbers can range from 1 to 999999. Start with a lower number such as 1001 so you have plenty of room for your business to expand.  Once you have established the first purchase order number, you shouldn't change it.

What is the sales tax rate?

If you frequently need to pay tax on orders, type in the tax rate.  To indicate the tax, use a decimal.  For instance, to indicate 5% tax, type in ".05".  To enter a 6.5% tax, type in .065.  If there's no sales tax in your state, type in "0".  If the tax rate changes, you can enter a new rate and at what PO number the rate should take effect.

At what purchase order do you want this tax rate to begin?

The tax rate, if there is one, will start with the purchase order number that you enter in this blank.  If at a later time, your government agency changes the tax rate, enter the new rate and the purchase order number at which this new rate will begin.  The old rate will be applied to all previous purchase orders, while the new rate will be applied to all new purchase orders.  One important note:  the purchase order number that you enter in this blank MUST exist.  Before entering the new rate, double check which purchase order you'll be using for the starting purchase order number.

Does sales tax include shipping?

Some states, provinces or government agencies require that you calculate sales tax on the total of the goods plus shipping.  If your government agency does not require you to figure tax on shipping, then select NO.  If your government agency requires you to figure tax on shipping, then select YES.

Price Each Field: Increase to Three (3) Decimal Places

This option allows you to increase the "Price Each" (Price @) column which appears in the Item Area on the main Purchase Order Screen from two decimal places to three decimal places.  Normally, two decimal places are sufficient, but some vendors may sell goods by a tenth of penny.  For example, you may purchase wire which is sold for $3.235 per linear foot.

Place a checkmark beside it and return to the Main PO Screen.

Now you'll see three decimal places appear in the "Price @" column of the Item Area.  You'll also see three places in the Alternative Product Entry Screen.  And, prices in the Stock Ordering Database will also have three places.

When you print PO's, the extra decimal place will only show up for those products which have three place prices.  All other products will be printed with the usual two decimal places.

For backing up files what drive will you be using?

Since your purchase orders files are critically important, you'll want to keep a back-up of them. (More information no backing up files is found here.)   Each time the program exits, the program will automatically back up your files to a specified drive.  You can indicate the drive letter for a flash drive, Zip, CD, DVD, or a second hard drive.  If desired, you can also designate a specific directory on the drive for the back-up files.

Be sure to select a drive that is different than your main hard drive.  Often when a failure occurs, it occurs with the hard drive. It's very important that you back-up your files to a separate disk.

For back-up purposes, it's easiest to use a flash drive, but you can use CD's and DVD's.  To back-up to a CD or DVD, you need to format the disk first.  Normally, you can't copy files directly to a CD or DVD.  The usual process buffers the files first.  The buffering process, unfortunately, takes too long, and that makes it impractical for back up purposes.  But if you format the disk, then you can copy files to it in much the same way that you copy files to a floppy disk or removable drive.

To format a CD or DVD, you'll need a copy of a software program called Roxio Easy CD Creator or equivalent.  Use Roxio's Direct CD Format Utility and format the CD or DVD.  Formatting a CD or DVD takes quite a while so start the format before you go to lunch.  When you come back the CD will be ready to use as a back-up disk for AnyPO.

Do you wish to have the program remind you to back-up your files at the end of each session?

Since the files that hold your purchase orders and vendors are extremely valuable, you should back them up on a regular basis.  By saying YES, each time you end a session, the program will ask you to put the back-up diskette, or other type of media, in a drive so the program can back-up your files.

AnyPO is primarily a database program.  Unlike word processing programs where information may be broken down into a variety of different document files, all data in a database program resides in a several key files.  If you lose or damage one of the files, you can lose a year or more of valuable data.  AnyPO has many file protection features built in, but the most important is the back-up procedure.

We can't emphasize enough how important it is to back-up your files each time you exit, and we highly recommend that you select YES.

Use the following system for shipping weight measurements

You have two choices for shipping weights:  English or Metric.  If you primarily work in the English system (pounds and ounces) select the English system.  Or if you primarily work in kilograms, select the Metric system.

When new PO's are created, insert the following name in the 'Ordered by' blank:

This allows you to insert your name--or another person's name--in the 'Ordered By' blank on the Main Purchase Order Screen each time a new PO is created.  This is handy if only one person does the ordering.  If you have different individuals doing the ordering, then you'll want to leave this field empty.  For networked system, this is a local setting.  In other words, the person's name that you enter here will appear only on that computer.  By the same token on a networked system, if there is not name here, AnyPO will look on the server computer and use that name.

When new PO's are created, always set the cancel date at ___ days from the PO Date

One of the fields on the Purchase Order Screen that you may want to use is the Cancel Date.  The Cancel Date, if used, appears on the printed purchase order.  It tells the vendor that if they haven't shipped your order by that date, then they should cancel your order.

You can have AnyPO automatically insert the Cancel Date for you.  To turn on the automatic insert feature, indicate how many days from the PO Date that the Cancel Date should be set at.  In other words, let's say the PO Date of your purchase order is May 1st.  If you set the number of days to 60, the Cancel Date appearing on the printed PO will be July 1st.

If you don't want to use this feature, keep the number of days set to zero (0).