Purchase Order Screen: Purchase Order #, Vendor # and Drop Shipment

This is the number of the purchase order. The program automatically numbers purchase orders for you. If desired, you can choose the number at which you want purchase orders to start. Purchase Order numbers are set in the Basic Setup portion of the program which is reached by selecting FILE from the Menu Bar and clicking on BASIC SETUP.

You can also add a prefix to the purchase order number. For instance, you can have a purchase order with the following number: "CAL938." Or you can add a suffix to the number, i.e. "983NR." Prefixes and/or suffixes are indicated in Basic Set-up.

Moreover, you can completely change the PO number by typing in your own number (or a combination of letters and numbers) in the "Alt PO Number" field. However, in most cases you'll want to retain the internally generated number in some form in the Alt PO Number field. It makes searching easier, since the basic search function searches for the internally generated number found at the top of the screen.

If you have vendors from which you order on a regular basis, you should assign them a vendor number. By entering a vendor number, the program will automatically print their company name and address and other information on the purchase order for you. (For more information on Vendor Numbers, see Vendor Numbers and Vendor Database.)

If you click on the "L" button ("L" is for "List") or double-click your mouse in this blank, a pop-up list of all of your vendors & vendor numbers will appear, and you can select the one you want. You can also bring up this list by 1) pressing Ctrl+L; 2) by selecting EDIT from the Menu Bar and PASTE FROM LIST; or 3) by clicking the right mouse button and selecting "Vendor or Stock List" from the Speed Menu.

You'll find the "L" (List) button at the top of the Main Purchase Order Screen. It's beside the Vendor # field. Click on it and a list of your vendors in the Vendor Database appear.

You'll want to use the pop-up list when entering vendor names and address. By using the pop-list, you'll be assured the vendor's name will be the same on all purchase orders and AnyPO will be able to properly group the vendor's purchase orders when you do searches or use the filter feature.

If this is an order in which the vendor will be shipping directly to the customer (rather than to you), check this box. By checking this box, you'll to identify which purchase orders are associated with drop shipments in reports. You can also filter for drop shipments.

Additionally, the "Drop Ship" box puts AnyPO on guard that the shipping address is different from what you normally use with the vendor. For example, let's say you are filling out the fields on the Main Purchase Order Screen, and you enter customer's shipping address first - which is common way of doing it. Next, you select from the vendor number pop-up list.

Before pasting the vendor's address, AnyPO will ask if you want to keep the shipping address. You would respond with "Yes." AnyPO pastes the vendor's address but leaves the shipping address. Everything works fine. If, however, the "Drop Ship" box is not checked, then AnyPO would paste over the shipping address and you would loose it.

Note that if you have "Drop Ship" checked and if you use the Past Vendor pop-up, AnyPO will assume that you want to keep the shipping address and will not overwrite it. No message is triggered when you use the Past Vendor number pop-up. However, AnyPO will trigger a message and ask whether you want to keep "Drop Ship" turned on (keep the checkmark) if the new vendor being pasted doesn't have drop ship turned on.

Additionally, the "Drop Ship" box is handy if you need to paste the customer's name and address on a future purchase order. To copy a previous customer address, select EDIT >> DROP SHIPMENTS: PASTE FROM SHIP-TO LIST. The list which appears will be filtered for all PO's with the "Drop Ship" box checked. More information: Drop Shipments