How To Dispatch Items To A Sub-Contractor

With ProCal-Track 6.6.15, a new Sub-Contractor module has been released. This module allows easy management and dispatch of items that require a sub-contracted calibration. The new system allows users to:

• Dispatch items from the same order to multiple sub-contractors
• Manage both sub-contractor and end customer pricing
• Manage sub-contractor carriage costs
• Generate sub-contractor dispatch notes
• Return items back to the system when received from the sub-contractor

The module groups instruments by order numbers. If you are not using order numbers to cover batches of instruments, you will not currently be able to use the sub-contract module.

The module allows you to set a percentage surcharge to automatically calculate the cost to the end customer, based on the sub-contractor's price. If you do not wish to auto-calculate the costs, please set the surcharge to zero. This option can be found in 'Utilities > Advanced > Program Options' and then 'System settings':

Please follow the guide below to use this module.

Dispatching to sub-contractor

• Launch the module from Utilities > Sub-Contact Instruments > Dispatch To Sub-Contractor
• Enter the order number related to the item(s) you wish to dispatch. You can also enter a job number, which will link to the item's order number. Press search once you have entered your details:

• The sub-contractor module will load with details of all instruments related to the order:

• Items in the list can only be managed for sub-contract if the instrument status is in 'E: Received'. If an item is not in this status, it will be faded out on the list and no changes will be permitted.
  • If an item has already been sent to a sub-contractor, the item will be displayed as faded and edits will not be allowed, but all details logged when it was sent to the sub-contractor will be viewable.

To prepare an item for dispatch:

• Enter the sub-contractor details using the contacts system. The sub-contractor must exist as an item in your contacts system, as the module requires the account number to tie data together

• Next, the details for the sub-contract order should be entered. These details are:
  • Subcon Order No: your order number for this batch with the sub-contractor
  • Dispatch date: the date of dispatch to the sub-contractor
  • Expected return: the date on which you expect the sub-contractor to return the item
  • SubCon Price: the price that the sub-contractor is charging you
  • Customer charge: the price that you will charge the customer. This is auto-calculated if you have set a surcharge percentage in ProCal-Track system settings

• The customer charge can be changed manually even if a surcharge is set. If you do this, you will be prompted by the software to check that you mean to take this action. Pressing yes will allow you to enter a manual price, pressing no will revert the price back to the calculated amount:

• Repeat these steps for all items that need to be sent to a sub-contractor. Different items can be sent to different sub-contractors from the same order:

• When you have entered the order details for all instruments that require dispatch, press the 'Dispatch Items' button.
• You will be prompted to enter delivery/carriage charges for each sub-contractor relating to the current order. There is only one delivery/carriage charge per sub-contractor, instead of a delivery/carriage charge per item. Press 'cancel' if you do not want to add a delivery charge for the end customer:

• ProCal-Track will now create an order in the background that relates to the end customer's order. This will include all details and pricing for the sub-contracted items as well as any delivery charges, so that these can be included on dispatch notes and invoicing at the point of processing/dispatching from ProCal-Track to the end customer. This order will appear in ProSales for those that use it.
• ProCal-Track will produce sub-contractor dispatch notes for all items that need to be sent. Please download the report from the bottom of this article and place in your mapped Reports_SQL\Instrument folder in order to generate the new sub-contractor dispatch report.
  • Please note that the template can be customised with your company logo and any specific wording that you require for the dispatch note.

• Once the dispatch notes have been saved/printed, you can exit the module. Or, you can set more items to send to sub-contractors on the order if needed.