Using the Product Manager

There are two ways to work with parts: individually and in bulk.

Individual Product

If you want to work with only one or two items, the individual Stock Options button might be the easiest process.

At the end of each line are two buttons. The Stock Options button ( ), which looks like a cardboard box, opens a popover window where you can allocate, deliver, and check on the purchase order status for any item on the list. This window is the same window used throughout iPoint when working with inventory.

Here is an in-depth description on how to use the Stock Options window:

Bulk Products

You are more likely to request, allocate, or deliver parts in bulk, especially on larger jobs. These are the steps to streamline working with items in the Product Manager.

1. When the Product Manager list is first opened, choose the Options button in the top right corner.
2. Choose a Sort Order to help organize the parts list. Most of these options are self-explanatory, but typically you are likely to sort by Phase so that parts are displayed based on the labor phase when the item is to be installed.
   • Or, if you want to select every single part on the Product Manager, click the Select All button.
3. You might also filter the list of items by clicking on the Filters tab. On this tab, you’ll be able to narrow down the displayed list of parts by using the familiar filters.
4. Click the Close button to show the sorted, filtered list of items.
5. Now, place a checkmark in the Select column for every part you want to request or order.
   • You can click the plus button ( + ) in the header if you’re going to select everything in that category. (Ahhh, much faster than clicking 100 items!)
6. OK, time to click the options button again.

Now it is time to decide what you want to do with those checked items.

Submit Product Request

Companies with a purchasing department typically create product requests. The items selected above are sent to the warehouse and purchasing agents to pull from existing inventory or add to a purchase order.

1. Enter a Product Required By Date – this date informs your team when the product needs to be available for installation. Purchasing and warehouse staff can filter the Purchase Request Manager by date to know when to order stuff. There is no need to order parts six months early! After all, you don’t want those parts applied to a different job or, even worse, damaged as they kick around the warehouse. So this date helps them know when to order.
2. Click the button.
3. All of the parts you selected are now in the capable hands of your warehouse and purchasing departments.
   

Create a Purchase Order

Another option is for you to create a purchase order directly from the Sales Order. This option requires users to have purchasing permission defined by your system administrator.

1. Click the button, and all the selected parts will be placed on a PO.
2. It really is that easy!
3. The purchase order opens where you can continue the ordering process as defined in the Purchase Orders module.
   

Add Selected to Existing PO

You’ll use this option if you missed an item on your PO or if you are adding parts to an existing Purchase Order so you can make freight discounts.

1. Click the button to add the selected items
2. A new window pops up where you can select the vendor
3. Any open purchase orders will be displayed
4. Place a checkmark in the box indicating to which PO you are adding the item
5. The PO opens, and you’ll see your newly added parts
   

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Stock Transfers

Moving inventory is also done here using the Options button. There are several options here, so we’ll look at each one individually. Keep in mind that each of these buttons works with the items you have selected on the Product Manager page.

Allocate

Use the Allocate Selected Inventory and Non-Inventory From Stock button to assign available inventory to the job. The available quantity for inventory items is displayed in the Available column on the right side of the screen. And, of course, non-inventory you can allocate without knowing the number you have in stock.

1. Select the items you want to allocate on the Product Manager.
2. Click the Options button
3. Choose a transfer location – this location is where you will store or stage the equipment for this job. These locations are defined in Settings > Module Settings > Items.
4. If your company has multiple sites or physical stores, you must set the Allocate From Site/Location Override button. This location will only allow iPoint to pull available inventory from the defined site.
5. Click the Allocate Selected Inventory and Non-Inventory From Stock button.

Now, when you close the Options window, you’ll see that the selected items have been allocated, as indicated by a number in the Allocated column of the Product Manager.

Transfer

When you are ready to move allocated inventory from one location to another, you’ll use the Transfer Selected button. For example, this process is how you’ll move inventory from the warehouse to a technician’s van.

1. Select the items you want to transfer on the Product Manager screen.
2. Click the Options button
3. Choose a transfer location where you are moving the inventory
4. Click Transfer Selected (Allocated)

When the Options window is closed, you will note that nothing appears to have changed because the parts are still allocated. They have just been moved from one allocation location to another. To see where the product is staged, click the Stock Options button. At the bottom of the Stock Options pop-up window is the Locations Allocated list detailing where the items are stored.

Deliver

Delivering products is the process of telling iPoint what parts the customer has in their possession.

1. Select the items you want to deliver on the Product Manager screen
2. Click the Options button
3. Click the Deliver Selected (Allocated) button

Note: Keep in mind that you must allocate products before they can be delivered.

The Product Manager screen now shows that the selected items have been moved from Allocated to the Delivered column.

Return

Sometimes, products have to be returned to the shop for various reasons. Use the return button to move the delivered product back into the allocated inventory.

1. Select the items being returned on the Product Manager
2. Click the Options button
3. Choose a transfer location where you want to store the returned items
4. Click the Return Selected (Delivered) button

Back on the Product Manager, you will see that the items have moved from the Delivered to the Allocated column.

Remove

There could be two reasons you want to remove (or un-allocate) items on a job. First, you might need to steal the product from one job to use on another. Second, maybe the parts are no longer required for this job.

1. Select the items being removed on the Product Manager
2. Click the Options button
3. Choose a transfer location where you will store the removed items
4. Click the Remove Selected (Allocated) button
   • Note: You can only remove allocated parts. You will need to return them first using the steps outlined above to remove delivered items.
5. The Permanently Remove? window gives you two options:
   Remove Product options
   1. Permanent – Use this option to remove the parts from the Product Manager altogether. iPoint will move the removed items to the Change Order > Added & Removed Parts list, where you can add them to a change order.
   2. Stock – Use this button to un-allocate the parts and put them back in inventory so you can use them on another job. These removed parts will appear in the PRM needing to be ordered or allocated again so that purchasing and warehouse staff know to order replacements.

Back on the Product Manager screen, permanently removed product will be crossed out indicating that they are available to add to a change order. Stock removed parts will appear normally on the list, awaiting allocation from a newly received Purchase Order.

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