If you are using ProSKU 3PL, or require the ‘Owner’ function as part of your system it will be configured for you as part of initial system set-up. You will then have the ability to create owners in ProSKU from day one.

The Owner function is a means to identify the stock you store by different ownership or identity, in addition to its unique product code. This could mean you identify the stock by the owner or agent for whom you store it, or that you use it as a means to segregate stock within your own business.

The most common use is for third party storage operation, where you may store stock for several owners (customers) and identify their individual stock under an owner identity. It could also be used for non-third party business types. For example you could segregate stock for different customers you supply, different branches of your own company or different business operating units.

The owner function is straightforward to use. You simply have to identify an owner when receiving stock or placing orders. There are other system functions where you may enter an owner to identify stock, but this will also limit the data search specifically to that owner.

To create an owner, click ‘Company Setup>Owners’ from the side menu.

 

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Any existing owners will be displayed on screen. If there are no existing owners ‘No Owners Found’ is displayed. To create a new owner click ’New’ at left top of the owners screen or click on the ‘New Owner Details’ button at the far right of the screen.

 

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A form is now displayed to allow you to enter the owner header detail.

 

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The first two fields are mandatory and require you to enter:

  • Owner code
  • Owner name

The remaining fields on the left and centre of the screen allow you to enter address and contact details. Up to three contacts can be entered.

The Active’ check box (default is checked) can be used when you wish to make an owner inactive. You may do this when the owner is no longer valid and you no longer want it to appear. However, you will not be allowed to do this while stock for the owner is still stored.

The ‘Other’ section on the right hand side of the screen contains the following fields:

 

Default Picking Strategy

The default picking strategy allows you to define specific rules for an owner which control the way their orders are picked. These rules will operate as a default but can be varied for individual orders. The following three options available are:

  • Pick only full order – Select this option if the default position for the owner is that orders must be picked in full.
  • Pick only full lines – Select this option if the default position is that only full order lines can be picked.
  • Pick currently available stock – Select this option if the default position is that any available stock for the order can be picked.

NB: Please note that if your system is not set up with owners the picking strategy will apply at company or individual depot level.

 

Strict rotation Check Box

Checking this box means that ProSKU will operate absolutely strict rotation for products belonging to this owner. This means that the oldest stock of the ordered product will always be picked irrespective of handling considerations. This rule operates as a default but can be varied for individual products within the product setup.

 

Order retain days

After an order is completed it will be retained within ProSKU for the number of days you specify here. The order details will be always be available for review in the Movement History report.

*Tip You can choose whether or not to show completed orders in the main order display by clicking the ‘Show/Hide Completed’ button at the top of the order screen.

 

Receipt retain days

After a receipt is completed it will be retained within ProSKU for the number of days you specify here. The receipt details will be always be available for review in the Movement History report.

*Tip You can search for completed and archived receipts using the search option in receipts.

 

Despatch retain days

After a despatch is completed it will be retained within ProSKU for the number of days you specify here.

*Tip You can search for completed and archived despatches using the search option in despatch.

 

VAT chargeable Check box

This box (ticked by default) is merely used to indicate whether or not the owner is charged VAT. As the ProSKU system does currently not produce a sales invoice for third party charges the setting is unimportant. Forthcoming functionality upgrades may change this.

 

Scan at Pack Check Box

This box will only appear when the scan at pack functionality is allowed within the control settings. Where this is so the box will be checked by default, indicating that the scan at pack functionality is available for the owners’s products.

 

Owner Transfer Enabled Check Box

This box will only appear when the ownership transfer functionality is allowed within the control settings. Where this is so the box will be checked by default, indicating that the ownership transfer functionality is available.

Logo

You can choose to save an owner logo with the owner details. The file is limited to the size indicated. Click ‘Upload Image’ to make a selection. This logo can be added to the pallet labels you can print at receipt, as well as the printed despatch documentation.

Depot Permissions

The depots currently set-up on your system will be displayed under this heading. Where there is only one depot the owner you are creating can only be active at one depot and the box will be checked automatically. Where there is more than one depot the owner can be assigned as active at additional depots by checking the relevant boxes. This action can only be performed by a super-user.

 

Third Party Charging

NB If the third party charging option is required it will set up on your system by the ProSKU implementation team.

Third party charging gives you the facility to raise charges associated with the storage of goods, and is most typically used in the third party logistics and fulfillment sectors. For this reason, your system must also be set up with owners if you want to use the charging functionality. ProSKU provides the means to generate third party charges by three charge categories. These are:

  • RH&D – (receiving, handling and distribution) Typically this is a charge for initial receipt and handling.
  • Rental – This is a recurring charge for storage of goods, which is normally calculated weekly or monthly.
  • Picking – This is a charge for picking products which have been requested via the order process.

For each of these categories it is possible to calculate charges based on the UOM (Units of Measure) used in the system. For example an RH&D charge might be based on the total number of pallets received during a week, while a picking charge might be based on the numbers of cases picked on all orders in the week.

These three charge categories can be applied at both owner level (i.e. as a default position) or can be specifically amended for any of the owner’s products. In addition to the three main charge categories there are two additional charges you can make which are not based on UOM quantity. These are:

  • Charge per receipt: this is a standard charge you can make for all receipts
  • Charge per order: this is a standard charge you can make for all orders

These two charges can only be set at owner level and will apply to all the owner’s products.

 

Creating Third Party Charges

To create third party charges select the Owners option within company set-up then click the ‘Set Charges’ button. This will display the charging options at owner level. For those UOM in the three categories you wish to apply a charge for, enter a figure. Figures can be entered with up to two decimal places.

On the lower right hand side of the screen there are two fields with drop down lists which must be completed.

The first of these is the ‘Charge Frequency’. The charge frequency can be either weekly or monthly.

The second field, ‘Charge Point’ is the day on which charge calculations will be made. If you are charging on a weekly basis you must select a specific day of the week. If you are charging on a monthly basis then you must select a specific date on which the charges will be calculated each month.

Bear in mind that monthly charge calculations will include charging for part weeks. But with either weekly or monthly charging, the calculation will be made at midnight on the selected day.

On the left hand side of the screen there are options to create the additional, non UOM-related charges mentioned above. If you want to apply these simply enter a figure in the boxes provided.

There is also a field called ‘Storage charge basis’. If you are applying any storage charges one of the options must be selected as it will determine the way your storage charges are calculated, as follows:

  • High Point – charging by high point means that your storage charges will be calculated based on the stock ‘high point’ during the charging period. In other words, by the highest held stock balance for the UOM in question, whenever that occurred during the period.
  • WPTO (Week or part thereof) – charging by week or part thereof means that the storage charges will be based on one week’s charge regardless of time spent in store. Effectively, the charge is recorded when the UOM is received, and even if then despatched out again within the week, a full week’s charge is still made.
  • Balance – charging by balance means that the storage charge will be calculated based on what is held in store at a fixed point in the charge period. This effectively means that the balance will be counted at the ‘charge point’ (see above) and the charge applied to the balance held.

Once you have completed all the required charge fields in the Owners section, click the ‘Update Owner’ button to save the information. If you wish to edit the information subsequently click the ‘Edit Charges’ button.

 

Applying Charges to Individual Products

If you want to amend any of the charges created at owner level for a specific product this can be done by selecting the owner’s product and making the amendments as follows:

In the lower part of the owner record screen there is a section titled ‘Charge Rates’. In this section the three charge categories are displayed, along with a fourth option – ‘Storage charge by secondary UOM’.

The checked boxes in the default column indicate that these charges are currently as per the owner default settings. If you want to amend these for the specific product you can do this by un-checking the box and entering a new figure in the ‘Custom’ box.

The fourth option – ‘Storage charge by secondary UOM’ – allows you to generate storage charges instead of, or in addition to the storage charge for the primary UOM. To do this simply uncheck the box against this option and enter an additional figure in the ‘Custom’ box. If this charge is to replace the primary UOM storage charge, you must also uncheck the box against ‘Storage charge’ and ensure the corresponding Custom box is blank. Confirm any changes you have made by clicking ‘Update Product’

Custom Fields

If you have created any Custom Fields for Owners the input fields are displayed at the bottom of the screen. You can complete the fields as required for the owner you are creating.

Once you have completed your input click ‘Create Owner’ to confirm creation of the owner record, or click ‘Cancel’ if needed.

Once you have created your owner record you are now able to create products specifically for the owner.