Link inventory with another non inventory item(s)

1

When selling Inventory, there are two key non-inventory items that are frequently used.

The first would be delivery fees - currently I have three delivery fees (small, medium and large). I always need to apply a delivery fee to any inventory that I sell. Could there be a tick box on form defaults (so that users could “enable” this feature if they want) and it could be linked to either a built-in delivery fee account within Manager or better yet be linked to a specific non-inventory item(s).

I would prefer the second option as this would help with the second key non-inventory item(s) that I frequently use, which would be Server, Computer and Laptop Warranties. I need to have the warranty item cost, separate from the Server, Computer or laptop pricing because if the client gets several quotes, they are usually getting quotes without the warranty. So the warranty cannot be included in the inventory item price.

Inventory kits is sort of the concept, but not suitable as laptops/computers models change very frequently, whereas the non-inventory warranty items are set prices.

Most of the time I remember, but I sometimes forget to add the warranty for a laptop etc in a quote or invoice. Also once in a blue moon, I forget to add the delivery fees.

In both cases, the warranty and delivery fees are basically non-inventory items that are linked to inventory items. So it would make sense on the inventory items page for there to be two tick boxes - one for delivery fee items - which could be linked to say three delivery non-inventory item fields and same concept for Warranty non-inventory items.

For users that will never use this, they never have to tick those boxes. I would also recommend that the delivery fee box could be ticked by default in form fields for inventory items as this would enabled (for me) for all inventory items, whereas only some inventory items would have a warranty non-inventory item associated with it.

So the end result would be that when I select any inventory item in a quote or invoice, the program would ask me to select a delivery fee non-inventory item (or none) and for a specific and limited number of inventory items - present a list of warranty options.

Not sure how easy it would be to design manager to implement this as I am aware that the tick boxes apply to the line item, not to the next line item (which is I suppose what I am proposing here). So there may be a better way to implement the underlying concept which is associate delivery fee line items and warranty services with either all inventory or some inventory.

I think perhaps, what could work is that after you add the inventory item to the quote/invoice, the program creates a new tab view providing a list of warranties/delivery fees - thus auto filling the next line item?

I don’t know how best it would work, but as virtually all businesses charge delivery fees for delivering goods to clients, it really needs to form part of the sales funnel.

2

You could add them to the Form Defaults for Sales Invoices as new lines - Warranty, Delivery (Large), Delivery (Medium), Delivery (Small) along with a price - so that would always appear and you could delete the ones you do not want.

No forgetting this way :slight_smile:

3

That’s not a bad idea conceptually to use the form defaults as the basis for creating a new line item. If there was just some way to specify in the form default to only create this line item for servers or that line item for laptops or that line item for computers. I think using the form defaults and adding new lines is the basis of how that should work. It’s just a question of whether a form default line item could be added if it meets certain conditions?

With regards to delivery fees, I still think that this should part of the integral program of Manager on the basis that virtually every business that sells inventory will have delivery fees. It is as standard as VAT/GST) etc. So delivery fees should be a default inclusion. The only problem is creating the variable for different pricing based on weight/quantity of goods.

Your suggestion is a good workaround for the moment, but not 100% practical as 95% of my inventory does not require an addon warranty. But it is a step in the right direction I think.

4

I disagree with your statement " virtually every business that sells inventory will have delivery fees."

5

Instead of the complex linkage, this looks like it could be solved by enabling non-inventory items on Inventory Kit lines.

This way you can create a kit for item X + delivery.

6

Having thought of it, why not also have bundled services composed entirely of non-inventory items.

Kits should be called Bundled items.

7

Don’t do a Tut on me lol. When I say virtually every business, I don’t mean literally every single business. But delivery fees is pretty common for a large number of businesses such that it should form a default part of the accounting program.

8

The problem with that as I said is that laptop models etc change very frequently. I don’t want a dozen obsolete inventory kits every two years! Inventory kits are simply not practical in business where models change frequently. I also think inventory kits are better suited when you want to add different unique inventory items to “manufacture” a product. Delivery fees is not really anything to do with assembling or “manufacturing” a product. So I don’t think that is a good direction for adding delivery fees - especially as you only want one delivery fee on the quote/invoice, not multiple ones.

How would your bundled items feature work? It’s not a question of three non-inventory items that need to be added, but rather one out of three possible non-inventory item added when you add a specific inventory item or in the case of delivery fees - one of three prices whenever any inventory items are added to quote etc.

I agree with you, that this could end up being quite complicated and I am not sure of the most optimal way to implement it. I am leaning towards a conditional field in form defaults for quotes and invoices, where if quote has an inventory item, then show one of three delivery charges kind of concept. And same process for the warranties. That may also prove to be unworkable?

I will leave it to the developer to review the value and concept of integrating delivery fees into the sales funnel process and then see if the same method can be used to implement something that is perhaps more unique to a smaller number of businesses and that is linking warranty items with inventory items.

9

Form Defaults are not for enabling or disabling options. They are for prefilling transaction form content.

That is why there is an Inactive check box for inventory kits.

10

That simply de-activates it, but I still end up with dozens of inactive kits that only ever got used a few times a year. Disregarding whether my inventory changes frequently or not, the main point is that using inventory kits to manage delivery fees is not really a good way to handle delivery fees. In fact, it’s a very illogical way to do it.

Yes they are! Rounding, Discount, Hide Total Amount, Tax inclusive - these are all on/off tick box options. The end result might be a prefilling transaction form content, but they are tick (enable), untick (disable) in concept. Again whether this is an enable/disable feature is irrelevant to the question which is how to better manage delivery fees.

11

Just because one user often has a particular line item is not a good reason to add a check box to add that line item for all users.

  • If delivery fee and warranty are common time then they should be in the form defaults for that user.

  • Maybe if multiple form defaults are used by many users then having template documents would be a general solution (but not something I personally need). This work flow functionality is currently implemented by cloning in Manager.

1 Like
12

When I am talking about users enabling defaults, I actually mean the business. I don’t propose that individual users be able to set their own form defaults within a business. That would be very complicated to code and decrease ease of use and consistency within the business.

I am not 100% convinced that delivery fees should be in form defaults, but I can’t see a better location for it. As mentioned it really does need to be linked up with inventory though.

Anyhow I have made the request and the developer can decide how delivery fees should be managed in Manager.

13

None of these options on a particular form enables or disables an overall capability. They do not turn options on or off. As you yourself go on to say, they pre-select content (a variable is set as TRUE instead of FALSE, for example) as transactions are created. What you suggest is the ability to activate or deactivate a capability entirely. That is the function of the Customize page.