Astra System

Main
Features
Foundation
Applications

Sales Order Processing

If there is a heart to a distributor's computer system, it's in the relationship between the salespeople and the order entry system.

For many organizations, the interaction that takes place on the phone between a salesperson and a customer is what determines the dollars in sales that can be generated. When a customer asks for information, it's how quickly and accurately a well designed system can help the salesperson get the answers that determines the customer's perception of your business - impressed or exasperated. The Astra System is designed for people who need answers fast, working naturally with the flow of the sales process.

THE NATURAL ORDER

The Astra System order entry screen is easy to use because it looks like a real order form with the line items shown on the screen so the last lines entered can be seen at all times. You can scroll up or down the lines to review with the customer what has or hasn't been ordered and make any changes necessary.

Inquiry screens detail the history of what has happened to any individual product from receipt, through transfers and multiple gradings, to sale or processing.

Before printing an invoice or when billing, instant deductions are made regarding product quantity on-hand.

REVERSE LOGIC

Actually your customer probably thinks you're the one with the backwards logic if you ask him the questions the way most systems work. The logic of old systems is to ask the customer to tell you where and how he wants to ship the order before he's ever told you what he wants. After answering your questions, he finally asks you for the items he's interested in. If you’re out of stock, the customer just wasted several minutes of his and your salesperson's time, and neither is very satisfied.

Our answer is simple. Get to the line items fast - asking for only the bare minimum preliminary amount of information. Then after you've satisfied the customer's questions about what he should buy, you can fill in the shipping and terms information. And, of course, if he changes his mind and wants to buy some additional items you can always just press a key and get right back into adding additional line items to the sale.

SALES INVOICE HISTORY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Often the most asked question from a customer refers back to the last order he gave you. The Astra System keeps the invoice history and lets you display the invoice, exactly as it was printed.

Look back at a customer sales invoice by invoice, or just display last purchases of a particular item and determine what was paid for the item each time

Easily handles multiple unites of measure, giving the complete ability to enter orders by weight or whole/broken cases

Automatically handles each measure of unit individually

CROSS REFERENCED ITEMS (ALIASES)

The goal is to sell inventory using the method that best suits your customer. You can use your customers' item codes or different manufacturers' item numbers to automatically access your inventory items. The system will keep the customer's code and display it, as well as print whichever item number you prefer (or both) on the order, invoice, or other processing document.

OVERRIDE DESCRIPTIONS

If the customer purchase order reads one way and your description reads a little differently, it often can eliminate collection problems if both descriptions match exactly. Astra lets you type over the standard description (up to 60 characters) and keeps what you've entered for that customer order only. It will print on the shipping papers and invoice, and even be kept in your detail history. This means that when the customer calls weeks later and the salesperson pulls that invoice up on the screen, the salesperson will know exactly what the customer is talking about.

PRICING

Astra will handle item pricing in several separate schemes or in a combination of schemes. You may establish individual prices for an item in price levels (classes), in quantity break levels, or in customer contract prices that can be checked for expiration dates or quantities filled. You can also price a group of similar items that have the same price with only a single price record.

The system lets you combine these pricing systems to handle almost any type of price scheme imaginable. For example, you can assign a discount or markup structure for a class of customers that applies to certain item merchandise classes. Astra also accommodates special "SALE" prices with beginning and ending dates.

With the feature Dynamic and Static cost plus, the projected cost for generating future prices can combine with processing to calculate the cost of items produced from a particular item. It can also determine the whole product cost and the cost of all the related products.

CUSTOMER AND SHIP-TO INFORMATION

Quick NEW Customer entry at order entry allows orders from new customers to be processed immediately while additional information about the customer is collected. Order taking is not delayed.

Customer files contain key contact information including the best days and times for a salesrep to call, contact names, fax numbers, and optional truck routing information.

Customers may have any number of ship-to addresses - each with their own Route and Stop number.

New ship-to address may be added at order entry.

All credit information is automatically updated, including date of last sale, high credit, and more.

SALES ORDER TRANSACTIONS

Orders with optional instant printing of pick slips or invoices

One Step Billing

Cash/Pick-up Counter Sales

Credit and Debit Memos

Quotations & Quotes to orders

Multiple sales divisions

Broker and Freight Upcharges

Instantly accessible look-up windows.

While in a Sales Order - You can also:

Inquire into open orders,

Review detailed item sales history for this customer,

Look at any comments written about the customer,

See item pack information and notes,

Review prior invoices of this customer, and

Find outstanding quotes.

Find the RIGHT item

The Astra System gives the ability to define individual item lookup using numerous item related fields. With complete flexibility regarding the ability to find any item, clients determine what they want to use for their lookup. Astra also automatically filters out criteria not needed — allowing only what a client needs or wants i.e. only items on hand or the quantity available.

A powerful tool, the Astra System allows you to look up items by:

any part of your item number, description, or warehouse (even the beginning letter of an item),

country or origin

size or color

brand and vendor,

merchandise class,

item search group which allows you to tie similar or related products together.

Use the Astra ORDER GUIDE for maximum efficiency!

SALES ORDER LINES

Item quantity entry by Weight, Whole case, or broken case.

Completely integrated handling of CATCH WEIGHTS and lot tracking.

Manual or Automatic lot assignment by oldest lot.

Stock items with description overrides, individual line item discounts and commission.

Item may ship from any warehouse or drop ship.

Items may be sold, stocked, priced, and costed in different units of measure. Selling and pricing units may be changed during order entry.

Kits add multiple line items to the order with single item entry.

Non-stock items may be entered as needed.

Comment lines may be inserted anywhere in the order enabling specific comments or instructions to be related to any line items.

automatic reminder displays and order comments by customer and item or item class

Cost Only (phantom) lines help you to track real profitability.

Substitute line items.

Miscellaneous charge line items may be entered.

Broker, Rebate, Freight, or any other fees may be added into the price and tracked for true profit analysis.

In processing, sales order lines may generate production orders.

Allows the selection from various whole products, and allocates whole product based on yield expected.

MULTIPLE PICKING TICKETS ALLOWED FOR EACH ORDER

If desired orders may be split into separate pick tickets for each warehouse or drop ship lines.

Can be faxed or emailed to public warehouse facilities

Simple truck routing.
System label printing features:

OVERDUE INVOICE AND CREDIT LIMIT CHECK

Checked before and/or after order is entered then the operator has option (based on their security level) of placing the order on CREDIT HOLD.

PURCHASE ORDER REQUESTS

Reminds Purchasing if insufficient stock is available or if a non-stock item is entered.

Substitution option at the item level

Can automatically replace the entered item or optionally suggest a substitute to help relieve overstock situations.

OTHER FEATURES

Take a deposit and place it against the order.

A deposit may be taken by credit card or check.

Instant on-demand picking slips and invoices

Immediate On-line inventory commitment

Order notes

Instant price calculations and override capability

Print Bills of Lading

Optional automatic update of customer contract item price

Optional Box Tracking with bar code scanning and automated order release and invoicing.

Optional General Ledger Interface with selected level of detail posting.

SALES ALLOCATION AGAINST PURCHASES FEATURE

Provides the ability to sell and allocate product on purchase orders before it arrives at the warehouse. From Astra’s powerful Lot Order Guide, sales representatives are able to see items that are currently on purchase orders with the expected delivery dates and their available quantity to give them enhanced control of the purchased product. This also enables them to maximize their opportunity to sell some or all of a product in transit, and then maintain the linkage through to arrival at any warehouse.