Introduction for Technical Users

Purchasing is split into 6 areas.

Maintenance of system level purchasing details (1).

Requisition Maintenance (2).

Requisition Selection (3).

Requisition Confirmation (4).

Reporting (5).

Purchasing Statistics (6).

PB60 maintains basic purchasing parameters at marketing unit level. It also holds various reporting parameters along with details of the level of purchasing statistics required and the length of time they should be kept.

PB61 is used for setting up buyer related information and their level of authority.

PB62 is used for setting up requisitioner details. Each requisitioner is allow a unit and total expenditure limit. A list of authorised cost centres for the requisitioner is also held.

PB63 is used to maintain cost centre details and whether authorisation is required on requisitions for each cost centre.

PB64 is used to maintain and view expenditure details for each cost centre for the year. Limits can be set for each period as well as a total expenditure limit for the year. The planned expenditure figures shown are based on current firm orders whilst the actual figures are based on goods received.

PB65 is used to maintain project code details and links each project code to a cost centre.

PB66 is used to maintain and view expenditure details for each project code for the year. Limits can be set for each period as well as a total expenditure limit for the year. The planned expenditure figures shown are based on current firm orders whilst the actual figures are based on goods received.

PB10 is used to maintain purchasing related parameters for a particular part/warehouse combination. The priority sequence is only applicable when the system method of supplier allocation is chosen.

Requisitions can be created in one of three ways.

When a recommended order is confirmed in PS40, and the line is to go through requisitioning, PB5A is triggered to create a requisition using the recommended order details. The order line is split down into line and supplier details whilst the call-offs are transferred on a one for one basis.

This format for requisitions allows the buyer to split the requisition between several suppliers if required.

If a group of recommended order lines is firmed using PS30, the overnight run will extract the details for program PBF1 which creates requisitions in the same manner as PB5A.

Requisitions may also be created manually using transactions PB20-22.

A requisitioner would use transaction PB20 for maintaining requisition line details for a part. The requisitioner must be defined together with details of the requirement and whether it is for the warehouse or for the requisitioners own use. Buyer and cost centre details will be defaulted by the system.

The buyer would then add supplier details using PB21. The requisition may be supplied by one or many suppliers. This is the buyer's decision for manual requisitions. The program defaults all of the information on the screen but the buyer may change details where required. Call-offs are added automatically using the order type information.

All call-off information added can then be viewed and amended in PB22 if required.

Transactions PB20-22 can also be used to view and update requisitions that have been created automatically by PB5A or PBF1.

If a buyer wishes to split a requisition line currently allocated to one supplier between two or more suppliers, PB23 is used to modify supply details. If a buyer wishes to change the supplier from one to another, PB21 is used to alter supplier details.

Transaction PB24 can be used to add free format text information to a requisition.

When a requisition is added, the line value is compared to the requisitioners limit to ensure it is allowed. If the value is over the limit then the requisition requires authorisation before proceeding. This can only be performed by a requisitioner who has a line limit large enough to cover the requisition value.

Supply details have to go through similar checks against the project code and cost centre limits. If any limits are exceeded, they must be authorised in PB21 by a suitable buyer before proceeding.

Once requisitions have been authorised, they are then available to be selected for firming. The selection process consists of creating the selection (3.1), printing the selection (3.2) and confirming the selection (3.3).

Requisitions are selected by buyer in PB30. Any number of additional parameters relating to a requisition can be entered on the selection screen to reduce the selection. Selection is then performed by background task PB3A. It creates the selection of all requisitions that are awaiting selection and which match the selection parameters entered in PB30.

The selection can then be viewed using PB31. The user has the option to choose specific lines to be firmed by marking them in PB31. They are picked up later in selection confirmation.

If the user is not happy with the selection, it can be cancelled in PB30 and a new one added.

If required, a printed version of the selection can be requested in PB32 which is then printed in PB3B.

The print includes the selection parameters entered in PB30, details of the requisition lines selected and a summary of the details.

Once the user is satisfied with the selection it can be confirmed and firm supplier orders created.

There are several options available at confirmation. The user can choose whether all lines are confirmed or just those previously marked in PB31. There is also an option to chose whether the orders are created on-line or during the next batch run. If they are created immediately, an additional option is also available to denote whether the orders should also be printed on-line.

The confirmation process is triggered in one of three ways.

PB32 will trigger confirmation for an entire selection.

PB21 can be used to confirm a single requisition supply line.

PB5A will automatically convert requisitions to firm orders when created from a recommended order which is set up to bypass requisitioning.

PB3C creates firm orders from requisitions based on the information passed from the above three transactions. The method of creating firm orders is dependent on the information set on the requisition. Supplier order headers are added if required, followed by firm order lines, warehouse details and individual call-offs. Where an entire selection has been confirmed in PB32, each requisition line is converted to a firm order line, ignoring unmarked lines if the Firm Unmarked Lines option was not chosen.

Once the required requisitions have been converted, the selection is deleted by PB3A, leaving the remaining requisitions available for selection at a later date.

PBF2 creates firm orders from requisitions in batch. It picks up any requisitions firmed in PB32 but for which on-line firm order creation was not required. The firm orders are created similarly to those created in PB3C but using the supplier order number allocation rules for batch instead of on-line.

When creating requisitions from recommended orders, PBF1 creates a file detailing the next action required by each one. PMH1 creates a similar file for requisitions already on the system.

These files are then used by PBB1 to produce a report detailing all requisitions on the system awaiting some user action. This could include authorisation of a value that exceeds the allowable limit or simply that the requisition requires firming.

PBE1 produces a report detailing for each cost centre and project code the performance against their budgets.

Purchasing statistics are maintained throughout the system, at the levels requested in PB60. They are updated whenever orders are created/updated or when associated receipts are processed. Batch updates are performed within the Inventory Management program PMP2 whilst on-line updates are performed in PB4A.

Details are maintained for orders, receipts and rejections. These include the number of orders, quantities and associated values. Each supplier price variance that occurs is also recorded along with the value of the variance. Purchasing statistics are maintained on a separate file.

Statistics can be viewed on-line in PB40 for any level requested in PB60. Rejection statistics can be viewed in PB41.

Alternatively, a report can be produced detailing all purchasing and rejection statistics on the system. PBC1 extracts all the relevant details which are then reported by PBC2.

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