Purchase Orders can automatically assign document numbers to each purchase order, requisition, receipt, and return document you add, or you can type your own document numbers as you enter the transactions. (When entering invoices, credit notes, and debit notes, you use the document numbers assigned by your vendors.)
To automatically assign the consecutive, unique document numbers you need to requisitions, purchase orders, receipts, and returns, specify the numbers to use on the Document tab of the P/O Options screen. You can probably continue using the numbering scheme from your old purchase order system.
When you first activate your Purchase Orders system, the program provides default document number lengths, prefixes, and numbers.
You can change all of the default information, setting a different length, prefix, and next number for each type of document.
Changing the Next Document Number
You can change document number specifications as needed, varying the lengths, prefixes, or next numbers to use.
If you want to change the next number to assign in the P/O Options screen to a lower number you may have used before, you should also change the prefix for the document type, to avoid accidentally creating duplicate numbers.
Entering Your Own Document Numbers with Transactions
If you enter your own document numbers when you add transactions in Purchase Orders, the program does not update the next number in the Options screen, even if you use the same number as the program would have assigned.
If the program tries to assign a document number that you entered manually for another transaction, you will see an error message. You must then change the next number in the Options screen for the type of document before you can resume automatically assigning numbers.
Number of Characters in Document Numbers
The numbers you assign to requisitions, purchase orders, receipts, and returns can be up to 22 characters long, including prefix characters, if any. You can change the number of characters in any of your document numbers at any time.
Although you do not have to use prefixes in your document numbers, they are an important means of identifying the transaction type and creating meaningful document numbers. Each prefix must be unique and can include up to six characters.
The next number to assign can contain as many characters as are permitted by the length you specify, minus the prefix characters. If you type a shorter number, the program places as many zeroes in front of it as are needed for the specified length.
Purchase Orders increases the number for each document type by 1 each time you post a transaction of the type and let the program assign the document number. You are not forced to use the number assigned by the program (you can type your own numbers); but if you use automatic numbering, your auditing procedures are simplified because you cannot accidentally skip any numbers.
Numbers assigned to each type of document can go as high as all 9s. They are then automatically reset to zero.
Reusing Document Numbers
You cannot use the same prefix and document number more than once for requisitions, purchase orders, receipts, and returns, unless you first use the Clear History screen to clear completed transactions with the numbers you wish to reassign.
When you enter an existing document number, the program assumes you wish to edit the requisition, purchase order, receipt, or return, and displays the information for the transaction.
If necessary, you can enter more than one invoice, credit note, or debit note with the same number in Purchase Orders, (although you cannot post duplicate document numbers in Accounts Payable). When you enter an existing document number in the Invoice Entry or Credit/Debit Note Entry screen, the program displays a Finder that lets you choose whether to view the previous transaction or enter a new transaction with the same number.
Using Default Document Numbers
If you do not specify lengths, prefixes, and document numbers, but allow Purchase Orders to assign the numbers, the program automatically assigns 1 as the first number for each document type. The assigned number is preceded by the number of zeroes that will make up the default number of characters set by the program as the number length.
Using Purchase Orders Document Numbers in Inventory Control and Accounts Payable
Because you can enter receipts in both Inventory Control and Purchase Orders, and because you post Purchase Orders invoices, credit notes, and debit notes in Accounts Payable, you may want to avoid duplicate numbers in the three programs. You should then take care when assigning document numbers in Purchase Orders.
- Inventory Control receipt numbers. If you post receipts in both Purchase Orders and Inventory Control, you can assign a different prefix and next number for receipts in the two programs so that you easily identify the program where a receipt was entered.
- Using unique invoice, credit note, and debit note numbers. To avoid conflicts with the document numbers you assign to invoices, credit notes, and debit notes in Accounts Payable, use unique prefix and number combinations for these transactions when you post them in Purchase Orders.