Stock and Warehouse Management and Order Fulfillment in Epinomy

Inventory, warehouses, and on-time deliveries are crucial in business. This lesson helps you manage items, handle storage locations, and send orders efficiently.

Table of Contents

1. Starting with a Sales Order
2. Understanding Warehouses
3. Preparing for Order Fulfillment
4. Carrying Out the Order Fulfillment
5. Wrapping Up with Payment and Billing

1. Starting with a Sales Order

Introduction:
Let's kick things off with a Sales Order, our first commitment to the customer.

1.1 Create a Sales Order Directly

Here, we'll jump straight into making an order.

1. Navigate to Selling > Sales Order.
2. Select 'New' to draft a new sales order. Fill in all the details: who's buying, what they're buying, and how much they're paying.
3. Define delivery details and payment terms.
4. Double-check everything and save, then submit.

1.2 Convert a Quotation to a Sales Order

Did a customer accept a quote you gave? Great! Let's turn that into a sales order.

1. Open the Quotation you provided.
2. Hit 'Create' > 'Sales Order' to transform that quotation into an official order.

1.3 Auto-Create Sales Order for Online Purchases

When customers shop online, Epinomy's got your back.

1. Whenever a customer places an order online, Epinomy automatically crafts a Sales Order for you. No extra steps needed!

2. Understanding Warehouses

Managing your stock effectively in Epinomy also means having a good grasp of your warehouse setup. Warehouses are much more than mere storage locations; they are the backbone of your supply chain, influencing everything from inventory counts to shipping times.

2.1 What is a Warehouse?

Warehouses in Epinomy serve as both physical and logical locations where you can store your raw materials, semi-finished goods, or finished products. Physical storage places can be anything from an entire building to individual shelves. Logical locations might include areas like 'Defective Goods,' 'Returns,' or 'Goods in Transit.'

Note that despite its name, Warehouse can refer to any location where goods are stored including a bin, shelf, aisle, floor, facility, lot, space or any other addressable location. Since Warehouses are set up as a hierarchy, you can easily represent exactly where an item is stored.

For example, if we were to set up Epinomy for a local IKEA, the warehouse hierarchy might look something like this: - Store: Tampa - Area: Furniture self-service - Aisle - Bin

In this example, each of the items - store, area, aisle, bin - in the hierarchy would be a Warehouse in Epinomy.

Types of Warehouses

1. Central Warehouse: The main storage facility, usually the hub for all stock management activities.
2. Regional Warehouse: Smaller facilities located in different regions for quicker distribution.
3. Sub-Warehouse: A division within a larger warehouse, often for specific goods or tasks.
4. Virtual Warehouse: A logical concept to represent temporary locations, like goods in transit.

2.2 How to Set Up a Warehouse

To fully leverage the capabilities of stock management, set up your warehouses in the system.

Initial Setup

1. Navigate to Stock > Warehouse.
2. Press 'New' to draft a new warehouse.
3. Fill in the mandatory fields, such as the warehouse's name and type (if applicable).

Setting Parent and Child Warehouses

1. If you're setting up a sub-warehouse, select the parent warehouse from the drop-down menu. This allows for better hierarchical tracking.
2. Add any child warehouses, if needed, by repeating the above steps and selecting this warehouse as the parent.

Geographical and Logical Details

1. Add any relevant location details like address, ZIP code, and GPS coordinates for physical warehouses.
2. For logical or virtual warehouses, use the 'Description' field to add details that clarify its usage or conditions.

Additional Optional Settings

1. Add storage capacities, shelving details, and other dimensional information to better plan space utilization.
2. Link the warehouse to specific users or roles for access control.

2.3 Assigning Stock to Warehouses

The utility of a well-organized warehouse system comes into play most directly when you're entering or moving stock. Epinomy allows you to map your stock against specific warehouses, which aids in real-time inventory tracking.

Entering Stock to a Warehouse

1. Go to Stock > Stock Entry.
2. Choose the purpose as 'Material Receipt.'
3. Select the 'Target Warehouse' where the stock will be stored.
4. Fill in the item details, including SKU, quantity, and batch numbers.
5. Save and submit to update your inventory.

Moving Stock Between Warehouses

1. Navigate to Stock > Stock Entry.
2. Choose the purpose as 'Material Transfer.'
3. Specify the 'Source Warehouse' and the 'Target Warehouse.'
4. Fill in the items to be moved, along with their quantities.
5. Save and submit to complete the transfer.

2.4 Managing Warehouse Operations

Beyond mere storage, warehouses play a pivotal role in several operational activities, such as picking, packing, and shipping.

• Picking The process of locating and retrieving specific items from the warehouse to fulfill an order.
• Packing The stage of preparing the picked items for shipment, including selection of appropriate packaging and sealing.
• Shipping The final step where packed items are loaded onto a delivery vehicle and sent to the customer.

Creating a Pick List with Warehouse Details

1. In an existing Sales Order, press 'Create' > 'Pick List.'
2. Select the items and their quantities.
3. Assign each item to a 'Source Warehouse.'
4. Review the list and click save, then submit.

Integrating Warehousing with Order Fulfillment

1. Use the warehouse details in Delivery Notes and Sales Invoices to ensure the right stock is allocated and shipped.
2. Perform regular stock audits tied to your warehouses for inventory accuracy.

By grasping both the concept and practicalities of warehouses in Epinomy, you set a solid foundation for effective inventory and order management. This section aims to offer you the tools and knowledge to implement and use warehouse functions seamlessly in your daily operations.

2.3 Assigning Stock to Warehouses

When entering stock into the system, specify which warehouse the stock belongs to. This is critical for inventory tracking.

1. Go to Stock > Stock Entry.
2. Choose the purpose as 'Material Receipt'.
3. Add items and specify the 'Target Warehouse'.
4. Save and submit.

3. Preparing for Order Fulfillment

3.1 Create a Pick List with Warehouse Details

1. In the Sales Order, press 'Create' > 'Pick List'.
2. Select the items and their quantities.
3. In the 'Source Warehouse' field, select the appropriate warehouse.
4. Review everything, save, and then submit.

3.2 Initiate a Work Order for Manufactured Items

1. In the Sales Order, press 'Create' > 'Work Order' to begin the production.
2. Note down the materials you'll need and how many final items you'll produce.
3. Review, save, and then submit.

3.3 Raise a Material Request

1. Within the Sales Order or Work Order, hit 'Create' > 'Material Request'.
2. Decide whether you're purchasing items or moving them internally.
3. Review your choices, then save and submit.

3.4 Call for Raw Materials

1. Inside the Work Order, select 'Create' > 'Request for Raw Materials'.
2. The system will list out what's needed. Keep that list handy!

3.5 Draft a Purchase Order

1. From the Material Request, hit 'Create' > 'Purchase Order'.
2. Input supplier details and what you're buying.
3. Double-check everything, then save and submit.

4. Carrying Out the Order Fulfillment

4.1 Issue a Delivery Note

1. From the Sales Order or Pick List, select 'Create' > 'Delivery Note'.
2. Confirm the items, their counts, and delivery details.
3. Save and submit.

4.2 Send a Sales Invoice

1. Using the Delivery Note, click 'Create' > 'Sales Invoice'.
2. Confirm the amount, taxes, and any discounts.
3. Save and submit.

5. Wrapping Up with Payment and Billing

5.1 Set Up a Subscription

1. Head to Accounts > Subscription.
2. Link the Sales Invoice to auto-generate future bills.

5.2 Send a Payment Request

1. Within the Sales Invoice, click 'Create' > 'Payment Request'.
2. Specify the amount and payment gateway.
3. Save and submit.

5.3 Reconcile Payments

1. Head to Accounts > Bank Reconciliation.
2. Match customer payments with corresponding sales invoices.
3. Save your reconciliations.

5.4 Close the Sales Order

1. Head back to the original Sales Order.
2. Under the 'Status' field, update the status to 'Completed' to close the loop.

By understanding both stock and warehouse management in Epinomy, you're well on your way to optimizing your business operations. This comprehensive guide ensures you'll handle both your inventory and customer orders in a seamless, effective manner.