When buying print shop management software, many companies focus first on evaluating its order estimating and management capabilities. And they should. But the same software you use to create detailed multi-item estimates should also include a purchase order module. The right print shop management program can really help streamline your print shop purchase order system.
A purchase order module allows you to instantly communicate with any vendors that may be asked to supply products or services for the job that you are estimating. You don’t have to leave the system to check the current prices for products that will be included in the estimated job.
The Purchase Order Module in Ordant allows you to add a list of vendors and create a list of items they offer along with their prices. When estimating a job, you can quickly send request-for-quotes (RFQs) for products that aren’t on their price lists. When the estimate has been converted into an order, you can send a purchase order to that vendor and ensure that the
materials will be received by the time the job is scheduled for production.
Keeping your purchase order management system integrated with your estimating and order management makes sense for several reasons..
It consolidates, clarifies and confirms orders that employees may have made by phone, email, or text messages. Having written purchase orders in your system can provide a clear, centralized and verifiable record of what products and services where ordered and when. It reduces the risk that the vendor will forget a few important details about your order. And the written record can be useful if you need to follow-up with the vendor for orders that were delivered late or shipments that didn’t include exactly what you requested.
It saves time and reduces the risk of duplicate orders or errors in data entry. With a cloud-based system, everyone authorized to view the purchase order module can see if the necessary supplies have already been ordered and when they are scheduled to be delivered. The form is automatically filled out using the most current contact and product information about each vendor.
Approvals can be granted more quickly. The supervisor who approves purchase requests can be automatically notified when a requested purchase order is awaiting his approval.
You can track the status of orders. When all purchase orders accepted by your vendors are kept in a central location, you can see which purchase orders have been fulfilled and which ones are still outstanding.
It helps with budgeting. After a purchase order is created, you can factor the costs into company budgets. You have a clear picture of how money is being spent each month.
It helps with scheduling. If you can see that the delivery of some needed supplies might be late, you tweak the order in which your jobs are scheduled to be processed.
It helps with audits. The accountant who audits your books will also appreciate have a easy-to-access record of all of the purchases that were requested, approved, and completed in a satisfactory manner.
You can improve purchasing management. Year-end reports of all your purchase orders can help you see how much you spent with specific vendors. You can use this information to request volume discounts from your preferred suppliers. You can also track which vendors fulfilled their orders as promised, without added expenses such as rush charges.
Ultimately, how well you manage purchasing functions can affect the profitability and efficiency of your business. Saving even small amounts of money on materials and time on paperwork can add up over time.
Ordant’s cloud-based print-shop management software includes an integrated module of purchase order management along with tools for order estimating, order management, proof approvals, customer relationship management, and invoices.
This full-featured suite of software tools makes it easy to keep track of all of the details involved in processing a high volume of multi-item orders.
When employees don’t have to waste time tracking down details about estimates, proofs, jobs, purchase orders, and invoices, they can focus more attention on more important things. For example, they can focus on improving the quality of every job, promoting your company, learning new skills, testing lower-cost methods, or building stronger relationships with vendors, outsourcing partners, and customers.
To schedule a demonstration of our easy-to-use system, visit www.ordant.com.