2024 April Release

PurchasePermanent link for this heading

The purchase management enables you to conduct an efficient, digital purchase process. With the help of forms and processes, the purchase management can be adapted to the needs of your organization. The following description assumes a standard purchase process (see chapter “Purchase Process").

Note: Available as add-on product. The change and purchase management may have to be enabled by an organization administrator (Organization > Licenses > Solutions > Purchase with assignment Configured (Inactive) > “Enable” action).

DashboardPermanent link for this heading

The purchase dashboard provides your access point to the purchase management.

When you are added to a purchase configuration as an app user, a dashboard is automatically created and stored on “Home”. If you are removed again as an app user, the dashboard is also removed.

The purchase dashboard (purchasing department, accounting) is divided into the following areas:

  • Requirement Requests
    Shows the requirement requests from the shelves in which you are authorized.
    Possible action: Create Requirement Request
  • Orders
    Shows the orders from the shelves in which you are authorized.
    Possible action: Create Order
  • Goods Receipts
    Shows the goods receipts from the shelves in which you are authorized.
    Possible actions: Upload, Scan and Create Goods Receipt
  • Invoices
    Shows the invoices from the shelves in which you are authorized.
    Possible actions: Upload, Scan and Create Invoice
  • Recently Used
    Shows the objects that you have recently used.
  • Shelves
    Shows all the shelves in which you are authorized.

Note: Only objects that have not been archived are displayed.

You can perform the following actions:

  • Create Requirement Request
    With the “Create Requirement Request” action you can create a requirement request and thus start a purchase process.
  • Create Goods Receipt
    With the “Create Goods Receipt” action you can create a goods receipt that must be assigned to an order.
  • Create Invoice
    With the “Create Invoice” action you can create an invoice that must be assigned to an order.
  • Switch to Configuration
    With the “Switch to Configuration” action you can view the configuration that is associated with the dashboard.
  • Settings
    With the “Settings” action you can define common properties of the dashboard like the logo or notification setting.

Note: As an employee, you will only see the requirement requests widget with your own requirement requests.

ConfigurationPermanent link for this heading

In the purchase configuration, you as app administrator can manage the shelves, artifacts and general settings.

Areas

The configuration is divided into the following areas:

  • Shelves
    Shows the available shelves.
  • Product Groups
    Shows the available product groups. The following fields allow product groups to influence the purchase process:
    • Specialist Department
      The specialist department can be used in the purchase process to determine the process participants.
    • Direct Order Possible
      Defines whether a direct order can be placed without being forwarded to the purchasing department (influences the steps in the “Approve Requirement” activity).
    • Stock Possible
      Defines whether the item group can be in the stock (influences the steps of the activity "Approve requirement").
    • Stock Manager
      Stock managers can be used in the purchase process to determine the process participants.
    • Close Product Group
      Defines whether the product group can be used for new requirement requests.
    • Change Access for Requirement Requests with this Product Group
      Change access to individual requirement requests with this product group can be extended using this field.
    • Read Access for Requirement Requests with this Product Group
      Read access to individual requirement requests with this product group can be extended using this field.
    • Default Categories
      Overrides the configuration and shelf settings for requirement requests of this product group.
    • Default Processes
      Overrides the configuration and shelf settings for requirement requests of this product group.
  • Suppliers
    Suppliers are managed in the contact management (see chapter “Contact Management”). You can create additional suppliers in this widget, but they are assigned to a contact room.
  • Ordering Companies
    Companies are managed in the contact (see chapter “Contact Management”). You can create further companies in this widget, but they are assigned to a contact room.
  • The general areas can be found in chapter “Configurations”.

Actions

You can perform the following actions:

  • Create Shelf
    With the “Create Shelf” action you can define a new shelf.
  • Create Product Group
    With the “Create Product Group” action you can define a new product group.
  • Translations
    The “Translations” action can be used to export or import a CSV file containing the multilingual names of the customizing objects. This enables an external translation.
  • Settings
    With the “Settings” action you can define further configuration settings.

Settings

Purchase Configuration tab

  • Archive Requirement Requests
    Defines whether requirement requests are archived.
  • Archive Setting for Requirement Requests
    Defines with which status and after what period requirement requests are archived.
  • Archive Orders
    Defines whether orders are archived.
  • Archive Setting for Orders
    Defines with which status and after which period orders are archived.

Additional tabs

ShelfPermanent link for this heading

Shelves are used to manage requirement requests, orders, goods receipts, invoices and to define access rights (“Permissions“ action).

Areas

The shelf is divided into the following areas:

  • Requirement Requests
    Shows the requirement requests of the shelf.
    Possible action: Create Requirement Request
  • Orders
    Shows the orders of the shelf.
    Possible action: Create order
  • Goods Receipts
    Shows the goods receipts of the shelf.
    Possible actions: Upload, Scan and Create Goods Receipt
  • Invoices
    Shows the invoices of the shelf.
    Possible actions: Upload, Scan and Create Invoice

Settings

Shelf tab

  • Shelf Closed
    No new requirement requests can be created in closed shelves.
  • Shelf Archived
    New requirement requests cannot be created in archived repositories and requirement requests, purchase orders, purchase invoices, and invoices contained in them are no longer displayed on the dashboard.

Additional tabs

  • The additional settings can be found in chapter “Shelves”.

Access Rights

  • Full Control
    Users with full control can authorize users, manage requirement requests, orders, goods receipts and invoices and can edit shelf settings.
  • Accounting
    The accounting has change rights to orders and invoices, but only has read rights to requirement requests and goods receipts.
  • Purchasing
    The purchasing department has the right to change requirement requests, goods receipts and orders, but only has read rights to invoices.
  • User
    Users can create requirement requests and access the requirement requests they have created themselves.

Requirement RequestsPermanent link for this heading

Employees can start a purchase process using requirement requests. After the requirement request has been created, the status of the requirement request is “In Preparation” and the user receives the “Prepare Requirement Request” activity in the worklist.

The following fields are available by default (can be extended by user-defined forms):

Requirement Request" tab

  • Shelf
    If several shelves are available, one can be selected when creating.
  • Service/Material
    Describes the requested service or material.
  • Amount
    Sets the amount.
  • Product Group
    The product group can influence the available fields and the purchase process.
  • Total Cost (Net)
    Defines the total cost of the requirement request.
  • Reason (Who/What)
    The reason for the requirement request can be entered as free text.
  • Description
    A further description can be entered as free text.
  • Supplier
    Defines the supplier.
  • Documents
    Documents, such as offers, can be stored.
  • Remarks
    Defines the remarks for the requirement request.

Delivery tab

  • Organization
    The field is pre-initialized and displayed if an "ordering company" can be determined from the company that is assigned to the position of the current user using the external key. Otherwise, the field is not visible.
  • User
    Shows the ordering user.
  • Delivery Address
    Defines the delivery address for the requirement request.

OrderPermanent link for this heading

Once a requirement has been approved, the purchasing department can create an order. To do this, the responsible user receives the “Edit Requirement Request” activity in the worklist. An order can be created using the “Create Order” step.

The following fields are available:

  • Order Number
    Defines the order number.
  • Ordering Company
    Defines the ordering company.
  • Order Documents
    The stored order documents can be sent to the supplier in further consequence.
  • Supplier
    Defines the supplier.
  • Estimated Delivery Date
    Defines the expected delivery date.
  • Requirement Request
    The order must be assigned to a requirement request.
  • User
    Shows the user who created the requirement request.
  • Organization
    If defined, the organization is copied from the requirement request.
  • Description
    Defines the description.
  • Amount
    Defines the amount ordered.
  • Service/Material
    Defines the ordered service or material.
  • Product Group
    Shows the product group of the requirement.
  • Total Cost (Net)
    Defines the total cost of the order.
  • Documents
    Further documents can be stored with the order.
  • Remarks
    Defines the remarks of the order.

Via the “Upload” or “Scan” action order documents, goods receipts and invoices can be added to the order.

Via the “Edit Order” activity and the “Send Order” step, an e-mail with the order can be sent directly to the supplier. Existing data such as e-mail address and order documents are automatically preselected and can still be edited if necessary.

Once the corresponding goods receipts and invoices have been assigned, the order can be completed with the “Done” step.

Goods ReceiptPermanent link for this heading

For a delivery, you can create a goods receipt that is assigned to an order in the “Goods Receipts” widget.

The following fields are available:

  • Name
    The name of the goods receipt.
  • Order
    The goods receipt must be assigned to an order.
  • Product Group
    Shows the product group of the order.
  • Estimated Delivery Date
    Shows the estimated delivery date of the order.
  • Supplier
    Shows the supplier of the order.
    Note: If the supplier has not yet been created, a supplier can be entered as free text using the Not Yet Created option.
  • Delivery Date
    Defines the actual delivery date.
  • Delivery Type
    Defines the type of delivery (e.g. partial delivery).
  • Serial Number
    Defines a serial number for the goods receipt.
  • Inventory Number
    Defines an inventory number for the goods receipt.
  • Delivery Notes
    Delivery notes can be added as documents.
  • Storage Location
    Defines the storage location for the goods.

InvoicePermanent link for this heading

An invoice, which is assigned to an order, can be created for a delivery in the “Invoices” widget.

The following fields are available:

  • Name
    The name of the invoice.
  • Order
    The invoice must be assigned to an order.
  • Product Group
    Shows the product group of the order.
  • Invoice Number
    Defines the invoice number.
  • Date
    Defines the date of the invoice.
  • Total Cost (Net)
    Defines the total cost of the invoice.
  • Supplier
    Defines the supplier.
  • Documents
    The invoice can be added as a document.

RegisteringPermanent link for this heading

Documents can be registered as order documents, goods receipts or invoices. You do this either by carrying out the corresponding steps in the worklist or using the “Register as” context menu command. Thereby the corresponding metadata for the documents can be entered.

Purchase ProcessPermanent link for this heading

The purchase process differs from organization to organization. Therefore, you have to define the required BPMN processes by yourself.

Basically, the following applies: The purchase workflow begins with an employee's requirement request and goes through defined approvals by superiors. If the appropriate permissions are present, then the order can be accomplished by the purchasing department. With the goods receipt the delivery note is stored for the order. The invoice is also stored for the order.

In particular, the following activity definitions can be used for the purchase process:

  • Prepare Requirement Request
    The creator of the requirement request can use this activity to check the requirement request again and forward it for approval.
    • Open
    • Forward for Approval (next status: For Approval)
    • Discard (next status: Discarded)
  • Approve Requirement Request
    The user responsible for the approval (for example, the superior) can approve the requirement request.
    • Open
    • Further Information Required
    • Approve (next status: Approved)
    • Decline (next status: Declined)
  • Approve Requirement Request (Specialist Department)
    The specialist department responsible for the approval can approve the requirement request or, if the article group is appropriate, can select “Check Stock” (the stock manager receives an activity) or “Direct Order” (no forwarding to the purchasing department).
    • Open
    • Further Information Required
    • Check Stock (next status if in stock: In Stock)
    • Direct Order (next status: Ordered)
    • Approve (next status: Approved)
    • Decline (next status: Declined)
  • Edit Requirement Request
    Allows creating an order. The activity cannot be completed until at least one order has been created and completed.
    • Open
    • Further Information Required
    • Prepare Digital Signing
      The step can be used to define which documents must be signed and by whom. After defining the signature areas, the signing process starts directly with the first signer. After all signers have signed the documents, a “Digitally Signed” activity is prescribed to the process initiator for information. The signed documents are taken over directly when the order is created.
    • Create Order
    • Done (next status: Ordered)
  • Edit Order
    Allows sending the order.
    • Open
    • Send Order
    • Cancel
    • Abort
    • Done
  • Further Information Required
    If the working step “Further Information Required” is carried out for the other activities, this activity is prescribed.
    • Open
    • Reply
    • Discard

The processing status of the requirement request can be used for case distinctions in the purchase process:

  • In Preparation
  • For Approval
  • Approved
  • Discarded
  • Declined
  • In Stock
  • Ordered