Canned Jobs: Inv. Parts Pricing Automatically Updating?

[M_Int]

On Inventory pricing, we were under the impression that if something was made an “inventory item” through WorldPac or IMC that the Cost/List of the part would automatically update in the M1 system. We were under this impression due to an early conversation with someone at Mitchell after we saw that the prices weren’t updated from the items that we transferred over from our QuickBooks system initially. At that time we were told to import the items from WP or IMC so that the price would auto update.

However, we just noticed that on one of the canned jobs we have set up, it doesn’t have the most recent "List" pricing. We just called Mitchell and were told the system DOES NOT update automatically. Therefore, we need to be manually adjusting the list price in inventory for the items that are involved with our canned jobs. With us having setup a LOT of canned jobs, that's a significant amount of work to have to constantly go in and update pricing. It'd be incredibly helpful for the M1 system to automatically update our files via WP, IMC, etc (perhaps there can be an option button for which vendor's pricing we want to follow)?

Thank you!

[timbre4]

When an inventory part are received, users can update the part cost as those changes occur. This will be reflected in all instances of that part; whether as a stand alone part, or in a Part Kit or Canned Job.
1. If the Markup Matrix is engaged, the sell price will be updated.
2. If the User Entered Sale is engaged, the sell price remains the same.

I would suggest confirming whether the part records are set to change or if User Entered Sale box is checked to lock sell price.

If you are concerned with any catalog "list" price, we do not update that after the initial transfer to become a part record. (Assuming your Setup Pricing tab is set to use Price [matrix calculated] instead of List)

[M_Int]

When an inventory part are received, users can update the part cost as those changes occur. This will be reflected in all instances of that part; whether as a stand alone part, or in a Part Kit or Canned Job.
1. If the Markup Matrix is engaged, the sell price will be updated.
2. If the User Entered Sale is engaged, the sell price remains the same.

I would suggest confirming whether the part records are set to change or if User Entered Sale box is checked to lock sell price.

If you are concerned with any catalog "list" price, we do not update that after the initial transfer to become a part record. (Assuming your Setup Pricing tab is set to use Price [matrix calculated] instead of List)

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the speedy reply.

#1 Under Standard Tables->Price MarkUp Matrix, we have Inventory Costing set to Last Cost, and Matrix is not applied to Inventory as it says "Apply Matrix to Inventory."
#2 So....yes, User Entered Price is engaged. Parts Pricing is set to List.

We don't want to apply a markup matrix to ALL parts, we sell at List. And List prices (which the markup matrix prices are calculated from) change constantly.
What I'm asking for the system to do here is automatically update List prices from a catalog (WorldPac for example), for if the system never does that, that means that for anyone inventory'ing parts and using them in Canned Jobs, if they inventory'd a widget in 2011 at $10 list, but now in 2017 the widget lists at $30, that's a problem as it's $20 lost revenue if they don't go back thru the Canned Job estimate and check List pricing on all part numbers. And for someone to go back into every Canned Job group and constantly update all "widget" List prices on a routine basis an incredible amount of work. It's either extra work for someone at the time of estimating or before--either way, it's unnecessary work with the system already has provisions in place to know the most updated List prices from a catalog like WorldPac.

So why can't the M1 system be set to update for all of us? M1 already transfers the List price from WorldPac into a Revision when a widget is added to the order/RO, so is there a reason M1 can't automatically update the "List" price of the widget (if it's in M1 Inventory) at the same time (as long as this option box is enabled by the user)?

Thanks for hearing us out.

[timbre4]

The Markup Matrix uses COST not List to calculate the selling prices. If your system is set to use List, then the list prices are merely copied from catalogs as you expect with no calculation applied.

NOTE: Apply Matrix to Inventory is an option for when changes are made to the Matrix settings. (Just make change for going forward or ALSO go back and adjust item prices too - where User Entered $ is OFF)

Most shops are set to Price to leverage the matrix process, I'll have to test under which, if any, circumstances the list figure updates after becoming an inventory record. The typical concern I've seen has been cost moving up and sell price not adjusting (due to User Entered Sale option being engaged).

Some other shops may chime in with their thoughts on this.

[M_Int]

The Markup Matrix uses COST not List to calculate the selling prices. If your system is set to use List, then the list prices are merely copied from catalogs as you expect with no calculation applied.

NOTE: Apply Matrix to Inventory is an option for when changes are made to the Matrix settings. (Just make change for going forward or ALSO go back and adjust item prices too - where User Entered $ is OFF)

Most shops are set to Price to leverage the matrix process, I'll have to test under which, if any, circumstances the list figure updates after becoming an inventory record. The typical concern I've seen has been cost moving up and sell price not adjusting (due to User Entered Sale option being engaged).

Some other shops may chime in with their thoughts on this.

Understood that Markup Matrix uses COST to calculate selling prices. What I meant to say here--I should have typed Cost vs List, changed now--"And COST prices (which the markup matrix prices are calculated from) change constantly." is that since the Matrix prices are derived from catalog Cost, and if there's already a way for the Matrix price to be updated from the WorldPac catalog, then as well why can't the List price be updated from the WorldPac catalog?

Please do test this; "I'll have to test under which, if any, circumstances the list figure updates after becoming an inventory record."

Yes, this is our concern here too; "The typical concern I've seen has been cost moving up and sell price not adjusting" because whether we're talking Matrix pricing or not, as the widget Cost increases, so does the List price in the catalog (and so should the Matrix pricing for those using that style).

WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THE THOUGHTS OF OTHER SHOPS as to the system updating either Matrix "list" or List prices in the Inventory catalog.

[ricmorin]

WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THE THOUGHTS OF OTHER SHOPS as to the system updating either Matrix "list" or List prices in the Inventory catalog.

You asked for it..... please excuse the straightforwardness....

List price is nothing more than a fictitious price conjured up by someone in a cubicle that knows NOTHING about your business. Why in the world would you let this doofus control your profit is beyond me.

Use the matrix and base your sell price off the cost.

What happens when YOUR COST goes up and the list stays the same? You take it in the shorts?

Shop Operations 101: never use list price.

[M_Int]

WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THE THOUGHTS OF OTHER SHOPS as to the system updating either Matrix "list" or List prices in the Inventory catalog.

You asked for it..... please excuse the straightforwardness....

List price is nothing more than a fictitious price conjured up by someone in a cubicle that knows NOTHING about your business. Why in the world would you let this doofus control your profit is beyond me.

Use the matrix and base your sell price off the cost.

What happens when YOUR COST goes up and the list stays the same? You take it in the shorts?

Shop Operations 101: never use list price.

Ric,

The question above was not about pricing policy(a discussion topic for another thread), but as to the M1 system updating either Matrix pricing (which is derived from the catalog COST, agreed????) or List pricing for all of us. If your M1 system isn't constantly updating your Cost(for Inventory items) for you in order to derive your Matrix pricing, then when your costs go up but the M1 system doesn't know this, you're taking the lost profit in the shorts, yes?

Tim, please correct me if I'm wrong but I'm still confused on how M1 currently works based off this statement; "When an inventory part are received, users can update the part cost as those changes occur. This will be reflected in all instances of that part; whether as a stand alone part, or in a Part Kit or Canned Job.
1. If the Markup Matrix is engaged, the sell price will be updated."
So when Markup Matrix is enabled, when a user has a canned LOF job (oil and filter where the filter is $5) in their Canned Jobs, if the current cost for the filter has increased to $10, when does M1 update the cost of the part so that the Matrix price increases?
I can understand that if the user goes to WorldPac to transfer the filter to the repair order that M1 would see at that time that the filter is now $10, but if the user isn't going to WorldPac when writing up the repair order and instead is just choosing the Canned Job (which may have been originally canned in 2010 when filters were $5), then M1 never knows that the 2010 $5 cost is old and the filters now cost $10.

[ricmorin]

f your M1 system isn't constantly updating your Cost(for Inventory items

Every time I order and receive a part, the cost is updated. Therefore every part in my stocking inventory has the correct last cost. Matrix is applied and all is well. The program knows this. If you are selling canned jobs with parts that are NOT stocking items, perform a price check before selling the job. There is no automatic mechanism for Manager to reach out to dozens of different vendors for hundreds if not thousands of parts and update cost of parts that you have in inventory but do not stock.

[M_Int]

f your M1 system isn't constantly updating your Cost(for Inventory items

Every time I order and receive a part, the cost is updated. Therefore every part in my stocking inventory has the correct last cost.

Confirming; the Cost(in Inventory) is updated by you manually? (e.g., you take the parts invoice slip, go into Inventory, type in the part #, click Edit, change the Last Cost figure, click Ok).

f your M1 system isn't constantly updating your Cost(for Inventory items

There is no automatic mechanism for Manager to reach out to dozens of different vendors for hundreds if not thousands of parts and update cost of parts that you have in inventory but do not stock.

May be semantics here, but I'm not following what you mean by "parts that you have in inventory but do not stock." This discussion is about parts listed in your Inventory List. Maybe by "stock" you meant that you've received the parts invoice slip and can then update Cost/List yourself that way?

IMHO there's already technology present with the WorldPac catalog interfacing with M1. So I'm curious if there could be a system put in place where the vendor of your choice (WorldPac for example) could automatically update either Cost or List pricing(for only items in Inventory) when you transfer (green + icon) a part from WorldPac to a repair order, or perhaps routinely every month/quarter or during a big M1 update.

[ricmorin]

Confirming; the Cost(in Inventory) is updated by you manually? (e.g., you take the parts invoice slip, go into Inventory, type in the part #, click Edit, change the Last Cost figure, click Ok).

No. This is done automatically when I receive the part through the the PO process.

May be semantics here, but I'm not following what you mean by "parts that you have in inventory but do not stock." This discussion is about parts listed in your Inventory List. Maybe by "stock" you meant that you've received the parts invoice slip and can then update Cost/List yourself that way?

Parts in Inventory are part records that are in Manager. This does not mean you have quantity on hand. It just means it's an inventory item. A stocking item is an inventory item with quantity on hand. When you have QOH, last cost is determined by the receipt of the PO and sell by matrix. All those parts have a known cost. When you have no QOH, there is no known cost unless you do a price check.

[M_Int]

No. This is done automatically when I receive the part through the the PO process.

We haven't used the PO process.
Tim, it sounds like M1 updates the cost of parts to some degree already?? Would love to hear more about this from you.

Parts in Inventory are part records that are in Manager. This does not mean you have quantity on hand. It just means it's an inventory item. A stocking item is an inventory item with quantity on hand. When you have QOH, last cost is determined by the receipt of the PO and sell by matrix. All those parts have a known cost. When you have no QOH, there is no known cost unless you do a price check.

Understood parts in inventory are part records in Manager, and that one may not have any QOH of those parts. Regarding stocking items, all I see in Inventory/Edit Part is a "stocking level" box that can be checked.
"Receipt of the PO" sounds like extra paperwork to me, unless I'm mistaken on how the PO system works--I'd have to see it to best understand.
Does the system require QOH to determine last cost as when you tell the system you've received the PO, you're asked to enter in the current cost of the item(so all cost updating is a manual job by the human user, NOT by the computer systems?).

Thanks for helping explain the way you operate M1 Ric. Hopefully Tim can chime in in regards to the computer systems doing some updating of Cost prices for all of us.

[timbre4]

I'm now about 2 hours into testing this, including producing graphic samples. Wait, if you don't use purchase orders, how are you expecting the system to update anything automatically?

[ricmorin]

Using PO's is necessary to trigger cost updates automatically for inventory items. There is no other mechanism.

[timbre4]

Manager SE updates List Prices as follows.
Example: part record from 1st Call catalog lists for $57.61. Ordered it by P.O. and then received it to the R.O. at $57.61 List. Since we don't have time to wait for a change in list price, I synthesized this by editing the List price in the inventory part record itself to be $55.55. Then I ran through the R.O. parts ordering process three times. It updates the list price to $57.61 (from catalog) as long as you select Update All Fields option.

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Update

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Don't Update

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The restock From Inventory function to restock the inventory record QOH will enforce the catalog $57.61 List.

[M_Int]

I'm now about 2 hours into testing this, including producing graphic samples. Wait, if you don't use purchase orders, how are you expecting the system to update anything automatically?

Thank you for testing Tim.

I'll have to research using PO's via M1. We simply order items direct from WorldPac's system using a Just-In-Time approach.
Obviously the person we spoke to at M1 was incorrect--the system CAN update [pricing] automatically. But it sounds like you have to use the M1 PO system to do it.
But as far as how M1 updates parts Cost automatically thru PO's, am I correct that by starting a new PO today, you're getting the most updated pricing from the vendor(WorldPac for example) today. Then M1 uses that info and goes into Inventory and updates the Cost today?

How am I expecting the system to update pricing automatically otherwise? As I mentioned before, one simple way would be that when you transfer a part from WorldPac to an M1 repair order (M1 is already noting the Cost/List of the part on the RO), M1 could then automatically search&update the part number's pricing if M1 finds it in the Inventory list. If not, M1 doesn't update anything. Could that work? (Yes, this still wouldn't solve the issue of old Canned Jobs with 2010 parts costs, where you type up a new RO but don't interface with WorldPac, and hence M1 has no easy way to save the updated 2017 parts cost from WorldPac).

[timbre4]

You have a choice - use P.O.s to automate this process or edit records for any List prices that change (and QOH) manually when you receive them. (must be what you're doing to add inventory to the system)

Without ordering and/or stocking parts using the Manager SE mechanism itself, nothing happens. During catalog transfer, SE checks to see if you have a similar part # in stock, maybe with a different line code and offers it up as an Alternate part.

PURCHASE ORDERS
Purchase Order - Automatic: http://youtu.be/VXcLJlzC-Dk
Purchase Order - Manual: http://youtu.be/g09QYRiXLPw
Purchase Order Screen: http://youtu.be/_o5hpRWimts
Purchase Order - Restock From Inventory: http://youtu.be/ZqXdbj1B1-s
Purchase Order - Pick List From Orders: http://youtu.be/k_-VkDIgVdk

[M_Int]

You have a choice - use P.O.s to automate this process or edit records for any List prices that change (and QOH) manually when you receive them. (must be what you're doing to add inventory to the system)

Without ordering and/or stocking parts using the Manager SE mechanism itself, nothing happens. During catalog transfer, SE checks to see if you have a similar part # in stock, maybe with a different line code and offers it up as an Alternate part.

PURCHASE ORDERS
Purchase Order - Automatic: http://youtu.be/VXcLJlzC-Dk
Purchase Order - Manual: http://youtu.be/g09QYRiXLPw
Purchase Order Screen: http://youtu.be/_o5hpRWimts
Purchase Order - Restock From Inventory: http://youtu.be/ZqXdbj1B1-s
Purchase Order - Pick List From Orders: http://youtu.be/k_-VkDIgVdk

Thank you Tim. Pros and cons, as using the PO's in SE appears to add about 9-10 extra steps to every RO we process, compared to our current workflow process of ordering items direct from WorldPac SpeedDial(after having added them to the SE RO via SpeedDial) for example.

[timbre4]

I've just changed computers so don't have WorldPAC available at the moment. It is one of the oldest integrations we have and it is Manager SE talking to an application (SpeedDIAL program) rather than a webpage as the other catalog interfaces do. The additional steps are 1) Transfer to SE (Order or Revision screen), 2) Click on Parts Ordering, 3) Click on Order Parts, 4) OK to close it, 5) Update fields decision (all, all but price, none). That's it.

[M_Int]

I've just changed computers so don't have WorldPAC available at the moment. It is one of the oldest integrations we have and it is Manager SE talking to an application (SpeedDIAL program) rather than a webpage as the other catalog interfaces do. The additional steps are 1) Transfer to SE (Order or Revision screen), 2) Click on Parts Ordering, 3) Click on Order Parts, 4) OK to close it, 5) Update fields decision (all, all but price, none). That's it.

Thanks Tim.
In the video, starting at 2:05 says to also click 6) View PO then Select to open PO (click either Receive/Receive All one time forever), 7) Close PO.
Whether 5 or 7 steps, it's still 5 or 7 steps more on every RO that comes through the shop--time all adds up, we just need to weigh the pros/cons. We appreciate the info you've provided!

[timbre4]

To include receiving PO parts, yes. However that sequence would be the same for both methods (if PO generated) so I left it off. I thought the bulk of concern was the ordering steps.