MOM Helpers Online Help - Order Processing Methodology

MOM Helpers Online Help

Order Processing Methodology

Once an order has been entered in M.O.M. through the Order Entry screen, or imported using the Order Import/Export Module (IEM), you need to process out the paperwork for that order in order to pick it, pack it, ship it and bill it to your customer. Order Processing takes your orders through a "staged" sequence to generate each required piece of paper for orders that are pending processing.

Electronic Payment Approval - for those orders with electronic payments, the process of approving and charging the amounts.
Picking - the process of printing picking paperwork and pulling the items off the shelves for each order.
Packing - the process of printing packing slips and boxing the order.
Gift Certificate Printing - the process of printing any gift certificates that are ordered by customers.
Box Labeling - the process of printing any special labeling paperwork for the box, including shipping labels, airbills, COD tags, etc.
Notices - the process of printing customer notices, both for orders and non-order situations.
Drop Shipping - the process of sending purchase orders to the designated suppliers of each order that are to be sent directly to each customer.
Shipping - the process of informing the designated carriers of each package that is to be shipped to each customer.
Invoicing - the process of printing invoices for those orders for which the invoice needs to be mailed.

Using the Batch Processing Function or the Packer's Workstation

M.O.M. provides a great amount of flexibility in the way the complete order processing cycle can be handled in each business. Some companies process a whole group of orders from credit card processing right through to shipping. Each group of orders processed is referred to as a batch. Other companies prefer to process orders one at a time. M.O.M. provides the ultimate control by letting you select how you want each stage of processing to be done - either in batch using the Batch Order Processing function or one-at-a-time using the Packer's Workstation. For instance, if you want to process all of your pick tickets in batch and then give them to your shipper to box and ship one at a time, M.O.M. lets you control the way that you want to process those stages of order processing where paperwork printing and/or a specified manual task is involved.

For the stages, Pick Lists/Tickets (1), Packing Slips (2), Gift Certificates (3), and Box Labels/COD Tags (4/5), you can select to process in batch using the Batch Order Processing function or one-by-one using the Packer's Workstation. See Maintain Global Parameters - Order Processing Design for more information.

Stage Latches

To insure that each order receives each required piece of paper properly, there are a series of latches that prevent an order from advancing to the next stage of processing if it does not successfully complete the previous stage. This latch system provides control of each order as it passes from the earliest "picking" stage to the final stage of "shipping" or "invoicing."

Stage 1 - Pick List/Tickets

Not Latched. Because this stage is the first stage, it is not latched to any other stage. However, depending on whether you require an order to be picked before or after the credit card is charged, this stage may be dependent on the completion of credit card approval before processing. Note: Pick List/Tickets can be completely eliminated from order processing. Some retail mail order companies prefer to pick from the packing slip instead. See Maintain Global Parameters - Forms.

Stage 2 - Packing Slips

This stage is dependent on completion of Stage 1 unless that stage is not included in order processing, and then the stage is dependent on Credit Card Processing.

Stage 3 - Gift Certificates

This stage is dependent on completion of Stage 1 unless that stage is not included in order processing, and then the stage is dependent on Credit Card Processing.

Stages 4-5 - Box Labels/COD Tags

Orders in Stages 4-5 are dependent on completion of Stage 2.

Stage 6 - Customer Notices

Those notices requested in the Customer Contact screen are not latched to any previous stage. Those notices requested in Order Entry or related to a specific item in an order are dependent on completion of Stage 2.
Note: Those customer notices "sent" as e-mail or MS Mail faxes, are transmitted during this stage.

Stage 7 - Catalog Request Labels

This stage can be run by itself at any time and is not related to order processing. It is included as a stage to enable daily catalog requests to be handled as a part of the normal fulfillment operation of your business.

Stage 8-9 - Drop Ship Purchase Orders and Labels

This stage is dependent on completion of Credit Card Processing.
Note: Those drop ship purchase orders setup to be sent as e-mail or MS Mail fax are transmitted during Stage 8.

Stage 10 - Shipping

This stage prints shipping reports and also sends or creates whatever shipping system interface files that are necessary based on settings in Maintain Global Parameters - Shipping. This stage is dependent on the completion of Stage 4-5.

Stage 11 - Invoicing

For orders that must be shipped, this stage is dependent on the completion of Stage 10. For drop shipped orders, this stage is dependent on the completion of Stage 8-9. For service item orders that are not shipped or drop shipped, this stage is dependent only on the completion of Credit Card Processing. Note: Some companies prefer to combine invoices with packing slips and pack the invoice right in the customer's box. M.O.M. provides several options for this. See Maintain Global Parameters - Forms for more information.