The delivery management

The delivery management in Tiny ERP allows:

encode delivery preferencies for each partner,
to select among the different deliveries methods to the order,
to calculate the purchase and selling prices for the delivery of a given order, * to generate the tasks or subcontractings of this delivery.

Two objects have to be defined for each available delivery mode by the company:

a delivery mode,
one or more rates grids for this delivery mode.

Definitions of a delivery mode

To define a new delivery mode, use the menu: Stocks > Definitions > Transport > Carrier. When you enter this menu, Tiny ERP presents you the list of all the available delivery modes. For encode a new, press on the 'New' icon(the white sheet).

Start by giving a name to your delivery method, for example 'UPS Express'. Then give then the link towards the partner feature of the associated carrier. If it doesn't exist in the database, you have to create a new.

Then give the product reference which will be used in the order form for the delivery. This product has to be defined like a service. If no processing (other that invoicings and inventory movements) has to be done in this delivery in Tiny ERP, configure this product of supply method 'Make to Stock'.

If you wish that your delivery generates a task in the project management, configure the associated product in 'Make to Order', supply method: 'Production'. Thus don't forget to define a person in charge for this product. In the same way, if you wish that this product is bought by another company (subcontracting), put the product in 'On order' mode, supply mode 'Purchase'. Then don't forget to define the available suppliers list for this service. For more information as for the processing of the operations according to the product feature, defer to the supply chapter.

The catalogues and standard cost price of the defined product won't be used because the delivered price will be calculated thanks to the rate grid of the currier.

Definition of the rate grid

Once the delivery method defined, you can encode the different rate grids. For example, for delivery 'UPS Express', three rates grids can be defined: France, Europe and the rest of the world.

Definitions > Transport > Grids of transport. Tiny ERP then opens the list of the defined grids. You can select one to modify, to create a new one or to seek an existing grid according to its name or of the delivery method.

The first tab includes all necessary information to the grid definitionand the calculation of the delivered price according to the order.

Start by indicating the grid delivery name, for example 'UPS Express France'. Then indicate the previously defined delivery method. You can activate or not this grid thanks to the 'Active' field.

The sequence number makes it possible to define which grid will be evaluated in first. Thus, if a grid is available for France and a second for Europe, it is important that the sequence of the grid for France is lower than the sequence of the grid for Europe. Indeed, France belonging to Europe, if the ERP starts by evaluating Europe, it will apply the rate European to a delivery bound for France. To sum up, more the grid is specific, more the sequence number must be weak.

Then, indicate a whole of rules in the 'Deliveries rates lines' section.

Each rule has to have a name given by the first field. Then it's necessary to give an application condition of the rule. This condition can relate to 4 variables: the weight of the order, volume, the weigths*volume or the price. The weight and volume must be expressed in the same unit as that used in the product feature, the reference weight is with the choice of the user. An example of rule: weight >= 300 kg.

Then it's necessary to indicate the variables necessary to the calcul of the purchase and selling price if one is under the condition of the rule defined above. To do that, fill in the fields price selling and price standard.

The price indicated can be fixed (45 EURO) or variable, dependend on a factor (2.3 EURO kg). The price must be defined in the currency by default of the company. If the price indicated is variable, you must indicate the variation factor which can be of 4 types: weight, volume, weights*volume, price selling.

If several rules are applicable, Tiny ERP automatically chooses the rule most favorable (the least expensive) for the partner.

Once the calcul rules of the encoded price, it is still necessary to give the application conditions of this rate grid. Indeed, as there can be several grids for the same delivery method, Tiny ERP must be able to determine which to use in each situation. To do that, use the second tab heading 'Destination'.

The selection of the applicable rate grid according to the delivery method is done thanks to the delivery destination. This destination can be defined by a list of country, a list of states and possibly an interval of postal codes.

Example of definitions

As example, we will define three delivery modes as follows: the post office based on the weight of the parcel, a method UPS Express and a method UPS Standard based on the weight*volume.

To do that, it is necessary:

To define two partners corresponding to the companies which will deal with the delivery: The Post office and UPS. For each one of these two partners you have to encode the order addresses and the different contact.
To define three products for each one of these deliveries. The products have to be of 'service' type, in restocking mode 'On Stock'.
To define the three following deliveries modes:
- the Post office: partner 'the Post office', product 'Postal delivery'
- UPS Express: partner 'UPS', product 'Delivery UPS Express'
- Standard UPS: partner 'UPS', product 'Standard Delivery UPS'.

Then we define the delivery grids for each of the three modes. The post office has fixed rates, by steps according to the total weight of the order. The following fields are then completed for the differents steps:

Name: Weight >= 500gr
Condition: Weight - >= - 500.0
List Price: 12 EUR
Standard Price: 9.5 EUR
Price Type: Fixed

We can for example add a free delivery condition for any order higher than 1000 EUR. the following figure presents the definition of this promotion.

Name: Free if order >= 1000 EUR
Condition: Price - >= - 1000
List Price: 0 EUR
Standard Price: 9.5 EUR
Price Type: Fixed

Thus you can mix conditions on the weights and the prices in the same rate grid. Tiny ERP will automatically choose the most advantageous rule for the partner.

UPS rates are a function of weight*Volume of the total order. Several rates grids are defined according to the cutting of the countries in zones defined by UPS, these zones are encoded in the second tab of the grid. Contrary to the postage rate, the delivered price is variable and depends on this Weight*Volume.

Name: PV >= 1200
Condition: Weight*Volume - >= - 1200
List Price: 2.3 EUR
Standard Price: 1.8 EUR
Price Type: Variable
Variable Factor: Weight*Volume

Use of the deliveries

When the rate grids are defined, you can allocate delivery preferencies to each partner. To do that, select a partner feature from the menu: Partners > Partners. Then click on the 'properties' icon and fill the 'Delivery method' field. If you did not define delivery for a given partner, it's not a problem because you will be able to select the delivery at the time of the customer order.

To add the delivery expenses on an order, when this one is finished, click on the 'Action' icon represented by three gears and select the action 'Add the delivery expenses'. Then Tiny ERP asks for you the delivery method chosen for this order. When you click on the button 'Create the delivery line', the delivery line with the calculated rate is automatically added to your order.

The delivery price is calculated on the basis of total order, thus take care to add the delivery expenses when the order is completely encoded. If the order is modified, it's necessary to start again the calcul of the delivery rate.