Inventory Setup - BirchStreet Systems Procure-to … · Web viewIf you already know what your Part Number should be (for example if you are converting from another Inventory system

INVENTORY SETUP

Inventory setup begins with deciding what Storeroom Locations should be created for valuation purposes. These Storeroom Locations represent either a physical location or set of locations where products are stored. Storeroom Locations must be set up before any other activities can take place. Once set up, all transactions in and out of a BirchStreet storeroom location can be reported on to obtain perpetual valuation information.

The most common Storeroom Locations are Food Storerooms and Beverage Storerooms since these two categories of products are valued separately. Any Outlets which must take inventory for Beer, Wine, and Liquor commodities should also be set up as Storeroom Locations. Additional Storeroom Locations are added based on storeroom and finance reporting needs.

There are two ways to set up Inventory. The first is by adding the information using the screens. The benefit of this method is that it is very visual. You can see your additions and changes take place immediately on the screen. This is the preferred method for maintaining inventory and adding an occasional new Part Number or Supplier Item.

The second way of setting up Inventory is by using the Inventory Templates. There are three Inventory Templates which include a Part Number Template for creating Inventory Master Lists and Part Numbers, Supplier Item Template for adding Supplier Items to Part Numbers, and a REQ Template for creating Requisition Lists. This is the preferred method used for setting up new Inventory Master Lists.

For purposes of this guide, we will discuss adding information using the screens first. This will help provide a visual reference when the Inventory Templates are discussed.

SETUP USING THE SCREENS (PREFERRED FOR SMALL INVENTORY LISTS)

The Setup Workflow using the screens is done one screen at a time in six separate steps. As a result, this is the preferred method to set up or maintain smaller inventories. The Setup Workflow steps using the screens are outlined as follows:

1. Create Storeroom Locations

2. Create Inventory Master Lists

3. Create Part Numbers

4. Add Supplier Items to Inventory Master Lists

5. Link Supplier Items to Part Numbers

6. Add Supplemental Information to Part Numbers

7. Add On-Hand Quantities to Part Numbers

8. Create Inventory REQ Lists

CREATE STOREROOM LOCATIONS

Note: This step is only available to those with administrative access and can only be done using the BirchStreet Screens. If you do not have the necessary rights, please work with your BirchStreet Project Manager to create your Storeroom Locations.

Uncheck the Hide Menu Option at the top of the screen to show the menu on the left-hand side of the page.

Under Procurement select Company Administration then click the Location Screen.

From the Location screen, first make sure that the location you wish to create does not already exist by examining the list of locations in the Navigation List on the left side of the screen.

If the Inventory location does not yet exist, provide the name of the new Storeroom Location in both the Name and Description fields as it should appear on all Inventory Storeroom documents.

NOTE: DO NOT change the Location ID from 0. It will pre-populate when the record is first saved.

Select Storeroom from the Location type drop down list. If you do not select the Storeroom option, you will not see this location as an option when creating Inventory Master Lists.

If you want to prevent system transactions that will cause on-hand quantities dropping below zero, check the Do not allow items to go negative checkbox.

Note: If checked, this feature will only prevent Storeroom Requisitions from being fulfilled if the on-hand quantity of an item will fall below zero. It will not prevent Storeroom Requisitions from being created since this would

reduce visibility into storeroom product demand, thereby adversely affecting the usefulness of the Plan Purchase management tool.

Complete all applicable fields within the Address and Contact sections.

Once finished, click Save.

Click Retry when prompted.

The system has now assigned a unique Location ID to your new Storeroom Location.

Note: Use the Set Defaults button to save any Storeroom Location as a template for all new locations. Select the Storeroom Location you wish to use as a template, and click Set Defaults.

Repeat for all Inventory locations desired by clicking the New button to clear the form and start over.

You will not receive a confirmation prompt, but the next time you click New, all the information will pre-populate. You just need to change the Name and Description fields to reflect the name of the new Storeroom Location and click Save to save your addition.

Once done completing the fields, click Close to return to the Front Page Tabs.

CREATE INVENTORY MASTER LISTS

Inventory Master Lists are lists of storeroom products associated with Storeroom Locations and are denoted by the prefix IV_. These lists are set up once Storeroom Locations are available, and are used by a Storeroom Manager to manage par levels. Inventory Master Lists are generally sorted and organized to match the layout of the products in the physical storerooms. An Inventory Master List can only be associated with one Storeroom Location, however one Storeroom Location can have many Inventory Master Lists. Typically hotels will have one Inventory Master List for each Storeroom for simplicity purposes. For example a Storeroom Manager may create the Food Storeroom Inventory Master List and associate it with the Food Storeroom Location. Any Outlets which have been set up as Storeroom Locations should also have a corresponding Inventory Master List consisting of all Beer, Wine, and Liquor products they need to take inventory on at the end of the reporting period.

There are two ways to create Inventory Master Lists in BirchStreet: (a) create a new Inventory Master List on the Inventory Tab or (b) import a new Inventory Master List using a template called the Part Number Template.

The benefit of creating an Inventory Master List using the Inventory Tab is that the Inventory Master List will be available immediately.

From the Inventory Tab select the Create Master button

Enter the Master Name, click the radio button next to Inventory and select the Storeroom Location then click OK.

Note: To make the Inventory Master OG available to other users (Shared OG), make sure to precede the name with an asterisk (*).

Click OK

Click OK again on the next message popup.

The new Inventory Master List is displayed. Notice that the Inventory Master List’s name has been prefaced with an “IV_” and the Storeroom Location name appears in red. These are visual indicators that this is an Inventory Master List associated with a Storeroom Location.

Note: The yellow lock icon next to the Storeroom location: if unlocked, it indicates that you own and have editing capabilities for this Inventory Master List. If locked, you will not be able to make changes to the Inventory Master List.

If you click on the lock icon, you will receive a notification with the name of the Inventory Master.

Once your Inventory Master List has been created, you are now ready to add Part Numbers and Supplier Items.

CREATE PART NUMBERS

Adding Part Numbers using the Part Number Maintenance Screen is very quick and simple. However if you are only using the Storeroom Requisition part of BirchStreet Inventory and not the Storeroom Purchase Orders, you will need to add Part Numbers using the Part Number Template. If you use the Part Number Maintenance Screen to add a Part Number, it will not appear in your Inventory Master List until you link the Part Number to a Supplier Item. This is done on the Inventory Tab in the Inventory Master List and is described in subsequent steps.

To begin, uncheck the Hide Menu Option at the top of the screen to show the menu on the left-hand side of the page.

Under Procurement select Inventory then click the Part # Maintenance.

On the left side of the screen you can search for existing Part Numbers to ensure you don’t create a duplicate.

If you already know what your Part Number should be (for example if you are converting from another Inventory system or have your own internal numbering convention), remove the [New] text from the Part # field and enter any numeric or alpha-numeric value. If you leave the [New] text in this field, when you click Save, the system will create a number for your new Part Number automatically.

As Shown – System Will Automatically Assign a Number

As Shown – System Will Take Your Internal Number

On the right side of the screen add the Description.

Note: It is recommended to provide an extended description which will provide Outlets with additional information to help them requisition the right product. For example, Root Beer can be listed as ROOT BEER – 12 OZ CAN. If you also provide Root Beer in glass bottles, you should create a second Part Number listed as ROOT BEER – 16 OZ GLASS BTL. Another more complex example would be providing Case Pack Information when you want to limit Outlets so they can only requisition by the case. This helps your Outlets know how many bottles, cans, or other individual items are in the case. Root Beer that you can only requisition by the case can be listed as ROOT BEER – 12 OZ CAN 24/CS.

Additionally by default, Part Numbers are sorted in the Inventory Master Lists based on the Description field. This field is case sensitive so all upper case Part Numbers will be sorted alpha-numerically, then all lower case Part Numbers will be sorted separately. It is best if you keep the Description field case consistent (either all upper case, or all lower case).

If you are using barcode scanning, enter the correct barcode for the product in the Barcode field.

When entering a barcode value, all numbers related to the barcode must be entered, whether they are contiguous or not, e.g.in the sample below, the UPC value includes the 0 and the 2 to the left and right of the barcode, so the UPC should be entered as 041000014802.

Provide the unit of measure in which you will count inventory for this Part Number in the Inv count UOM field. For accurate valuation purposes, this should be the smallest unit of measure in which you will perform the inventory count at period end.

If necessary, take the following steps and use the lookup to find the correct unit of measure code for the Part Number (unless you know the code).

When using the lookup screen, change the Search Column option to Description, enter your unit of measure in the Search Text box, then click Go.

When you see your unit of measure, click Select.

Your unit of measure code will be placed in the Inv count UOM field.

Note: Once Inventory transactions (Storeroom Requisitions and Purchase Orders) have been processed, you will not be allowed to change this code. If you need to correct a unit of measure code and transactions have been processed, you will need to create a new Part Number to replace it.

Click Save.

Your screen will refresh with either the system assigned Part Number or your internal hotel Part Number.

Note: When adding Part Numbers using the Part Number Maintenance Screen, there are two things to keep in mind. The first is that the Part Number will not be automatically added to any Inventory Master List. You must add Supplier Items to your Inventory Master first, where you will then assign the new Part Number to the Supplier Items. Then the Part Number will appear in the Inventory Master List. The second thing to consider is that you will not be able to add an initial Inventory Cost to your Part Number when using the Part Number Maintenance Screen. Your Inventory Cost can either be added using the Part Number Template prior to any Requisitions being created, or the Inventory Cost will be obtained automatically when the first Storeroom Purchase Order Receiving event takes place. It is important to have an Inventory Cost associated with a Part Number right away, if you are using Declining Checkbook so the Outlets will be charged appropriately for the use of the products.

Once done completing the fields, click Close to return to the Front Page Tabs.

The next step in the process is to add a Supplier Item to your Inventory Master List so you can assign your new Part Number to it.

ADD SUPPLIER ITEMS

When using the screens to build or maintain Inventory Master Lists, how you add Supplier Items to your Inventory Master List will vary depending on the type of supplier. In BirchStreet, there are four different types of suppliers; Adopted Suppliers, Punchout Suppliers, Suppliers on the Fly, and Non-Catalog Suppliers. The next sections will describe how to add Supplier Items to your Inventory Master List for each of the supplier types.

Adding Supplier Items for Suppliers on the Fly and Non-Catalog Suppliers

Suppliers on the Fly are suppliers unique to the property. They are usually local vendors not available to other properties and do not maintain product or service information in BirchStreet. Suppliers on the Fly and their

products or services can be added at any time, but they must be added before you can create orders for them. Non-Catalog Suppliers are suppliers that are already in the system and may be available to other properties. The primary difference is that Non-Catalog Suppliers do not provide catalog content in BirchStreet. You do not need to create Non-Catalog Suppliers but you will need to add their products or services. Supplier on the Fly and Non-Catalog Supplier Items will appear in purple in your Inventory Master List.

The next steps will show how to manually create the Supplier on the Fly, as well as add line items for products, services, or contracts. Get started by clicking the Create Non-Catalog Item button on the Catalog tab.

Click the Select Supplier button to start your supplier search.

Type your supplier name and click Go

If the system is unable to find your supplier, the system will let you know and you’ll be provided with an Add New Supplier button.

Note: If you do not see the button avaialable, check with your BirchStreet Administrator as some environmnents have been configured with alternative options for adding suppliers.

The system will prompt you to search one more time by entering a Fax number, just to ensure the supplier’s name hasn’t been entered already with an alternative spelling. Once the fax number has been entered, click Search.

If the system still is unable to find your supplier, you will be presented with a form to complete. The first thing you will need to determine is how your supplier will receive Storeroom Purchase orders. BirchStreet can send orders to either a fax number or an email address. It is preferrable for the hotel to send orders to an email address since emails can be routed to multiple people and is considered a more reliable means of transmission.

Click the Transmission method drop down and select either Fax or email.

Once this option is selected, complete all required fields then click Save.

Once you see your supplier in the list, click Select.

You’ll be returned to the Create Non-Catalog Item screen. Simply fill in the required fields with the product information provided by your supplier as shown below. At a minimum, you will need the Item #, Product Name, UOM, and Price. If the supplier does not have an item number for a given product, you can enter the product description as the Supplier Item number, but it must be unique within the Storeroom Location.

Note: You can add up to 50 Supplier Items on this screen. If you want to add more than 50, use the Supplier Product Template on the Inventory Tab to import a list.

After adding the Supplier Items, click the Add to Order Guide button.

A list of Order Guides (for direct issue using the procurement module), Inventory Master Lists, and Requisition Lists that you own will appear.

Click Select next to the Inventory Master List you wish to add this product to.

Your Supplier Item will be added to the Inventory Master List you chose. Click OK to the confirmation prompt.

You will be left on the Create Non-Catalog Item screen with the option to add more Supplier Items if necessary.

Note: If you need to add the same product from a different vendor, just click the Select Supplier button and search for the alternate supplier. Then add the product for that second supplier. Uncheck the first product so it is not added to the Inventory Master List again, and use the Add to Order Guide button again. Your screen would look as follows.

If you are done adding Supplier Items for your Supplier on the Fly or Non-Catalog Supplier, you are ready to take the final setup step and add the Part Number to this item in your Inventory Master List.

If you need to add Supplier Items from suppliers who maintain products in the system (Adopted Suppliers), proceed to the next step.

Adding Supplier Items for Adopted Suppliers

Adopted or Catalog supplier’s provide catalog content for you by logging in to BirchStreet and uploading products. They maintain their products and pricing so that you have real-time accurate information directly within BirchStreet. Adopted Supplier Items will appear in black in your Inventory Master List. In order to add Supplier Items from these suppliers to your Inventory Master List, locate the supplier and/or products via the “Search All Catalogs” feature.

In the Search All Catalogs section, select the type of search you want to perform from the drop-down list. Enter the text corresponding to the selection and click Go to perform the search. The search results will be listed below.

Products: Enables you to perform a search on products. You can only see items to which you have access. The search uses the:

Item # (Supplier SKU) Product Name (Item Description) Description (Long Description) Item Keywords Manufacturer Name Manufacturer Part Number

Categories: Searches categories by name in order to locate items. Quickly brings you to the category level you want to click on to view products without walking down all the levels.

My Suppliers: Searches the company name and keywords for suppliers available in the property. You may view all products for a specific supplier, see their address and contact information, click on the link to send an email or click on the Add New Supplier button to add a SOTF (Supplier-on-the-fly), if granted access.

My recent Suppliers: Searches the company name and keywords for all suppliers who have recently been added to the marketplace.

Example of Product Search

Enter the Product number or description and click Go.

Once you see the items you need, click the checkboxes next to each one, and then click Add to Order Guide.

A list of Order Guides (for direct issue using the procurement module), Inventory Master Lists, and Requisition Lists that you own will appear.

Click Select next to the Inventory Master List you wish to add this product to.

Your Supplier Item will be added to the Inventory Master List you chose. Click OK to the confirmation prompt.

You will be left on the Catalog Tab with your search results listed and you will have the option to add more Supplier Items if necessary.

If you are done adding Supplier Items for your Adopted Suppliers, you are ready to take the final setup step and add the Part Number to this item in your Inventory Master List.

If you need to add Supplier Items from Punchout Suppliers (websites with logos on the Catalog Tab and are integrated with BirchStreet) proceed to the next step.

Adding Supplier Items for Punchout Suppliers

Punchout Suppliers are different than Suppliers on the Fly, Non-Catalog Suppliers, and Adopted Suppliers because they have an integration with BirchStreet. The integration allows you to click a logo’d link on the Catalog Tab. The link will direct you to the supplier’s website, but it loads within the BirchStreet interface. All real time product and pricing information will be maintained on the supplier’s site, accessible through the integrated link.

In order to add Supplier Items to an Inventory Master List for a Punchout supplier, you must first create a “temporary” Purchase Order using their site. You’ll start by selecting the logo of the Punchout supplier on the Catalog tab. Perform all usual shopping on their linked website and then check out. The checkout process will result in a copy of the purchase order on the Purchase Order Tab. Once on the Purchase Order Tab, you will copy

the Supplier Items from the Purchase Order to the Inventory Master List. Once the copy is complete, you will delete the Purchase Order.

Note: If you create a Punchout Purchase Order for US Foods, that order will be submitted to them immediately for processing. There is no way to delete a US Foods order. To obtain US Foods products, either US Foods may provide you an export of your Order Guides or BirchStreet may be able to work with you to obtain PO History.

Start by clicking the Punchout Supplier’s logo as shown below:

The website will load within the BirchStreet application where you can proceed to do your normal shopping. Each Punchout Supplier’s website is designed differently.

Either browse through a list of products, search by item, or use Order Guides or Lists created within the website.

Confirm your quantities and choose the Add to Cart option.

Once in the Punchout Supplier’s checkout cart, choose the Checkout option.

Once done shopping, you’ll be redirected to the PO Tab in BirchStreet. Click the Add to OG button.

Click Select next to the correct Inventory Master List.

Your Supplier Item will be added to the Inventory Master List you chose. Click OK .

You will be left on the PO Tab. Select the radio button next to the Punchout Supplier’s Purchase Order and click the Delete PO button.

Click OK to confirm you want to delete the Purchase Order.

Cick OK to the confirmation prompt that the Purchase Order was successfully deleted.

If you are done adding Supplier Items for your Punchout Suppliers, you are ready to take one of the last setup steps and link the Supplier Items to Part Numbers in your Inventory Master List.

LINK SUPPLIER ITEMS TO PART NUMBERS

As noted earlier, Part Numbers can exist on an Inventory Master without Supplier Items, but Supplier Items must be linked to Part Numbers in order to be serviceable.

Begin on the Inventory Tab and select the Inventory Master. Place a checkmark in the box next to Show Supplier Items and if there are supplier items available that are not linked to part numbers, a plus sign (+) will appear on the last (blank) row of the Master.

Note: If there is more than one page, click the Last hyperlink to go to the last page.

Click on the plus sign to see an expanded list of un-linked supplier items below.

Click the Edit link next to one of the items below.

Begin by using the zoom icon next to the Part Number field to search for the correct Part Number to link to this specific supplier item.

Once a Part Number has been selected, the Items per Order UOM field should be confirmed.

Enter the Items per Order UOM (how many pounds, pieces, etc. are in the CS, BOX, etc.) and note that the system will automatically define the Order to Inc Conv Factor. In the example shown here, you purchase Unsifted Flour by the CS and there are 20 pounds of flour in each CS.

Upon entering the number 20 in the Items per Order UOM field, the system defined the Order to Inv Conversion Factor to be 0.05. This means that each pound of flour in inventory will account for 5% of the order price.

When items are purchased from more than one supplier, the Preferred Supplier box can be checked to signify the primary supplier for an item. If the Preferred Supplier box is unchecked, the notation will fall with the first Supplier Item linked to each part number. If items are purchased from only one supplier, the notation will automatically fall to the single item linked to each Part Number.

The Preferred Supplier status can be modified at any point in time.

Once done click Save to update your entry.

Warning: If you receive the following prompt, it means there is a UOM discrepancy.

Your Supplier Item Order UOM is not the same as your Inv count UOM and you have indicated an Items per Order UOM of 1. For example, 1 EA = 1 BAG. This may actually be correct in some instances, however since the system detects two different UOM codes, it will at least warn you that you should confirm your codes and your Items per Order UOM. A conversion as follows would clearly be incorrect: 1 BTL = 1 CS. In such an instance, you would correct the Items per Order UOM to indicate how many bottles are actually in the case.

Acceptable UOM Discrepancy Scenario with a Warning

In this example, you may have intended for an Each to be a Bag so the units of measure actually are the same.

Unacceptable UOM Discrepancy Scenario with a Warning

Once you click OK to the pop-up, your screen will refresh. If you have an incorrect UOM discrepancy situation, you will need to locate the Supplier Item with the linked Part Number using the Search link and fix the problem.

When the screen refreshes, the Part Number and Supplier Items are now linked together and will be represented by a visible part number with a plus (+) sign to the left of it.

In addition, the supplier item will no longer be listed with the remaining un-linked supplier items at the bottom of the screen.

Click on the plus (+) sign to expand it. Note that the supplier’s item will appear below.

If an item is purchased from more than one supplier, link the additional Supplier’s Item to the same Part Number. The expanded view of a part number linked to multiple supplier items is shown below.

Note: When items exist from multiple suppliers, only one supplier is viewed as the preferred supplier. This is typically the contracted item from the contracted supplier. When creating Storeroom PO’s from an Inventory Master, the system will automatically generate PO’s based on the preferred supplier status. If necessary, that

status can be modified to create PO’s to the secondary supplier instead, but will always originally default with the designated preferred supplier.

Also notice that as you continue to add the Supplier Items to a Part Number, the Inv unit cost field will change. The Inventory Cost for a Part Number is the Inventory Value for your product and is determined based on the inventory valuation method configured for your hotel (last price or weighted average) – LAST PRICE: A property’s Inventory can be valued using an automatically updated last price from the supplier that is collected by the system during the receiving process. This value will be the unit price from the PO’s line item or could be overridden with the Invoice Price entered on the receipt. Additionally, the last price can be entered as an inventory adjustment. WEIGHTED AVERAGE: Using the Weighted Average method allows for valuation based on the weighted average of the current and previous purchasing transactions for the item.

The Inv unit cost (or Inventory Value) is derived using a combination of the following:

- The Price field (either the weighted average or last price you paid the supplier)

- The conversion factor (which can be seen in the Pack/Size field)

- The Order UOM (unit of measure in which you buy the Supplier Item)

- And the Inv UOM (unit of measure in which you count it in inventory)

If you need to make adjustments to the Inv unit cost once Supplier Items have already been linked, skip to the section on Inventory Adjustments.

Continue to link all un-linked supplier items with the appropriate part numbers. Once the entire list of Supplier Items have been linked to Part Numbers, the plus (+) sign in the last row will not be visible as no unlinked items exist.

ADD SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION TO PART NUMBERS

There are a few additional pieces of information which can be added to Part Numbers once they are set up in an Inventory Master. This information will help facilitate a variety of activities including reporting, sorting, re-order, and declining checkbook purposes.

Adding Sorting

By default, Part Numbers are sorted in the Inventory Master Lists based on the alpha-numeric Product field. Additionally this field is case sensitive so all upper case Part Numbers will be sorted alpha-numerically, then all lower case Part Numbers will be sorted separately. Adding a Sort Order to Part Numbers will help customize not only the order in which the Part Numbers appear on the Inventory Tab in an Inventory Master List, but many reports can be run based on the Sort Order. Additionally, if no Location, Shelf, or Bin is added to Part Numbers, the

Take Inventory template will default to this sort order. Common examples of sorting include putting your Part Numbers a very precise order, grouping by Category or Commodity, and grouping Supplier Items. It is important to stress that the Sort Order’s primary purpose is to control the order in which the Part Numbers appear on the screen, primarily for restocking purposes. In the next section we will review how to add Location, Shelf, and Bin information separately which controls additional functionality like the ability to Take Inventory.

To add a Sort Order, click the Sort checkbox and add a sorting order in the Sort Order field. Once done, click Update.

Click OK to the confirmation prompt.

Note: If your preferred method of restocking is by Supplier, and you are using Punchout Supplier Items in your Inventory (i.e. US Foods, eSysco), you cannot restock using the Inventory Tab for the Punchout Supplier Items. Therefore it is a useful practice to place a 1 in all of the Part Numbers for the first Punchout Supplier, a 2 in all of the Part Numbers for the second Punchout Supplier, and so on. This will help isolate all the Punchout Supplier Items into one section of your Inventory Master List. It will also help facilitate running Re-Order Reports based on Sort Order.

If you are using the Sort Order to additionally group by Category or Commodity you can sort up to 2 decimal places within each numeric value. For example within all Supplier Items marked with a 1.00, you can sort the Part Numbers within the 1.00 using a numbering schema such as 1.01, 1.02, 1.03 etc.

Adding Location, Shelf, and Bin

Assigning a Location, Shelf and Bin to each Part Number can be critical components, as the Take Inventory templates at period end will print based on those fields. The Take Inventory templates will be arranged based on the assigned Location first, Shelf second, and Bin third. Likewise, the Location, Shelf, and Bin can be used for purposes of sorting re-order reports.

To add the Location, Shelf, and Bin, click the checkbox next to the Part Number, then click Edit Item.

Enter the Location, Shelf, and Bin information shown in the fields below. Because these fields are free-form text fields, you must enter the information exactly the same for each Part Number, with the same upper or lower case, for them to be sorted correctly. Click Save once done.

Your information will be displayed as shown below.

Notice the Part Numbers are not sorting on screen based on the Location, Shelf, and Bin fields. This is because the Sort Order field takes precendence on the screen. Later you will see how the Location, Shelf, and Bin take precendence on the order of the Part Numbers on the Take Inventory template.

Adding Categories

Adding Categories can be useful for searching and reporting. Using the Categories field will help you categorize the Part Numbers using the same pre-defined BirchStreet Categories that Adopted Suppliers use to categories their Supplier Items. This works well if you are running e-procurement purchase reports to compare against inventory purchase reports. However, since the options are restricted to pre-defined Category codes, this can be limiting. Often hotels will choose to use the more flexible Commodity codes which will be discussed in the next section.

To add a Category to a Part Number one at a time, click the checkbox next to the Part Number and choose the Edit Item button.

Click the lookup icon next to the Category ID field.

Click the plus “+” next to each main category to drill down. Once you see the desired Category, double-click it to select it.

The Category ID and Category Description will be placed in the Category ID field. Follow the same steps if you wish to provide a second categorization in the Sub-Category ID field. Once done, click Save.


Your Part Number will be displayed with the Category placed in the Category ID field (the Sub-Category will not be displayed on the grid).

To add Categories to more than one Part Number at a time, select multiple Part Numbers using the checkbox next to each one.

Click the lookup icon next to the Category ID.

Click the plus “+” next to each main category to drill down. Once you see the desired Category, double-click it to select it.

The code for the Category will be placed in the Category ID field. Just click Submit.


Your Categories will appear on the selected items.

Adding Commodities

Commodities are different from Categories because they can be anything you type in. This is often very useful if you are converting from an old system that had codes different from those already in BirchStreet. Commodities are also useful for running consumption reports based on commodity (again which can be different from the pre-assigned Categories). In order to add Commodities, this option must be enabled. If you do not see the Commodity field, check with your BirchStreet Marketplace Administrator.

To add a Commodity, click the checkbox next to the Part Number and type in a description in the Commodity field. You can select and type a Commodity for multiple products at once. When finished, click Update.

Note: Since this is a free-form field, it is best to put the Commodity in upper case and type the exact same code for each Part Number that should be grouped together for sorting and reporting purposes.

Click OK to the prompt.

Your Commodity addition will be saved in the grid.

Adding Department & GL Accounts

If you are using Declining Checkbook, an important aspect of Inventory setup includes adding the Department and GL Accounts to each Part Number. If you are using Tax Groups and/or Tax Codes, this information may need to be added as well (if the features have been enabled for your Marketplace). If you add the Department and GL Accounts to each Part Number before they are copied to Inventory REQ Lists, it will ensure that Outlets have the correct coding on their Requisitions.

To see the Department and GL Account information, click the checkbox next to the Show More option above the grid. The GL Account and Dept fields will be displayed.

To add the necessary information, click the checkbox next to each Part Number that should have the same coding, then click the Add GL Acct button.

Note: Adding Department and GL Account information requires Declining Checkbook be activated for your hotel and the proper codes be set up prior to taking the next steps.

Click the lookup icon next to the Department field.

Note: If different Outlets will be using this Part Number, skip the selection of the Department and move on to the selection of the GL Account. When each Outlet creates their Requisitions for the Part Number, the user’s default Outlet (or Department Code) will populate the Department code for all items on the Requisition. If only one Outlet ever uses this product, you can safely add the Outlet (or Department Code).

Click Select next to the Department.

Your Department Code wil be listed in the Department field. Next, click the lookup next to the GL Account.

Note: Selecting a GL Account should always be completed regardless of the Outlet using the product. Usually products are either coded to Cost of Food, or Cost of Beverage (Beer, Wine, Liquor, etc).

Click Select next to the correct GL Account.

Your GL Account Code will be displayed in the GL Account field. If Tax Groups are enabled in your Marketplace for tax authorities, you will also be required to select a Tax Group Code. (The same applies for Tax Codes not shown here).

Click Select next to the correct Tax Group Code.

Your Tax Group Code will be displayed. To finalize, click Submit.


Your Department and GL Account information will be saved in the grid. Any time Part Numbers are copied from the Inventory Master List, the account coding will be copied with it.

If you ever needed to clear out any of the codes, for example if you needed to remove the Department Code and leave the GL Account and Tax Code, you can choose the Add GL Acct button again and click the Clear out department checkbox (or Clear out GL acct if necessary). Click Submit to clear out the Department field.

The Screen will refresh to show the removal of the Department Code.

Adding Par Values

Adding Par Values provides the ability to manage your Inventory in real time to desired levels. If your Par Values are saved at the time of setup, you will be able to see when Inventory levels drop below by on-screen visual cues. You will also be able to run re-order reports based on Pars. The BirchStreet Plan Purchase utility discussed later will also utilize your Par Values among other factors to calculate a recommended re-order quantity.

To add Par Values, make sure the Show More checkbox is checked. This will display the Par Values field in the grid.

Enter the values for each of the items. The Par Values should be entered based on the units of measure listed in the Inv UOM column. This is the unit of measure in which you will count your inventory.

When complete, click the Update button.

Click OK to the confirmtion prompt.

In the future, when your Onhand Quantity falls at or below the Par Value level, the Onhand Quantity amount will turn yellow which is your visual cue to re-order.

ADD ON-HAND QUANTITIES TO PART NUMBERS

It is a good idea to add the on-hand quantity to your Part Numbers as soon as they are set up so that the Outlets will know how much you have on-hand when they are filling out Requisitions.

To add the Inventory Cost and On-Hand Quantity, uncheck the Hide Menu Option at the top of the screen to show the menu on the left-hand side of the page.

Under Procurement select Inventory then click the Inventory Adjustments Screen.

On the left side of the screen will be a list of all the automatic Inventory Adjustment entries created through Requisitions, Purchase Orders, Take Inventory process, and Receiving Events. It will also contain manual Inventory Adjustments such as the ones we’re about to create. You can always use the list on the left side to search by Part Number for all transactions ever taken against a given item.

To create a manual Inventory Adjustment to add Inventory Cost, use the right side of the screen. Begin by completing the required Storeroom Location field using the lookup.

Click Select next to the Storeroom Location where the Part Number is located.

The Storeroom Location field will be populated with the correct information as shown below.

Next, use the lookup next to the Part # field.

Search for and locate your Part Number in the list, then click the Select button.

The Part #, Inv count UOM, Product Name, (and Location, Shelf, and Bin if available) will populate.

To add the On-Hand Quantity, enter the amount you have on hand in the Adjusted qty (inv count uom) field.

Note: This quantity is based on the unit of measure listed in the Inv count UOM field as shown. This is the unit of measure in which you count your inventory and is separate from how you may purchase the items.

You can also reduce or subtract from an incorrect On-Hand Quantity by entering a negative number (i.e. to reduce the count from 20 to 10, you would enter a “-10” in the Adjusted qty (inv count uom) field).

If you ever need to adjust the Inventory Cost (in the event a Supplier Item was entered or received with an incorrect price), enter the amount in the Inv home cost in inv uom field. This is the Inventory Value of the unit of measure listed in the Inv count UOM field (in this example, the Inventory Value of a can).

Once you have all the needed information, click Save.

Click the Refresh icon to see additional information.

An Adjustment ID will be available in case you need to use the search list on the left to refer to the adjustment in the future. A Posted date will also be noted with a date and time stamp when you clicked the Save button.

To see the successful Inventory Adjustment, close the Inventory Adjustment screen using the Close button in the upper right corner of the screen.

Click the Hide Menu checkbox to hide the menu on the left side of the screen.

Use the Search link on the Inventory Tab to search for the Part Number you just adjusted.

Select the Inventory Master List from the Search Order Guide drop down, then select Part # from the Search Column. Type the Part Number in the Search Text field and click OK.

The On hand qty field will display the number you provided on the Inventory Adjustment Screen based on the unit of measure displayed in the Inv UOM field.

Note: If there was previously a number in the On hand qty field (either through Receiving, or other Inventory transaction), there will be a higher On-Hand Quantity than expected. For example, if the On hand qty listed 6 previously, and your Inventory Adjustment was for 24, you would see an On hand qty of 30. Troubleshooting discrepancies can always be done by searching for Part Number adjustments on the Inventory Adjustment Screen.

The Inv unit cost and Total value fields will display the dollar amount you provided on the Inventory Adjustment Screen based on the unit of measure displayed in the Inv UOM field.

Now that your Part Numbers are all set up in your Inventory Master List, you are ready to move on to creating Inventory REQ Lists for your Outlets.

CREATE INVENTORY REQ LISTS

The last thing to do in preparation for using the BirchStreet Inventory Module is to create Inventory REQ Lists. Inventory REQ Lists are designed to be used by the Outlets so they can requisition products. Outlets could theoretically requisition from the Inventory Master Lists, but there is a great amount of information and options on the screen that the Outlets will never need and can be confusing for them. Therefore, Inventory REQ Lists can be created as sub-lists with only those Part Numbers which the Outlets will need. Since each outlet is different, Inventory REQ Lists can be customized for each one.

To create an Inventory REQ List, start on the Inventory Tab and click the Create Master button.

Enter the name of the Inventory REQ List in the Master Name field, and then click the Inventory REQ list radio button. Select the Storeroom location (typically either Food Storeroom or Beverage Storeroom). Click OK to create the Inventory REQ List.

Note: When creating Inventory REQ Lists for the Outlets, it is best to share the list using an asterisk (*) before the list name. It is also recommended to name the lists using a naming convention. For example, Room Service may requisition Beverages from the Beverage Storeroom, and Food from the Food Storeroom. Since there will be at least two lists for the Outlet, the two list names could appear as follows:

*Room Service – Beverage*Room Service – Food

Click OK to the confirmation prompt

Your list will appear in the drop down on the Inventory Tab. To denote that this is an Inventory REQ List for Requisition use by the outlets, an REQ_ will be appended to the beginning of the Inventory REQ List name.

Adding Part Numbers by Selection

Now that the Inventory REQ List has been created, Part Numbers can be copied over from the Inventory Master List. There are a couple ways to quickly add content.

The first method is by changing over to the Inventory Master List in the drop down as shown, and then clicking the checkbox next to each item that needs to be in the Inventory REQ List.

Once all items are selected, just click the Copy Item button.

Make sure the Inventory REQ List radio button is selected and click the lookup icon.

Click the Select button next to the Inventory REQ List.

With the Inventory REQ List appearing in the Select master/list: box, click Copy Item.


Select your Inventory REQ List from the drop down so you can see the copied contents.

Adding Part Numbers by Searching

The alternative way to add Part Numbers to an Inventory REQ List is by using the Search link feature. With your Inventory REQ List selected, click the Search link.

Use the Search Order Guide drop down to narrow the search results by a specific Inventory Master List.

Note: You can leave the drop down defaulted to All to search all Inventory Master Lists and Inventory REQ Lists if you are unable to find what you are looking for. However, you will only be able to add Part Numbers from an Inventory Master or REQ List that has the same Storeroom Location as the one you originally selected when you created your Inventory REQ List.

From the Search Column drop down, select either Part # or Item Description. Another useful option can be Commodity if this information has been added to the Part Numbers as part of setup (i.e. SODA, BEER, WINE, etc).

In the Search Text box, type the Part Number, Item Description, or Commodity and then click OK.

Once the Part Number search result appears on your screen, click the check box next to it then click the Copy Item button.

Make sure the Inventory REQ List radio button is selected and click the lookup icon.

Click the Select button next to the Inventory REQ List.

With the Inventory REQ List appearing in the Select master/list: box, click Copy Item.


If you switch back over to your Inventory REQ List, all the contents you copied will be listed.

All the Inventory REQ Lists will be prefixed with “REQ_” in the drop down list. If the Department codes, GL Account codes, Category, Commodity, and sorting information were available on the Part Numbers when the Part Numbers were copied to the Inventory REQ List, that information would be listed as well. If not, it can always be added after the fact. For Inventory Maintenance, see Page 107.

Now that you are done creating the Outlet’s Inventory REQ Lists, the system is now ready for your hotel to begin the day to day process of creating and fulfilling Storeroom Requisitions, creating and receiving Storeroom Purchase Orders, the period end process of Taking Inventory, and generating the Finance Reports.

SETUP USING THE INVENTORY TEMPLATES (PREFERRED FOR LARGE INVENTORY LISTS)

The Setup Workflow using the Inventory Templates is the preferred method to set up or maintain larger inventories because several of the individual steps described previously can be combined. The Setup Workflow steps using the Inventory Templates are outlined as follows:

1. Create Storeroom Locations (this can only be done using the screens – refer to Page 15 for instruction)

2. Complete the Part Number Template

a. Create Inventory Master Lists

b. Create Part Numbers

c. Add Supplemental Information to Part Numbers

d. Add On-Hand Quantity to Part Numbers

3. Complete the Supplier Product Template

a. Add Supplier Items

b. Link Supplier Items to Part Numbers

4. Complete the REQ List Template

a. Create Inventory REQ Lists

COMPLETE THE PART NUMBER TEMPLATE

An alternative to using the Inventory Tab to create Inventory Master Lists, and the Part # Maintenance Screen to create Part Numbers, is by completing and importing the Part Number Template. The advantage to this method is that once imported, you will have a new Inventory Master List including Part Numbers. You can also add supplemental information to Part Numbers such as Sorting, Par Values, Categories, Commodities, Department & GL Account Information. You can even add On-Hand Quantity to the Part Numbers. Four major steps can be combined into one, and hundreds or thousands of Part Numbers can be created in far less time.

Creating a new Inventory Master List using the Part Number Template is the recommended method when implementing BirchStreet Inventory. Not only will your Inventory Master List and Part Numbers be populated on the Inventory Tab once uploaded, but it is the only way to add Part Numbers to an Inventory Master List if you do not yet have all your Supplier Items available.

From the Inventory Tab click the Exp Template button.

On the Exp Template popup select the Part Number Template option by checking the box.

If prompted, click Open.

The Part Number Template will open on your screen.

Once the Part Number Template downloads, maximize it and at a minimum populate the required fields which are highlighted in yellow on the template. The required fields are Part Number, Part Number Description, Inventory Count UOM, and Inventory Cost (based on the Inventory count UOM).

NOTE: Values on row 3 of the template indicate the type of data allowed in the field and the length (in parenthesis). STRING (50) = any alpha/numeric value with a total length, including spaces, of 50 characters.

NUMBER (10) = any positive number (including decimals) with a maximum of 10 digits. RECORDS not conforming to these values will not be uploaded.

All fields are shown below with descriptions of the information required for each. The critical fields are highlighted in yellow. Those fields which are also extremely important for setting up supplemental information are highlighted in blue.

Field Name (As seen in Row 3 of the Part Number Template)

Description

Part Number This is the property’s internal product code, or Part #, for an item or group of items (i.e. 0498213 = All Filet Mignon 8 oz regardless of what supplier the items come from). All Filet 12 oz should have a separate Part # since it has a different inventory value and therefore would be counted separately. NOTE: precede all Part #’s with a leading # sign (i.e. #0498213) -- Required

Part Number Description

This is the Part # description, i.e. Filet Mignon 8 oz. -- Required

Inventory count UOM Code

This is the unit of measure in which you will count the items in Inventory (i.e Filet Mignon 8 oz Inventory Count by Ounce or Pound). This UOM should be the smallest possible UOM you will need to count for valuation purposes. All supplier items assigned to this Part # must have the same Inv count UOM. It MUST be the same as the Requisition UOM Code unless that field is left empty. This must be a valid system UOM -- Required

Requisition UOM Code This is the unit of measure in which the users will Requisition the Part # from Inventory (i.e Filet Mignon 8 oz Requisitioned by the Piece or Each). If one is not specified, it will default to the Inventory Count UOM Code. If a value is specified, it MUST be the same as the Inventory count UOM Code. This must ALSO be a valid system UOM -- Optional

Items Per Case Number of items packed in a case. This value represents how many Requisition UOMs are in 1 Inventory count UOM. If you are counting your Inventory in the lowest unit of measure possible, this value should almost always be “1”. -- Optional

Aisle Location Free form text field for you to indicate the general location within the Storeroom where the product resides. This is the first sort order for the Take Inventory Count -- Optional (but Highly Recommended)

Shelf Item Location or Major Item locator within the storeroom. This is the second sort order for the Take Inventory Count Sheet -- Optional (but Highly Recommended)

Bin Minor Item locator within the storeroom. This is the third sort order for the Take Inventory Count Sheet -- Optional (but Highly Recommended)

Par Quantity This is the value used in “Plan Purchases” (see later section) calculations that bring inventory levels up to a predetermined quantity -- Optional (but Highly Recommended) - Can be added after-the-fact

On Hand Quantity This is the beginning inventory balance for this item. Can be added after-the-fact by an Inventory adjustment or via a Take Inventory upload. If you are uploading the Inventory for the very first time, this will serve as a starting baseline for inventory on-hand quantity – Optional (but Highly Recommended)

Inventory Cost This is the Last Price Paid for this item, in property’s home currency. This price should be based on the Inventory Count UOM. For example, if you perform inventory counts on soda by the can and not the case, and your Inventory Count UOM is CAN, your Inventory Cost should be the can price. -- Required

Commodity This is a code already set up in the system to represent different types of products (i.e. BEEF, DAIRY, etc). This commodity code must already have been set up in the system. The primary purpose for this field is for reporting and searching within an Inventory Master. If you are converting from an alternate Inventory system that has a category code you wish to retain, you can use the Commodity code for the old system’s categories. -- Optional (but Highly Recommended)

Category ID This value is typically the primary or highest level Category that the item “lives in”. It uses the same category structure which already exists for suppliers use to categorize their products. It is primarily used for Inventory searches and reporting. This field is similar to the Commodity code, but the Commodity Code field can be customized and therefore easier to report and search on. -- Optional (but Highly Recommended) – Can be added after-the-fact

Sub-category ID The sub-category ID is the second highest level Category that the item “lives in”. This must be a valid category ID in the system and has the same limitations as the Category ID. -- Optional (but Highly Recommended) - Can be added after-the-fact

Bar Code UPC This represents the Bar Code UPC -- Optional - Can be added after-the-factSort Order This is a numerical value which will affect the order in which the inventory items appear

in the Inventory Master. This can be useful for reordering or searching purposes. For example, you can place a “1” in all US Foods supplier items causing them to rise to the top of the list. This will make it easier to print a list to use on the US Foods punchout site. – Optional (but Highly Recommended)

Department This field can be populated with the primary department code used when creating Requisitions or Purchase orders with this Part #. NOTE: precede all Department codes with a leading # sign -- Optional (but Highly Recommended)

GL Account This field can be populated with the primary GL account codes used when creating Requisitions or Purchase orders with this Part #. NOTE: precede all GL codes with a leading # sign -- Optional (but Highly Recommended)

Dead Stock Indicator Enter either a 0 for “No” to indicate that this is not dead stock”, or enter a 1 for “Yes”, to indicate that this is dead stock -- Optional

Tax Code 1 This is a line level tax code that can be entered to apply a specific tax to the Part #. This code must be set up in advance and is different than the tax applied on the PO Header. -- Optional - Can be added after-the-fact – Required for environments where Tax Codes are used

Tax Code 2 This is a secondary line level tax code that can be entered to apply a specific tax to the Part #. To be used when there is tax on tax. This code must be set up in advance and is different than the tax applied on the PO Header. -- Optional - Can be added after-the-fact – Required for environments where Tax Codes are used

Sample Completed Part # Template

Upon completing the mandatory (yellow) fields as well as any optional field data, be sure to save the file by choosing the Save As option. When prompted for the file name and location, be sure to change the file from Excel to the required .csv format by clicking the File Type drop down.

Select the CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) option from the list

Click Save.

Click Yes if prompted for a Compatibility Check.

Close the .csv file type by using the red in the upper right corner of the spreadsheet.

You may be prompted to go through the file saving process again, even though you have already saved it. This is a normal feature of a .csv file type. Just follow the prompts again and click Save.

If prompted to overwrite the file you just saved, click the file in your view, then click the Save button again.

When prompted again, click Save again.

Last but not least, when prompted for the final time, click Save and your file will close.

Now that the Part Number Template has been completed, return to the Inventory Tab and click the Imp Template button.

Choose Part Number Template in the pop-up window by placing a checkmark in the appropriate box.

Place a checkmark in the New Master box and type the name of the Inventory Master you would like to create via import. Note: to make the Inventory Master available to other users (Shared OG), make sure to precede the name with an asterisk (*).

Click Browse to attach your Part Number Template.

Alternatively, if you previously created an Inventory Master List using the Inventory Tab, use the following options:

Click Select next to your Inventory Master List.

The system number which identifies your Inventory Master List will appear in the window. Click Browse to attach your Part Number Template.

If prompted, click Open.

Select the file and click Open.

The path to your file will appear which will be uploaded as soon as you click Submit.

Click OK to the message that your file was uploaded successfully.

The import process will run every 10 minutes. Assuming there were no errors with your upload, you can refresh your web page or log out and log back in. The imported Inventory Master List and the Part Numbers will be displayed on your Inventory Tab.

If there are any issues with your upload, you will receive an email notification from BirchStreet letting you know what the errors are and how to correct them.

The Part Number Template can be used moving forward to add new Part Numbers to your Inventory Master list.

Once your new Inventory Master List and Part Numbers are available, you are ready to upload Supplier Items.

COMPLETE THE SUPPLIER PRODUCT TEMPLATE

Items can be added to an existing Inventory Master or to a new Inventory Master using the Inventory Templates regardless of the type of the Supplier. The only pre-requisite is that the Supplier has already been added to BirchStreet. If the supplier has not yet been added to BirchStreet, follow the steps listed on Page 28.

From the Inventory Tab, click the Exp Template button to download a template to enter the inventory data for upload.

Choose Supplier Product Template in the pop-up window by placing a checkmark in the appropriate box.

The Supplier Product Template will download onto your screen.

Once the Supplier Product Template downloads, maximize it and at a minimum populate the required fields which are Part Number, Item Number, Item Description, Order UOM code, Order Price, and Inventory Items per Order UOM. Note that if you are only importing items from a single supplier, you will not need to populate the BirchStreet Supplier Company ID or SOTF Supplier ID fields, but if you are importing items for multiple suppliers in the same template, those fields must be filled out. Providing that you have already imported the Part Number Template which added Part #’s into the Inventory Master, the supplier items that are in this template will link to the appropriate Part # upon import.

NOTE: Values on row 3 of the template indicate the type of data allowed in the field and the length (in parenthesis). STRING (50) = any alpha/numeric value with a total length, including spaces, of 50 characters. NUMBER (10) = any positive number (including decimals) with a maximum of 10 digits. RECORDS not conforming to these values will not be uploaded.

All fields are shown below with descriptions of the information required for each. The critical fields are highlighted in yellow.

Field Name (As seen in Row 3 of the Template)

Description

Part Number This is the property’s internal product code, or Part #, for an item or group of items (i.e. 0498213 = All Filet Mignon 8 oz regardless of what supplier the items come from). NOTE: precede all Part #’s with a leading # sign (i.e. #0498213) -- Required

Item number This is the supplier’s Item # or product code. NOTE: precede all supplier Item #’s with a leading # sign (i.e. #12345) -- Required

Item Description This is the Item description, i.e. Filet Mignon 8 oz. -- RequiredOrder UOM code This is the unit of measure in which the item will be purchased from the supplier. This

must be a valid system UOM -- RequiredOrder price This is the price in which the item will be purchased from the supplier. The price must

be the price paid in the supplier’s currency. -- RequiredInventory Items per Order UOM

This is the number of Inventory UOMs in the Order UOM (i.e. there are 12 Filet Mignon 8 oz pieces in 1 case). -- Required

Minimum order qty This is an INFORMATIONAL only value that marks the desired lowest quantity of an item to be held in stock -- Optional

Size This will display the pack/size details of the product -- Optional

Preferred supplier Indicate a 1 for the preferred supplier item within a Part #, and 0 for all other items (i.e. Filet Mignon 8 oz from ABC Supplier is preferred, Filet Mignon 8 oz from Fancy Foods Supplier is not preferred, but is used as a backup option) -- Optional

Birch Street Supplier Company ID

Optional time saver, to be used for Adopted Supplier and Non-Catalog Supplier codes (which can be obtained from your BirchStreet System Administrator). This feature can only be used when completing one Supplier Product Template per supplier. The system will use the supplier selected during import if empty. -- Optional

SOTF Supplier ID Optional time saver, to be used for Punchout Suppliers and Suppliers on the Fly (which can be obtained from your BirchStreet System or Hotel Administrator). This feature can only be used when completing one Supplier Product Template per supplier. The system will use the supplier selected during import if empty. Enter the SOTF Supplier ID - Leading # sign required. -- Optional

Sample Completed Supplier Product Template – One Supplier at a Time

Sample Supplier Product Template – Multiple Suppliers on the Fly and/or Punchout Suppliers

Note: Adopted Suppliers and Non-Catalog Supplier ID’s should be listed in Column J (Birch Street Supplier Company ID)

Upon completing the mandatory (yellow) fields as well as any optional field data, be sure to save the file by choosing the Save As option.

Note: If you are completing one Supplier Product Template per supplier, it is best practice to include the supplier name in the file name.

Select the CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) option from the File Type drop down.

Click Save.

Click Yes to the Compatibility Check if prompted.






Once you have completed the Supplier Product Template, and have saved it as a .csv document and click the Imp Template button on the Inventory Tab.

Choose the Supplier Product Template by placing a checkmark in the appropriate box

If you completed one Supplier Product Template per supplier, click the Select Supplier button.

Note: If you completed either of the last two Supplier ID columns on the Supplier Product Template, don’t use the Select Supplier button.

In the Supplier Search box, type your supplier’s name then click the Go button.

Click Select next to your supplier’s name.

You’ll see the Supplier’s name listed in the box. Click the lookup next to the Select Master field (assuming an Inventory Master List was created using the previous Part Number Template step).

Click Select next to the Inventory Master List.

The system number identifying your Inventory Master List will appear in the Select Master field. Click the Browse button to select your Supplier Product Template.


You’ll see the path to your file listed in the Select file to upload field. Click Submit


The import process will run every 10 minutes. If there are any issues with your upload, you will receive an email notification from BirchStreet letting you know what the errors are and how to correct them.

Assuming there were no errors with your upload, you can refresh your web page or log out and log back in. Select the Inventory Master List, and then click the Show supplier items checkbox. When the page refreshes, there will be a plus icon (+) next to each Part Number.

If you click the plus icon (+) next to any Part Number, the corresponding Supplier Item(s) you uploaded for it will be listed.

Now that you’ve added the Supplier Items, you’re ready to use the REQ Template to create your Outlet’s Inventory REQ Lists.

COMPLETE THE REQ TEMPLATE

Once the Part Number Template and Supplier Product Template have been uploaded, your Inventory Master List should contain all the Part Numbers, Supplier Items, On-Hand Quantity, Par Values, Sort Orders, Categories, Commodities, Location, Shelf, Bin, Department and GL Account information. You are now ready to create Inventory REQ Lists using the REQ List Template. When you use the REQ List Template to create Inventory Requisition Lists, all the information contained in the Inventory Master List Part Numbers will be copied over to the REQ List being created, saving considerable time.

Begin on the Inventory Tab and click the Exp Template button.

Click the REQ Template checkbox.

If prompted, click Open to open the file.

The REQ Template will open in a minimized view. Click the box in the upper right corner to maximize the spreadsheet.

You may also need to maximize the contents of the spreadsheet as well by clicking the box shown in red below.

At a minimum populate the required fields which are Part Number, Item Number, Item Description, Order UOM code, Order Price, and Inventory Items per Order UOM.

NOTE: values on row 3 of the template indicate the type of data allowed in the field and the length (in parenthesis). STRING (50) = any alpha/numeric value with a total length, including spaces, of 50 characters. NUMBER (10) = any positive number (including decimals) with a maximum of 10 digits. RECORDS not conforming to these values will not be uploaded.

All fields are shown below with descriptions of the information required for each. The critical fields are highlighted in yellow.

Field Name (As seen in Row 3 of the Template)

Description

Part Number This is the property’s internal product code, or Part #, for an item or group of items (i.e. 0498213 = All Filet Mignon 8 oz regardless of what supplier the items come from). NOTE: precede all Part #’s with a leading # sign (i.e. #0498213) -- Required

REQ UOM This is useful if Outlets have been provided more than one Requisition unit of measure (i.e. CAN and CS). Enter the Inventory or REQ UOM of the Part # in the location, or leave blank to default REQ UOM-- Optional

REQ Qty This amount will default in the Order Quantity field which is useful if the Outlet requests the same quantities all the time. This quantity can be cleared on the screen if not desired. This number must be positive and if left blank on the template will default to a quantity of 1 on the screen. -- Optional

Department This is used when Declining Checkbook is turned on. If the Department Code was added when the Part Number Template was uploaded, you do not need to include the information here. However if this REQ List is for a specific Outlet such as a Bar, it is best to provide the Department Code for the bar. This will ensure the Outlet Requisitions are

charged appropriately when using Declining Checkbook. Optional-Leading # sign required. -- Optional

GL Account Same as above. The GL account is general Cost of Food or Cost of Beverage (Liquor, Wine, Beer, or other) and is set up using the Part Number Template. Unless the items in this Inventory REQ List should have a GL account code other than that in the Inventory Master List, you do not need to fill this in. -- Optional

Sort Order This field will help drive the order in which the Inventory REQ List Part Numbers will appear on the screen. By default, with no Sort Order, Part Numbers will appear in alpha-numeric order of the Description field. Upper and lower case Part Numbers will be sorted separately as well. Adding a Sort Order can also help keep the products in the same order as the previous system’s sort order. -- Optional

Sample REQ Template

Upon completing the mandatory (yellow) fields as well as any optional field data, be sure to save the file by choosing the Save As option.

Change the file from Excel to the required .csv format by clicking the File Type drop down.

Select the CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) option from the File Type drop down.

Click Save.

Click Yes to the Compatibility Check if prompted.






Once you have completed the REQ Template, and have saved it as a .csv document, click the Imp Template button on the Inventory Tab.

Click the REQ Template checkbox.

Click the New Master checkbox if this is a brand new Inventory REQ List.

Note: If you are adding more products to an existing Inventory REQ List, you can use the lookup next to the Select Master field and select the existing Inventory REQ List instead.

Select the Storeroom Location from the Storeroom Location drop down list.

Note: This must be the same Storeroom Location as the Inventory Master List that contains the Part Numbers you added to your REQ Template.

Type the name of the Inventory REQ List you would like to create via import. Note: to make the Inventory REQ List available to other users (Shared), make sure to precede the name with an asterisk (*).

Note: It is also recommended to add the Outlet Name (or abbreviation) followed by the type of products being Requisitioned. Typically there is a Food Storeroom and a Beverage Storeroom. Therefore each Outlet will have at least two Inventory REQ Lists (one for food and one for beverages).

Once the name of the REQ List has been added, click the Browse button to browse for your file.


You’ll see the path to your file listed in the Select file to upload field. Click Submit


The import process will run every 10 minutes. If there are any issues with your upload, you will receive an email notification from BirchStreet letting you know what the errors are and how to correct them.

Assuming there were no errors with your upload, you can refresh your web page or log out and log back in. Look for the new Inventory REQ List in the drop down. All Inventory REQ Lists prefixed with “REQ_” in the drop down list will be shown. You will also notice your Part Numbers retained the Sort Order, Department, and GL Account information. If Category and Commodity information was available and provided when the Part Number Template was created, that information would be listed as well. If not, it can always be added after the fact. See Page 47.

Documents

Inventory Setup - BirchStreet Systems Procure-to … · Web viewIf you already know what your Part Number should be (for example if you are converting from another Inventory system