The information about the requested products and the requested quantity of these products is captured in the sales order, and it must be checked if the order can be fulfilled on the date wished by the customer. It is also necessary to determine the storage location the goods will be delivered from. This order saved, but not submitted (posted) yet.
Business Process Diagram
How to Perform ATP
The Available-to-Promise (ATP) check against stock verifies whether the required quantity of finished goods can be sold to the customer at the requested date. The check is carried out against actual or projected finished goods inventory.
The required quantity of the goods requested by the client is entered into the sales order. Now the check of the availability can be performed.
Check the availability of these goods immediately in the sales order through the special workplace Order fulfillment state. Go to the tab Goods and click Supply→Supply forecast. The workplace displays each position of goods and their availability in the determined warehouse and in all other warehouses of the company:
The reserve in the warehouse is marked in green if the goods can be shipped by the required date or a purchase order is placed for goods that are out of stock.
The reserve in the warehouse is marked in gray if some of the goods are out of stock in the warehouse.
The reserve in the warehouse is marked in yellow if the goods can be shipped partially.
Check the availability of goods with the special report Stock balance and availability. Go to Warehouse and delivery→Warehouse reports→Stock balance and availability. The report shows quantity for all positions of goods or for the selected position: goods are in stock and being shipped, available and reserved goods, goods that are expected to be received or shipped.
Sometimes other constraints like transportation capacity or handling capacity need to be integrated into the ATP check.
If the ATP check provides expected results go to instruction How to Confirm date and quantities to order.
If the ATP check does not provide expected results go to instruction How to Calculate alternative delivery date
How to Confirm date and quantities to order
The required positions of requested goods are available and ready to be delivered at the requested date. Reserve (exclude from available stock) the requested product quantity through the Order fulfillment state workplace or click the line on the column Actions and choose Reserve at warehouse.
The reserved quantity of goods is not available for other orders and information about this reservation is displayed in the report Stock balance and availability.
Send confirmation to the customer by any channels: by phone, by email, by mail, via a self-service portal, through interfaces with external systems.
How to Calculate alternative delivery date
The Order fulfillment state workplace gives recommendations for choosing the optimal supply option. Then the recommendations are fulfilled, the result is transferred to the edited order. The supply options, shipping dates change, and the lines can be split automatically according to the current state of the supply.
Goods in stock can be reserved in the warehouse (excluded from available stock). Click on Reserve at warehouse. These goods can be shipped today and the shipment date is set to the current date.
If the client wants to receive goods in stock today, then a partial shipment of these goods can be offered. The rest of the goods can be shipped when they will be available at the warehouse.
Goods out of stock can be placed in the sales order if they are expected to be delivered from a supplier. Click on Provide on pegging basis. Goods are reserved by the expected delivery date that is specified in the related purchase order. This date is set as the shipment date in the sales order.
Goods out of stock that are not expected to be delivered are planned to be supplied. Click on To supply. The shipment date of these goods is equal to the shipment date that is required by the customer.
Substitute goods can be offered to clients if the required goods are out of stock and are not expected to be delivered. Click on Fill in→Select goods to open the product selection form and select from the list an item with similar basic properties and characteristics.
Backorder processing
How to Inform customer about alternative date
The sales manager sends the customer proposals of alternate dates, substitute products or partial shipments by any channels: e.g. by phone, by email, by mail, via a self-service portal.
How to Receive response to alternative delivery date
The sales manager receives the customer response to proposals:
If a new shipment date meets the requirements of the client, go to the order, change the delivery date and send another confirmation.
If a new shipment date does not meet the requirements, offer partial shipments.
If the customer accepts the division into 2 or more deliveries - reflect it in the order.
If the customer does not accept the partial shipments, offer substitute products.
If the customer does not accept the final proposal then cancel the order and describe the reason.