Purpose: Use the Work with Order Messages Screen to add messages to the order for inquiry only or that optionally print on the customer's:
• Invoice
• Pick slip(s)
• Invoice and pick slip(s)
• Refund check
• Gift acknowledgments
• Custom pick slip or master pick slip
• Order Broker packing slip for drop ship orders
• Quotes
The messages you enter on this screen are used for the current order only. It is attached to the order you are entering, but not to any other order for the customer.
Order-level messages: These messages do not apply to specific items on the order. For item-level messages, see the Work with Order Line Messages Screen.
Note: In addition to entering messages in order entry, you can also receive them through the order API as part of a new order. Also, the BROKER process writes messages when it creates a new retail pickup or delivery order; see Retail Pickup (including Ship-for-Pickup) or Delivery Orders.
In this chapter:
• Work with Order Messages Screen
Enter as many lines as necessary for the order message, but keep in mind that, if you print the message, your messages are limited to the space available on the documents.
Your messages print only if the print program you use supports them. The Order Management System base pick slip, invoice, and refund check print programs support printing customer messages; however, your unique print programs may not. These print programs are specified in the System Control table. The related system control value names, codes, and base programs are:
SCV Description |
Application Area |
Base Program |
Menu Option to Print |
Comments |
Fulfillment |
PICKG |
Prints up to four message lines flagged to print on Both or print on Picks. Messages print on any pick slips for the order. |
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Customer Service |
REFCHECK |
Processing Refunds (MREF) and Reprint Refunds Screen (MREP). |
Prints up to three message lines flagged as Check Cust in the in the check stub area of the first refund check you print. Lines flagged as Check Int do not print on the base refund check. After printing, the system changes Check Cust flags to Chk Cst Msg Print and Check Int flags to Chk Int Msg Print. Change the flags back to include the messages on a subsequent refund check. When you reprint refunds, the messages from the original refund check print. |
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Customer Service |
GIFTACKG |
Prints up to four message lines flagged as print on Both, print on Picks, or print as Gift Msg. Note: Message lines flagged as print as Gift Msg only print on gift orders. |
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Order Entry |
QUOTE or QUOTEG |
Print/Email Quote Window in order entry/maintenance |
Prints up to four message lines flagged as print on Quote. See Quote Form. |
Changing print flags/deleting message lines: The system does not prevent you from changing the print flag on an existing message line, or deleting message lines at any point; however, simply changing the flag or deleting the line may not produce the result you expect. The reason for this is that the system sometimes determines which message information to print by the position of the message line. For example, if you delete any message lines and then reprint a refund check, the correct messages do not print on the refund check because the system does not find the refund message lines in the expected positions.
To avoid errors, you should use a new line for each new message.
Reprinting refunds/additional refunds: A group of message lines remain associated with the refund check where they first print, so that if you need to reprint a refund check the correct messages appear. If there are additional transactions against the order and you print one or more new refund checks after the first check, each group of message lines is associated with the check where they first appear.
For example, you enter a prepaid order with an overpayment, and print a refund check with a message explaining the reason. Subsequently, the customer returns an item, and you generate a new refund check with a message related to the return. If at any point you need to reprint the first refund check, the system includes the original message on the reprint.
Reprinting/additional pick slips and invoices: Any eligible message lines do print each time you print or reprint a pick slip or invoice. These message lines are not associated with any particular shipments against an order.
Reprinting quotes: Any eligible message lines print each time you print or reprint a quote. See Quote Form.
Maximum lines for printing: If you enter more message lines than can print on the refund check, the flags on the unprinted lines still change to a printed status after you print the check. For example, if you enter five lines with a Chk Cust flag and use the base refund check print program, only three lines print on the check, yet all five lines are flagged as printed.
Work with Order Messages Screen
How to use this screen: Select Next to enter or review additional messages, when necessary.
The option to print is available for each line of order messages. For example, if you want each line to print on the invoice and pick slips, you must enter this print code for each order message line. Alternatively, some order messages you enter may be for use by Customer Service; in this case, enter the code that specifies that the message should not print at all.
Enter the order message(s). Notice that these order messages now appear in inquiry mode, meaning that you cannot update them. You must select Add/Change to update existing order messages.
View order messages in FIFO or LIFO sequence? The word FIFO or LIFO is in the top right corner of the screen indicating if you are viewing:
• order messages in FIFO (first in, first out; meaning oldest to newest messages) sequence, or
• order messages in LIFO (last in, last out; meaning newest to oldest messages) sequence
Select View by FIFO/LIFO to toggle between viewing order messages in FIFO sequence or LIFO sequence; when you first advance to the screen, order messages display in FIFO sequence.
The system looks at the Date for the order message to determine the FIFO and LIFO sequence. Within each date, the system displays the order messages in sequence.
Example: When you view the order messages in FIFO sequence the messages are listed as:
order message sequence 1 |
11/25/06 |
order message sequence 2 |
11/25/06 |
order message sequence 3 |
11/26/06 |
order message sequence 4 |
11/27/06 |
When you view the order messages in LIFO sequence, the messages display as:
order message sequence 4 |
11/27/06 |
order message sequence 3 |
11/26/06 |
order message sequence 1 |
11/25/06 |
order message sequence 2 |
11/25/06 |
Default messages: Default messages are standard order or gift messages that you enter on orders on a regular basis. Instead of having to retype a standard message, the user can select from the correct message from a list. This option saves time and helps avoid typographical errors. When a user selects a default message to add to an order, the message text defaults to the Message field, and the print code defaults to the Print field; however, the user can still override the default message text and the print code or add to the default message text. For example, after selecting Happy Birthday, the user can modify the message line to read Happy Birthday, Mom! Love, Alex and Beth.
To add a default message: Use the following steps to add a default message to the Work with Order Messages screen.
1. |
At the Work with Order Messages screen, select the prompt arrow next to a blank Message field to advance to the Select Default Message Screen. |
2. |
At the Select Default Message Screen, review and select a default message. When you select a default message, the system returns you to the Work with Order Messages screen and: • Defaults the Message (Default text) to the Messages field. • Defaults the Print Code for the default message to the Print field. |
3. |
Optionally, modify the Messages field and Print field for the message line. |
See Working with Default Messages (WMSG) for more background.
Change or delete existing messages? The Modify Existing Messages (A30) secured feature controls the ability to change or delete an existing order message.
How to display this screen: Select Messages at the Work with Order Screen or in standard or streamlined order inquiry.
If you Use Workflow Management (H96):
• select Notes for a tickler at the Work with Tickler Screen (user/group view) or Workflow Management Screen (tickler supervisor)
• select OK at the Create Tickler Screen
• select Notes at the Change Tickler Screen or Display Tickler Screen.
Field |
Description |
Order # |
A unique number assigned by the system to identify an order. Numeric, 8 positions; display-only, assigned by the system. |
Sold to (Sold-to customer number) |
A number assigned by the system to identify the customer placing an order. Numeric, 9 positions; display-only, assigned by the system. |
Customer name (Unlabeled field to the right of the customer #) |
The last, first and middle initial of the sold-to customer (the customer who is placing the order). If there is a company name, this information appears first, followed by the word ATTN: and the customer contact name. Last name The customer's last name. Alphanumeric, 25 positions; display-only. First name The customer's first name. Alphanumeric, 15 positions; display-only. Initial The initial of the customer's middle name. Alphanumeric, 1 position; display-only. Company name The company name. Alphanumeric, 30 positions; display-only. |
Ship to (Ship-to number) |
The sold-to number of the customer to receive shipment of the order, if it is different from the sold-to customer. This number is blank if the order is shipped to the sold-to customer. Numeric, 9 positions; display-only, updated by the system. |
Customer name (Unlabeled field to the right of the Ship-to) |
The last, first and middle initial of the ship-to customer (the customer who receives the order). If there is a company name, only this information appears. Last name The customer's last name. Alphanumeric, 25 positions; display-only. First name The customer's first name. Alphanumeric, 15 positions; display-only. Initial The initial of the customer's middle name. Alphanumeric, 1 position; display-only. Company name The company name. Alphanumeric, 30 positions; display-only. |
Messages |
Use these fields to enter message lines for this order. These messages are attached to the current order only, and do not update the customer record. You can flag a message to print by entering a code in the Print field; however, you can also enter non-printing order messages for inquiry only. The customer does not see these messages. The system treats each order message line as a separate message, so you can specify a different printing option for each order message line. Default Message Select the prompt arrow next to a blank Messages field to advance to the Select Default Message Screen, where you can review and select a default message to default its message text and print code to the Messages and Print fields. Default messages are defined in and validated against the Default Message table. Alphanumeric, 60 positions each line. |
The code you enter in this field determines whether the order message line prints or is available for internal use only. Valid values are: • Both = Print on both invoice and pick slip • Check Cust = Print on refund check only • Gift Msg = Gift message • Invoices = Print on invoice only • Nowhere or blank = Do not print • Picks = Print on pick slip only • Quote = Print on the Quote Form • Check Int = Print on detachable area of refund check not visible to the customer |
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• User = Print on the document defined by the user, such as a custom pick slip. If there is no user-defined document, the message does not print anywhere in Order Management System. You must enter a print flag for each order message line to define how the system handles the message, whether it prints it, and where it prints it. See Print Restrictions. Optional. |
Date |
The date when the message was created. Numeric, 6 positions (in user date format); display-only. |
User |
The user ID of the person who entered the message. If the order was generated through the Generating Membership Orders (EGMO) option, the user ID identifies the person who submitted the membership generation job. Alphanumeric, 10 positions; display-only. |
When you complete this screen: Select OK when you finish entering, reviewing or deleting order messages. These order messages are attached to the current order only.
Screen Option |
Procedure |
Toggle between displaying order messages in FIFO (first in, first out; meaning oldest to newest message) or LIFO (last in, first out; meaning newest to oldest message) |
Select View by FIFO/LIFO. The word FIFO or LIFO is in the top right corner of the screen, depending on which message order you are viewing. |
Switch between having previously entered messages enterable or display-only |
Select Add/Change. To change: Position your cursor in the message line and edit it as needed. You can also change the setting of the Print flag. Click OK when you are done. To delete: Double-click a message line to select it and then delete the text. You also need to clear the Print flag and click OK to delete the message. Note: This option is not available if you do not have authority under the Modify Existing Messages (A30) secured feature. |
