V8 - Creating and modifying data records

Every type of data record in SOS Inventory—whether it is an item, customer, vendor, transaction, warranty, alert, etc.—is created and modified using an Edit page. Collectively, the data entered in the Edit page fields form the definition for that record.

Edit page navigation bar

Although Edit page data fields vary depending on the record type, the navigation bar at the top left of the page has buttons that are present on most Edit pages:

reply Back Arrow. Returns to the previous page in SOS Inventory (a list, Home, Calendar, etc.).

local_printshop Print. Opens a window that contains a variety of print functions.

Save and Close. Completes the edit and returns to the list in which the data record is stored.
 

More. Provides alternatives to closing an Edit page after it has been saved. More may or may not be present on the Navigation bar of an Edit page, depending on its record type. The availability of the dropdown options listed below also vary, according to record type.

• Save and go to. If you use the Create* action to generate a transaction from an associated parent transaction, Save and go to will take you to the generated transaction's list upon saving. For example, if you have used the Create shipment action on a sales order to generate a new shipment, Save and go to will take you to the Shipments list when that shipment transaction is saved. By contrast, if Save and close is selected for the generated shipment, SOS Inventory will take you to the list of the parent transaction—in this case, the Sales orders list.
• Save and keep editing. Saves the Edit page of the record and allows you to continue editing it.
• Save and new. Saves the Edit page of the current record and opens new Edit page of the same record type.
• Save and PDF. Saves the Edit page and generates a PDF of the record using the template you specify.  Save and PDF is a shortcut for the PDF option on the Actions menu.
• Save and send. Saves the Edit page and opens a window allowing you to send an email with a PDF attachment of the record, using the template you specify. Save and send is a shortcut for the Email option on the Actions menu.
• Save and ship. Generates a shipment transaction upon saving a sales receipt. Save and ship is a shortcut for the Create shipment option on the Actions menu of sales receipt records.

Accessing a blank Edit page to create a record

SOS Inventory offers three different ways of opening a blank Edit page to add a new data record:

Add new and Quick add methods for creating new data records

The icons for the first two methods, the list page's Add new button and the Task bar's Quick add feature, are shown below: 

The Add new button on a list. The Add new button on list pages can be used to create any type of record in SOS Inventory. The new record will be of the same type as its associated list. (For example, using the Add new button on the Purchase Orders list will create a new purchase order.) 

The Task bar's Quick add icon. This option can be used only when creating a new item, customer, vendor, or transaction. Select the Quick add icon, then choose the type of record you want from the dropdown list.

Adding a new item, customer, or vendor via a transaction

The third method to add a new record—via a transaction page—is a timesaver when you are creating a transaction that also involves an item, customer, or vendor that is not already in SOS Inventory.

Adding an item to a transaction. In the Item column, place the cursor in a line-item cell and either select the blue arrow at the right end of the data field or begin typing the name of the new item. When the item dropdown list appears, select Add new item:

A popup window then appears, as shown in the screenshot below. Type the item name in the Name field, then select Add. In this example, a new item called Oreo Cookie Bars is being added. The system will close the pop-up window and return to the transaction.

The new item, Oreo Cookie Bars, will be added as a line item in the transaction, but you must manually enter all other necessary data for that item. Upon saving the transaction, SOS Inventory automatically adds Oreo Cookie Bars to the Items list and includes in the item definition relevant data that you entered on the transaction.

Adding a new vendor or customer. The process for adding new vendors or customers via a transaction follows the same pattern as for items. For vendors, begin by choosing Add new vendor from the Vendor field dropdown. For customers, select Add new customer from the Customer dropdown. Manually enter all relevant vendor address or customer billing and shipping address information on the transaction. Upon saving the transaction, SOS will add a new customer or vendor to the appropriate list.

Generating a new transaction from a parent transaction

SOS Inventory enables you to track associated transactions (such as the purchasing, manufacturing, shipping, and invoice transactions associated with an individual sale) by using the Create * action. When the Create * action is used, SOS Inventory will generate a new record, automatically pulling all relevant data from the parent transaction into a new Edit page of the desired transaction type. On item receipts, Create * options include Create transfer and Create return to vendor, as shown in the screenshot below:

The Create * action options for a given record vary, depending upon its transaction type.

A sales order is the most commonly used parent transaction for generating other types of related transactions. The Create * action on a sales order includes options to generate a purchase order, transfer, job, work order, pick ticket, shipment, invoice, return merchandise authorization (RMA), and return. 

The transaction reference number used for most types of generated transactions--sales orders, pick tickets, shipments, jobs, and returns--will be the same as that of its parent. For example, a sales order's transaction number is also used as the reference number for the shipment transaction generated from the sales order. For invoices, the Child forms inherit transaction number setting (Company > Company settings) must be enabled if you want the invoice to inherit the parent transaction number.

The data imported into a new record from its parent can be edited as needed.

Accessing an Edit page to modify an existing data record

To open an existing data record, go to its list, then select the Edit action for that data record. The record's Edit page will open for viewing or editing. Be sure to save the record after making any changes.