Fulfilment Methods: The Questions you need Answering

Fulfillment Methods: The Questions you need Answering

In Process Improvement, Sage 200 by Holly Crompton

Reading Time: 4 minutes

What are fulfillment methods?

Setting fulfillment methods within Sage 200 allows you to choose where your items are coming from on the sales order.

What options do I have?

There are three options that you can use;
1. From Stock
2. From Supplier via Stock
3. From Supplier Direct to Customer

From Stock
This is the most common option that companies tend to use for processing. This is used for your held stock, the sales order is allocated and dispatched and the value of the stock is reduced in your stock control module.

From Supplier via Stock
By selecting this option, you are able to use back-to-back sales order processing. So when you create the sales order you are able to generate a purchase order directly from that order. You will then need to confirm the goods received in order to process the sales order and dispatch it to your customer.

From Supplier Direct to Customer
Similar to ‘From Supplier via Stock’, this options enables you to generate a purchase order from the sales order. But the stock ordered is delivered to the delivery address on the Sales Order instead, rather than the warehouse. So the address on the Purchase Order you send to your supplier will be the address of your customer.

Where can I select these?

These options can be set within the stock module itself; Stock Control > Utilities > System Set Up > Stock Control Settings
The tab you need to go to is aptly named SOP Fulfilment Methods. Here you can then select which fulfilment methods are to be used on your system.

Where can I select which one I use?

You can select the fulfilment on the line level of the Sales Order when selecting the stock item, so if you only need one of the lines ordering direct from the supplier then this is possible.

New Order Line Fulfilment Method

Stock Items

The fulfillment method for each individual stock item is changeable. You are able to do this within Stock Control > Stock Records > Stock Order Fulfilment

So when you come to select the stock item on the order line, the one set in Stock Order Fulfilment will be chosen by default. You are still then able to choose from the drop-down list if this needs changing, but the other two options are there if needed.

In the Stock Order Fulfilment screen, you are able to change the fulfillment methods for either;

  • Single Stock Item – by selecting the item line and then clicking Change Method and selecting the option you would like.

Single Item Fulfilment Method

  • Single Product Group – exactly the same as changing the method for a single stock item, but you can do them altogether by clicking and holding shift to select more than one line.

Product Group Fulfilment Methods

  • All Items – here you can pick and choose from the list which ones you want to change the fulfilment method for

All Items Fulfilment Methods

Suppliers

When using fulfilment methods, it is good practice to set up preferred suppliers for stock items. For example, when I went into a product group to set all the items to ‘From Supplier’ I had the below error message pop up.

Unable to change Fulfilment Method

The two fulfilment methods ‘From Supplier via Stock’ and ‘Direct to Customer’ both need preferred suppliers setting up. To set this up go to Stock Control > Stock Records > Stock Item Suppliers

Within this window, you can add as many suppliers as you like for the Stock Item and select which Preferred Supplier you wish.

Hopefully, now you know a bit more about the 3 different types of Fulfilment Methods in Sage 200. If your interested in learning more about this topic, take a look at Mark’s blog on Drop Shipping or have a listen to our Podcast on Everything Stock.