Management of Carriers¶
To manage deliveries in OpenERP, install the delivery module. To do that, use the Reconfigure wizard and select Delivery Costs under the Sales Application Configuration section for installation.
This module enables you to manage:
- the different carriers with whom you work,
- the different transport methods,
- cost calculation and invoicing of each delivery,
- the transport methods and their tariffs.
Once the delivery module has been installed, the first thing to do is to configure the different modes of delivery accepted by your company. To do that, use the menu Warehouse ‣ Configuration ‣ Delivery ‣ Delivery Method.
For each delivery mode, you should define the following elements:
- Name of the delivery mode,
- The partner associated with the transport (which can be your own company),
- The associated product.
Let’s give you an example:
| Carrier | Carrier Partner | Delivery Product |
|---|---|---|
| Express Track | Mail Office | Express Track Delivery |
| Priority Courier | Mail Office | Courier Express Delivery |
| EFG Standard | EFG Inc | Delivery EFG |
| EFG Express | EFG Inc | Delivery EFG Express |
Information about the invoicing of transport (such as accounts, applicable taxes) is entered in the product linked to the delivery mode. Ideally the product should be configured as Product Type Service and Procurement Method Make to Stock.
You can use the same product for several delivery modes. This simplifies the configuration, but it has the disadvantage that you will not be able to separate your sales figures by delivery mode.
Tariff Grids¶
Unlike ordinary products, delivery prices are not proposed through pricelists but through delivery grids, designed specifically for this purpose. For each delivery mode, you enter one or several tariff grids. Each grid is used for a given region/destination.
For example, for the postal tariffs for Priority Courier, you generally define the three tariff grids for Mail Office:
- Courier National,
- Courier Europe,
- Courier Outside Europe.
To define a new delivery grid, use the menu Warehouse ‣ Configuration ‣ Delivery ‣ Delivery Pricelist. Give a name to your delivery grid and define the region for which the tariffs in the grid will apply in the second tab Destination. There you can set:
- A list of countries (for UK or Europe, for example),
- A list of states,
- A range of postal codes (for Paris you might have 75000 – 75900).
You must then set the rules for calculating the transport price in the first tab Grid definition. A rule must first of all have a name. Then set the condition for which this rule is applicable, for example Weight < 0.5kg.
Note
Weights
Weights are expressed in kilograms. You can define a number with a decimal point or comma, so to set 500g you would put 0.5 in the weight rule.
Next you can set the sale price and the cost price. Prices can be expressed in various ways:
- a fixed price,
- a variable price, as a function of weight, volume, weight x volume or price.
For example, mailing within France using current tariffs would be defined as shown in the table below:
| Name | Condition | Price | Price Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Weight < 3 kg | 6.90 | Fixed |
| M | Weight < 5 kg | 7.82 | Fixed |
| L | Weight < 6 kg | 8.53 | Fixed |
| XL | Weight < 7 kg | 9.87 | Fixed |
You can also define rules that depend on the total amount on the order. For example to offer fixed price delivery if the total order amount is greater than 150 USD, add the following rule:
| Name | Condition | Price | Price Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franked > 150 USD | Price > 150 USD | 10 | Fixed |
Delivery Modes¶
Once the delivery modes and their corresponding tariffs have been defined, you can use them in a Sales Order. There are two methods for doing that in OpenERP.
- Delivery based on Ordered Quantities,
- Delivery based on Shipped Quantities.
Delivery based on Ordered Quantities¶
To add the delivery charges to the quotation, use the button Delivery Costs available on the Sales Order tab of the form. A dialog box opens, asking you to select a delivery mode from one of the preconfigured available ones.
Adding a delivery charge to an order
Once the delivery mode has been selected, OpenERP automatically adds a line to the draft order with the amount calculated by the delivery function. This technique enables you to calculate the delivery charge based on the order and then, separately, how the products will really be delivered to the customer.
If you want to calculate the exact delivery charges depending on the actual deliveries, you must use invoicing based on deliveries.
Delivery based on Shipped Quantities¶
To invoice the delivery according to the items shipped, you set the delivery mode in the Delivery Method field on the second tab of the order, Other Information. Do not add delivery lines to the Sales Order but to the Invoices after they have been generated for the delivered items.
For this to work properly, your order must be set to the state Invoice from Delivery. You can then confirm the order and validate the delivery.
When the manager has generated the invoices corresponding to the deliveries carried out, OpenERP automatically adds a line on each invoice corresponding to the delivery charge, calculated on the basis of the items actually sent.