Dummy Stock Item¶
It is possible to buy roller fabric in different roll widths.
This means that when a fabric is chosen for a blind, we want to use the most sensible width according to the blind size. 
Here is an example.
There is a roller fabric called ‘Fabric’ which can be bought in 4 different roll widths: 1600mm, 2000mm, 2500mm and 3100mm.
The supplier of this fabric has four different stock codes for this fabric: Fabric1, Fabric2, Fabric3 and Fabric4.
The code ‘Fabric’ is not a real stock item and only acts as a dummy code to find the real code to use.
There is also a possibility that the supplier sells the fabric as a square metre price instead of a linear metre price (all fabrics in Blindata are currently in linear metre price).
When we choose the fabric in the blind detail entry, we do not want to have to choose between Fabric1, Fabric2, Fabric3 or Fabric4.
We only want to choose Fabric and then get the system to calculate which actual stock code to use.
There is a further complication in that the blind manufacturer may want to cut two blinds from one width.
If a roll width was 2500mm, the manufacturer could cut two pieces of fabric that are 1200mm wide.
We need to take this into account as well.
We also need to take into account the scrap that is used.
If a blind has a width of 1100mm and a drop of 1800mm and is to be cut from a 1600mm roll width fabric, the amount of fabric required in square metres is 1.98 sq. m.
But the bit left over is scrap, so in reality, the cost of the fabric used is 1600mm * 1800mm = 2.88 sq. m.
If the cost of the fabric is £10 per square metre, then the actual cost (including scrap) is £28.80.
Work Done
We have created a new field in the stock record called ‘Square Metre Pricing’.
If true, then the unit cost price will act as the square metre price.
We have a new table to hold the dummy stock code, roll width and real stock code.
This table is called ‘Fabric Roll Widths’ and is held in Administration > System Tables.
When the blind detail line is entered, the dummy fabric code is selected – it has a calculator of ‘Roll Width’.
The real stock code to be used is found by looking in the ‘Fabric Roll Widths’ table.
This is found by making sure that the width or drop (depending on whether the fabric is turnable or not) is lower than the roll width in the ‘Fabric Roll Widths’ table.
Actual Example
We are making blinds using the fabric ‘Fabric’.
We have a dummy code called ‘Fabric’ and four real fabrics, Fabric1 (roll width = 1600mm), Fabric2 (roll width = 2000mm), Fabric3 (roll width = 2500mm) and Fabric4 (roll width = 3100mm).
The fabric is turnable. The real stock codes have ‘Square Metre Pricing’ = true and the price is £10 per square metre.
We have to enter an order that has blinds of the following sizes:
Width Drop
1100 1800
1100 1900
800 900
850 1200
2100 2300
2600 2700
The ‘Fabric Roll Widths’ table is set up as follows:
Dummy Code Roll Width Real Code
Fabric 1250 Fabric3
Fabric 1600 Fabric1
Fabric 2000 Fabric2
Fabric 2500 Fabric3
Fabric 3100 Fabric4
The first blind can be cut from Fabric3 using roll width 1250. The fabric required is 1100 * 1800 = 1.98 sq. m. but there is wastage (scrap) of 150mm * 1800mm = 0.27sq. m. so the total fabric usage is 2.25 sq. m.
We could also cut the fabric from Fabric2 because 1800mm fits into 2000mm.
The same square meterage of fabric is required to make the blind, but the wastage is only 0.22 sq. m.
Therefore the total fabric usage is 2.2 sq. m. and this should be used. The cost will be £22.00.
The second blind will have the same logic as the first.
The third blind will be cut from Fabric3 using the roll width of 1250mm. The total fabric usage will be 800mm * 1250mm = 1 sq. m. and the cost will be £10.00.
The fourth blind will have the same logic as the third.
The fifth blind will use Fabric3, roll width 2500mm. The total fabric usage will be 2100mm * 2500mm = 5.25 sq. m. and the cost will be £52.50.
The sixth blind will use Fabric4 and the total fabric usage will be 2600mm * 3100mm = 8.06 sq. m. The cost will be £80.60.
When the bill of materials record is written, we should ignore the scrap % in the stock item record.
For the first blind, the quantity is 1.98, the price (1) is £19.80, the scrap is 0.22 and the price including scrap (2) is £22.00.
Order Processing > Quotation > Square Metre Calculation
The fabric cost with scrap is now being stored in the BOM when the fabric is being chosen from a dummy fabric and square metre pricing is being used
Administration > Import From Excel
There is a new choice on this form called ‘Import Stock Dummies’.
This import records from a spreadsheet with two columns: stock code, dummy code.
Order Processing > Orders > Fabric Widths
We already have a calculator called ‘Roll Width’ against stock item record and it indicates that is a dummy fabric with different roll widths and the ‘Fabric Roll Widths’ system table.
There is now a choice so the user does not have to choose the specific fabric after they have selected the dummy fabric. It can be calculated automatically using the biggest roll width. 
There is a new parameter in the blind type record (only show if blind identifier = Roller or Austrian/Roman) called ‘Auto Calc Fabric Roll Width’.
The dummy fabric should be set up with calculator = ‘Roll Width’.
In Administration > System Tables > Fabric Roll Widths, we can hold the real fabrics that are related to the dummy fabrics.
When an order is entered for a fabric with calculator = ‘Roll Width’, it will then try to find the associated fabric with the widest roll width and use it.
Therefore we now hold the dummy fabric chosen against the order detail – and display it in the order detail entry form.
There is one other issue we need to address, though.
When an order is entered with the dummy fabric, the dummy fabric description needs to appear on certain reports ie the ones the customer gets – quotations, acknowledgements, invoices.
Administration > Import From Excel > Dummy Fabrics
There is now an import routine called ‘Dummy Fabrics’ so records can be imported to the ‘Fabric Roll Widths’ system table.
The spreadsheet contains fields for Dummy Stock Code, Roll Width, Real Stock Code.
If ‘Imperial Setup’ = true, then the roll widths will be in imperial sizes. The dummy/real fabric functionality in order entry will allow for this.
3213. Cityscape Fabrics
One supplier has introduced a new range of fabrics with pictures of different city landscapes on them, called ‘Cityscape’. The fabric is pulled off the roll like this (see below).
The pictures can either be 1600mm deep or 2500mm. Obviously the calculator has to be set for ‘Drop’ for these fabrics, but we now also hold the length of the ‘Cityscape’ in pattern repeat.
The fabrics will be set up with two different stock codes, so this is a similar problem to the one we have for fabrics that are the same except they have different roll widths.
When an order is entered for one of these fabrics, we need to check the drop against the pattern repeat to see which is the best one to use.
Let’s use the example of pattern repeats of 1600mm and 2500mm.
If the drop (including the add on amount) <= 1600, then the first fabric should be used.
If the drop (inc. add on amount) > 1600 and <= 2500, then use the second fabric.
If the drop (inc. add on amount) > 2500, the blind cannot be made.
There is a new flag held against the stock item called ‘Pattern Repeat Dummy Fabric’, which is used to indicate it is for a dummy fabric only.
As soon as it is checked a new tab appears on the ‘Stock Item Amend’ form called ‘Pattern Related Fabrics’ for allowing real fabric codes to be entered against the dummy fabric.
When an order detail is entered and the dummy fabric is selected, a warning message appears to says that is a dummy fabric and it is being replaced by real one.
. Order Enquiry > Processes
Some amendments have been made for the way stock is deducted if ‘Batch Numbering’ is switched on for a fabric. This also relates to fabrics which have multiple roll widths.
When the order is entered, the fabric selected will default to the largest roll width after the dummy fabric has been chosen. However a different roll width may be used to make the blinds.
It is now possible to select the fabric cut processes and then be able to enter the batch number (from a lookup) and the inches used, like this.
The batch number lookup display all the batch numbers that relate to the dummy fabric.
So let’s say we have the following fabrics, and the order detail line has AAA3 in it.
Fabric AAA, description = ‘Fabric AAA’, dummy = true
Fabric AAA1, description = ‘Fabric AAA’ 70” ‘, dummy = false, roll width = 72
Fabric AAA2, description = ‘Fabric AAA’ 96” ‘, dummy = false, roll width = 96
Fabric AAA3, description = ‘Fabric AAA’ 120” ‘, dummy = false, roll width = 120
The following batch numbers are held:
AAA1: batch numbers 1234, 1345, 1456
AAA2: batch numbers 1245, 1567, 1568
AAA3: batch numbers 1666, 1667
So when the batch number lookup is done in ‘Processes’, it will show:
1234
1245
1345
1456
1567
1568
1666
1667
Let’s say batch number 1567 is selected and the amount entered. The following then happens.
The ‘On Sales Order’ amount for AAA3 will be reduced and the relevant stock transaction will be deleted. The BOM record for AAA3 will be removed and replaced by AAA2.
The ‘On Sales Order’ figure for AAA2 will be unchanged, but the stock amount in the stock item batch number will be reduced and the stock in hand figure also reduced.
A stock transaction record will also be added.
This will have to be done for each record that has been selected.
In the ‘Processes’ form, the amount used will be stored against the first process record and zero will be held against the other records selected.
Order Processing > Different Fabric Widths
At the moment we have a functionality where a dummy fabric can be entered and an actual fabric is then selected (after looking up the ‘Fabric Roll Widths’ table).
We have a parameter called ‘Save Dummy Fabric In Order Entry’ that determines whether the dummy fabric should be kept in the order detail line or not.
We have now introduced functionality to select the correct roll width to use.
Previously the only way to do this was to enter an order for a fabric with multiple roll widths, select a fabric with the first roll width, check the cost price (and write it down manually), then use ‘Global’ to change the fabric to the next size roll width and do the same again. After all the fabrics with different roll widths have been tried, the most cost effective one is then selected.
There is a new flag on the order entry form called ‘Auto Select Roll Width’.
This will be enabled if the parameter ‘Auto Select Roll width’ (in Administration > Parameters) is switched on and a relevant fabric has been selected in one of the order detail lines.
We did not make this an automatic routine, because it would have significantly increased processing time, as it would have run this routine every time an order was saved.
First of it, it checks to see if the fabric selected is available in multiple roll widths ie is it in the ‘Fabric Roll Width’ table?
If there are 3 fabrics with the same colour but different fabrics, it runs a routine to check which is the most efficient to use. This will involve replacing the fabric in the detail lines, optimising on the fabric and then holding the cost price total as a variable. This will be done for each fabric and then the fabric that has the lowest total cost price should be selected.
There are a couple of other things we need to take into consideration here.
If the user is going to select a dummy fabric in the order detail entry, the user should not have the choice of selecting the specific size fabric. This means the
For example, if we have dummy fabric ‘Fabric AAA’, and it is related to ‘Fabric AAA1’, ‘Fabric AAA”’ and ‘Fabric AAA3’, then only ‘Fabric AAA’ should be visible in the order detail entry.
We therefore need a flag to identify the related fabrics so they are not shown in the drop down.
In the documentation that goes to the customer – order acknowledgement, delivery docket and invoice, this should show the dummy fabric description, not the specific fabric one.
This needs further discussion.
Here is the new parameter in Administration > Parameters called ‘Auto Select Roll Width’.
Purchase Order Enquiry > Generate Regular PO
It is no longer possible to add a dummy item to a purchase order.
Order Enquiry > Processes
If a fabric does not have a related dummy fabric or any related roll widths, it is now possible to update the batch number and amount used in the footer and not in each individual selected line.