Weight¶
Please check the Weight Conversions section first.
We are able to calculate the weight of a blind.
This is done by blind type, width, drop and fabric weight group.
Therefore we have created a new table for ‘Fabric Weight Group’ (in Administration > System Tables, a new field in the fabrics table for fabric weight group and a new table to hold weights by blind type, width, drop and fabric weight group.
The functionality of this is similar to the ‘Price Table Enquiry’ form (without the uplift options), with the fabric weight group replacing the fabric group and ‘Price code’ not required.
This table can be accessed in the Blind Details > Blind Types > Blind Type Weights tab.
We have also changed the quotation/order entry program so the weight of a blind is calculated (by looking up the blind type weights table) and the total weight for the order is displayed in the ‘Totals’ tab.
Weights Multiplier
We have added two fields at the end of the technical datasheet, called ‘Blind Fitted Weight’ and ‘Boxed Weight for Carriage’.
The ‘Blind Fitted Weight’ is the total weight of the blinds in the quotation.
The ‘Boxed Weight for Carriage’ is the total weight of the blinds in the quotation multiplied by a multiplier figure from a new table called ‘Weights Multiplier’.
This is held in Administration > System Tables and contains two fields, Quantity (of blinds) and Multiplier.
As an example, if there are 7 blinds on the quotation (weighing 15.6 kg in total), the multiplier will be 1.58, therefore the ‘Boxed Weight for Carriage’ will be 15.6 * 1.58 = 24.648 kg.
Blind Types > Blind Details > Link Options
We have improved the link option functionality. If a choice is not selected and a link field is chosen, the user can enter a choice, then width and drop minimums and maximums.
It is now possible to choose ‘Fabric Weight Group’ here as well.
If the ‘Fabric Weight Group’ is left blank, then the functionality will operate as it does at present.
Quotations > Technical Data Sheet
The weights shown on the totals page now include the weights multiplier and not just show the total of the weights entered in the blind weights tab in the blind types section.
Administration > Import From Excel
We are now able to import records to the Box Blinds table. This can be done in Administration > Import from Excel.
The option is called ‘Box Blinds’ and imports a spreadsheet with the following fields: blind type code, fabric code, width, drop, stock code, and weight.
It is possible to import the file with or without the weight field included.
Quotation Technical Sheet
‘Boxed Weight For Carriage’ is now multiplied by the weights multiplier.
Order Processing > Orders
The weights field in the Totals tab should be multiplied by the weights multiplier.
Order Processing > Quotations > Convert to Order
When a quotation is converted to order, if the quotation has a weight calculated in the totals tab, the weight is now stored in the order record after conversion.
Weights and Box Dimensions Report
The blind number was printed incorrectly on the report.
The report is now grouped by cassette (which it was) and then in order by ‘Batch Num’.
Previously it was not printing ‘Batch Num’, just a number.
Blind Types > Process Times tab
There is a new tab on the Blind Types forms called ‘Process Times’.
This is used to store manufacturing times for process types.
It is very similar to the ‘Blind Type Weights’ form, except we add records for ‘Process Type’ instead of ‘Fabric Weight Group’ and then enter minutes in the grid instead of weights.
Tuffnells CSV File Creation
This item relates only to customers that use the Tuffnells CSV carrier file functionality.
As well as generating a CSV file when orders are despatched, there is now functionality to send the file out to the Tuffnells system before the orders reach the despatch order status.
The plan is that every morning a routine will be run that creates Tuffnells CSV files for the orders that have a required date = current date (and have not yet been invoiced).
At the moment the number of boxes can be entered at the despatch stage, but we can now automate this according to the following criteria.
The following method is now used to calculate the number of packages/boxes that are sent.
Blinds (in cardboard packaging) can be strapped together, up to a limit for each blind.
This limit can be held in the blind type record eg if the limit is 3 for 25mm Venetian and there are 7 blinds in the order, the number of packages will be calculated as 3 (2.33 rounded up to the next whole number).
There is a new field in the blind type record called ‘Blinds Per Carrier Package’ to handle this.
We also hold the weight per blind which will also go into the Tuffnell CSV file. There is another new field in the blind type record called ‘Average Weight’.
Stock Setup > Stock Items
We now hold the following extra fields against the stock record. These are displayed in the ‘Characteristics’ tab in ‘Stock Items’.
They are all text fields except where identified.
Collection (30 Characters)
PVC Free (Y/N)
Composition (30 Char)
Backing (10 Char)
Weight g/m2 (Number 2dp)
Fire Resistant (Y/N)
Green (20 Char)
Antimcrobial (Y/N)
Tariff Item No (20 Char)
Tariff Rate (Number 2dp)
There are also column choices for these fields in Stock Enquiry.
It is also possible to import these fields in Import From Excel > Stock Updates.
Feasibility Calculation
The feasibility calculation in order detail line-entry now uses the ‘Weight g/m2’ from the Characteristics tab in the stock record instead of looking at the ‘Weight Group’ in the stock record.
Fedex CSV File
There is a new carrier name called ‘FedEx’ in the ‘Despatch Method’ table. There is also a new field here called ‘Weight Type’.
There are also new fields for ‘Payment Type’ and ‘Package Type’ in the ‘Carriage Type’ table.
The FedEx CSV file is created at the ‘Despatch’ stage in the same way as it is for City Link.
Gear Selection Based On Weight
We have a customer that wants to be able to select a motor (which will be an option choice) based on the weight of a blind.
We need to compare the weight of the blind against the table below.
The best way to do this would be to use link options.
However, we only hold a ‘Fabric Weight Group’ in the middle section of the ‘Link Options’ form.
We also need a field in here for ‘Maximum Weight’. When an option choice is made for Motor/Gear, it will check the weight of the blind against the ‘Maximum Weight’ and decide which options can be selected.
Currently, we have 2 methods of Blind Weight calculation:
1. If ‘Calculate Weight By BOM Sum’ = TRUE in Parameters then Weight of Blind is the sum of specific weights of all BOM elements.
2. If ‘Calculate Weight By BOM Sum’ = FALSE in Parameters then Weight of Blind is found in Blind Type Weights table by Fabric Group, Width and Drop of Blind.
At Order Detail, entry link options are applied each time when relevant data is changed (Width, Drop, Option Choice etc.).
But BOM is not calculated in this case.
BOM is calculated only at the Save stage.
This means this functionality won’t work at Order Detail entry if ‘Calculate Weight By BOM Sum’ = TRUE in Parameters as Weight will always be 0.
The parameter ‘Calculate Weight By BOM Sum’ should be set to true.
There is a new parameter called ‘Check Weight At Detail Save’ which defaults to false.
If this is set to true, then the weight of the blind will be checked against the weight in the link option and if it is too heavy, a warning message will appear.
This means we need to compare the blind weight with one particular Link Option weight.
There is a new Option Code against the Option Name in System Tables > Option Names called Gear Weight.
As the Gear Weight option might appear in BOM as well and it has a Specific Weight filled then this option will be included in Order Detail Weight calculation as well as other BOM items which is not logical.
Therefore we have added the ‘Exclude From Gear Weight Calculation’ flag to the stock record which should be ticked for all Gear Weight Stock Items
Order Processing > Orders
It is now possible to edit the despatch weight of the order (this is the weight that gets added at despatch.
There is a new button on the ‘Order Amend Enquiry’ form called ‘Despatch Weight’.
There is a new flag to display this field in Administration > Users > Button visibility.
Also, it is now possible to enter the weight at despatch, regardless of what carrier has been chosen.
Carriage Charge By State
There is a new system table called ‘Carriage Charge By State’. This has fields for:
Carriage Company Name (Despatch Method)
Carriage Type
Delivery State
Rate Per Kilo
At the ‘Create Invoice’ stage, (unless FOC carriage = true for a customer or ‘Carriage Charge at Order Entry = true), a carriage line will be added and the carriage charge calculated by finding the appropriate rate per kg according to the despatch method, carriage type and delivery state.
The despatch weight will then be multiplied by the rate per kg to give the carriage charge.
This will only apply if the default country is set to India in Parameters.
Order Enquiry > Despatch Order Scan
If you use ‘Despatch Order Scan’ in Order Enquiry, the ‘Weight’ field now appears.
Order Processing > Orders > Weight
Previously when weight was calculated for fabric in the BOM, it was based on the linear quantity for the fabric * weight.
It now calculates the area of the fabric used and works out the weight based on that.
To ensure this change works properly, we now hold the weight of the fabric (in Stock Items > Characteristics tab > Specific Weight) as kg/m2 for metric and lb/in2 for imperial measurements.
It is now possible to handle different imperial measurements for weight in Stock Items > Characteristics > Specific Weight.
At the moment the weights are held in either lb/in2 of kg/m2 for fabrics, and in either lb or kg per measurement unit, depending on whether ‘Imperial Setup’ is switched on or off.
There is a new system table in Administration > System Tables called ‘Weight Conversions’.
It has three fields: Base Unit Of Weight (either kg/m2 or lb/in2), Unit Of Weight (oz/ft2, oz/in2, g/m2 etc – Users can add as many as they want), and Conversion Ratio.
If there are no records in the table, then the default of lb/in2 (if ‘Imperial Setup = true) or kg/m2 is used (for fabrics) or lb or kg for non-fabrics.
There is a new field in the stock record called ‘Unit Of Weight’, which is held beside ‘Specific Weight’.
When the weight is calculated for the BOM record, the ‘Unit Of Weight’ is now taken into account.
Here is an example. A record could be set up which is as follows:
Base Unit Of Weight Unit Of Weight Conversion Ratio
Lb/in2 oz/ft2 2304
If a fabric is set up as 4 oz per square feet, then this will equal, in lb/in2, 4/2304 = 0.001736.
It is also possible to import this new field in Import From Excel > Stock Update’.
Despatch Method
Previously when an order was despatched, it sometimes brought up an entry for the ‘Number Of Boxes’(Parcels) and Weight.
This was dependent on the despatch method or the carrier file that was used.
There are new flags in the System Tables > Despatch Method called ‘Number Of Boxes Required’ and ‘Weight Required’ which default to false, and these now determine whether the weight or the number of boxes appears in the ‘Despatch Method’ form.
Parameters > Manufacturing
There is a new button on this formula form for ‘Blind Weight’ (this is the weight of the blind calculated as the sum of the BOM weights).
This means that the tube deflection calculation formula can be based on the blind weight (excluding records where ‘Exclude From Deflection Calc’ = true).
Order Enquiry > Deliver Order
There is a parameter called it ‘Use Order Weight At Dispatch’ which defaults to false.
If it is set to true, the total weight of the blinds in the order is displayed in this window.
System Tables > Carriage Costs By Postcode
There is a new system table called ‘Carriage Cost By Postcode’.
This holds fields for Despatch Method, Carriage Type, Weight, Postcode and Cost.
There is also an import routine in ‘Import From Excel’ for this table.
There is then a routine that checks the carriage costs against orders.
It is possible to import Actual Carriage Cost.
There is a button on the ‘Archive Enquiry’ form called ‘Import Actual Carriage Costs’.
The import file should contain the 'Order No' and 'Actual Carriage Cost' columns, please see below:
This has a button visibility permission in Administration > Users.
There is also a comparison report called ‘Carriage Cost Comparison Report’ in Reports > Financials Reports.
It has fields for ‘Order Number’, ‘Customer Reference’, ‘Order Date’, ‘Delivery Date’, ‘Invoice Date’, Calculated Carriage Cost’, ‘Actual Carriage Cost’, ‘Difference’.
It only prints orders where there is a difference and there is a total for the difference.
There are criteria for the report for ‘Start Delivery Date’ and ‘End Delivery Date’ and the orders print in delivery date then order number order.
The carrier determines the cost based partly on the weight of the order.
The weight of the order is calculated and displayed when the order is despatched, so the cost should relate to that ie the weight of the order should be compared to the next weight up in the 'Carriage Cost By Postcode' table.
For example, if the weight of the order is 10kg and there are carriage cost by postcode records that match the despatch method and postcode, if there are records with weight 8kg and 16kg, it should use the cost that is held against the 16kg record.
Order Processing > Order Made
At the 'Order Made' stage, there is now an option to enter the number of boxes, weight, dimensions of boxes (similar to the way it is done at dispatch).
To do this, there should be a new parameter called 'Enter Packing Details At Order Made' which defaults to false.
If true, the form that appears at dispatch also appears at ‘Order Made’ but without the dispatch date.