A substitute product replaces the product ordered by the customer (known as the sub-from product) with an acceptable replacement (known as a sub-to product). The goal of substitution logic is to make product substitutions consistent and easy to manage while improving the bottom line. The product substitution logic implemented in the Vision Graphical User Interface (GUI) is simpler than that implemented in Vision Back Office. For details on how product substitution logic works in Vision Back Office, please refer to chapter 3, "Order Entry," in the Order Processing manual.
Product substitutions are set up in advance by your Purchasing Department. You can handle individual customer needs by excluding some substitutions at a customer level or at a ship to level using the Vision GUI or Vision Back Office.
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Alias and cross-referenced products can be established in Alpha Product Maintenance in Vision Back Office. If one alpha product cross-reference exists for a product, the system will substitute to the referenced product as long as only one cross-reference exists; if multiple cross-references exist, the system displays multiple products and allows the customer service rep entering the order to choose (as has always been the case in both GUI and Vision Back Office). This requires no programming change and there is no residual evidence of the substitution; this is purely an alias name.
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If a customer and/or ship to has been set to “Allow Substitutions” (on the Customer Maintenance tab), further substitution scenarios will be considered. If either customer or ship to is set to disallow substitutions, no substitution will occur under any of the following scenarios. (For more information on setting up whether or not substitutions are allowed for a customer or ship to, please refer to Add or remove substitution exclusions for a customer and Add or remove substitution exclusions for a ship to.)
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Substitution from a temporary, discontinued product to another product occurs only when the on-hand quantity of the temporary, discontinued product has been depleted. This basically allows you to set up a sub for a temporary, discontinued product before you run out of that product.
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Substitution to a temporary, discontinued product is allowed only for a stocked product with available quantity.
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Substitution of a product to another product with a higher price is not allowed.
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Substitution of a product to another product with a higher gross profit percentage (GP %) can occur. The product will be substituted regardless of availability. Stock can sub to non-stock.
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Substitution of a product to another product with a lower GP % can occur if the product has been set up to allow a lower GP % substitution. (This is established in Substitute Product Maintenance in Vision Back Office.) Stock can sub to non-stock.
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A product can be set up to disallow customer exclusions, i.e., force a substitution. (This is established in Substitute Product Maintenance in Vision Back Office.)
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Customer exclusions are supported at the customer and ship to levels. If substitution exclusions (products) are defined at the customer or ship to level (refer to Add or remove substitution exclusions for a customer and Add or remove substitution exclusions for a ship to), and the sub-from product allows customer exclusions, substitution does not occur. If customer/ship to exclusions are defined and the sub-from product prohibits exclusions, substitution occurs. (The sub-from product can be set up to prohibit exclusions via Substitute Product Maintenance in Vision Back Office.)
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When substitution occurs, cost and price are always derived from the sub-to product.
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Unit of measure translation occurs (as in Vision Back Office). In other words, the lowest common UOM is determined and used to extend cost and price if necessary. The UOM Cost Tolerance % field indicates the percent increase or decrease that the system allows for product substitutions. If the units of measure of the sub-to and sub-from products have costs within this percentage, they are considered the same for substitute logic purposes, and the substitution occurs. (On the Vision Configuration tab, click the System Configuration button, and then click the Dealer Information folder. Next click the Inventory Settings folder. The UOM Cost Tolerance % field is established here.) If no common UOM is found or if the cost variance of the sub-from and sub-to products for the UOM does not meet the tolerance percentage allowed, the substitution does not occur.
When a substitution occurs, both sub-from and sub-to products are included on the invoice. Following are additional details about how substitutions are handled and identified:
If a GUI order is started without a customer or if the customer is changed on an order with entered line items, it is possible that a sub that was already taken will be reversed based on differences in setup of the new customer. In this case, the sub icon would go away and the original product would reappear as the line item.
) appears to the left of the line to identify the sub. (Click Product substitution example to see a sample.)