Sometimes a manufacturer changes a product number or a new product is replacing an existing product. Vision enables your purchasing department to specify that the product that has the new product number should supersede the product that has the old product number. When you run out of the product with the old product number and try to add it to a new order on the Customer Service tab, the product with the new product number is added to the order instead. This allows your customer service staff to avoid having to keep track of manufacturer's changing product numbers.
The Current Order screen and the Product screen on the Customer Service tab both use superseding products.
Note: Superseding products are available only if you are using the Auto flavor of Vision for the automotive parts industry.
To fully understand superseded products, please review the following frequently asked questions and their corresponding answers.
How will I know if a product I add to an order on the Customer Service tab is superseded by another product? |
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A: |
Let's say that you are entering a line item for product ABC, which is superseded by product 123. If you enter product ABC in the Product Number field of the Line Item area on the Current Order screen and then press the Tab button, the system displays, "DISCONTINUED PRODUCT" in the Cust Part field. When you are finished entering the line item and you click the Accept Line button, the system changes the product in the line item from ABC to 123. In addition, a supersede image () is displayed in the Line Item area to indicate that product originally ordered is being superseded by a different product. In addition, if you select the line item in the Current Order listing at the bottom of the screen, you'll notice that the Cust Part field has been replaced by the Orig Part field; the product number originally ordered is indicated in this field. |
What's the difference between superseded products that are interchangeable and those that are not interchangeable? |
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A: |
To understand the difference, let's consider two different examples and their results:
However, if customers order 123, they will receive ABC if quantity is available.
However, if customers order 456, they will always receive 456, regardless of the inventory level of DEF. Typically, superseded products are not interchangeable. |
How is a superseding product established for a product? |
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A: |
A superseding product, plus its interchangeable/not interchangeable status, is set up on the Main screen of the Product Management tab. For more information, refer to Specify a superseding product. It can also be loaded through CDs or vendor spreadsheets, if the manufacturer provides the information. |