* Customers & Prospects

Key Concepts & Vocabulary

Assumptions: This article assumes that you have already read the Getting Started With OneSource (Read First) article.

Customer vs. Prospect - what's the difference?

• In OneSource, there is really no significant difference between a Customer record and a Prospect record. OneSouce just gives you a single screen to manage Customers and Prospects on the same screen.  (See also: Address Type Field section below)

Note: Virtually anywhere that the word Customer is used in this knowledgebase it is also meant to mean Prospect.

Address Type Field

Because OneSource provides a way to create and manage a separate 'record' for each company (including the details of each separate location that you want to track) you need to clarify (to yourself and to the OneSource program) what Address Type each company is. The Address Types include: 

• A Bill To address.  This comany name will be displayed in all transaction Bill To company name selection fields.
• A Ship To address. This company name will be displayed in all transaction Ship To company name selection fields.  
• Both (a Ship To and a Bill To)
• A Quote Only address (Note: If desired, you can change the 'Address Type' field for Prospects to 'Quote Only' to prevent Prospects from being added to Orders.  Doing this will only allow you to create Quotations for these customers while you run credit checks etc.  Quote Only customers will not show up on the Customer drop down lists for Sales Orders, Invoices or Credit Memos).
  

Note: All Ship To companies need to be 'linked' to a Bill To company. This happens automatically if you add a new Ship To company in the process of creating a Sales Order or Invoice (after you have selected the Bill To company).  (See also: How to manually link a Ship To company to a Bill To company).

Customers & Prospects - Common Tasks

How to add a new Customer record

• Shortcut Key: Ctrl + F3, or
• Menu: Customers > Add New Customer or Prospect, or
• Drop down list: When typing in a Bill To or Ship To Customer name (on any of the Sales screens--that is not already in the list), click Yes when prompted to add a new Customer record.

How to add a new Customer 'Contact' record

Each Customer/Prospect record can have an unlimited number of related 'Contact' records. To add a Contact record to a Customer record just click on the Contacts tab and just add another Contact

How to Edit a Customer record

On the Customer record, click the Edit button.

How to find a Customer record

• Shortcut Key: F3, or
• Menu: Customers > Find Customer or Prospect, or
• (If already on a Customer record) you can also press the Find button.
• Click on the Mag Glass  button next to any Customer name.

How to find various Lists of Customers

• Shortcut Key: Shift+F3, or
• Menu: Customers > Customer Lists, or
• From another type of List screen: Click on the Drop Down Button (in  the upper left hand corner of the screen) and select Customer/Prospect Lists

How to find and view Customers that meet a particular criteria

• Search this help system for 'How to use Filters to find a group of records', of any type, based on 1 or more search criteria.

How to Delete an entire 'Customer' record

On the Customer record, click on any of the Customer name or address fields and then click the Delete button. (Note: To preserve the integrity of the database, you cannot delete any customer record that  has been used on any of the Sales screens).

How to Delete a single 'Contact' record

Each Customer/Prospect record can have an unlimited number of related 'Contact' records.  To On the Customer record, click on the Contacts tab, then click on the individual contact that you would like to delete and then click the Delete button.

How to print a Customer record

On the Customer record, click the Print button.

How to print Customer Reports

• On the Customer record, click Print > Quick Reports > then select a report, or
• On the Customer record, click Print > System Reports > then select a report
• Using the OneSource Menu bar click Reports > Report Selection Screen > Customers (category), or

Customers & Prospects screen Tabs

You can enable (or disable) various tabs of information on the Customers & Prospects screen using the Company Setup & Preferences (see Customer Preferences below). The following is a list of the tabs that can be used to enter or view additional information related to the Customer record that you are on:

Contacts (tab)

• You track as many individual contacts related to the company as you would like using the Contacts tab.
• To Add or Edit a Contact record click the Edit button and then add a new contact on the first available empty row (or edit the fields as necessary)
• To Delete a contact record, click on the contact record that you would like to delete and then click the Delete button.
• To schedule an activity for a contact right-click on the contact record and select Add New Activity.
• To post a completed activity for a contact right-click on the contact record and select Post New Activity.
• To send an email to a contact right-click on the contact and select Send Email.

Dashboard (tab)

• You can view summarized Sales History information from Invoices, including # Invoices, the Invoice total sales (and how it compares to the total sales 1 year before for the same range of time), and the % variance for the last 30 days, the last 90 days, the last 365 days, and the previous 365 days.  Click on the Recalculate button to refresh the info.
• You can view summarized Returns History information from Credit Memos,  including # Credit Memos, the Credit Memo total returns (and how it compares to  the total returns 1 year before for the same range of time), and the %  variance for the last 30 days, the last 90 days, the last 365 days, and  the previous 365 days.  Click on the Recalculate button to refresh the info.
• On the Quick Sales Info section (if you have been granted the rights to view sales costs and profit margins) you can view: Total Sales, Average Sale, Average Profit Margin, Average # days between sales, # days since last sale. Click on the Recalculate button to refresh the info.
• On the Accounts Receivable / Credit Info section you can quickly view A/R Aging information, and other customer credit details.  Click on the Recalculate button to refresh the info.
• The Aging fields for the Current, 1-30, 31-60, etc display the total unpaid dollars--based on the Invoice Payment Terms field/calculation (not the actual # of days since the Invoice date).
• The Customer Since field calculates the # of days between today and the value in the Date Record Created field (on the More Info tab)
• The # of Unpaid Inv's field shows the total # of Invoices that are not paid in full.
• The # Days Oldest shows how many days old the oldest unpaid Invoice is from today.
• The Avg # Days/Pay show the average # of days it has taken the customer to pay all invoices on record.  The calculation method is as follows:
• For all PAID Invoices, it calculates the # of days between the Invoice Date and the newest payment date (meaning the last payment for each invoice).
• For all UNPAID Invoices, it calculates the Total # of Days between the Invoice Date and today.  (For instance, if an Invoice is 60 days old, but has not been paid,  (since the computer has no idea how many more days it may take for the customer to pay the Invoice in full), it calculates that Invoice as though it had been paid today. (It calculates this way in order for unpaid Invoices to not reduce the overall average # of days to pay).
• Then the system adds all of the 'days' up, (for all Paid and Unpaid Invoices), and divides the total # of days by the total # of Invoices. 

Activities (tab)

• The Activities tab displays all activities related to the Customer/Prospect record that you are viewing.
• The only difference between Scheduling an activity and Posting an activity is whether or not the Activity Completed is checked or not.
• To schedule an activity for a contact right-click on the contact record and select Add New Activity.
• To post a completed activity for a contact right-click on the contact record and select Post New Activity.
• To edit an existing activity simply right-click on the activity and select Edit Current Activity.  Click OK (or close the Activity) to save your changes.  You can also edit an activity by clicking on the button next to the Activity.
• To post an existing activity simply right-click on the activity and select Post Current Activity.  Click OK (or close the Activity screen) to save your changes.
• You can sort or filter the Activities list by right-clicking on any of the Activity records.
• You can toggle the list of activities by selecting the Display selection box and selecting between All, Activities, and History.  (Activities displays the Open Activities. History shows all completed (posted) activities). 
• Optional Preferences:
  
  • You can define which list of activities is displayed (All, Activities, or History) when the Activities tab is clicked (on the Customers & Prospects form).  To change this setting goto Tools > Company Setup & Preferences > Customers tab > Tab Options section > click on the Activities row and then in the Field Default column select the option of your choice.
  • You can hide the Activities tab (so it does not appear on the Customers & Prospects form at all) by un-selecting the Active checkbox on the Activities tab description row (while in the Company Setup & Preferences).

Jobs/Projects (tab)

• The Jobs/Projects tab displays all Jobs/Projects related to the Customer/Prospect record that you are viewing.
• You can add a new Job/Project to this list (related to the Customer record you are on) by right clicking on a Contact Name (on the Contacts tab) and selecting Add a New Job
• You can open and view any of the individual Jobs by clicking on the button on the Job or your choice.
• You can link any existing Job/Project to other record types, such as an Activity, Quotation, Sales Order, Invoice, Credit Memo, PO, or AP Bill, by selecting the Job of your choice from the Job selection drop down list (on any of those record types screens).
• You can sort or filter the Jobs/Projects list by right-clicking on any of the Jobs/Projects records.
• Optional Preference: You can hide the Jobs/Projects tab using: Tools > Company Setup & Preferences > Customers tab > Tab Options section > click on the Jobs/Projects row and then in the Field Default column un-select the active checkbox.

Sales History (tab)

• The Sales History tab displays all related Quotes, Quotation Line Items, Sales Orders, Sales Order Line Items, Invoices, Invoice Line Items, Invoice Payments, etc by clicking on the Sale History tab and selecting which list you want to see from the Display drop down selection list.
• You can open/view any of the Sales transactions source documents by clicking on the button next to the transaction.
• You can sort or filter the Jobs/Projects list by right-clicking on any of the Jobs/Projects records. 
• You can create a new Quotation, Sales Order, Invoice, or Credit Memo, with the Customers' name and address info auto filled in by clicking on the Add New button.
• You can open the Quick Price Check screen and auto fill the Customer's name by clicking on the Quick Price Check button.
• Optional Preferences:                    
  • You can define which list of Sales Transactions displayed when you click on the Sales History tab (on the Customers & Prospects form).  To change this setting goto Tools > Company Setup & Preferences > Customers tab > Tab Options section > click on the Sales History row and then in the Field Default column select the option of your choice.
  • You can also hide the Sales History tab by un-selecting the Active checkbox on the Sales History tab description row (while in the Company Setup & Preferences).

      Custom Pricing (tab)

• ALL prices setup for the Customer on the Custom Pricing tab will automatically over-ride the Default Pricing method (which you have setup on the Pricing Defaults tab).
• You can add an unlimited number of unique items to the Custom Pricing tab.
• You can also add groups of items to the Custom Pricing tab (by making Product Pricing Groups and assigning a Product Pricing Group to each Item record on the Inventory Management screen).
• You can auto fill the Custom Pricing tab with a Custom Pricing Template (which you have previously setup on the Custom Pricing Templates screen), by selecting the template name from the Pricing Template drop down list and then clicking the Go button.
• You can change any price or pricing method at any time (even if they were added from a Custom Pricing Template).  Note: If you want changes you have made (to prices that originated from a Custom Pricing Template) to not be over-written (by changes you elect to make in mass on the Custom Pricing Templates screen at a later date) click on the Lock checkbox to the left of the Item or group name.
• You can make any of the pricing records 'conditional' to a particular date range by scrolling to the right and adding a Start Date and End Date.
• Individual items on your list always over-ride items that are in a Product Pricing Group on the same list.  (For instance, if Product A has been added to the list on the Custom Pricing tab AND if Product A is also in Product Pricing Group X also listed on the same Custom Pricing list, the price assigned to Product A would take precedence over the price of the item in Product Pricing Group X).
• As of this writing, you can apply more than 1 template to a customer at one time (although this can cause confusion, and can slow down OneSource as well). If the same item or Product Pricing Group is on more than 1 template, you can determine which one takes priority by scrolling to the right and increasing the Priority number. (Note, this feature may be discontinued in OneSource Version 5)
• By scrolling to Custom Pricing list to the right you can add other controls, such as a Start Date and End Date that you want the Price to be in effect, or which price will have the highest priority (if the same item or Product Pricing Group is on more than 1 template added to the list).

Pricing Defaults (tab)

• Sales Tax 1: This is the default Sales Tax code that is auto inserted on new Sales transactions. (Tax Codes and setup in the Company Setup & Preferences screen).
• Sales Tax 2: This is an older field that is for older taxing methods and reports.  If your company has more than 1 tax jurisdiction to submit tax report to, we recommend setting up as many Sub-Code's (in the Company Setup on the Drop Down Lists tab) as you need with their individual tax percentages. (This field will be discontinued in OneSource version 5)
• Salesperson: This is the assigned sales rep that will be auto filled in the Salesperson field on new Sales transactions.

Note: Most of the Commission Tracking reports make use of the Salesperson entered on Invoices.

• Default Pricing:  This is the Pricing Method that will be used to calculate prices on Items on Sales transactions, by default--if no Custom Prices have been set up.
• Credit Card Info (button): This is where 1 or more credit cards can be setup & stored for use on Invoices. OneSource encrypts credit card numbers as they are entered into the system--on the screens and in the actual tables.  However, please note that with recent changes in government regulations that require that Credit Card information not be stored on computers that are connected to the internet, (unless certain very stringent security measures are in place), OneSource is not currently PCI Compliant.  You may wish to not use this feature.  

Note:  You can define which users do or do not have rights to open/add/edit Credit Card information. (Tools > Users Security > (then Search for a particular user) > Specific Security Restrictions > Allow Add/Edit of Customer Credit Card Info

• Payment Terms: This is the default Payment Terms that will be inserted on new Sales transactions. 
  
  • Payment Terms are setup in the Company Setup. (Tools > Company Setup > Drop Down Lists > Terms of Payment)
• Credit Limit: This is the customer's Credit Limit.  If the total outstanding balance goes over this amount, the customer will be put on Credit Hold (when the option to auto update Customer Credit Holds is turned on in the Company Setup. 
  
  • To enable this functionality goto: Tools > Admin Tools > Company Setup > Sales Invoicing (1) tab > Order End Functions (button) >  Administrative Utilities > Logon/Logoff Events > under the Action select CheckCreditHold, and then on Action Takes Place select Logoff, and then place a check on the On/Off. 
• Credit Days: If the customer has any unpaid Invoices beyond the # of days entered, (when the CheckCreditHold option above is enabled), this will be used as additional criteria to determine if the customer should be placed on (or taken off) Credit Hold.  

Note: The # of days used for 'A/R Aging Reports' (associated with Payment Terms set for the Customer) is setup in the Company Setup > Drops Down Lists > Terms of Payment (grid) > Due Days column).

• Current Balance:
• COD:
• Credit Hold:
• Admin Credit Hold:
• Tax Exempt:
• Tax Exempt #:
• Federal Tax ID:
• Finance Charges:
• Last Finance Charge Date:

Delivery Info (tab)

More Info (tab)

No instructions at this time.

Notes (tab)

No instructions at this time.

Documents (tab)

No instructions at this time.

Reports (tab)

No instructions at this time.

Customer Preferences

 

To set or change 'Preferences' related to adding or managing customers, navigate to Tools > Company Setup & Preferences > Customers (tab). 

Adding Customer records more quickly and accurately using Auto Fill - Customer Default Profiles

OneSource provides a way to more quickly and accurately add new Customers & Prospects of one type or another using Customer Default Profiles to OneSourceSometimes sdf

• State: The default state.
• Shipped Via: The default Shipping method that will be automatically inserted into new Quotes, Sales Orders, and Invoices for the new record.
• Type: The default Type of customer or prospect.  This is a user definable value to help categorize, group, and classify your records.
• Sub Type:  Like the Type, this is a user definable value to help categorize, group, and classify your records.
• Sales Tax: The default Sales Tax code that will be automatically inserted into new Quotes, Sales Orders, and Invoices for the new record.
• Payment Terms: The default Payment Terms that will be automatically inserted into new Quotes, Sales Orders, and Invoices for the new record.
• Credit Limit: The default Credit Limit that will be assigned to the new record.
• Credit Days: The default number of Credit Days that will be assigned to the new record.
• Pricing Type: The default method of pricing that will be assigned to the new record.
• Apply Finance Charges: Checking this box will set the new record to be included in the Assess Finance Charges form.

Scheduling & Viewing Activities for Customers & Prospects

Additional Tasks

How to manually link a Ship To company to a Bill To company

• Open the Ship To customer record.
• Click on the Magnifying Glass button next to the Address Type field
• (INCOMPLETE)