“Suggested Sales Items” – Microsoft Dynamics GP

Originally Posted 5/4/2011

We’ve all been to a restaurant and ordered an entrée only to have the wait person suggest some additional side or appetizer based on our entrée selection.  This is known as “upselling.”  We’ve also been in the situation where we have seen a newspaper advertisement for a product on sale only to get to the store to see another version of the sale product that is better but not on sale.  This is known as a “loss leader.”

It is probable that you’ve bought the extra side dish or the “non-sale” more expensive item in both of the situations above at least once.

Q:  So how can you use Microsoft Dynamics GP to translate this action in your customers?

A:  The new feature in GP 2013 “Suggest Sales Items.”

This feature is setup in Inventory Control, but used in Sales Order Processing.  You start with the Inventory Item Maintenance Window (Inventory ~ Cards ~ Item.)

SETUP

1. Select an item using the Item Lookup Window.
2. Click on the new button in the bottom of the Item Maintenance Window called “Suggest Items.”
3. The new “Suggest Sales Item Maintenance” window will open.
4. Select which Sales Order Processing (SOP) Document type for which you want to have suggestions made to you while working with a customer or prospect.  (The default is for all SOP document types.  This feature does not work with Back Orders or Returns.)
5. In the grid at the bottom, select the item you want Microsoft Dynamics GP to suggest to you.  Click on the Lookup icon for a list, then enter the quantity that you want suggested.  This may not always be a one to one relationship (e.g.  If you are selling a 10 gallon bucket of paint, you may want to suggest 2 paint rollers or 8 brushes or a single spray painting machine.)  In this example you’ll notice we can suggest more than item.
6. Click OK.

TRANSACTIONS

1. Begin your Sales Order Processing transaction in the SOP Entry window.
2. After an item that has suggestions assigned to it is entered, the “Suggest Sales Item Entry” window will appear.  This will allows you as a sales person to discuss these additional options with your customer or prospect.
3. OPTIONAL:  If you do not have enough of the original item OR the suggested item in stock, you will receive the “Sales Quantity Shortage Options” window at the appropriate time to ensure you are given the option of how you want to handle shortages.
4. OPTIONAL:  If the client is over their credit limit, you will receive the Credit Warning window after you enter the original item and BEFORE the “Suggest Sales Item Entry” window appears.  It will still appear giving you the opportunity for upselling, however normal Credit Rules already in place will still exist.
5. Should the customer or prospect choose to receive any of the suggested items, all you have to do is:
   1. Click on the box next to the item number in the grid at the bottom.
   2. Ensure the quantity is the desired quantity, if not change it.  Once you are returned to the Sales Order Processing Entry window, you can edit the quantities and pricing there as well.
   3. Click OK.
   4. If the customer does not want the items, just click OK to close the window.

Author: Belinda Allen

Belinda Allen (Microsoft MVP) is both a Microsoft Certified Professional for Dynamics GP (MCP) and a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). She is also the co-founder of Smith & Allen Consulting, Inc. (www.saci.com), a business management software consulting firm for over 24 years. Belinda began implementing ERP systems so long ago that Windows was not an operating system, but an application. Larger businesses used old Main Frames with monitors that were Green and Black and smaller business did accounting by hand. Having seen the evolution that has taken place over the years from pieces of paper to analytics, Belinda still gets excited every time she helps a business improve. Belinda is also well known for her Blog www.BelindaTheGPcsi.com. Her blog is about sharing really useful information about the product quickly and succinctly. She has earned the nickname GP CSI because she excels at reviewing GP problems and figuring what went wrong and why. With followers all over the Globe she is able to share knowledge and achieve her mission: “To Improve the Lives and Business Success of my Followers.” In her time off, Belinda enjoys sailing, woodturning, crochet/knitting, sewing/quilting, reading and playing the ukulele (Belinda often participates in Ukulele Jams in NYC.) View all posts by Belinda Allen