Dispatch Requests

What is it and what is it for?

Each Dispatch Request states who's asking, from which warehouse (Location), and which items are needed, in what quantity. Before the warehouse hands out anything, the request goes through an authorization flow: the requester's supervisor (or any user with the authorize privilege) approves or rejects it. Once authorized, it can turn into an actual supplies dispatch from the warehouse, and the system keeps track of how much of each line has already been delivered.

A request can be created from scratch or generated automatically from a Preventive Maintenance Plan: in that case, the plan's equipment and materials are copied onto the request and the equipment field is locked, to make sure only the right parts are dispatched for that machine.

Screens in this area

How to create a dispatch request step by step

1. Open the list and click New. You need the "add" level of the Dispatch Requests permission. The requester field is filled in automatically with your user, and the subsidiary and location with your session's defaults; you can change them.
2. Pick the Location you want the items dispatched from. It must belong to the same subsidiary as the request.
3. Set the Requester (employee) if you're filing it on someone else's behalf; it determines who receives the request for authorization (their supervisor).
4. Add the items you need, with quantity and unit of measure. If your company has the Maintenance module active and the request is linked to a piece of equipment, you can (or must, depending on your company's configuration) set the equipment on each line.
5. Add notes or attachments if you need to give extra context or attach a supporting document.
6. Save. The request is numbered automatically and set to Pending authorization; the system notifies the requester's supervisor to review it.

Authorization workflow

• Pending authorization: the initial status of every new request, and also what an already authorized or rejected request reverts to when it's edited (any change puts it back to pending).
• Authorize: available to anyone with the authorize privilege on this permission, or to the requester's direct supervisor. Authorizing notifies the requester and makes the request ready to dispatch.
• Reject: available under the same conditions as Authorize (or to anyone with the "edit" level); notifies the requester that their request was rejected.
• Mark pending again: reverts a decision already made, in case it was authorized or rejected by mistake.

Dispatching and order status

The Dispatch button only becomes enabled once the request is authorized; it takes you to create the matching Supplies Dispatch from the warehouse, against this request's lines. As quantities get dispatched, the request shows its order status:

• Pending: nothing has been dispatched yet.
• Partial: part of the requested quantities was dispatched.
• Dispatched: everything requested was delivered.
• Collected: the items were already picked up by the requester (WMS flow).
• Backorder: left pending because of insufficient stock.

Key fields

Validations when saving

• Requester is required and must be an active (non-void) employee.
• Subsidiary is required if your plan has subsidiaries enabled.
• The Location must belong to the same subsidiary as the request.
• You must add at least one item to the request.
• Every inventory-type item needs a valid unit of measure within its unit-of-measure plan.
• The Inventory period covering the document's date must be open.
• If your company has the "Require Equipment When Dispatching Supplies In Detail" preference turned on, every item line must have an equipment set.
• If the request is linked to a Preventive Maintenance Plan, every line with an item must use that same plan's equipment; saving is rejected if any line has a different piece of equipment.
• The document number cannot change when editing, and any edit resets the request back to Pending authorization.

Reports

From the list's Reports menu you can generate a Summarized Report (one row per request) or a Detailed Report (one row per item line), both filterable by date, subsidiary, location, department, division, priority, requester and authorization status, and printable in portrait or landscape.

Availability, permissions and conditions

• Access is controlled by the "Dispatch Requests" permission, with separate levels to view, add, edit, delete and authorize.
• The "Dispatch Requests - My subordinates" permission limits the list to your own requests and your subordinates'. It applies to users who have this permission and do not have "Dispatch Requests" at the View level; users who do see every request. This With its Authorize level you can authorize, reject and mark as pending only your subordinates' requests. This permission is assigned in the User Group.
• This feature requires your company to have the add-on Equipment Maintenance module active and AdmCloud to have enabled the Dispatch Requests feature for your company. If you don't see it in the Inventory menu, contact support to confirm both conditions are active.
• If your company turned on the Company Configuration preference "Require Equipment When Dispatching Supplies In Detail", the Equipment field becomes required on every item line, both here and on the Supplies Dispatch.

Tips and common pitfalls