Overview 

Customers in BOS Professional includes all the people or organisations that purchase goods or services from your business. For ease of reference clients are referred to as customers.

An unlimited number of customers can be added to the database. Customers can be identified as Companies or Individuals.

These tutorials explain how to create customer records and job positions.

Navigation: Main Menu > Customers > Customers

How to Create a Customer 

1. Navigate to Customers.

2. Set the date filter to No Date, then click View (button) to display all the customer records.

3. Use the Search bar to scan the database to ensure the customer is not already on the list.

4. Click New (button) on the top row of buttons

5. Company: Enter the trade name of the company.

6. Reg. Name: Enter the registered name of the company. 

7. Category: Select a category from the dropdown list.

8. Rep: Select a rep from the dropdown list.

9. VAT No.: Type the customer's VAT registration number.

10. Telephone: Type the company's phone number.

11. Postal Address: Type the postal address in the block.

12. Street Address: Click Street Addresses (tab):

    1. Type a street address next to Default.

    2. Click Save (button) which will show the street address on the tab in the header.

13. Note: Type any note in the provided block.

14. Complete the other tabs as explained below.

Contacts (tab)

1. Click Add Contact (button).

2. On the popup:

   1. Complete the contact's personal details.

   2. Click User Fields (tab) and provide any custom information.

   3. Click Notes (tab) and enter any information (optional).

   4. Click Save (button).

   5. Click Close (button).

3. Add any additional contact (e.g. the person you deal with, the manager, and the person handling accounts).

Accounting (tab) 

The Accounting tab is only visible to users with full access to the Customer module.

However, certain defaults will allow a quotation to be issued to the customer before all the information on the accounting tab is filled in.

1. Status: The default status is Prospect. Select a different status from the dropdown list if applicable (e.g. Active).

2. Contact: Select an accounts' contact person from the dropdown list.

   1. The dropdown list consists of all the contacts added to the Contacts (tab). 

   2. Accounting documents (Invoices and Statements) are sent to the person listed as the Accounts Contact.

   3. By default, the first contact that is added is linked as the Accounts Contact, but you can select a different contact.

3. Reg No.: Type the company's registration number, or the individual's identity, passport, or similar number.

4. Account No. (optional): Type an account number of click the ellipses on the right and confirm that you want to generate a number. Numbers are generated using the first three letters of the name followed by three numbers (NUM001).

5. Vendor No. (optional): Type the customer's vendor number.

6. Credit Terms: The default credit terms assigned to new customers is filled in. Select different terms from the dropdown list if applicable.

7. Credit App.: Select the date from the calendar on which the credit application was completed.

8. Secured limit: Type the credit limit that is secured in the block.

9. Approved limit: Type the customer's full credit limit in the block (secured limit plus any unsecured limits).

10. Est. MU %: Type the standard markup percentage for the customer. This markup only applies to standard estimates.

11. Est. Com: Type the percentage commission the rep earns on estimates and select one of these options from the adjacent dropdown list:

    1. % of Profit

    2. % of Value Added

    3. % of Selling Price

    4. % of Cost Price

    5. 2nd Adjustment

    6. N/A

12. Item Adj %: Type the amount that item prices are adjusted for this customer which can be a markup or discount (negative adjustment).

13. Price List: Select a price list from the dropdown list.

14. Access Allowed: Check all the blocks that apply to these transactions: Quotations, Campaigns, Sales Orders, Work Orders, Delivery Notes, and Invoices.

    1. If access is allowed (checked) the customer can be selected when creating these transactions.

    2. The access settings can be updated in batches from Customers' List View and the Customer Age Analysis if the user has access to the Customer Accounting settings.

    3. The following defaults are applied based on the statuses:

       1. Prospect: Quotations only.

       2. Active: Access to all the transactions.

       3. Suspended: Quotations only.

       4. Closed: No access to any of the listed transactions.

15. VAT Type: Select a VAT Type from the dropdown list. The field defaults to the Standard VAT Type.

16. VAT No.: Type the customer's VAT number in the block provided.

17. Currency: Select the customer's currency from the dropdown list of all the currencies set up for the organisation. 

18. Warning: Type a warning that is displayed to staff members when they capture transactions.

    1. This warning is displayed on the following transactions: Quotations, Sales Orders, Delivery Notes, Customer Invoices, and Customer Credit Notes.

    2. The warning does not appear on any customer forms. However, care should be taken if you deal with customers in person and they can see the computer screen when you capture a transaction.

    3. Other warnings are automatically displayed (e.g. a Customer/Transaction Branch mismatch). 

Attachments (tab)

Documents (e.g. Credit Applications) can be linked or attached to keep all the relevant information together.

1. Click Add Attachment (button).

2. Complete the attachment's form - see Attachments.

Budgets (tab)

• See Budgets

User Fields (tab)

User Fields allow you to add additional fields for staff to complete (e.g. BEE rating)

The fields are created here: Main Menu > Setup > Settings & Defaults > User Fields (tab): Select Customers as the Module.

1. Complete the information as needed which can be selecting an option or typing information.

How to Edit Customer Information 

1. Navigate to Customers.

2. Set any of the filters as required.

3. Click View (button).

4. Double-click the customer on the list of customers.

5. Edit any of the fields as needed.

6. Click Save (button).

How to Create, Edit, or Delete a Job Position

Job positions are used to identify customer or supplier's contact people.

The same list is used for customers and suppliers.

1. Navigate to Job Positions: Main Menu > Customers > Customers List View > Menu (button) > Edit Positions.

2. Click New (button)

3. Complete the row that was opened as follows:

   1. Description: Type a description of the position.

4. To edit a position, overtype any field.

5. To delete a position, click the final column to display an X. Click the X to delete the position.

6. Click Save (button).

7. Click Close (button).