Order Procurement Automation

This guide explains how to enable automatic purchase orders. It is intended for system administrators.

Warning: Automated purchasing should be discussed thoroughly and set up carefully. Be sure to consult with your team members and your aACE advisor.

aACE provides functionality for automated procurement. When customers place orders for items you don't carry in inventory, aACE can automatically generate purchase orders (POs) for your team members to process. This functionality can help streamline your overall purchasing process.

Note: This applies to ITM-type LICs, not to inventoried products. (Read more about line item code types.) 

You can configure the preferences that control this functionality. Navigate from Main Menu > Internal > Management Preferences > Procurement tab:

  • In the Purchase Orders section, set the Default Ship Type to Complete.
  • In the Purchase Order Automation section, mark the flag to  "Auto-generate purchase orders...".

When these two preferences are set, aACE will automatically generate POs for ITM-type LICs that are needed to fill an order. 

Drop-Shipping Items

When a non-inventoried product is included on an order, aACE will automatically mark the special order (SO) flag for that product. You can instead mark the drop-ship (DS) flag for the product. This instructs aACE to have the product directly from the vendor to the customer. aACE will insert the customer's shipping address into the generated PO (instead of your company address).