Departments

Departments

Departments Overview
Products with similar types and details, such as taxes, reorder details, and other values, will be grouped into departments. This makes it easy to manage and classify similar types of products.

Generally, departments are groupings of products (items) that share similar properties, i.e., groceries, soft drinks, magazines, etc.

1. Reaching the "Departments" Module

To reach the "Departments" module:  
  1. Step 1: Log into Control Center 
  2. Step 2: Choose Point of Sale 
  3. Step 3: Choose Maintenance
  4. Step 4: Choose Departments 

Figure 1.1

2. Understanding "Departments" Layout


By clicking "Departments" from the left panel, as shown in Figure 1.1, the Departments listing page will be redirected, as shown in the figure below.

Figure 2.1

1. You will see the list of the existing departments on the main screen.

2. Filter the department list records:
      - Dept #: This column represents the number of the department.
      - Dept. Group: This column represents the name of the department group the group is associated with.
      - POS Flag: This column represents the POS Flag that is assigned to the particular department.

3. Include In Sales Reporting: This column shows whether the department is enabled for the product's sales reporting or not. 
4. Margin: This column shows the margin that applies to the products of the department.
5. Actions:

     - Edit: This button helps the user modify the details of the department.
     - Delete: This button helps the user remove the department.

6. Add New: This button is used to add a new department.

3. Adding a Department

Follow the steps below to add a new department and set the parameters for the items in the department.
  1. Click the "Add New" button highlighted in Figure 2.1 to add a department.
  2. After clicking the "Add New" button, you will be redirected to the page where you can see the 4 different tabs to configure the department. See Figure 3.1.                                                                                      Details | Options | Accounts | House Accounts

Figure 3.1

3.1 Details Tab

You can configure the following settings from the "Details" tab:
1. Name: Enter the relevant name of the department to identify which types of products are in the department.
2. Department Group: Select the relevant group for the department. You will see the drop-down selection of the newly created department group. See Figure 3.1.1.

Figure 3.1.1

Department Group is a mandatory field that must be selected. To add a new group, enter its name in the Edit box, and it will be added as a new department group.
About Department Groups
Multiple departments can be assigned to a Department Group. A Department Group is a top-level attribute to manage the departments. Groups will have no functions or settings, but when an admin user is utilizing the "Mass Updates" utility or generating reports, the Department Group is a quick way to sort out unwanted information using the filter.
-> How to assign/manage a department(s) in a Department Group is explained separately in the "Department Groups" KB article.

3. Disclaimer: Select a Disclaimer from the drop-down selection. You will see the list of disclaimers in the drop-down selection that is created from "Point of Sale -> Maintenance -> Restrictions -> Disclaimer from the menu drop-down selection," as shown in Figure 3.1.2.

Figure 3.1.2

The Disclaimers field is not mandatory, so you can keep it as "non-selected" if it is not required. The cashier can proceed further after reading the instructions (Disclaimer) and, if necessary, also showing them to the customers on the CFD.
About Disclaimers
A Disclaimer is a simple and instructive message that will be printed on a receipt. How to create a Disclaimer is explained in the "Disclaimers" KB article separately.
4. POS Description: The POS description will be displayed only when "Open Dept. Sales" occurs. The description can be visible on the POS screen during the checkout and printed on the receipt for record purposes. The POS description is entered at the department level; you can enter the relevant POS description for the different departments.
Note:
           - Products that are not added to the Pricebook Zones and do not have a proper inventory can be sold as Open Dept. Sales.
           - The department that you want to add for the Open Sales Dept. could be managed from the POS Panel Settings on the button settings.

Figure 3.1.3

5. Tags: You can add or select a tag in this field. When you click on this field, the list of existing tags will appear. Select the appropriate tag from the drop-down. You can also enter a new tag in this field. 

Figure 3.1.4
6. Dept #: Enter a unique department number. It is simply a reference number that will be used to identify the department's records. You will see the department name along with the department number on the product listing page.
7. Location Assignment: In the "Options" tab, you will select a POS Flag for the department you are creating. If you need to assign a different POS Flag to a specific location, you can do so from this section. 
  1. Click the "+ Add Location" button. The Location Name and POS Flag dropdowns will appear. Select the location and POS Flag from their respective dropdowns.

Figure 3.1.5
8. Save: You can save the details that are configured.

3.2 Options Tab

After configuring the "Details" tab, you need to configure the settings in the "Options" tab. You can configure the settings related to POS Flags, Open Dept., Orders, Sales, and others.

1. POS Flag: From the drop-down selection, select the applicable POS Flag for the department. POS Flags that contain location-specific tax rates, age restrictions, excise taxes, and other rules will be assigned to the department and simultaneously apply to all the products that this department has selected. For full details, POS Flags are covered in a separate KB article. 

Figure 3.2.1

2. Open Department
About Open Department Sale:
If a product is sold without a barcode (or UPC) and without maintaining inventory, that sale will be considered an open department sale. There is no product maintenance or information provided, and the product is only sold on an "ad hoc" basis. You can control the open department sale price between a minimum and maximum amount. See Figure 3.2.2.
- Open Depart Min Amount: Enter a minimum amount for product sale. If the product's amount is lower than entered in Min Amount, the product sale will be denied during checkout.
- Open Depart Max Amount: Enter a maximum amount for product sale. If the product's amount is higher than entered in Max Amount, the product sale will be denied during checkout.

Figure 3.2.2

3. Max Discount: Set the maximum discount at the department level. You will not be able to give a larger discount % than what you have noted here. By default, it is set to 100%.
4. Discount Percent on Damaged: Enter the percentage (%) value to provide the discount on damaged or partially broken items. When an item is returned because it is damaged or partially broken, the employee/store representative will be able to sell that item at a discounted price. 
Note: This setting is also provided at the product level to override specific products and set the discount for another department.
5. Target Margin: Enter the target margin value to determine the cost of the products that are sold via the open department. Such products don't have a record in the inventory (no UPC or barcode), so this target margin will help calculate the cost of the products and calculate the margin to avoid a 100% or 0% margin. The different departments will have different target margins.
6. QOH Reorder Point: Enter the value to set up the QOH Reorder.
About QOH: This field is directly linked with Purchase Order details, Part Numbers, and Replenishments Purchase Order Method from the Purchase Order. This will be used to supersede reorder settings at the department level when reordering.

Figure 3.2.3
7. Override Order Days: Enter days of inventory orders and allow all items in the selected department to supersede order rules.
8. Override Type: For overriding order parameters, select the type from the dropdown to Override, Decrease, or Increase the set order parameters.
9. Include in Transfers: Enable this setting to allow the transfer of any product from one store to another from this department.
10. Can Evaluate: This setting is not used for POS transactions or any other activities, just for internal usage, i.e., business intelligence.
11. Include In Sales Reporting: This option totals sales and includes them in standard sales reports. If you disable it, the sales will not be included in the reports. This option may be useful for store or company transactions but is not intended for standard daily sales reports.
Ex. If a customer reaches out to the store to redeem the lottery tickets of $10, a store needs to pay out on winnings to the customer. If this option is enabled, it will be included in the general sales report, which is irrelevant. So, if the department is for lottery payout, you can disable this option to avoid inclusion in the sales reports.

Figure 3.2.4
12. Allow Returns: By enabling this option, the system will allow returns on products in this department. Products will not be allowed for returns if you disable this option.
13. Non Tax: By enabling this option, the system will specifically filter this department as a non-taxable department. No tax will be applied regardless of flag.
14. Is Lottery: Enable this option if you want to make a separate lottery department. If this option is disabled, this department will be considered a General Department.
15. Allow Sales for 0$: Some of the items might be sold at a $0 retail price, but they are needed to manage and track the inventory. You can see the "Global" option is selected by default. But, by clicking the drop-down option, you can enable the "Custom" option. By enabling "Custom," you allow the cashier to sell the items with a price of 0 that belong to this department.

Figure 3.2.5
Note:
Allow Sales for 0$ is the exceptional (override) option to sell such items for $0. You can find the "Allow Sale of Item If Price is 0.00" setup in Register Settings (POS Device Global Settings). If you have disabled it in Register Settings, you can override item sales for $0 at the department level. Similarly, if you have enabled it for all (Global Settings), you can restrict the item sales to $0 at the department level by selecting the "Custom" option. 
16. Department Type: Currently, there are 3 different types you can choose from: Normal, Payout, and Fuel. This is useful to keep records correct.

Figure 3.2.6
17. Bypass Item Sales Limit: If you enable Bypass Item Sales Limit, the system will bypass the item's set sales limit belonging to this department. 
The sales limit for an item or department can be set through "Item Sales Limit." (Maintenance >> Restriction >> Item Sales Limit)
  1.  If an item's sales limit is defined from "Item Sales Limit," and if you enable Bypass Item Sales Limit in the respective department, the system will bypass the sales limit for the item. 
18. Save: You can save the settings that are configured.

3.3 Accounts

After configuring the "Options" tab, you need to enter the different types of account numbers applicable to each department. The following codes are utilized for account exports:
1. Sales Account | COGS Account | INV AP Account | Returns Account | Shrink Account | Adjustments Account | Excise Account
- Sales Account: Enter the account number for the sales account. The sales transactions from this department will be synchronized with the sales accounting system.
- COGS Account: Enter the account number for Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). The costs of the products sold by this department will be synched with the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) accounting system.
- INV AP Account: Enter the Invoice Accounts Payable (INV AP) account number. The invoices with pending payments in this department will be synched with the Invoice Accounts Payable (INV AP) accounting system.
- Returns Account: Enter the account number for product returns. The returned products associated with this department will be synched with the returns accounting system. Returns may be from a company or a customer.

Figure 3.3.1
- Shrink Account: Enter the Shrink Account number. The stock discrepancies that occurred in this department will be synchronized with your shrink accounting system.
- Adjustment Account: Enter the account number for the adjustment of incoming and outgoing money. The adjusting entries of incoming and outgoing money in this department will be synchronized with the adjustment accounting system.
- Excise Account: Enter the account number for the excise taxes. The excise taxes applied to products of this department will be synched with the excise accounting system.
2. Save: You can save the details that are configured.

3.4 House Accounts

After configuring the "Accounts" tab, you need to manage the discount levels for House Accounts from the "House Accounts" tab.
By clicking the "House Accounts" tab, you will see the list of discount levels with Discount Percentage (%), where you need to set the discount values for each level.
Note: If you have created the "House Account Discount Level" from Point Of Sale -> House Accounts -> House Account Discount Level, only then will the records of discount levels be listed here.

Figure 3.4.1

Buttons: Once the department details are configured, save the department. See Figure 3.4.1 above.
  1. Save & Close: Click this button to save and close the department details. 
  2. Save & New: Click this button to save the department details and add a new department.
  3. Save: Click this button to return to the department details page after saving the document.
  4. Cancel: The department will not be added (saved), and you will be redirected to the Departments listing page.
Once you save a new department, it will be listed on the Departments listing page.

4. Assigning a Department to Products

After creating a department, you need to assign it to the products to apply the rates, age restrictions, discounts, sales and order-related options, and other rules to the products.
Follow the steps below to assign a department to the product:
  1. Navigate to any product details where you will see the Department drop-down field separately.
  2. The list of departments will appear in the list after clicking the drop-down.
  3. Select the required department for the product.

Figure 4.1
In this way, you can assign the department to the product, and automatically the tax rates, POS Flag (age restriction, excise tax), sales and order-related options, discounts, etc., at the department level will be applied to that product.

Adding a New Department from the Products Page

You can easily create a department by setting up its option from the product details page rather than navigating to the department.

Figure 4.2

You will get the "Add" button beside the drop-down box. By clicking it, you will see a pop-up to add a new department with the same setup and options as adding departments from the Departments menu individually.

5. Editing and Deleting Departments

Editing and Deleting a Department

Follow the steps below to edit/update the department:
  1. To edit the departments, click the green Modify button or click on the department name from the list.

Figure 5.1
  1. In both cases, you will be redirected to the Department details page. 

Figure 5.2
  1. Edit: You will see the existing department details and setups for different tabs. You can change the details and configurations, then click the "Save" button. 
  2. Delete: By clicking the "Delete" button, you can delete the department, which will be removed from the system. If you click, a warning message will appear on the screen to confirm the deletion, as Figure 5.4 shows.
  1. You can also delete the department from the Department listing page. Click on the Remove button from the listing page of the departments to delete it. 
Figure 5.3
  1. In both cases, a warning pop-up will ask you to confirm the deletion.

Figure 5.4
               
  NOTE: All deleted departments can be brought back by clicking on the "View Deleted Items" button and then clicking on "Restore."

Deleting an Assigned Department

You can remove the department that is no longer needed. But if you try to delete the department that has existing products, you will see the alert message, as shown in Figure 5.5 below.

Figure 5.5
Note:
If you want to delete any department, you must move and organize all the products to another department; only after that can you delete the department. You can change the assignment of the department to the products using the Mass Update functionality.

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