Summary
Supplier Minimums allow you to specify minimum order-level quantities that you must satisfy when ordering from a particular supplier. This supplier can be a vendor (e.g. vendor minimums), a transfer warehouse (transfer minimums), or a manufacturing facility (manufacturing minimums).
You can enter these yourself in the Admin --> System Configuration --> Supplier Minimums screen. Also, if your ERP has this information stored in it already, it can be automatically brought into StockIQ - contact us for details.
These minimums are different from line-level minimum order quantities, generally referred to as "MOQs". Instead, these are order- or group-level minimums that must be satisfied when placing your order.
Common examples are something like "Must order $10,000 for the vendor to accept the order" or "I must order at least 5 pallets of product" or similar.
In some cases, the minimums are broken down by a category or group, sometimes called "Supplier Item Category" or "Purchasing Group". An example of this is that if you're Wile E. Coyote ordering from ACME, you must order at least 5 giant magnets, but must order 20 anvils of any type to satisfy those two separate minimums. StockIQ handles this via what we call "Supplier Item Category" - contact us if you need help getting these sub-categories set up within StockIQ.
Column Description
To enter a new supplier minimum, click the "+" icon at the right of the grid, as with all other override screens. Below is a description of the different columns of information you may want to provide. There is no limit on the number of minimums you can provide for each supplier.
- Supplier - the supplier for which this minimum exists.
- Category - the sub-category or purchasing group for this minimum, if any, e.g. the subcategory of products for which this minimum applies for the vendor.
- Minimum Type - Allows you to define if this is a hard, Order minimum, or just a free-freight minimum. There is no functional difference in how StockIQ treats these minimums, but it can help you decide if you MUST follow the minimum, or if it was only a nice-to-have free freight min.
- Description- Just a simple text description of what the minimum is, if you want.
- Minimum - the numeric value of the minimum, e.g. $10,000, or 500 units etc.
- Measure - The measure for the minimum, e.g. units, dollars, pallets, cubes, whatever.
- Multiple - The multiple that applies to this minimum, if any. (This is not common)
- Target Site - The specific site to which this minimum applies, if any (This is not common)
When you're done, click Save, and your minimum will become available for use immediately in StockIQ. StockIQ will warn about it in the Order Valdiations step of Place Orders, and also in the Order Wizard "Supplier Minimums" targeter type.