DBD: Order Entry 2 - Custom Items & Master Configuration

⚙️ Tailoring Your View: Standard Tabs vs. Summary Entry Panel Depending on your user configurations in Application Security by Operator Parameters, your line entry layout will look like one of two options:

• The Standard Layout (Default): The system displays the Line Tab fields, and saving the line opens five specialized configuration sub-tabs at the bottom of your screen (detailed below).
• The Summary Entry Layout: If your profile has the Summary Entry option checked with an "X", the multi-tab view is completely hidden. Instead, the system launches a streamlined Summary Panel grid that pulls fields like Packaging, Cost, Sell, and Vendor directly onto a single, high-speed data entry line.

• Note for Summary Entry Users: If you are using this streamlined panel, you do not need to click through the sub-tabs listed in this guide. Simply verify your auto-populated cost/sell rates right on the grid, map your Special Shipping flag if routing to multiple locations, and click Save to advance straight to your Purchase Order setups!

Order Line Entry

The Line Tab

Once your order header is locked in, the system automatically advances you to the Line Tab.

To initialize your line, type your custom item identifier into the Item Number field and hit Enter. If you aren't sure of your division's naming conventions for non-stock goods, click the Query (magnifying glass) button to browse how this specific customer's existing items are coded.

Once your item code is entered, work through these critical control fields:

1. Advanced PO Routing & Control Codes

• P/O Code: DBd has a powerful feature that lets you split a single Sales Order into multiple separate Purchase Orders for different vendors. This helps you track multi-phase jobs and accumulate exact costs.

  For example, if your Sales Order is 00-024750    , your first purchase order will be suffixed as 00-024750-1     or 24750-A    . This single-character suffix triggers how the PO is physically sent to your supplier based on your division's custom rules:

  • A through L: Automatically emails/faxes the PO to the vendor and prints a physical copy to your local laser printer.
  • M through Z: Set to purely digital distribution (email and/or fax only).
  • 1 through 9: Strict local printing only.

2. The Custom Checkbox & Specifications

• Custom?: You must check this box. Checking "Custom" tells DBd that this item is being built to order and unlocks your advanced specification templates (like Continuous, Envelopes, Labels, Commercial Print, Binders, Tags, or Index Tabs).

  Specs Required: Set this dropdown to Full Specs. If you leave it on Comments Only, the system will block you from accessing the deep specification panels.

  Custom Item Line Type: Choose the workflow state for this run:

  • New     (Select this for our example)
  • Exact Repeat    
  • Copy Change    
  • Spec Change    
• Line Type: Because you checked the Custom box, this will automatically lock to Manufactured Item. (Note: If you ever leave the Custom box unchecked, this dropdown lets you manually select Stock Item, Message, Special Charge, or Non-Stock Item).

3. Document Visibility (Print On Controls)

• Print On Checkboxes: These flags control exactly where this line item's details will appear. Your system parameters will check your standard team defaults automatically, but you can override them here if a customer requests an exception:
  • Thank You Letter (Sales Confirmation)
  • Customer Invoice
  • Packing List

➡️ Moving Forward: For this order entry example, we are creating a brand-new custom item. Once these core control fields are set, simply click Next to dive into the core Item definition parameters.

The Item Tab

Once your core control fields on the Line Tab are set, click Next to advance to the Item Tab.

At this point, you have two options depending on whether the item already exists or needs to be built from scratch:

Option 1: Selecting an Existing Item Code

If the item has already been fully set up in your system before, you can pull it up instantly:

1. Click the Query (magnifying glass) button to browse the customer's active item list.
2. Select the existing item code from the lookup screen.
3. The system will automatically load the record, lighting up the specialized sub-tabs at the bottom of your panel with all pre-saved configurations.

Option 2: Setting Up a Brand-New Custom Item Code

If you are entering a completely new product that has never been run before, use this workflow to create it (and save time by copying a past blueprint if available):

1. Type your brand-new custom code directly into the field and hit Enter.

   Because this code doesn't match a standard inventory record, DBd will open a pop-up prompt alerting you that the item wasn't found. Click Yes to confirm you want to proceed.

   The system will then open the Copy Item Detail utility. If this new item is similar to a product you've run before, you can pull its base blueprint forward as a shortcut:

   • Customer Code: Enter the customer account where the existing item detail is stored.
   • Item Code: Enter the historical item code you want to mimic.
   • Click OK.

⏱️ What happens next? The system will instantly copy over all historical data—including detailed item configurations and manufacturing specifications—directly into this new Custom Item Master. This saves your team from having to manually fill out every field on the sub-tabs below!

Custom Item Configuration Tabs

Once your item code is verified, the system opens up five specialized data tabs at the bottom of your line entry panel.

1. Setup Tab

The Setup Tab establishes how this custom product interacts with your financial accounting, sales tracking, and supply chain.

• Product Code: Mandatory field. This is a vital configuration choice. Beyond labeling the item, it actively triggers your advanced spec screens, maps data for sales analysis, acts as a tax/tax-exempt flag, dictates commission rules, and determines your General Ledger (G/L) distribution for sales and cost of goods sold.

• Left-Right, Top-Bottom, & Plys: Enter the precise physical dimensions and number of plys.

  💡 Be Consistent! Ensure your data entry format is identical across similar items for accurate Reorder Grouping (e.g., typing 8.5     vs. 8 ½     will be interpreted as two completely different sizes by the system).

• Item Revision: A 6-character free-form reference field used strictly for your team's internal version control (commonly formatted as MMYYYY).
• Vendor & Plant Code: Enter the primary supplier manufacturing this run. If your vendor utilizes multiple manufacturing facilities, use the Plant Code to map the exact facility location producing this batch so your PO routes perfectly.
• Spec Code: Tie this line to a global Spec Code if you want this item to automatically copy updates whenever other items sharing this exact blueprint are modified.
• Contract Expires On: A reference date tracking custom client contract expirations, easily pulled later for custom ODBC reporting.

2. Pricing Tab

This tab controls buying vs. selling math, warehousing flags, and third-party royalty rules.

• Price Unit & Quantity Per Unit: Enter your customer-facing sales unit of measure (e.g., M     for thousands, EA    , BOX    ). For fixed units like M    , the system automatically fills the quantity block with 1,000    . For variable units like boxes, manually enter the piece count per carton.
• Amt / Unit: Key in your final customer sell-price.

• Cost Unit, Qty, & Cost Amt: Mandatory field. DBd allows you to set up an entirely separate unit of measure for your purchasing track. Enter your exact supplier buy-cost here.

  💡 Quick Margin Check: The system instantly calculates your gross profit margin percentage right next to these fields. Always glance at this to ensure your line pricing aligns with your team's utilization and margin goals before moving on!

• Numbering Checkbox: Check this box if you are running a sequentially numbered form. Checking this flags the system to prompt you for a starting number now, and a final ending number when the product is received at the warehouse.
• Stock Item Checkbox: This box is checked automatically by the system upon your initial purchase of a stock item. This creates a permanent Custom Item Master for your customer and flags DBd to track general stock inventory levels for this SKU moving forward.
• Carton Weight & Carton Pack: Enter the standard shipping weight and per-carton piece count. This data automatically flows to your delivery tickets and helps calculate total shipment freight weights.
• Combination Quantity: A reference field displaying total order quantities if this item was grouped with similar products for tier-discount pricing.
• Function Code: A flexible reference field typically used to default a custom cost center code directly to the line item.
• IMS & IMS Price (Print Management): Check IMS if this product needs to be managed as a specialized Print Management Item. If your client wants to charge their internal corporate branches a custom markup rate rather than what they actually paid, use IMS Price to enter a flat rate or an automatic percentage multiplier (e.g., entering 110%     to scale the internal price cleanly whenever your base sell price changes).
• Feature Driven Pricing: Fields used to automate cost estimation rules based on pre-set form groups and selections.
• Finder’s Fees (Type, Vendor, Rate): If your division pays a third-party royalty or commission on this item, define the calculation basis here (Sales, Gross Profit, or Cost), map the vendor code receiving the cash, and set the royalty rate.

3. Alt U/M Tab

This tab handles custom tracking codes, buying groups, artwork history, and physical counting options.

• CIC (Customer Item Code): If your customer requires their own custom internal part number on their invoices and reports, enter it here. This field holds up to 20 characters, giving you plenty of room if their code exceeds DBd’s standard 10-character item limit.
• FROM (Buying Groups): If this item belongs to a large corporate buying group where multiple accounts pull from a single shared stock pool, enter the primary master customer code here to centralize all physical inventory tracking.
• Previous Item Code: An automatic or manual audit reference field displaying old item codes if this SKU underwent a system code change.
• Item Contact: Maps the specific contact person managing this product line. If left blank, reorder notices default straight to your primary account contact.
• Reorder Group: Assign a grouping code here if this item can be combined with other products for combination supplier pricing.
• Artwork Tracking File, Status Code, & Status Date: Reference blocks to log the active name of your digital art files and their physical or server locations (e.g., P     for At Plant, F     for Internal Files) along with the date that location status was updated.
• Alternate Units of Issue: Configure up to four alternate units of issue for specialized customer reporting. For counted inventory items, you can define up to two alternate units here that will print directly on your physical warehouse count sheets, making inventory audits a breeze.

4. Reorder Tab

The fields on this tab control your automated replenishment warnings and inventory health reporting.

• Suggested Reorder Qty: Manually lock in a specific replenishment quantity to print on the client's automated reorder notice. If left blank, the system will calculate suggestions dynamically based on your global system parameters (Average Monthly Usage divided by 30, multiplied by your target lead days).

• Estimated Reorder Date: A system-updated or manually maintained target date showing when inventory is projected to deplete.

  Reorder Point in Days: Highly Recommended. Enter your desired lead time in days. The system automatically monitors your real-time usage trends and triggers a reorder notice the moment your on-hand quantities dip below your day-count safety cushion.

  Reorder Point Quantity: Set a hard minimum on-hand piece count that triggers an immediate reorder flag.

  Average Monthly Usage: The system-calculated sum of all monthly product usage across all customer branch locations.

  Item Status & Status Date: Reflects the current life cycle state of the SKU:

  • New Item     (Set during initial creation)
  • Reorder Notice     (System-generated warning active)
  • Sales Order     (Active reproduction order in progress)
  • OK     (Order cleared and stock stable)

• Don't Print Notice Until: A manual date hold that blocks the system from auto-generating reorder alerts until the specified date has passed.
• Requisition Access: A 2-character security passcode used by the Web.ec     online module. If a code is entered here, online buyers must have a matching permission tag in their profile to see or request this item.

5. User-Defined Tab

The User Defined tab gives your division ultimate flexibility, offering up to 9,999 completely customizable fields to log unique product data points not covered by standard screens.

📊 Reporting vs. Printing: These custom fields are designed purely for advanced data analysis and can be pulled freely via ODBC reporting. However, keep in mind that these fields do not print on any standard DBd-generated documents (like packing lists or invoices). Do not confuse these data fields with your core manufacturing specifications!

📘 Need to create a new custom field or modify your existing layout parameters? Check out our complete guide on DBD: Custom Item Setup - User Defined Fields for full step-by-step instructions.

Finalizing the Master Configuration

The moment you complete your custom fields on the User Defined tab and click through the final prompts, DBd will return you directly to your main Order Entry screen. The system will give you one final opportunity to select Modify if you need to double-check any of your tab values.

If everything looks perfect, your custom item master definition is locked in!

➡️ What's Next? Your item blueprint is saved, but you haven't entered the customer's actual order quantity or finalized the active transaction pricing yet. Advance straight to DBD: Order Entry 3 - Line Processing & Special Charges to calculate your margins and add your manufacturing layouts.