Macola costing me money by not rounding

[AOLsucks]

Recently I noticed that Macola's (version 7.6.3. progression)final total price was routinely less than what my customer's order states. After a little investigating I found that because I am using a discount (55%), Macola doesn't round the new discounted price before multiplying by the quantity of the item.

For instance, if I have an item at $2.99 retail price, the 55% discount turns that to $1.3455. Instead of rounding to $1.35 and then multiplying by the quantity (as my customers do), Macola uses the unrounded number. So if I put in an order of 1000 items at this price, Macola lists the total as $1,345.50 instead of what my customers expect to pay, which is $1,350.00. This doesnt seem like much, but with the quantity of orders I fill it could save me thousands. Does anyone know how to fix Macola so that it rounds up the newly figured discount price BEFORE multiplying by the quantity? Have other people noticed this?

 

[kscheeler]

I disagree.

I have clients that use it the way it's designed and also some that show pricing to 3 decimals on their invoices. Especially when selling something like labels where they are priced per thousand.

You could add flex code on the lose focus event on the unit price field to recalculate it for you. You would get a message that the unit price has changed but it would then calculate it the way you want it to.

Another approach is to use the pricing matrix in order entry and use specific pricing for those customers vs. a discount percentage. Yes, you would have to change the prices in the pricing matrix if your default price changed but it's another way to solve your problem.

If you look at it a different way, the total amount at full price would be $2,990.00. 55% of that is $1,644.50 and the net amount is $1,345.50 and that's what Macola is saying.

Kevin Scheeler

 

[dgillz]

When you sell a product in very minute quantities such as certain precious metals and pharmaceuticals, it is often necesary to have more precision in pricing. Macola goes to 6 decimals but I know of one user who has modified source code to go to 8 decimals.

I have written up an enhancement request to put price rounding rules and # of decimals in OE setup (similar to # of decimals for qty in company setup) but in reality this could be different for each item.

Kevin is correct in that Flex is the way to address rounding. If you have a consistent rounding method this should be a snap, I would contact your Macola business partner or Exact regional office.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"making predictions is tough, especially about the future" - Yogi Berra

 

[AOLsucks]

Thank you for the quick responses, but I should clarify a few things. First, Kevin makes a good point that Macola is accurately taking 55% off of the order, however my customers use programs that round their individual prices as I explained above. Therefore, I am charging them less than they expect to pay. I would rather charge them the rounded amount (though I realize it wouldnt truly be a 55% discount) because it would obviously generate more money but also because it is a hassle to field calls about why Im not charging my customers what they thought. It's surprising how many people call even though I am actually charging them less than what they expected! Some customers have already built in those costs into their budgets and it seems to waste a lot of people's time over a discrepancy of just a few dollars per order.

I use promotional discounts, so the % of discount I offer routinely changes. For this reason, I dont want to constantly change the prices for each item and for each customer to rounded prices. It would be very time consuming and I would have to change it everytime the discount changes. I don't think the pricing matrix is applicable, but the flex code option seems encouraging. Could you two or others elaborate on if this is what i want and how to change it? Thanks.

 

[dgillz]

First you would need to own or purchase Flexibility, then you would need to codify how you want to round. You mentioned for example, rounding 1.3455 to 1.35. What if the result of the math was 1.34025? Would you still want to round up to 1.35? What are your rounding rules?

Then after this, someone would have to write the Flex/VBA code to do this. However it does not look to be all that difficult. As I said you should contact your Macola BP or Regional office to make this happen.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"making predictions is tough, especially about the future" - Yogi Berra

 

[AOLsucks]

Flexibility is an addon or an upgrade to Macola? I have talked to the Exact office and only one person knew the answer to my question - and they said it wasn't possible. I asked them why or if there were any of their products that could do this but they were rather blunt and wouldn't elaborate. Macola ES or another high end product might, but I would to solve the problem with Progression because spending the thousands of dollars on new software is pointless. How much does Flexibility cost or are there other alternatives? Thank you for taking the time and responding so quickly on my last reply Dgillz.

 

[kscheeler]

Flex is an add-on module that allows you to add functionality using VBA to different events in Macola without changing the source code. You are not preventing Macola from doing what it would normally do but doing things beyond that or in your case redoing what Macola did.

You will have to talk to your reseller about pricing. You'll then need someone familiar with VBA to write the code.

I haven't tested it yet but I don't think Macola ES will round it any differently

You mentioned you have customers calling you saying that you're charging less than what they've put on their PO's but if you changed the process I bet you will have at least 1 or 2 that will call saying your overcharging.

Kevin Scheeler

 

[AOLsucks]

Yeah Kevin, you're probably right about that. I would use it only in cases were the customer rounds it also, otherwise that wouldn't be very fair. Its easier when both the customer's order and my invoice are equal in price (excluding freight, taxes, etc.), so I planned to use it to match up the two. It is also an easy way to double check that I filled the order correctly if we both use the same rounding systems. That's why I was hoping there would be just a simple check box or option in O/E setup, but I couldn't find anything. It looks like that was wishful thinking. Thank you both for the help.

 

[dgillz]

AOL,

There are conditions to doing this with Flex that your order entry people would need to follow, but I guarantee you this works, my programmer and I just tested this. I would love to know who at Exact told you this was not possible so I can understand where they are coming from.

Tori Aiken at Exact is the Flex guru, if you are not talking to Tori I suggest you escalate the call. If you aready talking to Tori, then I believe "we have a failure to communicate". (in my best sothern drawl -- we don't pronounce the U down here in LA - Lower Alabama)



Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"making predictions is tough, especially about the future" - Yogi Berra

 

[AOLsucks]

The best I can do for you is tell you that I talked to only men - I made a mental note of this fact because in previous experience I've found that the women at Exact seem to be more knowledgeable. Im guessing Tori is a woman, so that could explain some of it. When I first called they put me on hold for about 15 minutes, then told me the one person that could answer this question was on the phone. They said they would call me back when they could ask this one person, but they didnt give me any names and I didn't ask for any (I was expecting a quick fix and didn't think it was necessary to get names, oops!). They called me back a short time later and told me it wasn't possible. Like I said I talked to only men, but it is possible that the "one person" that knew the answer was Tori. Still, I never talked to her directly and the guy I talked to didnt seem like he understood the problem too well so he may have misinterpreted it.

 

[dgillz]

Tori is a woman. I find it best to get the specialists' names in whatever area of Macola you are working on. If that area is Crystal, Screen Designer/Flex or Event Manager, the answer is Tori.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"making predictions is tough, especially about the future" - Yogi Berra

 

[AOLsucks]

Thanks for the info. I just talked to Tori and got the price quote on flexibility. Its more than I had hoped, but I think if i can find other uses for it I can make it worthwhile. Any favorite uses of flexibility that you guys have to become more efficient or productive? Some you've heard about? You both have been a big help so far.

Also, dgillz, I have zero experience with VBA (though I know what it is) and in general don't program. No one in my company is familiar with it either, so do you think you could send me the code that you and your programmer successfully tested? I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again.

 

[abaldwin]

Dear AOLSucks
BTW Great handle there.

Any favorite uses of flexibility that you guys have to become more efficient or productive? Some you've heard about? You both have been a big help so far.

The usefulness of Flex runs the gambit. From rounding and adjusting prices to much more intense applications. We have written ALL sorts of flex applications. I am sure if you contact Don he can educate you on its uses. I do not think this forum is appropriate for posting some of our code, although I am sure many others can give examples of flex apps.

Some of my best ones.
1. Credit card processing through Verisign.
2. Enhanced notes functionality.
3. Enhanced reporting and processing of orders, invoices, shop orders etc
4. Electronic medical billing (HCVA compliant printing and electronic processing of claims.

The list goes on.

Andy Baldwin

"Testing is the most overlooked programming language on the books!