Multiple invoice numbers used when an order is printed.

[jaustill]

I am Using Macola Progression 7.6.400a on a mssql server.
We have made no changes that I am aware of that would cause this problem.

On some user stations (not all) when a user is in an order and selects yes to print invoice now, they will get many invoices printed for that ONE order each with its unique invoice number. One order printed 14 sequential invoices with 14 different sequential invoice numbers. The OERHDR_SQL file shows the invoice number as the first number used in that series of invoice numbers. The OEHDRAUD_SQL file only has one B entry and one C entry, the C entry shows the invoice number as the first number used in that series of invoice numbers. Posting is correct, we're just burning through invoice numbers that are not actually used.

Any help or wild guesses would be appreciated.
Jere

 

[crystalreporting]

Long shot - but the users in question aren't responding 'no' to the 'Did the Invoices Print Correctly' option are they? With immediate invoice printing, answering no to this question prints the invoice again and will do so over and over again until you respond 'yes' i.e. clicking no 14 times will print 14 invoices.

Peter Shirley

http://www.srhconsulting.com

 

[jaustill]

In this case no. We have encountered the inability to actually use the NO it did not print correctly looping response in the past. The users we permit to print their own orders are the more experienced, others must let order processing print for them. When the issue occurs the print dialog window that pops up after the print options window will show that it is printing MANY copies instead of the 3 it should print.

 

[crystalreporting]

Well it sounds like a functional disenhancement to me (bug). Is it maybe related to how many other invoices are out there waiting to be printed when the immediate one is printed? I don't think it's simply a printing problem because if I understand you correctly, it's actually assigning a new invoice number to each duplicate order that prints. Maybe have your reseller place a call with Exact?

Peter Shirley

http://www.srhconsulting.com

 

[dgillz]

Jere,

Are you using type I orders (immediate invoice at time of OE) or type O orders (immediate invoice at time of select for billing) when you do this?

Also, is there anything out of the ordinary ship and invoice procedure such as kits, configured items, forced demand=pull, serial or lot control, etc.?

Just trying to find a pattern if there is one.

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

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"If you have a big enough dictionary, just about everything is a word"
--Dave Barry

 

[jaustill]

Yes, we are using type I orders (immediate invoice at time of OE) and type O orders (immediate invoice at time of select for billing).

It is not an issue on all of the workstations, some of them are able to print with no problems. On the workstations that do have the issue, it is a repeatable error.

There does not appear to be anything out of the ordinary with the orders.

Sometimes when we print an order that hangs on the print dialog box and prints multiple invoices we can select cancel, go back into the order and print again and it works as it should.

 

[crystalreporting]

So it's workstation specific? Do you have the workstation printers set to print multiple copies? Maybe try resetting the printer and selectiing it again through the invoice print dialogue box in Macola and/or deleting and re-adding the printer on the workstations that are having the problems through Windows?

Peter Shirley

http://www.srhconsulting.com

 

[dgillz]

You are not getting multiple copies of the same invoice, you are getting multiple invoice numbers with the same data on it correct?

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

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"If you have a big enough dictionary, just about everything is a word"
--Dave Barry

 

[jaustill]

to dgillz: Yes, I am not getting multiple copies of the same invoice, I am getting multiple invoices printed for the same order with the same data, only one invoice number ends up in the OEORDHDR_SQL file.

to crystalreporting: Yes, it's workstation specific, some have no problems some always have a problem, some are intermitant. NO,the workstation printers are not set to print multiple copies.

I will try resetting the printer and selecting it again through the invoice print dialogue box.

 

[dgillz]

Is the next invoice # in OE setup getting incremented multiple times?

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

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"If you have a big enough dictionary, just about everything is a word"
--Dave Barry

 

[jaustill]

The "starting invoice number" in AR setup is NOT getting incremented multiple times when an order is printed that starts spooling invoice numbers. The "starting invoice number" in AR setup does however increment properly with orders that are not creating multiple invoices. The last good invoice printed was 435850 and "starting invoice number" in AR setup is 435851, the order that printed multiple invoices stopped on 435932, when we selected "the invoices did not print correctly" and I rechecked AR the "starting invoice number" in AR setup was still 435851.
Are you on to something??

 

[kscheeler]

Have you checked the OEHDRAUD_SQL table to see if each change in invoice number is updating the system? The other thing you can to do track it better is to put a trigger on the OEORDHDR_SQL table and write a record to a custom table anytime there's a change in the inv_no field.

I currently do this for the order status. Following is the code I use for tracking that.


===================================================
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER OFF
GO
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO


CREATE TRIGGER udt_OrdStatusChange ON OEORDHDR_SQL
FOR UPDATE
AS

Declare @OrdType Char(1)
Declare @OrdNo Char(8)
Declare @OldStatus Char(1)
Declare @NewStatus Char(1)


Select @OrdType = Ord_Type, @OrdNo = Ord_No, @NewStatus = Status from Inserted

Select @OldStatus = Status from Deleted


if @OldStatus <> @NewStatus
Insert into tbloestatuschg_sql
select @OrdType, @OrdNo, @OldStatus, @NewStatus, getdate(), system_user



GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER OFF
GO
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO

======================================================

You can easily change it to track the inv_no field instead of the status. This will let you know whether each one is updating the order or not or just the last invoice no.

Kevin Scheeler

 

[NEmacGuy]

I think crystalreporting nailed this one. I've had to deal with an issue like this before. Net result was the immediate invoice feature stinks. When you print an immediate invoice you are presented with the "Did it print correctly?" question. The only time "no" is the correct awnser is if the printer jams and you want a new copy, and a new invoice number. There is no way out of the loop, and you keep clicking no, and eventually end task the print invoice print program, you end up with the first invoice number written in the order header, and a bunch of invoices with new invoice numbers. This was our experience along with some real crazy locking issues. We ended up changing procedures and eliminated printing immediate invoices. Our client had a 4 walkup service windows with a pc / macola at each window. I think know they print a packing list or pick ticket that looks like an invoice.
Observation was required to figure out that one user was printing an invoice seeing that he made a mistake on the printed copy, and awnsered "No" and expected that he could then edit the invoice, instead it printed an other copy of the same invoice. I beleive this is considered expected behavior by Exact.

Just wanted to share, perhaps you issue will be completly different.

Best of Luck

 

[jaustill]

Thanks, but that is not the issue.

I answered that question in my post on [21 May 07 14:31]. The multiple invoices start printing as soon as you select print. We are aware of the "no it did not print correctly" loop. The multiple invoices are printing BEFORE the "did the invoices print correctly" dialog pops up.

Today, my other workstations that did not have the problem, now are affected.

{By the way, and unrelated to my issue, you can stop the loop you describe if you immediately press the "Esc" key on the keyboard}

 

[jaustill]

Problem Possibly SOLVED. dgillz sent me some suggestions to try.
1) initialize the report passing file
(this file [reprpass_sql] did have 5 entries stuck in it)
2)Rebuild the oeordhdr and oeordlin files

just for fun I also rebuilt the A/R and O/E setup files

I no longer seem to have a problem. Unless I post back in this thread again I will consider it solved.