Module Options

  Back to all categories

Customize Fishbowl

  Training Videos

  Customize Fishbowl

  iReport

  Module Options

  Fishbowl API

Fishbowl is a full-scale inventory solution with a variety of features for every basic process flow. However, companies often have processes that differ from the default functionality. Therefore, Fishbowl offers an assortment of customizable module options. Module options can be found by loading the appropriate module and then clicking the Tools menu at the top of the client and then choosing Module Options from the menu. Module Option documentation is also found in the individual article for each module.

ACCOUNTING INTEGRATION MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Accounting Integration module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Attach order item notes to Accounting Export

If this option is checked, any notes on Fishbowl order items will be exported to the accounting system.

• Export part tracking to Accounting

With this option checked, Fishbowl part tracking information, such as serial numbers, will be exported to the accounting system.

• Create a bill in Accounting after reconciling a receipt

With this option checked, a bill will be sent to the accounting system after an order is reconciled, even if the order has not yet been received.

• Add the drop ship items to the oldest open invoice

With this option checked, drop ship items will be added to the oldest open invoice, instead of a creating a new invoice each time.

• Send payment when order is fulfilled

With this option selected, payments will only be exported after the sales order is fulfilled. Warning: This will prohibit the export of any payments taken on sales orders until they are completely fulfilled and may result in a discrepancy between your financial institution records and your accounting system until orders are properly fulfilled. Please verify this option with your accountant and contact the Fishbowl Support team for additional information if needed.

• Append unique ID to Sales Order on export

This only applies to fulfilled Sales Orders with no associated shipments (i.e. all dropship, service, shipping, and miscellaneous type items).

• Prefix with the product number

With this option checked, the Fishbowl product number is added to the beginning of the invoice item description in the accounting system.

• Append product UOM when different from the default

With this option checked, the UOM will be displayed in the item description of the accounting system if the UOM on the sales order is different than the product's default UOM.

QuickBooks tab

After integrating with QuickBooks, the integration can be further customized by opening the Accounting Integration module options. With the Accounting Integration module open, click the Tools menu, and then select Module Options.

• Export the Checkout and sales order detail notes to the QuickBooks memo field

If this option is checked, any notes on Details tab of the order will be exported to the QuickBooks memo field.

• Associate multiple Fishbowl customers to one QuickBooks customer

With this option checked, only one customer will be created in QuickBooks called FB_Customer. All of the information exported to QuickBooks will use this customer.

• Add customer references to inventory journal entries

With this option checked, the customer associated with an inventory function, such as scraping or cycle counting, will be exported to QuickBooks.

• Check the "To be Printed" option on the QuickBooks Invoice

With this option checked, invoices will be marked "To be Printed" in QuickBooks. Sales receipts and credit memos are not affected by this option.

• Check the "To be Emailed" option on the QuickBooks Invoice

With this option checked, invoices will be marked "To be Emailed" in QuickBooks. This option requires a default email address saved to the default main office address on the Address tab of the Customer module. Sales receipts and credit memos are not affected by this option.

• Batch Checkout sales receipts by customer when exporting to QuickBooks

With this option checked, all Checkout orders with the same customer and tax rate at the time of export will be grouped together and exported as one sales receipt to QuickBooks.

• Separate sales receipts into payments and invoices

With this option checked, sales receipts will not be created. A completed sales order will always be exported as an invoice and a payment.

• Include Fishbowl invoice numbers on memo

With this option checked, the Fishbowl invoice number will be exported to the memo in QuickBooks.

• Set the invoice number field to be:

This option allows the QuickBooks invoice number to be set to the QuickBooks Number, the Fishbowl SO Invoice Number, or the Fishbowl Shipment Number.

• Set the invoice's custom "Other" field to be:

This option allows the "Other" field on the QuickBooks invoice to be set to the Fishbowl SO Invoice Number, the Fishbowl Shipment Number, or Nothing.

• Set the invoice item's custom fields to be:

Each line item on the QuickBooks invoice has two custom Other fields. These fields can display the Fishbowl product's Number, Description, UOM Full Name, or UOM Abbreviation. Click here to see an example of how to export the product number, description, and UOM to QuickBooks.

QuickBooks Online tab

After integrating with QuickBooks Online, the integration can be further customized by opening the Accounting Integration module options. With the Accounting Integration module open, click the Tools menu, and then select Module Options.

• Invoice Custom Fields

Fishbowl can export data to the custom fields of the QuickBooks Online invoice. For each custom field, select from Carrier, Customer PO, Sales Rep, and Vendor PO.

• Use Fishbowl invoice number

With this option checked, the invoice number in QuickBooks Online will use the Fishbowl sales order number. With this option unchecked, the invoice number will be set by QuickBooks Online. In both cases, the Fishbowl order number will appear in the memo of the QuickBooks Online invoice.

• Include Fishbowl Number

This option sends the Fishbowl sales order number as a message on the invoice, a message on the statement, or neither.

• Separate sales receipts into payments and invoices

With this option checked, sales receipts will not be created. A completed sales order will always be exported as an invoice and a payment.

• "To be emailed" to link to "Send Later" on the invoice.

With this option checked, the To be emailed field in Fishbowl will be exported to the Send Later field in QuickBooks Online.

Xero tab

After integrating with Xero, the integration can be further customized by opening the Accounting Integration module options. With the Accounting Integration module open, click the Tools menu and then select Module Options.

Fishbowl can export transactions to Xero with an Approved status or with a Draft status.

Costing tab

The Costing tab displays the costing method being used in the current database. Although the costing method may be viewed, it may not be changed. The costing method is set when a new database is created. It may be possible to change the costing method of an existing database by contacting Fishbowl Support. Individual part costs can be viewed on the Costing tab of the Inventory module. Below is an explanation of the costing methods available in Fishbowl.

Costing method	Definition
Standard cost	Costs are pre-determined for estimating the cost of an order or product. The difference between standard costs and actual costs are recorded as variances and will be reflected in a Cost Variance account. The specified Standard Cost of a part will be used to debit the Cost of Goods Sold account.
LIFO cost	Last In, First Out. This method assumes the last inventory purchased will be the first sold. When these goods are sold, the value of the newest inventory will be used to debit the Cost of Goods sold account.
FIFO cost	First In, First Out. This method assumes the first inventory purchased will be the first sold. When these goods are sold, the value of the oldest inventory will be used to debit the Cost of Goods sold account.
Average cost	The average cost is a simple calculation of total cost divided by inventory quantity. See the table below for an example. When inventory is purchased, the actual cost of the inventory is added to the total cost, which can result in the average cost changing. When inventory is sold, the current average cost is used, so the total quantity will change, but the average cost will not change as a result of selling an item. LIFO and FIFO use costing layers to store the cost history, so the cost can change each time an item is sold. With average cost, the item's original cost is included in the average and then when the inventory is sold, only the average cost is used and recorded in the cost of goods sold account. If the inventory quantity ever reaches zero, Fishbowl will temporarily store the last average cost, but when new inventory comes in, the calculation starts over using only the cost and quantity of the new inventory. The average cost can also be manually changed.

Below is an example of average costing.

Quantity	Unit cost	Total cost	Total quantity	Average cost
+10 initial inventory	$10	$10 x 10=$100	10	$100 ÷ 10=$10
+1 on a purchase order	$21	$100 + $21=$121	10 + 1=11	$121 ÷ 11=$11
-1 on a sales order	$11 (average cost)	$121 - $11=$110	11 - 1=10	$110 ÷ 10=$11
-10 on a sales order	$11 (average cost)	$121 - $121=$0	11 - 11=0	Average will reset
+1 on a purchase order	$18	$18	0 + 1=1	$18 ÷ 1=$18

BILL OF MATERIALS MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Bill of Materials module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Default Auto Create Type

When creating a new BOM, the Auto Create field will default to the value set here.

• Search in BOM descriptions for drop downs

With this option turned on, the BOM description will also be searched when typing into the BOM field of the manufacture order.

• Instructions name

This option will change the name of the Instructions tab.

CHECKOUT MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Fishbowl Checkout module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Number Checkout orders separately from Sales Order

With this option on, Checkout orders numbers will be based off the number in the next number field. If this option is off, then the next Sales Order number will be used.

• Next Number

The characters entered in this field will be used as the next order number. Every time a new order is created, the final group of numbers will be increased by one. For example, Pier1-Order99-LA will be incremented to Pier1-Order100-LA.

• Highlight difference in list price after a 'Save'

If the price of an item is different than the list price, this option will ensure that the price is highlighted with a blue font, even after a save.

• Do not change sales tax for tax exempt customers

Setting this option will prevent the sales tax from changing to 'None' when selecting a tax exempt customer.

• Enable customer display for secondary monitor

Selecting this option will load a separate window that displays the order items, order totals, total savings, etc. This window can be placed on a secondary monitor that faces the customer.

• Show printer options for credit card receipts

Selecting this option display a window with printer options before printing a credit card receipt.

• Default sales rep to empty

Selecting this option will leave the Salesperson field blank on the order until a salesperson is selected.

• Credit card receipt copies

This option provides the ability to choose how many Credit Card Receipt copies are printed after each transaction.

• Default customer

It may not be necessary to record all Checkout customers. Instead, a generic customer can be selected from the drop down list and this customer will be selected each time a new order is created. For more information see Manage Checkout Customers.

• Register

Each computer may be assigned a different register number. This number can then be recalled for historical purposes.

• Insufficient inventory

This option controls which inventory number is used to determine if there is sufficient inventory when adding an item to the order. For more information see Inventory status terms.

• Print Checkout report

This option determines the print behavior of the default Checkout report when finishing the checkout wizard. Options include Print, Preview, or None. To change the default Checkout report, see Changing the default Checkout report.

Receipt Footer tab

The Receipt Footer tab allows a custom message to be added to the bottom of the following Checkout reports: POS Receipt, Receipt 2in, and Receipt 3in.

CLASS MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Class module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

Company tab

• Use class tracking

QuickBooks can use classes for categorizing transactions. Enabling class tracking in Fishbowl will allow a class to be specified on orders and order items.

• Prompt to assign class if the default is "None"

With this option checked, a warning will be displayed when saving or issuing an order if an item does not have a class.

• Force user to specify class on new sales orders

With this option checked, the user will be prompted to enter a class when saving a new sales order.

• Force user to specify class on new purchase orders

With this option checked, the user will be prompted to enter a class when saving a new purchase order.

• Xero category name

When integrated with Xero, Fishbowl can export the name of the Fishbowl class as a category in Xero. This option allows customization of the category label that is sent to Xero.

COMPANY MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Company module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Prefix barcodes with a data identifier

When this option is checked, a letter that indicates the type of order will be added to the beginning of barcodes. For example, instead of 50082, an S would be added to the beginning - S50082 - indicating a sales order.

• Automatically refresh orders

With this option checked, an order that is being viewed will automatically refresh when another user makes changes. This applies to the Picking module, the Shipping module, the Purchase Order module, the Receiving module, and the Manufacture Order module.

• Validate customer PO on CSV import

With this option checked, Fishbowl will check for duplicates in the Customer PO field when importing sales orders through CSV.

• Enable Spell Check

Turns on spell checking for multi-line text fields. Misspelled words will be underlined. Hover the mouse over a misspelled word to see suggestions or add it to the dictionary.

• Commit each line in the CSV imports

Saves information line by line from supported CSV imports.

• Require the Data Module access right to run queries through the API

With this option enabled, users must have Data module access rights to be able to run queries in the Fishbowl API.

• Date Entry Tolerance

Warn user if date is not within the specified number of years. 0 means no warning.

Display tab

• Display phone number in company address

This option determines whether the company phone number is shown when displaying the company address on reports.

• Display FAX number in company address

This option determines whether the company FAX number is shown when displaying the company address on reports.

• Display email in company address

This option determines whether the company email address is shown when displaying the company address on reports.

• Display website in company address

This option determines whether the company website is shown when displaying the company address on reports.

• Display generated email footer

This option determines whether or not a footer will be added to the bottom of each email saying that the email was sent from Fishbowl.

Address Validation tab

• Fishbowl has the ability to validate addresses by checking the USPS database to make sure the address exists and is formatted correctly. When using Avalara, it is not necessary to configure validation in the Company module. To enable address validation, create a free USPS account. After entering the USPS account number, restart the Fishbowl Client and an address-validation icon will appear in the top-right corner of the address panel on Fishbowl orders, as well as the Customer module and Vendor module.

LDAP tab

• Enable LDAP Authentication

This feature allows users to log in to Fishbowl using their Windows password. This feature is currently compatible with Windows Active Directory only. This eliminates the need for users to remember an extra password, and can also increase security as many organizations have security requirements for passwords (length, type of characters, expiration, etc.). Before using this feature, users must be created in Fishbowl. The username created in Fishbowl must match the username stored on the LDAP server. Read the LDAP basics section below for an overview of LDAP.

• Server

Enter the name or IP address of the computer where the LDAP server is running.

EXAMPLE: 192.168.2.2

• Port

Enter the port that the LDAP server is using. Port 389 is typically used, or port 636 for SSL.

EXAMPLE: 389

• Search Directory

Enter the directory where the users are located. Fishbowl adds sAMAccountName, meaning the actual search filter will look similar to this: (&(objectClass=user)(sAMAccountName=dave))

EXAMPLE: dc=example, dc=local (includes the entire directory)

EXAMPLE: ou=users, dc=example, dc=local (includes a specific group)

EXAMPLE: cn=users, dc=example, dc=local (another way that users may be grouped)

• Domain

Enter the domain name used to connect to the Active Directory server.

EXAMPLE: example.local

• Username

Enter the fully qualified username being used to connect to the server.

EXAMPLE: crm@example.local

• Password

Type the password for the username entered above.

• Use SSL Connection

This option allows Fishbowl to connect to the LDAP server using a more secure SSL connection.

• Disable Fishbowl User Password (Excluded admin user)

With this option checked, users will not be able to log in with their Fishbowl password. Only the LDAP password will work for logging in. This option is recommended to increase security.

LDAP basics

An LDAP server is organized similar to a tree.

Below are a few LDAP abbreviations. Additional information about LDAP can be found here.

• cn (common name) - An entry in the directory, such as a username.
• ou (organizational unit) - A user group or organizational unit.
• dc (domain component) - A piece of the full domain. For example, www.fishbowlinvetory.com would be written as dc=www, dc=fishbowlinventory, dc=com
• dn (distinguished name) - A unique address for an item in the directory. This includes the components below it in the tree (dn=cn + ou + dc). So Jen's dn is written as cn=jen, ou=users, dc=example, dc=local

CONSIGNMENT MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Consignment module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Auto fulfill transfer order

With this option checked, transfer orders created in the Consignment module will automatically be fulfilled, eliminating the need to pick, ship, and receive the order.

• Auto fulfill sales order

With this option checked, sales orders created in the Consignment module will automatically be fulfilled, eliminating the need to pick and ship the order.

• Open order after creation

With this option checked, orders will automatically be opened in the applicable module after they are created in the Consignment module.

CURRENCY MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Currency module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Use Currency Conversion

When the currency conversion option is checked, Fishbowl supports currency conversion in the Purchase Order and the Sales Order modules. If this option is unchecked, all of the fields related to currency conversion will be hidden throughout Fishbowl.

• Always display the currency code for reports

Displays the three letter currency code on reports.

• Set default home currency

Select the default home currency to use in Fishbowl.

• Set default home country

The default home country is selected when creating a database.

CUSTOMER MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Customer module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Add custom fields to SO

If this option is enabled, custom fields with the same name and type will transfer from the customer to the sales order. For example, if a customer has a custom field that stores priority and there is a matching custom field for sales orders, the data in the custom field will transfer when creating a new order for the customer.

• Issue Sales Orders

To prevent a sales order from being issued before a payment has been received, select Paid in Full or Partially Paid. A customer's default issue status can also be set on the Details tab. If the Issue button is clicked before payment has been received, a warning will be displayed with the option for a manager override. To override, a user must have the Customer-Override Hold access right.

CUSTOM FIELD MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Custom Field module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Only show the required custom fields in the wizards

With this option checked, only required custom fields will be shown in wizards. For example, when creating a new part, only the part custom fields that are marked as Required in the Custom Field module will be displayed, instead of all of the part custom fields.

DASHBOARD MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Dashboard module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Auto Refresh

When the Auto Refresh option is checked, the Dashboard module will automatically refresh at the specified rate.

DATA MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Data module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Query History Size

Sets the number of queries that are stored in the query history.

• Max Server Log Lines

Sets the maximum number of lines to display when clicking the Server Log button on the module toolbar.

Logging tab

• Server Logging Detail Level

Select the amount of data that is logged. The server log can be viewed by clicking the Server Log button at the top of the module.

INVENTORY MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Inventory module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Allow Scheduled Part Cost History Snapshot

This option stores a daily snapshot of part costs for use with the Historical Part Cost report.

LOCATION GROUP MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Location Group module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Company Wide

With this option checked, part reorder levels will be set on a company level. A reorder level will apply to the sum of inventory in all location groups.

• By Location Group

With this option checked, part reorder levels will be set per location group. A reorder level will apply only to the inventory in the specified location group.

MANUFACTURE ORDER MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Manufacture Order module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Next Number

The characters entered in this field will be used as the next order number. Every time a new order is created, the final group of numbers will be increased by one. For example, Pier1-Order99-LA will be incremented to Pier1-Order100-LA.

• Match MO number to SO number

When a manufacture order is created from a sales order, this option will set the manufacture order number to the same as the sales order number. If the SO number is already used on an MO then the next auto-generated MO number will be used.

• Distribute Finished Good costs

When a Work Order has multiple finished goods, the cost of the raw goods must be distributed between the finished goods. There are two options for the default distribution; however with either option, the distribution can be manually adjusted when finishing the Work Order.

• Evenly - The costs will be distributed evenly between each finished good based on the quantity of the finished good.
• Weighted - The cost distribution will be weighted according to the current cost of the finished goods in inventory.

Example: A Work Order produces 3 WidgetA and 1 WidgetB. The cost of the raw goods is $100. If the costs are distributed evenly between the four finished goods, each one will receive a cost of $25 for a total of $100. For weighted cost distribution, the current cost of the finished goods in inventory is used to adjust the costs proportionally. If WidgetA currently costs three times as much as WidgetB, then the costs on the Work Order will be adjusted accordingly. WidgetB will receive a cost of $10 and each WidgetA will receive a cost of $30 for a total of $100.

• Issue the Manufacture Order when Sales Order is issued

With this option checked, a Manufacture Order that is auto created from a Sales Order will automatically be issued when the Sales Order is issued.

• Start the pick when starting a Work Order

If this option is on, flagging a Work Order as started will also flag the pick as started.

• Prompt the user when fulfilling if there are no labor raw goods

If this option is on, a message will be displayed when trying to fulfill an order that doesn't have labor.

• Always use the multiple finished good step

When finishing a work order with only one finished good, this option shows the wizard step that allows more finished goods to be added.

• Auto-advance to work order finish step

This option allows the Quick Fulfill wizard to skip over steps that are already completed, such as picking.

• Category Name

The calendar category label can display customized text.

MO to PO tab

• Enable manufacture order to purchase order conversion

This option enables the MO to PO button on the module toolbar which creates purchase orders for the items on a manufacture order.

• Round quantities up to the nearest whole number

With this option on, the quantity on the purchase order will be the manufacture order quantity rounded up to the nearest whole number.

• Use the manufacture order's UOM on Purchase Order

With this option checked, the UOM on the purchase order will be the same UOM used on the manufacture order.

• Combine line items of the same part number

If the manufacture order has the same part multiple times, this option will combine the quantities into one line item on the purchase order.

MONITOR MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Monitor module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Auto Refresh

When the Auto Refresh option is checked, a Refresh Rate (in seconds) must be entered. The Monitor module will automatically refresh at the specified rate.

PART MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Part module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Search by Part and Product descriptions in drop-down filters

With this option checked, the part and product descriptions, not just the numbers, will be searched when typing into part and product drop downs.

• Add custom fields to PO item

If this option is enabled, custom fields with the same name and type will transfer from the part to the purchase order item. For example, if a part has a custom field that stores color and there is a matching custom field for purchase order line items, the data in the part custom field will transfer to the custom field for the PO item.

• Only allow numeric characters in UPC codes

If this option is enabled, an error will be displayed for CSV imports if any UPC fields contain letters or other non-numeric characters.

Tracking tab

• The tracking tab allows new part tracking items to be created. To add part tracking, click the New button located on the component toolbar to the right. A blank line item will be added to the bottom of the tracking list. Enter the name, abbreviation, and description. The type can be set to any of the following: Text, Date, Expiration Date, Serial Number, Money, Quantity, Count, or Checkbox. Unchecking the active box will inactivate a tracking item.

Part Wizard tab

• Don't show these steps in the New Part Wizard

When creating a new part, many of the wizard steps can be hidden by checking the Don't show this step again checkbox. The visibility of the steps can be set at the bottom of the wizard steps, or in the module options.

PAYMENT VIEWER MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Payment Viewer module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

Credit Card Processing tab

• The data required to process a payment can be customized in the Credit Card Requirements section.

• Credit card number must be valid
• Security code (CV2 #)
• Name on card
• Billing address
• Billing postal code
• Billing country code

PICKING MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Picking module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Pick creation

This option controls how picks are created. If By Order is selected, one pick will be created for every item on the order. If By Item is selected, a separate pick will be created for every line item on the order. If By Item Fulfillment Date is selected, all order items with the same fulfillment date will placed be on the same pick.

• Pick method

This option controls which inventory is picked by default. The pick order is determined by several factors.

1. If the part has a default location, the options below will apply first to the inventory in that location, for example, the oldest inventory in that location. If there is no default location, these rules will look at all available inventory, for example, the oldest inventory in all locations.
2. If a part has an expiration date, the inventory with the oldest expiration date will be picked first.
3. If FIFO (First In, First Out) is selected, the oldest inventory will be selected by default. If LIFO (Last In, First Out) is selected, the newest inventory will be selected by default. If Pick to Clean is selected, the tag or group of inventory with the smallest quantity will be selected by default.

• Default orders per pick

This option sets the default number of orders to be grouped when clicking the Group button. Picks can also be grouped by highlighting several picks, right-clicking a highlighted pick, and then selecting Group.

• Allow picking from all location groups the user has access to

With this option on, the Pick Location field will show all locations that a user has access to. If this option is off, only locations that belong to the location group selected for the pick will be visible in the Pick Location field.

• Warn users if picking an expired part

With this option checked, a dialog box will be displayed warning users if they are picking a part that is expired.

• Update priority when SO priority changes

With this option checked, the priority of the pick will be updated when the priority of the sales order is changed.

• Assign user to pick on finish

With this option checked, the username on the pick will be changed to the user that finishes the pick.

• Add custom fields to Ship

If this option is enabled, custom fields with the same name and type will transfer from the Picking module to the Shipping module. If the Add custom fields option is also enabled in the Sales Order module options, custom field data can transfer from the sales order, to the pick, and then to the Custom tab of the Shipping module.

Auto-Commit tab

• Automatically commit issued sales orders

This option will automatically commit inventory as soon as a sales order is issued.

• Automatically commit issued work orders

This option automatically commits inventory as soon as a work order is issued.

• Automatically commit issued transfer orders

This option automatically commits inventory as soon as a transfer order is issued.

• Automatically finish picks that are automatically committed

This option will automatically finish any pick that was automatically committed.

Report tab

• Print pick ticket

This option sets the default print behavior for the Pick Ticket report. Options include Always, Prompt, or Never.

PRICING RULE MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Pricing Rule module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Tier 2 looks for the...

The tier 2 rules with the highest precedence type will be compared. This option determines if tier 2 then looks for the Highest or Lowest price.

• Tier 3 looks for the...

The tier 3 rules with the highest precedence type will be compared. This option determines if tier 3 then looks for the Highest or Lowest price.

• Don't allow calculated prices to be less than...

This option prevents the calculated price from going below a specified level. Options include Average Cost, Default Vendor's Cost, Last Cost, List Price, Product Price, or Standard Cost.

PRODUCT MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Product module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Associated product suffix

This field contains the associated product suffix that Fishbowl will search for automatically when adding a product to a sales order. Fishbowl provides the ability to add multiple products to a sales order simultaneously by using associated products. An associated product has the same name as the main product plus a special suffix to identify it as an associated product. Associated products are often used in industries where recyclable cores can be returned to offset the cost of a new item. For example, when selling a new car battery, an auto parts store may give a discount to a customer that returns an old battery.

By entering -Core% in the suffix field, products containing "Battery-Core" in the product name will be added to the sales order whenever the associated product, "Battery," is added. The % symbol functions as a wildcard search, meaning it will look for products named Battery-Core plus any other characters after that (for example, Battery-Core2 or Battery-CoreABC), and all items containing that suffix will be added to the sales order. For more information, see Associated products.

• Set new products taxable

This option specifies whether or not all new products will be marked as taxable.

• Add custom fields to SO item

If this option is enabled, custom fields with the same name and type will transfer from the product to the sales order item. For example, if a product has a custom field that stores color and there is a matching custom field for sales order line items, the data in the product custom field will transfer to the custom field for the SO item.

PURCHASE ORDER MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Purchase Order module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Next Number

The characters entered in this field will be used as the next order number. Every time a new order is created, the final group of numbers will be increased by one. For example, Pier1-Order99-LA will be incremented to Pier1-Order100-LA.

• Update vendor cost after Purchase Order is issued

With this option checked, the vendor's last cost will be updated whenever a Purchase order is issued. Any future Purchase Orders created with this vendor and part will default to the last cost for the item.

• Only show vendor parts in part quick add

With this option enabled, only the parts on the Vendor's Parts tab will be available in the part drop-down when adding items to a Purchase Order.

• Automatically issue drop ship orders

With this option enabled, purchase orders will be automatically issued for drop ship items.

• Require approval for orders exceeding:

If a user does not have the Purchase Order-Approve Orders access right, the Issue button will change to a Request button, allowing the user to request that the purchase order be issued. The order will then have a Pending Approval status until a user with the Purchase Order-Approve Orders access right issues the order. Fishbowl can also send SMS text messages.

• Dimensional weight factor

The weight factor is used to calculate dimensional weight by dividing the cubic size in inches by the factor. For example, an item with a size of 1 cubit foot (1,728 cubic inches) and the default factor of 166 would have a dimensional weight of 10.4 lbs (1728 ÷ 166=10.4).

Email tab

• Send email when Purchase Order is issued

There are three options for email behavior when issuing a Purchase Order. Always send an email, Prompt if an email should be sent, or Never send an email.

• Attach applicable sales order csv file

With this option checked, the Purchase Order as Sales Order export will be attached to the email. This can allow the vendor to import the order into their Fishbowl install or other software.

Custom tab

• The custom tab allows a custom message (up to 4 lines) to be displayed on Purchase Order reports.

RECEIVING MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Receiving module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

Options tab

• Receive to the default Receiving location rather than the part's default location

With this option on, a part will be received into the location group's default receiving location, instead of the part's default location.

• Update lead times on receive

This option will update the vendor's lead time when a part is received. A rolling 3 month average is used to calculate the lead time.

Reconcile tab

• Calculate Landed Cost by:

This option determines how landed costs are distributed between items. Costs can be landed by Cost, Quantity, Size, Weight, or Manually. Selecting Do not calculate will remove the landed cost step from the Reconcile wizard.

• Update the Vendor Last Cost on Reconcile

This option will update the vendor's last cost when a purchase order is reconciled.

REPORTS MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Reports module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

Select Reports tab

• Each module has a default report. The default report is printed when clicking the Print button or selecting Print/Print Preview from the File menu. The default report for a module can be set by clicking the Search button next to a module.

Other tab

• Always show Customize Reports dialog

Checking this box will bring up the Modify Report dialog before running any report.

• Price Decimal Place

The number of digits to show after the decimal for prices.

• Total Decimal Place

The number of digits to show after the decimal for totals and subtotals.

• Cost Decimal Place

The number of digits to show after the decimal for costs.

• Qty Decimal Place

The number of digits to show after the decimal for quantities.

• Date Format

The default date format for reports.

NOTE: The formatting of numbers in reports (price, cost, quantity, and date) can be customized even more in the Property module.

RMA MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the RMA module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Next Number

The characters entered in this field will be used as the next order number. Every time a new order is created, the final group of numbers will be increased by one. For example, Pier1-Order99-LA will be incremented to Pier1-Order100-LA.

• Verify RMA Item against Sales Order

If this option is on, the Verify by order option will be selected by default when adding an RMA item. The system will try to find the original sales order for the item being returned.

• Days RMA is Valid:

This field will automatically set the Expires date on the RMA. If set to 0, the RMA will not expire.

• Cross ship items

If this option is on, the Cross Ship Replacement Product checkbox will be selected by default when clicking the Return button. This will combine the credit return sales order with the sales order to send the replacement, substitution, or repaired item.

• Use RMA number for Sales Orders

If this option is on, the order number for a credit return sales order will contain the RMA order number. For example, the sales order number could be RMA-12.

Fees tab

• Restocking Fee

This option allows the default restocking fee to be set.

• Line Description

The default description for the restocking fee. If left blank, the description can be manually entered for each item.

Resolution tab

• Resolve Credit Items on Receive

This option allows an automatic resolution to be set when the RMA is received in the Receiving module.

Sales Order tab

• The Sales Order tab controls where the order details are pulled from for sales orders created from the RMA module. Details such as tax rate, salesperson, payment terms, shipping terms, carrier, etc. can be pulled from the original sales order, or these fields can be set to the default values for new sales orders.

SALES ORDER MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Sales Order module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Next Number

The characters entered in this field will be used as the next order number. Every time a new order is created, the final group of numbers will be increased by one. For example, Pier1-Order99-LA will be incremented to Pier1-Order100-LA.

• Start fulfillment wizard after taking a payment

When this option is on, the Quick fulfill wizard will automatically start after taking a payment.

• Warn user when payment has not been made

When this option is on, a warning will be displayed when trying to quick fulfill an order before payment has been made.

• Print invoices from Fishbowl

If this option is on, an Invoice button will be added to the Sales Order module toolbar. The Invoice button loads a Sales Order report that is marked as an invoice.

• Check bill of material parts when checking inventory

If this option is on, the Sales Order Check Inventory button will check the inventory of the raw goods on an auto-create BOM, instead of checking the inventory of the finished good.

• Verify when the user selects 'None' as the Tax Rate

This option displays a message when a Sales Order is saved with a tax rate of None.

• Default the salesperson field to the customer’s default salesperson

If this option is on, the salesperson will be set to the customer's default salesperson. If this option is off, the salesperson will be set to the user that created the Sales Order. The default salesperson is set on the Details tab of the Customer module.

• Highlight the difference in list price after saving the order

If the price of an item is different than the list price, this option will ensure that the price is highlighted with a blue font, even after a save. The list price is the tier 2 price or the product price if no tier 2 rules have been created. See Pricing rule precedence for more information.

• Do not change sales tax for tax exempt customers

Setting this option will prevent the sales tax from changing to None when selecting a tax exempt customer.

• Show printer options for credit card receipts

Selecting this option display a window with printer options before printing a credit card receipt.

• Show markup and margin on sales order

Selecting this option will add a Part Cost column, a Markup column, and a Margin column to the table. When the Markup or Margin cells are edited, the product price will be adjusted automatically. A user must have the Sales Order-Markup and Sales Order-Margin access rights to be able to adjust the markup and margin. Markup and Margin fields will also be added near the order total which shows the total margin percentage and markup amount for all items on the order. This is also helpful for wholesale pricing, where the price is determined by marking up the cost a small percentage. The markup can also be set by using pricing rules.

• Show Paid stamp

If this option is disabled, the Paid stamp will not be shown on sales orders.

• Show Cancelled stamp

This option displays a Cancelled stamp image on sales orders that have been cancelled.

• Use sales order carrier on the purchase order for drop ships

This option will use the sales order carrier for any purchase orders that are created from drop ship items.

• Add custom fields to Pick

If this option is enabled, custom fields with the same name and type will transfer from the sales order to the pick. For example, if the sales order has a custom field called Priority and there is a matching custom field for picks, the data in the sales order custom field will be automatically entered into the custom field of the pick when it is created. This data can continue to flow the the Shipping module if the Add custom fields option is enabled in the Picking module options.

• Days to expire

Specifies the number of days until the order is marked as expired. By entering a value of zero, orders will not expire, even if an expiration date is manually entered on the order. For more information, see the Date Expires field on the Details tab of the Sales Order module.

• Duplication rule

This option determines which user is set as the salesperson when duplicating a Sales Order.

• Insufficient inventory

This option determines which location groups are used when checking for insufficient inventory.

Printing tab

• Credit card receipt copies

This option provides the ability to choose how many Credit Card Receipt copies are printed after each transaction.

• Payment receipt

This option determines if the payment receipt will be automatically displayed or printed.

Custom tab

• The name of the Quick Fulfill button can be customized.
• The title displayed on the Sales Order report can be customized for orders with an Estimate status.
• A custom message (up to 4 lines) can be displayed on Sales Order reports.

SO to PO tab

• Enable Sales Order to Purchase Order conversion

This option adds an SO to PO button to the module toolbar which creates Purchase Orders for the items on a Sales Order.

• Round quantities up to the nearest whole number in the part's UOM

With this option on, the quantity on the Purchase Order will be the Sales Order quantity rounded up to the nearest whole number in the part's UOM.

• Use the Sales Order's UOM on Purchase Order

With this option checked, the UOM on the purchase order will be the same UOM used on the Sales Order.

• Combine line items of the same part number

If the Sales Order has the same part multiple times, this option will combine the quantities into one line item on the Purchase Order.

• Use sales order item description as purchase order item description

The sales order item description can be edited on the sales order. If this option is enabled, the sales order item description will be used. If this option is disabled, the product description will be used.

• Use sales order carrier on the purchase order

If this option is enabled, the sales order carrier will be used as the purchase order carrier.

Shipping tab

• Shipping Charges
  Shipping amounts can be recorded in several ways. To see example journal entries for different shipping charges, see Standard shipping, Shipping expense, and Carton based shipping.
  • Standard Shipping
    With Standard Shipping, the sales order customer is charged for any shipping items that are manually added to the sales order. The cost and the price of the shipping item can be different amounts.
    
  • Carton Based Shipping
    With carton based shipping, the sales order customer is charged for the carton costs that are set in the Shipping module. After the order is shipped, the default shipping product is automatically added to the sales order with the tracking number and the sum of the carton costs. Carton costs can be manually entered or automatically updated when using the Fishbowl ShipExpress module or other shipping integrations.
    
  • Tracking for Shipments
    After a sales order has shipped, this option automatically adds the default shipping product to the sales order with just the tracking number and no cost.
    

• Default Shipping Product

This option specifies the default shipping product that will be used to automatically add carton shipping costs back to the Sales Order.

• Shipping markup

This option allows a markup percentage to be used with carton based shipping.

• Prompt the user when saving if there are no shipping line items

This option displays a message when a Sales Order is saved without a shipping line item.

• Allow users to put Drop Ship Items on a Sales Order

Unchecking this option will remove the ability to drop ship items.

Email tab

• Send email when Sales Order is issued

There are three options for email behavior when issuing a Sales Order. Always send an email, Prompt if an email should be sent, or Never send an email.

SCHEDULE MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Schedule module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Allow Scheduled Accounting Export

This option allows a scheduled task to run the accounting export.

SETTINGS MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Settings module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

Images tab

• Max Full Size

Enter the maximum pixel dimension for storing images in the database.

• Max Thumbnail Size

Enter the maximum pixel dimension for storing image thumbnails in the database.

SHIPPING MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Shipping module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

Ship Items tab

• Default weight unit of measure

This option specifies which weight unit of measure will be used by default in the Shipping module.

• Fulfill service/misc items on ship

This option allows the default fulfillment behavior to be customized for service and miscellaneous items. Options include Do Nothing, Confirm First, and Auto Fulfill.

• Print the packing list on pack

This option controls the print behavior of the packing list when an order is packed. Options include Always, Prompt, or Never.

• Print the packing list on ship

This option controls the print behavior of the packing list when an order is shipped. Options include Always, Prompt, or Never.

• Print shipping invoice on pack

This option controls the print behavior of the shipping invoice when an order is packed. Options include Always, Prompt, or Never.

• Print shipping invoice on ship

This option controls the print behavior of the shipping invoice when an order is shipped. Options include Always, Prompt, or Never.

• Batch selection default

This option controls the type of orders included when using the Batch Shipment feature. Options include Packed, All, or None.

• Default container

This option allows the shipping container to be renamed (carton, box, etc.).

• Auto pack shipments

Selecting this option will automatically mark orders as packed.

• Fulfill shipping line items on ship

This option will automatically fulfill the shipping line items on a Sales Order. If this option is off, shipping items must be manually fulfilled in the Sales Order module.

• Show confirmation on ship

After clicking the Ship button, a confirmation dialog will be displayed. The ship date can also be set in this dialog.

The confirmation dialog can be bypassed by right-clicking a shipment in the search pane, and selecting Ship.

• Warn user when order has not been paid

This option will display a warning before packing or shipping an unpaid order.

• Show Paid Stamp

If an order has been paid, this option will display the word PAID over the ship items, similar to the option for sales orders.

• Dimensional factor

The dimensional weight factor is used to calculate dimensional weight by dividing the cubic size in inches by the factor. For example, an item with a size of 1 cubit foot (1,728 cubic inches) and the default factor of 166 would have a dimensional weight of 10.4 lbs (1728 ÷ 166=10.4).

Carton Types tab

• Common carton sizes can be saved and then used when adding cartons.
• Use the buttons on the right to add, edit, or delete carton types.
• The default carton will automatically be selected when adding a carton.
• To save a carton, a user must have the Shipping-Create Carton Type access right.
• The dimensions of an existing carton can be modified in the Carton Details section. To select a saved carton size, click the Search button.
  

Email tab

• Send email when shipment is shipped

There are three options for email behavior when shipping a shipment: Send an email with the Shipping Invoice report, send an email with the Shipping report, or Never send an email. A packing list can be manually emailed by clicking the email button in the Packing List report preview.

TAX RATE MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Tax Rate module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Do you charge Sales Tax?

This option allows Sales Tax to be turned on or off. The Fishbowl Client must be restarted for this change to be fully applied.

Imports tab

• Default Flat Tax

This option allows a default flat rate tax to be set for shopping cart imports.

TRANSFER ORDER MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Transfer Order module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Next Number

The characters entered in this field will be used as the next order number. Every time a new order is created, the final group of numbers will be increased by one. For example, Pier1-Order99-LA will be incremented to Pier1-Order100-LA.

• Transit Location Group

When inventory is in transit between two location groups, it will be temporarily placed in a Transit location. The transit location can be created in the To location group or the From location group of the transfer order.

VENDOR MODULE OPTIONS

Some aspects of the Vendor module can be customized by opening the module, clicking the Tools menu, and then selecting Module Options.

General tab

• Suggest volume discounts based on Vendor Cost Rules when adding parts to a PO

Some vendors offer discounts when large quantities of an item are purchased. If the quantity of a purchase order item is close to a volume discount, this option will display an alert with details about the volume discount and what effect it would have on the total cost and the unit cost. Adjusting the tolerance will control how close an item must be to a volume discount in order for the alert to be displayed. The tolerance is the increase in total cost that could be tolerated in order to qualify for a lower unit cost. For example, if the tolerance is $0, the dialog will only suggest increasing the quantity if it would actually lower the total cost. If the tolerance is $20, the dialog will suggest the volume discount only if the increase in total cost is less than $20.

• Add custom fields to PO

If this option is enabled, custom fields with the same name and type will transfer from the vendor to the purchase order. For example, if a vendor has a custom field that stores priority and there is a matching custom field for purchase orders, the data in the custom field will transfer when creating a new order for the vendor.

• Use minimum quantity when auto-generating purchase orders

With this option enabled, purchase orders that are automatically generated will use the minimum quantity specified in the Part/Vendor record.