Furniture FAQs
This page contains documentation and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about DDMS® Office Furniture Edition.
The DDMS Furniture module is a powerful and versatile tool that lets you effectively process and keep track of all your furniture orders. Because it's designed for the furniture dealer, it offers you the options you need to efficiently manage your business. No matter what your needs, from creating quotes for potential customers, to setting and tracking goals for particular parts of your furniture operation, this application can help you accomplish them.
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New! Setting Up & Using Furniture Scheduler (pdf) This feature was designed to help you better track your deliveries, installations, and other activities related to your contract furniture business. In the Scheduler window, you can easily add, change, and delete event information. You can use this calendar to manage your available resources and event lists. The Scheduler window can also be quickly accessed from Furniture Project Management and Furniture Order Entry Change and Verify modes. To prevent unauthorized access, you can also set a password restricting the ability to open the Scheduler window.
Setting Up and Using the Herman Miller PSN (pdf) Learn how to set up your Herman Miller vendor record and options, furniture contracts, Call Before Delivery service, and purchase order communications defaults. Then you can import SIFs and automatically build P/Os to transmit to the Herman Miller Kiosk. You'll receive a functional acknowledgement message; if the order is validated, you can view and receive acknowledgements from DDMS P/O Entry.
See also the announcement sent to Herman Miller dealers about the new PSN services.
Special Order with S.P. Richards Productpro™ and FurnitureAdvantage™ Programs (pdf) Traditionally, office products wholesalers have offered only in-stock items to meet the need of speedy delivery. But the market demands more custom items, even those with longer delivery timeframes. S.P. Richards dealers can offer customers a more extensive variety of special-order products, with the ProductPro™ and FurnitureAdvantage™ programs. S.P. Richards releases these special order item price files monthly, for download via O/PUS PSNControl on the first Monday of the month. Learn how to update your DDMS inventory database and contracts, and use special order features. See how easily your ECinteractive and is.D-Force 2 shoppers can identify how long special order merchandise will take to ship. Certain items will be flagged as non-returnable, whether they are stocked foodstuffs or special-order custom work.
Setting Up & Using SQL Preview Reports for DDMS (pdf) Including more reports for furniture dealers and accounts receivable, the new Preview Reports function in the Report Menu combines the current capabilities of the existing sales database report screens in DDMS with the new functionality of the SQL EBS database. It is designed to allow both new and experienced users to easily view and print SQL reports. It also allows users to make minor report changes on the fly that could previously only be made in more complex report designer applications. Information is displayed in an Excel-style grid with columns that can be fully customized using sorts and limits.
EBS SQL Furniture Project Management (pdf) Understand how to apply the power of DDMS's EBS SQL interface to ramp up project management efficiency. The Project Management feature is designed so that anyone in your company can quickly find and report on important information about any part of a project. For example, you can quickly view item delivery dates, acknowledgment information, order status, and items that have been added to an order. Project Management tasks display in an easy to use panel, with all the new functionality of the EBS SQL database. The hierarchy of views now falls into project, sales order, order summary (purchase order), and item levels. You now have unparalleled flexibility when limiting, filtering, summarizing, sorting, customizing, and updating your project data. You can even restrict salespersons to viewing only their customers’ project data. You can easily customize the display of columns and header information when you’re ready to save a report, or export to a spreadsheet or PDF file.
New! Handling Kimball Office or National Fuel Surcharges (pdf) Released in DDMS 8.15.9 in August 2008, the Furniture Manufacturer Acknowledgement Exception Reporting feature for use with furniture manufacturers Kimball Office and National. This feature applies to these manufacturers' national fuel charge. It lets you automatically update your purchase orders and sales orders with the surcharge-loaded cost, by enabling the Update Cost field in the Vendor record.
Handling Kimball Office, National Surcharge: ECi DDMS Tech Tip In response to soaring energy and material costs, furniture manufacturers Kimball Office and National recently announced a surcharge of 1 percent of net purchase effective with orders placed July 7, 2008. If you haven't loaded DDMS 8.15.9 or higher, the best way to account for the surcharge is to use Change Mode.
New! Phase III: Setting Up and Using Furniture Acknowledgments via PSN (pdf) Once you have completed the steps in the Phase II PSN setup handout for your individual furniture vendor, you can set up the acknowledgment program. The Furniture Acknowledgments function gives you the ability to default to a specific printer for acknowledgments by user or by vendor. It also gives you the option to update the cost on the purchase order and ticket automatically, allows you to print only exceptions on the acknowledgment report or print all items, and allows you to reprint the acknowledgment without requesting it again from the vendor. Learn how to set up the appropriate Global, Vendor, and User parameters.
New! Using Tags (pdf) Recently, the Office Furniture industry standardized its system of tagging items. In compliance with these industry standards, Version 8.14 and higher of DDMS Office Furniture Edition imports, stores, modifies, displays, communicates and reports on up to five tag fields. If you use a specifier program, such as 20-20 Worksheet or ProjectSpec, you can export tag information into a SIF file that can then be imported into DDMS Furniture Order Entry. The tags appear in the Item Detail tab’s Description column as yellow text. You can access the tag information during Order, Change, Initial Verify, Final verify, and Delete modes, O/E History, Quote Release, P/O Entry, P/O History, and Report Writer. You can use tags when assigning Print Groups. New formats have also been created so you can print the new tag information. Tag detail can also be printed in Report Writer. This document includes examples and detailed instructions.
Creating DDMS Furniture SIFs in 20-20 Worksheet (pdf) If you use 20-20 Worksheet™ Version 3.0 or higher specification software, you can export a DDMS® SIF file for seamless integration with your system’s flow for sales, purchasing, warehouse, installation, accounting, and project management. ECi has worked closely with 20-20 Technologies to ensure that its Worksheet software will export a standard interchange format (SIF) file for use with DDMS.
Creating DDMS Furniture SIF Files in ProjectSpec (pdf) If you use ProjectSpec® specification software from ProjectMatrix™, you can export the SIF file for seamless integration with your DDMS flow for sales, purchasing, warehouse, installation, accounting, and project management. ProjectSpec allows you to map certain record fields to specification codes in the exported SIF file. Learn how to ensure proper integration of the SIF file with your DDMS system by setting up a DDMS Export profile.
Importing Furniture SIF Files in DDMS Order Entry (pdf) Learn how to import furniture project design specifications in standard interchange format, so that you don't have to re-enter the item numbers, item options, cost, price, and tag information.
Calculated Load Factor (pdf) Introducing a simplified way to reflect your costs on a furniture order, as an alternative to detailed job costing. You can use your experience and benchmarks to assign different cost load percentages globally, to a customer, and/or to a vendor. When you end an order, and respond as needed to the prompt for additional charges, each line item's load factor is calculated. The load factor may be multiplied by the line item's list price, sell price, "a" cost or "p" cost, depending on how you set the standard load factor parameter. The results for each line item are added together to produce a total blended cost, which is automatically charged against commission. You can choose whether the load factor is printed on the invoices.
Office Furniture Edition Job Costing (pdf) With the job costing function for DDMS Furniture Edition, you can enter work hours or cost-only items to a project. You can create a table of hourly, regular and overtime rates for an employee and ten categories in which to assign the hours. All approved hours and/or cost-only items flow to the ticket, and are charged against commission.
Furniture Work in Progress (WIP) (pdf) Work in Progress (WIP), a powerful add-on-accounting function for DDMS Furniture Edition, gives you the ability to view and compare your actual costs on an individual order basis prior to and after invoicing to ensure a more accurate bottom line. WIP also helps to eliminate over-payments to vendors, correct payment of commissions to salespeople and helps in the overall order process. See also Job Costing (pdf) and Load Factor (pdf).
Sample Formats and Reports for DDMS Office Furniture Edition (pdf) See examples of furniture operational reports such as a proposal/quote, order acknowledgement, pick ticket, install ticket, delivery ticket, invoice, proforma invoice, deposit report and deposit receipt. See examples of furniture project management reports such as open P/Os, quotes outstanding, daily furniture invoices, order status, salesperson outstanding projects, project status, completed project analysis, P/O receiving order, and various purchase order formats.
Tech Note: Third Party Billing (pdf) Third party billing allows the sales history to be created for the customer receiving the product, while the accounts receivable is created for the company (third party) that will be paying the invoice. Learn how to set up and use third party billing for three types of orders: Leasing Company, Inter-Market, and GSA.
Tech Note: Setting Up Furniture Parameters & Profiles (pdf) This beginner’s guide explains the parameter settings and profile settings for DDMS Office Furniture Edition, including order entry parameters, project defauts, furniture terminals, past due dates, freight, uncatalogued item defaults, non-taxable department, uncatalogued item cost basis, automatic queries, returns, credits, fees, and passwords.
Furniture: How Databases Affect Accounting (pdf) To get started using Furniture, begin by setting up your database information for item taxing, vendor alias departments, and vendor database records. You can use the Item Tax Districts window to set up tax districts that work with item departments. This is a helpful feature for Furniture dealers who have both taxable and non-taxable locations. You use the Customer Order Entry tab to assign your customer a tax district. Vendor aliases allow you to tie the items on an order directly to the purchase order. You can create purchase orders using the Short-Buy to include only furniture items. Also, the system automatically calculates any manufacturer discounts you may have set up.
Furniture Accounting and General Ledger (pdf) Learn to use DDMS’ powerful G/L application to manage furniture dealership financials. Equip yourself with the power of DDMS’s G/L application. Learn how to post to A/P so that commissions are correct. Use G/L Drilldown to find your accounting details and better understand what data flows to G/L. You’ll also learn simple controls for balancing general ledger before financials can be run. Finally, we will demonstrate Financial Reports and discuss ways to use them.
Extended General Ledger for DDMS Office Furniture (pdf) Responsibility Centers (RC) let you view or report information about a particular segment of the business, even if its activity occurs over multiple locations. Before you set up RCs, you must first take into account how you run your business. For example, in addition to creating RCs, you need to set up 15-digit account numbers in your Chart of Accounts, and business types in the General Ledger Departments Parameters. Examples of business types are machine parts or machine services, or service contracts, etc. Therefore, you must first set up accounts and parameters before creating and assigning responsibility centers.
Furniture Accounts Receivable and Customer Deposits (pdf) Learn the correct A/R posting procedures from a furniture dealer’s perspective. See the accounts receivable process with a focus on Customer A/R Deposits. The includes an overview of posting payments, adjustments, credits, search options for payments by date, check number, dollar amount, and much more, including how to post to multiple accounts.
Furniture Accounts Payable and Vendor Deposits (pdf) Learn the correct A/P posting procedures from a furniture dealer’s perspective. This covers the accounts payable process with a focus on the Post P/O function and Vendor Deposits. Additionally, standard Accounts Payable functions such as posting procedures (including posting multiple P/Os), limiting by dates and adjustments, suppressing check detail on multiple invoices, posting freight and other charges, adjusting costs, and paying multiple vendors with one check will be covered.
Furniture Reporting (pdf) Learn how to run the current furniture reports and preview the new SQL reporting options. This handout provides an overview of the current reports available for furniture dealers. Find out how these reports can help you keep up with details for projects, orders, P/Os, delivery and installations, as well as provide your sales team with up-to-date information on acknowledgements and other crucial data. You'll also find a preview of upcoming SQL reports for furniture.
Furniture Order Entry and Purchasing Fundamentals (pdf) Learn the nuts and bolts of the furniture order flow. DDMS offers powerful and versatile tools for efficient processing and tracking of furniture orders. This document, geared for both beginners and advanced users, reviews the flow of transaction data through the system. You’ll learn how to build quotes and orders by importing SIF files, build purchase orders and transmit those orders electronically to manufacturers like Allsteel, Haworth, Herman Miller, Kimball Office, National, and Knoll. You will also learn how to modify existing orders, use print groups, place prepay credit card orders, use third party billing, and set up your vendor database, furniture contracts, and P/O communication defaults.
Setting Up and Using the Global Industries PSN (pdf) Learn how to set up appropriate parameters, database records, and default settings for communicating electronically with Global Industries. You can import SIFs into the DDMS Order Entry window. When building a Global purchase order, you have the option to assign a vendor contract; you can also opt to exclude a P/O from being transmitted. When you are ready, you can transmit P/Os and receive acknowledgements in the Purchase Order Entry window.
Setting Up and Using Allsteel PSN (pdf) Learn how to set up appropriate parameters, database records, and default settings for communicating electronically with Allsteel. You can import SIFs into the DDMS Order Entry window and automatically build purchase orders to upload into Allsteel's e-Ordering Website, where you can view orders and item details, while keeping track of all your furniture sales in the DDMS order and accounting flow.
Setting Up and Using Steelcase® Hedberg System™ Communication (pdf) You can create furniture orders by importing and releasing Hedberg files into DDMS. This process allows you to send your furniture sales through the same order and accounting flow as other transactions. When you finish creating the order, the P/O is automatically built using the same P/O number as in Hedberg. By having the P/O in DDMS, you can view project management information for this order. In addition, because the P/O exists in DDMS, you can also receive it in Furniture Order Entry so that you can ship it. Learn how to set up your customer, vendor, and salesperson databases in order to communicate with Steelcase's Hedberg System. Finally, learn how to create and reprocess Hedberg orders and receive acknowledgements in DDMS.
Setting Up Electronic Communications with Herman Miller (pdf) All furniture orders transmitted to Herman Miller use the SIF file format. Transmitting a P/O to Herman Miller exports a text file that can be imported into the Herman Miller Kiosk system and thereby transmitted to this vendor. Learn how to set up your vendor database, vendor aliases, furniture contracts, and default vendor options in order to communicate with Herman Miller. Finally, learn how to transmit Herman Miller purchase orders and receive acknowledgements.
Office Furniture Edition (pdf) This handout showcases the remarkable changes to DDMS Office Furniture Edition’s new order entry, purchasing, and receiving functions. Topics include the new enhanced change mode, modify order function (mass changing cost, sell, list and gross profit), staging bins, PSN purchasing with Herman Miller, Allsteel, Kimball/National and other manufacturers), specifying drop ship orders, enhanced third party billing, rental/loaner/demo tickets, furniture contracts and many features available in Version 8.
Posting Deposits on Furniture Orders (pdf) A common misconception is that posting a deposit does the same thing as using a pay code of prepay. Learn the important differences between these two types of advance payments and how to ensure that you are posting deposits properly.
Setting Item Department on Furniture Orders (pdf) A furniture item’s Department ID represents the general ledger code for the item in Order Entry History and Purchase Order Entry History. This Department ID may be determined by a number of different factors. Learn how these factors work together, and how to adjust the way your system determines an furniture item’s department.