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Business Documents

Geoff Leese

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Objectives

Be able to recognise describe the purpose ofdescribe the source and

destination of describe the contents of

Typical business documentation

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Typical business documentation

Sales order Despatch note Delivery note Sales invoice Sales credit note Customer statement Remittance advice

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The sales order From the customer to the firm Contains (minimum)

Customer details (despatch address may be different to invoice address)

Order date Order number Details for each item required

– Ref no, description, quantity, cost per item, total Total order value (sum of totals above) Terms and conditions of order

May contain information about promotional codes, discounts to be applied etc.

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The despatch note From sales dept to warehouse Contains (minimum)

Customer details (despatch address) Order date Order number Details for each item required (INCLUDE LOCATION)

– Ref no, description, quantity, cost per item, total Total order value (sum of totals above) Method of delivery Despatch date Space for signature of person picking and

despatching the order

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The delivery note

From warehouse to customer Contains (minimum)

Customer details (despatch address) Order date Order number Details for each item required

– Ref no, description, quantity, cost per item, total

Total order value (sum of totals above) Space for signature of person checking

and receiving order

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Goods received note

Used by goods IN department of customer to tell their purchasing department that an order has been received and checked.

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Sales invoice

A demand for payment from firm to customer

Contains (minimum) Our details (include VAT reg no if we have one) Customer details Invoice number Invoice date Details of goods supplied (as sales order) Total due Payment method Payment terms and instructions

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Credit note

Issued accompanying refunds The “opposite” of an invoice Contains (minimum)

Customer detailsOur details (include VAT reg no)Details of goods credited (as sales

order)Total value of creditReason for credit note

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Customer statement

Sent at the end of each trading period (generally monthly)

Contains (minimum) Our details Customer details Summary of all transactions during the

trading period (includes invoices, credits and payments)

Amount owed Settlement instructions and terms

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Remittance advice

Generally attached to bottom of invoice or statement

Returned by customer to firm with payment

Contains (minimum) Customer details Statement/invoice reference Amount owed Amount paid

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What do we mean by “Customer details”?

Name (of indvidual or firm)Address (usually invoice address – despatch

address may be different)Tel no, email, fax noName of primary contactType of customer

Cash/credit – credit not usually allowed immediately

Credit ratingCan include other info for marketing purposes

– type of firm size of firm, what they do etc.

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Summary

Sales order Despatch note Delivery note Sales invoice Sales credit note Customer statement Remittance advice Those DFDs should now make

sense……..

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Further reading

Elliot and Starkings (1998) , Business Information Technology, chapter 7

Online business forms (Nov 08)