Creating Branch Records

Create a record in Branch Maintenance for each branch at your company, and assign parameters that associate the branch with system events and procedures. Associate branches with a customer record, so you can track branch activities and you can use the branch for transfer orders. Also, assign a home branch to users, customers, and vendors for pricing, accounting, reporting, and tracking purpose. For more information about setting up a branch for company use, see Setup Requirements for Company Branches.

Branch Maintenance is not the only place in the system where you enter branch-related parameters. The system has at least 15 screens where you set branch-related parameters, such as Product Price Maintenance, Buy Line Maintenance, and Procurement Group Maintenance. You can identify screens throughout the system that have branch-specific parameters by the File >Hierarchy option that when selected, prompts you to enter a branch.

To create a branch record:

From the Maintenance > Branch menu, select Branch to display the Branch Maintenance window.
Complete the following fields, as needed:

Field	Description
Branch	Enter the name or number used to identify the branch or click the New Branch button to create a new branch ID. We recommend checking the naming convention your company uses. There are no numbering restrictions. For example, creating a branch 5000 does not have a negative impact on the system.
Short Description	Enter the name of the branch, using up to 12 alphanumeric characters. This description displays on selection lists when a user is prompted to select a branch, such as on reports.
Long Description	Enter a detailed description of the branch, up to 33 alphanumeric characters. This description displays on certain reports that display that branch.
Branch Entity	Enter one of the following to map the branch name to the branch's customer record: All or part of the branch name, as it displays in customer maintenance. The last four digits of the branch phone number. The branch record name preceded by a period (.). The Entity ID field displays the branch's customer ID. Note: If you have not created a customer record for this branch, select Maintenance > Edit Entity to create a record in Customer Maintenance. See the table, below.
Remit To	Enter one of the following to indicate the branch that receives payments for this branch's transactions: Part of the branch's name. The last four digits of the branch phone number. The record name preceded by a period.
P/O Bill-To	Enter an alternate bill-to entity to display on purchase orders. The P/O Bill-To ID field displays the bill-to entity ID entered in the P/O Bill-To field. Note: The P/O Bill-To and P/O Bill-To ID fields display only if the Allow Alternate Branch Bill-To Addresscontrol maintenance record is set to Yes.
Default Price Class	Enter the branch's default price class. If you assign a default price class in Customer Maintenance, the customer's setting overrides this setting.
Branch Manager	Enter the name of the manager of this branch. To display a list of users that match your entry enter part of the manager's name and press Enter.
Cost Center	Enter this branch's primary function, such as Distribution, or Showroom. Cost center types are defined in the Valid Cost Center Typescontrol maintenance record.
Schneider Distributor Branch ID	Distributor's internal code for the specific location, branch, or facility servicing the customer. This could be a DUNS number.

Select the Stocking Branch check box if this branch handles product.

In addition to performing money related tasks, users at a stocking branch can perform tasks such as, entering orders, adjustments, pricing, and edit product parameters.

To limit the products displayed to those with on-hand quantities or on transactions at the stocking/shipping branch, activate the Display Active Primary Index Products First In Product Search control maintenance record. This record can limit the products displayed to those with on-hand quantities or on transactions at the stocking/shipping branch.

Note: If you change the stocking branch status, you must run the Delete Branch Cache Files utility. Run the utility after hours to avoid slowing the system during business hours.

More Options for Creating Branch Records

The following are some common options you might use while creating branch records:

To...	Select...
do one of the following: Edit a customer record that is also a branch. Edit an existing branch's customer record. Create a branch that will also be a customer.	Maintenance > Edit Entity and select one of the following: Branch Entity - Displays the customer record associated with the branch. Remit-To - Displays the branch's remit-to branch, if one exists, otherwise the current branch's customer record displays.
set up credit card processors to be used by the branch.	Maintenance > Credit Card Branch Set Up
display the Inventory Inquiry Branches dialog box.	Maintenance > Inventory Inquiry Branches enter all of the branches to associate with this branch. When the displayed branch is your home branch, you can view information for these branches in Inventory Inquiry. For example, your home branch is Denver, but you need to view all Colorado branches in Inventory Inquiry. When the Denver branch is displayed on the Branch Maintenance screen, use this option to list all of the Colorado branches. Then when you display inventory in Inventory Inquiry, the system looks to your home branch, and displays only information for that branch and its associated branches.
assign the branch's default method of transporting product.	Maintenance > Ship Via Branch Overrides
set up a check processor for the branch.	Maintenance > Check Verification
set up a pricing hierarchy for your branches.	Maintenance > Matrix Hierarchy