Getting Around in the Purchase Order Module

The Purchase Order (PO) Module is designed differently than what you are used to using in LubeSoft®. The graphical design of the PO Module software makes many tasks easy to learn, but there are still a few points that will help you use the PO Module to its fullest capabilities.

• To access the PO Module, go to the Purchase Order Module (1-7-1-7) screen.
• You may only have one session of the Purchase Order Module open at a time.
• You must have a mouse plugged in to your computer or thin client to use the PO Module.
• The [Tab] key, not the [Enter] key, is the primary key you use to move from field to field in the software.
• Use the up and down arrow keys [↓↑] to move within a particular field, such as to scroll up or down a dropdown list. You can also use the left and right arrow keys [←→] to move backward or forward in a field.
• To select a function, you can either use the mouse or your keyboard. The screens allow you to access the fields and buttons by pressing the letter that is underlined on that field or button with the Alt-key. For example, if you want to print a Purchase Order Worksheet (POW) from the View/Edit Purchase Order Worksheet screen using your keyboard, you press p together with the Alt-key to select the Print POW button because the “p” is underlined. If you want to use your mouse, simply move the cursor arrow over the Print POW button and click the left mouse button.
• If a field is dimmed or “grayed out” on the screen, you cannot enter information in the field.
• Anytime you press the Cancel button on a screen, the information you were in the process of entering will not be saved and you will exit the current screen.
• While processing information, your cursor changes from an arrow to an hourglass or a watch face. Once your system is finished processing, the cursor will return to an arrow and you can continue entering information.

Using the Purchase Order Menu Bar

You can access the different functions of the PO Module by clicking on the corresponding menu bar heading at the top of a screen. The PO Module menu bar headings consist of a title and a list of choices, which access different areas of the system. For example, when the POW menu bar heading is clicked, it displays the options Create Manual POW, Create Auto-Generated POW, and View/Edit POW (see screenshot below).

Using the Screens

Because graphical screens are a large part of the PO Module functionality in LubeSoft®, the ability to feel comfortable with them is an important aspect of learning and using the system. In order to allow you to move around the system easily, many screens have the same options throughout the system. These options are explained below.

Dropdown

The dropdown list shows several options. To access the dropdown list, click the down arrow on the right side of the field (see screenshot below, circled in red). Click on the ↑ or ↓ arrows to scroll up or down the list. You can also type the first few letters or numbers of a choice and the list will automatically scroll to the closest match.

You can move through a list by clicking on the scroll bar (see screenshot below, circled in red) and holding down the left mouse button while you slide the bar up or down to move quickly from one part of the list to another.

To select more than one part, press [Ctrl] while selecting the parts you need (see screenshot below). To select a group of parts, select the first part then hold [Shift] and click on the last part.

Selecting an Item

There are two ways to select an item using a mouse.

• Select the item you want by clicking once on that item and then click OK.
• Move the cursor over the part you want and then quickly double-click using the left mouse button.

Radio Button

The radio button is a field that you select by clicking on it. In the PO Module it is usually used when choosing an option. In a list of radio button choices, you can only select one (see screenshot below).