Suppliers and Purchasing

Abel’s Purchasing and Procurement functionality is designed for manufacturers who need precision, flexibility, and visibility across their supply chain. From sourcing raw materials to managing supplier relationships, Abel helps you streamline purchasing processes, reduce costs, and maintain full control over procurement operations.

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Supplier Purchasing Workflow

Abel provides a complete supplier purchasing workflow, from purchase order through to payment, giving you full control and visibility across the entire purchase-to-pay cycle. Whether you’re managing day-to-day procurement or strategic sourcing, Abel streamlines the process and keeps everything connected.

Core Features

Configurable Workflow Manage the full supplier purchasing lifecycle: Purchase Orders, Supplier Deliveries, Invoices and Payments in a configurable workflow to suit your business.
Linked Documents Each document is linked back to its source, giving you full traceability and quick navigation through to related documents.
Automated Document Progression Posting one document in the purchasing workflow can automatically generate the next and close the previous, reducing manual effort.
Bulk Supplier Reorder Generate Supplier Purchase Orders in bulk using Abel’s reorder recommendations, with options to review and adjust before creating the purchase orders.
Supplier Reports and Enquiries Access powerful reports and enquiries, including Overdue Supplier Deliveries and “Supplied In Full On Time” (SIFOT) performance reporting, along with enquiry screens that support key business processes and decision-making e.g Shortage Management.

Optional Features and Workflows

Approval Workflow for Supplier Purchase Orders Configure multi-level approval processes to enforce purchasing policies and maintain control.
Shipping Workflow Track inbound supplier orders with long delivery times, including expected arrival dates.
Part Catalogue Management Streamline the supplier order and goods receipt processes with supplier part numbers mapped to your inventory codes.
Quality Testing of Inwards Goods Manage and record quality checks on inwards goods to ensure compliance with your product standards and quality processes.
Payment Authorization Workflow Control supplier payments with configurable approval steps and audit trails.
Direct Delivery Workflow Trigger supplier shipments directly to your customers, with full tracking and documentation.
NZ MPI Requirements Capture Record and manage Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) data for compliance with New Zealand regulations.
Back-to-Back Purchasing Automatically generate purchase orders linked to sales orders or jobs, streamlining fulfilment and reducing handling.

Supplier Information

Abel’s Supplier information provides the foundation for your Purchasing workflow, Accounts Payable, and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) processes.

Core Features

Supplier Maintenance Create and manage supplier records with configurable categories to suit your business structure.
Financial Settings Store bank account details and other financial settings, for example default currency and tax type per supplier.
Multiple Locations Record multiple branches or locations for each supplier to support distributed operations.
Notes and Attachments Record internal notes and attach emails, documents, and PDFs, such as invoices or contracts, directly to supplier records.

Supplier Purchase Orders

Abel’s Supplier Purchase Orders functionality gives manufacturers the flexibility to manage purchasing with precision and control. Whether you’re placing orders manually or generating them through MRP, Abel makes it easy to create, track, and process supplier orders efficiently.

Core Features

Flexible Order Creation Create a Supplier Purchase Order from scratch or copy an existing one to save time and maintain consistency.
MRP-Driven Ordering Automatically generate purchase orders based on Material Requirements Planning (MRP) recommendations and review process.
Pre-Payment Support Use Abel’s Deposits function to record and manage pre-payments for Supplier Orders.
Optional Approval Workflow Configure approval processes for supplier purchasing to support internal controls and compliance.
Confirmed Due Dates Record confirmed delivery dates for inbound orders to monitor supplier performance and inform planning processes.
Linked Document Workflow Build a Supplier Delivery or Supplier Invoice directly from its corresponding Supplier Purchase Order, Abel copies the details through for accuracy and traceability. Supplier Pre-Payments and Progress Payments.

Supplier Pre-Payments and Progress Payments

Abel’s Supplier Deposits functionality enables manufacturers to manage pre-payments and progress payments as part of the supplier purchasing workflow. Deposits are recorded in Abel’s dedicated Deposits Ledger, separate from the Creditors Ledger, providing clear financial tracking and control.

Core Features

Progress Payments on Purchase Orders Create progress payments as individual lines on the supplier purchase order to reflect staged payment agreements.
Proforma Invoices for Deposits Raise proforma invoices for deposit amounts, which are held on Abel’s Deposits / Pre-Payments ledger until settled.
Standard Payment Processing Process pre-payments using Abel’s standard Supplier Payments functionality, with full integration into your financial workflows.
Status Tracking with Color Coding Abel tracks paid and unpaid pre-payments, using color coding to clearly indicate their status.
Deposit Enquiry Screen View all active deposits in a dedicated enquiry screen. They remain visible until the deposit is fully settled by a closed Supplier Invoice.
Supplier Invoices Generate Supplier Invoices that include receipted pre-payments, automatically reducing the total amount owing.

Pricing and Purchasing

Abel offers flexible supplier pricing options that can be configured to suit a wide range of manufacturing and procurement requirements. Whether you’re managing local suppliers or sourcing internationally, Abel helps you maintain accurate cost data and make informed purchasing decisions.

Core Features

Supplier-Based Pricing Set cost prices by individual supplier or by supplier category to reflect negotiated terms and preferred relationships.
Alternate Units of Measure Define pricing for multiple units of measure per inventory item.
Multi-Currency Handling Manage international purchasing with currency conversion and supplier-specific pricing.
Quantity Breaks Record discounts or pricing tiers based on order volume, applying either a percentage or value discount at each threshold.
Pricing History Track historical pricing changes for audit, analysis, and negotiation support.
Landed Cost and Freight Markup Include freight, duty, and other import charges to calculate true landed cost and maintain accurate margins.

Special Pricing and Contracts

Abel offers advanced pricing, and contract features to support specialised purchasing scenarios. These features are ideal for businesses that manage long-term supplier agreements, drawdown arrangements, or supplier-owned stock, providing flexibility and control across complex procurement workflows.

Core Features

Supplier Contracts Apply contracted pricing across multiple supplier orders or deliveries, ensuring consistency and compliance with negotiated terms.
Contracted Quantity Drawdown Manage contracted order quantities without assigning values upfront, stock is drawn down and priced as required.
Supplier-Owned Stock Track and manage stock held on-site by suppliers, with drawdown and pay-on-delivery functionality.

Shortage Management, Overdue Orders, and Stock Runout

Abel’s Shortage Management, Overdue Orders, and Stock Runout functions give manufacturers the visibility and control they need to respond quickly to supply chain disruptions. Whether it’s a delayed supplier delivery or an unexpected spike in demand, Abel helps you stay one step ahead.

Shortage Management

Abel gives purchasers and planners the tools to manage shortages across locations, jobs, and inventory types:

Advance Shortage Visibility Identify potential material shortages for manufacturing jobs ahead of time, enabling proactive resolution.
Real-Time Demand-Driven Data Shortage information is based on live manufacturing documents, giving planners up-to-date insights.
Focused Exception Management Teams can focus on areas of concern without needing to review the full schedule each time.
Confirmed vs Unconfirmed Orders Filter out confirmed on-time purchase orders to highlight items that need follow-up.
Shortage Reporting View shortages by job, item, or location to understand impact and urgency.
Shortage Filters Filter shortage lists by manufacturing branch, inventory type, or keyword for targeted analysis.
Linked Document Visibility See which jobs, orders, or manufacturing documents are affected by shortages.

Tracking Overdue Supplier Orders

Keep suppliers accountable and production on schedule:

Accurate Overdue Tracking Monitor overdue items at the line level for precise follow-up.
Improved Supplier Management Quickly identify which suppliers are falling behind and take proactive steps to resolve issues.
Better Production Planning Understand how late deliveries may affect manufacturing schedules and adjust accordingly.

Stock Run Out Forecasting

Anticipate future stockouts and plan with confidence:

Projected Stock Runout Date See when each item is expected to run out based on current usage and incoming supply.
Next Supplier Delivery View the next expected delivery date for each item to help align purchasing and production schedules.
Average Monthly Use Understand typical consumption patterns to better forecast future demand.
Predicted Available Stock (Due Date Filter) Check projected stock levels as at a specific date to assess short-term availability.
Predicted Available Stock (Supplier Lead Date) View expected stock levels based on the supplier’s lead time to inform proactive planning.

Shipping

Abel’s optional Shipping workflow is designed for managing imported goods with long lead times, especially when payment is made in advance. It provides visibility of goods in transit and helps manufacturers plan more effectively by integrating shipping data into purchasing and inventory processes.

Core Featrues

Shipping Document Use a Shipping Order document with expected shipping and arrival dates to track inbound goods.
Prepaid Invoices and Goods on Ship Record prepayments and assign stock to “goods on ships” for accurate tracking and financial control.
Visibility of Goods in Transit Monitor “goods on ships” to inform reordering, production planning, and other business decisions.
Cost Allocation Split duties, freight, and other import fees across inventory lines on the Shipping Order for accurate landed cost calculations.
Partial Shipment Handling Adjust line quantities for partial shipments to reflect actual goods received.
Supplier Delivery Integration Optionally build a Supplier Delivery directly from a Shipping Order to standardize the goods receipt process across all incoming goods.

Parts Catalog

Abel’s Parts Catalog makes it easy to manage external suppliers’ part numbers alongside your own inventory items. It streamlines purchasing and sales workflows by linking supplier-specific codes directly to your internal systems, improving accuracy, speeding up transactions, and supporting seamless business-to-business processes.

Core Featrues

Supplier Part Mapping Link supplier part numbers to your inventory items for easy reference and traceability.
Quick Item Lookup Find inventory items using supplier part number for faster quote and order processing.
Pricing and Preferred Supplier Setup Optionally record pricing and assign a default supplier directly within the Parts Catalog.
Direct-to-Customer Ordering Optionally order parts specifically for customer orders without routing them through your stock sub-ledger.
Supplier-Facing Documentation Include supplier part codes on purchase orders and other documents to improve communication and reduce errors.