One of the fields on the Main Invoice Screen is the General Invoice Code.  It's located in the upper right hand corner of the screen and is abbreviated as "Gen."

Two methods are available to run sales reports using a General Invoice Code:

Method 1. Select MAIN TASKS >> MASTER LIST OF SALES REPORTS >> SALES REPORT BY GENERAL INVOICE CODE.  This brings up a spreadsheet of your codes.  You can select which codes you want and a report will be generated.  The report will list total sales, taxable sales, etc. for each code.  The advantage of this method is that you can run as many codes as you desire.

Method 2. Select MAIN TASKS >> YEARLY SALES  or MAIN TASKS >> SALES & SALES TAX REPORTS.  From the dialog box that appears, select the Invoice Code option.  The report will list total, taxable sales and a number of other categories for the selected code.  The disadvantage of this method is that you can only run one code at a time.  There is one advantage, however.  You can run reports for one-character code.  (See next section for information.)

One-character codes can only be used with Method 2, but if you use one-character codes (consisting of one-letter or one-number), you can create up to three code systems.  This part of the Help Document describes how to use the one-character code system.  For more general information: Invoice Codes

NOTE:  The use of one-character codes is becoming less important in the newer versions of AnyOrder.  Level IV added new codes such as the Ad Campaign code which can be used alternatively for general invoice coding purposes.  User Defined Fields can be used for coding as well.  The one-character code system, however, has been retained for those that have used this system in past versions of AnyOrder and would like to continue to use it.

Using One-character Codes (Method 2 Only)

If you use one-character codes (consisting of one-letter or one-number), you can create up to three code systems.  (Or, in other words, you can produce three different types of sales reports.)  There are two things to remember.  First, you can only use this system with Method 2 described above.  In other words, you have to run each code one at a time.  Secondly, you should not duplicate any code letters or numbers between coding systems.  We'll use an example to help explain how this all works.

Let's say that you want to code retail sales with a capital "R" and wholesale sales with a capital "W."  (Remember that the Invoice Code is case sensitive and it's important to distinguish between capitals and lower case.)  This becomes your first set of codes.

Let's say you also have four saleswomen working for you, and you'd like to create a set of codes for them.  You could use capital letters to match their last names; you just don't want to duplicate the "R" and "W" that you've used for the first set of codes.  What's easiest is to use lower case letters.  Then you don't have to worry about duplicating the "R" and "W."  We'll go ahead and use lower case.

Finally, let's also set up a geographic code.  We'll use "1" for sales to the U.S., "2" for sales to Europe, "3'" for Great Britain, "4" for Canada, etc.

As you issue invoices, you would enter the one-character codes into each invoice using appropriate code letter or number.  A typical entry in the Invoice Code field on the invoice screen might look like "Wa2."  If you don't need to produce combination reports (see "Combining One-character Codes, below), then you can type the codes in any order that you desire.  You'll be able to produce the following three sales reports:

1. A sales report for retail and wholesale sales

2. A sales report for your sales representatives

3. A sales report for geographic areas.

How to Generate a Sales Report Using One-character Codes (Method 2 Only)

NOTE:  The use of one-character codes is becoming less important in the newer versions of AnyOrder.  Level IV added new codes such as Ad Campaign code which can be used for general invoice coding purposes if desired.  User Defined Fields can be used for coding as well.  But, the one-character code system has been retained for those that have used this system in past versions of AnyOrder and would like to continue to use it.

To generate a sales report, you would select MAIN TASKS and YEARLY SALES or MAIN TASKS and SALES & SALES TAX REPORTS from the menu (see Sales Reports).  Select the appropriate year (and month or range or dates.  Enter the desired code in:  "Produce a sales report for a selected invoice code."  Thus, if you are creating a sales report for wholesale sales, you would enter a capital "W" in the code blank.

Since you're dealing with a one-character code, place a checkmark in: "Do not use entire invoice code.  Use a one-character code or a two-character combination."   Then click on "OK" and the report will be generated for "W" sales.  You can leave the report on the screen if desired, then return to the Sales Report generator and select a code of "R" to generate the retail sales report.

You'll need to follow the same procedure for other one-character codes.  For example, you can enter the code letter for a sales representative and create a report of his/her sales.  Keep entering your one-character code until you've created the number of reports that you need.

Combining One-character Codes (Method 2 Only)

You can see from the process above that the number of reports you can create increases greatly as you add more code letters.  Usually, it's enough to produce reports just using the three one-character codes.  But, if desired, you can use combinations of one-character codes.  Be prepared, however, the number of reports can sky-rocket when you use combinations.

If you want to obtain combination reports, then you need to place one-character codes in a consistent order on the invoice. This order will determine what combinations of one-letter codes will result.  Let's say we decide to place the retail/wholesale code first, the sales representative code second, and the geographic area code third.  You'll be able to generate three combination reports.

1. A combination of retail/wholesale and sales representatives

2. A combination of sales representatives and geographic areas

3. A combination of all three

Note that you can not produce a report for one combination:  retail/wholesale and geographic areas.  That's because AnyOrder is looking for the pattern of the letters or numbers.  The one-letter code for sales representatives, which is in the middle of the arrangement, splits the one-character codes and doesn't allow for that particular pattern.  If you need such a report, set up the original arrangement so the retail/wholesale and geographic codes are next to one another.