Enter your description of the page

Although many people believe pricing requires a great deal of creativity, you can systemize the process to ensure consistency, efficiency, and quality of delivery. It is up to the business-minded individual to discover their best system for determining accurate prices.

Simplicity and flexibility are a difficult twosome to balance. To achieve success, the development team at Cyrious Software spent years developing tools that were easily applicable to a variety of specific pricing needs. Their result is Cyrious Control.

Cyrious Control aims to achieve uniformity, effectiveness, and satisfactory outcome without imposing limits on the User. There are two primary facets to pricing in Control. They are the Products and Parts modules.

Figure 2 1 Major Pricing Components

The Products module focuses on what the customer gives you money for: what you sell.

For example - a pizza, a banner, an automobile, or a dress.

A product's profitability is based on what is required to price or produce it. In the case of a pizza, this might refer to the diameter (size), type of flour, style of crust, and toppings. For an automobile, it could include the model, manufacturer, color, engine size, and so forth. The attributes a product has are its properties. We will spend a lot of time in this manual evaluating various properties, variables, and modifiers.

Parts are the ingredients that make up a product. Furthermore, they dictate the production details for that product. Parts are classified as one of the following types:

  • Material Parts are the raw materials used in the production of the product or modifier (flour, grommets, the engine, fabric)
  • Labor Time reports the time and cost associated with production of the order (chef's time, designer time, salesperson time, dressmaker time)
  • Equipment Usage/Time accounts for the time and cost of production equipment (printers, ovens, computers, laminators, delivery trucks, sewing machines)
  • Outsource Parts come from outside vendors associated with an order
  • Freight is a category used to track shipment-related components
  • Other Parts provides additional distinction to categorize parts

Each part may have a cost associated with it, either a fixed cost or a cost based on time, length, area, etc. You can also track the use and replenishment of parts for inventory purposes .

Products alone do not have costs associated with them. Products get their costs indirectly, depending on the cost of the parts of which they are comprised. This is an important concept in Control.

A product's cost is the sum of the cost of its components.

No parts – no costs.

Pricing Setup Screen

Main Menu | Setup | Pricing Setup
\\
//Figure 2 2 Accessing Pricing Setup// \\
The left side of the window will list the pricing setup areas that you can access. \\
\\
//Figure 2 3 Pricing Setup List// \\
To access a specific area of pricing, simply click on the corresponding icon in the left window. These sections include: \\
|| **Major components** ||
Product Setup In this section, you can enter the products you sell, configure them, and establish the pricing.
Part Setup In this section, you can enter and configure the parts that make up the products you sell.
Supporting components
Modifier Setup In this section, you can enter and configure the modifiers that record information about the products you sell.
Selection Lists In this section, you can enter and configure the selection lists that variables and modifiers use to present the user with a list of choices.
Variables In this section, you can enter and configure the variables that record information about the products you sell.
Supporting components (continued)
User Constants In this section, you can enter and configure user constants that can be used in formulas to give more readable names to constant values.
Saved Pricing Formulas In this section, you can enter and configure pre-defined formulas templates that you can apply to products.
Default Cost Multipliers In this section, you can enter the default markups used for Cost-Plus pricing.
Pricing Plans In this section, you can create and edit the pricing plans used to identify different customer pricing groups.
Pricing Levels In this section, you can enter and configure predefined customer or employee pricing levels used to adjust the pricing up or down by a percentage.
Pricing Families In this section, you can create and edit the pricing families used to group similar products into families for aggregate discounts.
Promotions In this section, you can enter and configure standard promotions that can be applied to orders or estimates.
Commission Plans In this section, you can enter and configure the commission rates for your employees.
Lookup Tables In this section, you can create and edit data tables used to match and lookup information by products and modifiers.
Discount Tables In this section, you can create and edit the discount tables used by products and modifiers.
Interface components
Pricing Forms In this section, you'll design the pricing forms used to enter information during order and estimate entry.
Product Layouts In this section, you'll design the product layouts used to format the information about the product ordered on invoices, estimates, and work-orders.
Quick Products Screen where you designate which of your products will be easily accessible for estimates and orders throughout the Cyrious program.
Default Interfaces Form layouts and product layouts you have set as your default. This is an area you can come to for quick reference as well as setup.

What You Need to Know to Get Started
One only needs basic Windows comprehension and minimal industry-specific knowledge to use Control effectively. Cyrious aims to give both Owner and Manager the confidence to assign complex operations to employees with little or no guidance.
To navigate in Control, you will need the following skills:
* Practical Windows fluency
* Familiarity with calculations and simple algebra, similar to the skill level needed to perform most functions in Microsoft Excel
* Experience with designing form objects and an object inspector
* Knowledge of how to build your products (if you intend to use pricing features)
* Solid understanding of how you price
* Those who have the following skills will be able to do a little bit more with Control:
Experience using XSL to translate XML into HTML
Working knowledge of Crystal Reports (one of the report designer programs used by Control)
Cyrious also offers customized training for those who wish to boost their Windows comfort level before using Control.
Working Knowledge of Microsoft Windows®
Cyrious Control currently operates on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows 2003 (Me). Since the three operating systems are so similar, it does not matter which version of Windows you choose to utilize, as long as you are comfortable using one of them.
You should be familiar with the following items:

Referred to in this manual as … The item looks like this …
Checkbox - with label
On/Off selection.
Select or
Deselect
Edit Box – with label
Used for limited-length text fields.
Click in the box to enter text.
Memo Box – with label
Used for unlimited-length
and multi-line text fields.
Click inside the box to enter text.
Click in the box to enter text.
Selection Button Click to select.
Radio Button – with labels
Used for either/or selections.
Click Option 1 or Option 2. (option 1 selected)
Numeric Spin-Edit
Used for number/quantity.
Click in the box to enter the number; or
click on the arrow to increase or decrease the quantity.
Page Control/Tab Sheet Click to select.
Combo / Dropdown Box
Used for selection lists.
Click on down-arrow to reveal the options available.
Menu Bar Click to select.
Toolbar Click to select.
Minimize, Maximize, Restore
and Close Buttons

Located in the top-right corner of the Cyrious main window.
Click to select.
Minimize, Maximize, Restore and Close Menu
Has corresponding options to the buttons.
Located in the top-right corner of the Cyrious main window.
Select option.

Figure 2 4 Typical Windows Elements
Shortcut Keys
In addition to menus and toolbars, some of the commands have shortcut keys for quicker, easier access. Most use the CONTROL (Ctrl) Key plus another key. Some use the SHIFT plus CTRL plus another key. Try some of the options below for yourself and perhaps, keep a copy of this page nearby for quick reference.

Icon Menu Command Shortcut
LOGOUT Ctrl+L
LOCK SCREEN Ctrl+K
NEW ORDER Ctrl+O
NEW ESTIMATE Ctrl+Q
NEW COMPANY Ctrl+U
ACTIVITY MANAGER Ctrl+G
CLOSE Ctrl+F4
EDIT Ctrl+E
SAVE Ctrl+S
BROWSE WEB Ctrl+F
ABOUT CONTROL Ctrl+I

Figure 2 5 Shortcut Keys
Basic Control Actions

The elements of pricing setup are designed to operate using similar screens. Accordingly, the actions available through buttons on the Action Toolbar for many of the screens are similar. Some of the most common actions you will see and their meanings are listed below. Actions that are specific to a certain screen will be discussed in the section specific to that screen.

Action Meaning
Cancel Cancels all changes made in Edit mode and restores the original values. Also abandons a new item record entry without saving.
Clone Creates a copy of this record using the currently selected record as a template. This is usually a good shortcut to create a new record when the new item is similar to an existing item.
Close Closes the currently selected window. If you are creating a new item or are editing a new item and have not saved, you cannot close the form. You must choose Save or Cancel first.
Delete Deletes the selected item.
Edit Puts the record into Edit mode. Before you can make changes to a record, you must be in Edit mode.
Insert Also referred to as New. Creates a new object or record.
Move Down Moves the selected item down in a list.
Move Up Moves the selected item up in a list.
New Category Click to create a new category. You will be prompted to enter a text label for the new category.
New Sub Category Highlight the parent category for this new category first. Then click the New Product Sub Category Screen and enter a text label just as if creating a new category.
New Top Level Item Creates a new item that is not assigned to any category.
Print Print the default report, or click on the down arrow next to Print on the Action Toolbar to display a menu of reports configured for your selection.
Rename Changes the name of an existing item.
Save Saves the record you have created or edited.

Basic Control Fields
The elements of pricing setup are designed to operate using similar screens. Just as many actions are common to different screens, likewise many data fields are similar. Some of the most common data fields you will see and their meanings are listed below.
Fields that are specific to a certain screen will be discussed in the section specific to the screen.

Action Meaning
Active Denotes whether the item is active (ok to use) or not. Often, rather than delete a product or other item that is no longer used, you will want to keep its history intact and will choose to set it inactive instead. Inactive items can not be selected for new use, but are retained for reference in historical records.
All Notes This is a combination of all of the notes on the subsequent tabs. This display is read-only. To change any value, click on the correct tab and enter the new information.
Category Name of the group encompassing the item you are viewing. These names are used for classifying and rearranging. In general, you may freely rearrange items in categories without affecting the use of the item.
Flags Flags are special pop up messages that the operator will see whenever using a product, part, or customer that has a flag entered. Flags might contain special instructions or warnings that you want the operator to know.
Inactive This is the opposite of the Active status. Denotes an item or contact that you do not want to be searchable or usable.
Internal Notes Used to record information for internal use only. This information is usually printed on the work order, but is not viewed by the customer.
Name Title or name of the object you are viewing. In general, duplicate names are not allowed.
Notes In pricing setup, Notes are sections to add comments about the pricing. The purpose of notes is to provide insight to yourself or someone else looking at the pricing at a later time.
  *  \\
** \\
|| **Action** || **Meaning** ||
Online Help Online help is used to record information about the item that may be helpful to the operator when entering the order. This might include product specifications, warranty information, answers to frequently asked questions, and selling ideas. The operator can access this information during order or estimate entry.
Unit Type Control provides powerful features to work with dimensional information. The unit type refers to the “dimensionality” or nature of the unit being used. Typical values include discrete/each, length, area, weight, and rate.
Though very powerful as a reminder, overuse of flags can be annoying and lead to their being ignored by the operator.

Categories
You can create categories at will. Categories organize your products, modifiers, and parts into a navigable tree. This area is also found at the Pricing Setup screen.

Figure 2 6 Category Tree

Categories often have the following indirect effects on accounting:
* Categories are frequently used for grouping in reports
* GL Accounts are commonly aligned with categories, resulting in an indirect link between the categories and accounting. However, this choice can be changed at any time.
* Sales data is often grouped by product category for reporting purposes
* Most Users create a sales income account for each product category. This alignment of the GL and product categories usually provides the desired level of detail in sales reporting
To edit or delete a category, select that category and click on the appropriate button. You can only delete a category when there is nothing in that category. You must first edit or remove each item to another category before deleting that category.
Category Types
Most items used in pricing have categories for organization purposes. Many of these support sub-categories, which are categories under the main categories. Sub-categories may also be created beneath sub-categories, creating a hierarchy of categories for organizing your information. When sub-categories apply, the term “Top Level Category” will refer to a top most category level.
The following categories are used in pricing setup:

Item Name Category Name Supports Sub-categories
Products Product CategoryYes
Parts Part CategoryYes
Modifiers Modifier CategoryYes
Selection Lists Selection List CategoryYes
Variables Variable CategoryYes
User Constants User Constant CategoryNo
Pricing Formula Templates Not SupportedNo
Lookup Tables Lookup Table CategoryYes
Discount Tables Not SupportedNo
Pricing Forms Pricing Form CategoryNo
Product Layouts Product Layout CategoryNo

See Also


You could leave a comment if you were logged in.