EzyPO Paperless Purchase Order Software
The fastest way to create, approve and send orders. Just log onto EzyPO via a web browser to create orders. No need to be in front of a computer to approve orders, approve them from your Blackberry or smartphone anywhere in the world where you can get a connection. It ensures you have complete control over spending. You actually know what you have committed or about to commit, every minute of the day. There is no lag time between the order being approved and being entered on your system.
How Does It Work?
Quick Overview
The approval process is very simple yet sophisticated and very flexible. For each person who will create orders, you setup who needs to approve the order - this way an Art Director is not approving costume orders etc. This can be based on amount ranges and/or free field flagging. If a studio Executive is setup in the approval process for orders over £10,000, then all orders below this limit will skip the studio executive.
To create the order the user types (or import a compatible quote) into EzyPO instead of filling out conventional four part carbon paper purchase order forms. Supplier address, contact details etc are automatically recalled if the supplier has been used before. The user can also attach supporting documents like PDF quotes, JPG Photo's, Word Documents or Excel files to the Order which can be viewed by those approving the order.
Approvers can be notified by email when they have orders to be approved. Once approved it moves along the approval chain until it is fully approved. Orders are approved sequentially so if you are a UPM you do not see an order until your dept head and anyone else in a sequence below you has approved it first (like a paper order would be approved).
Once fully approved an order number is allocated and a copy of the order can be faxed and/or emailed to the supplier automatically. The cost report is also automatically updated if using our Accounting software Eclipse.
If an order changes, the user can simply modify the order and send it off to be approved again. Approvers can see the original order and compare the changes before approving the revised order.
Only the originator and anyone in the approval chain process can see the order.
What Benefits to Expect?
Control Freak
We all know PO's traditionally have been sent to suppliers without proper authorization. People freely admit this when they start using EzyPO "How do I get a PO number before it is approved?". The system does not issue a number until it has been fully approved. Some suppliers may be happy to supply goods before they receive a physical order but upon opening an account we warn - no PO no payment!
No Surprises
Following on from point 1, there should be no surprises in the cost report because everything has been approved correctly and it is all done in real time so we know what has been approved and what is coming down the line. There are no delays from when a traditional PO is written (and probably sent to the supplier) to getting it approved manually, sitting in trays (getting lost occasionally) to finally accounts keying the PO into the accounting system. On a big show with lots of orders this could amount to 2-3 weeks behind what is really going on - the wave effect.
Correct Amounts
Because suppliers have only ever traditionally been given a PO number the PO for car hire incorrectly done at the 30+ day rate for 7 days is not picked up until the invoice comes in months down the track. The supplier will contact the production if the PO is wrong as they know accounts only pay as per the PO amounts.
Correct Data
As the PO's are keyed in at a departmental level with codes and items flagged as assets etc (codes and asset flagging can be entered\changed during the approval process) cost reports are much more accurate as there are no miscoding or flags missed when accounts enter the PO manually. Also, departments can actually read a ledger inquiry as it has all the details they typed into the PO in the Ledger.
Approval Speed
Orders actually get approved quicker using EzyPO than the traditional method. Urgent orders can be tracked on-line to find out who the current approver is and give a gentle reminder to please approve.
PO Entering\Retrieval Speed
Once a user gets used to the system, they actually find it much quicker to type an order than write one. People that do lots of orders love it because it is easy to go back and find old orders as they can search on PO number, Supplier name etc.
Extending Orders
Users are warned by email a week before the end of a hire and again on the last day urging them to check if the hire is complete and if not extend. This alone is a good enough reason for using EzyPO. This is usually one of the biggest problems for cost blow outs.
Modifying Orders
Easy for users to extend or change orders. No messy (multiple) change order forms that users need to keep writing out. Just change the original order online and if it increases above a set % or amount it will go around for approval again also showing the original order for comparison.
Approval on the go
Approval can be done online or via email (Blackberry, PDA, Outlook etc.)
Flexible Approval
The approval chain is set per user so different departments can have different people approving them. You can set to skip approvers if the amount is greater or less than a set amount. Approvals can also be triggered based on the supplier and/or free field flagging (Insurance claims, Assets, Damages etc). You can even nominate more than one person at each step of the approval chain if you need that flexibility.
Save The Trees
Global warming is a real threat. EzyPO is the first real step towards the paperless office. Reduce your carbon footprint today!
Flexible PO Entry
We also supply Excel PO templates which users can fill in and simply import into EzyPO. We also have developed our own XML specifications so supplier's who provide quotes to you in this file format can be imported into EzyPO.
Save Money
No PO Books need to be printed, saving more £££. Reduced accounting department as PO's don't need to be entered and Invoice payment is much more streamlined and faster as EzyPO eliminates PO matching, copying and logging.
Security
No need to worry about employee's loosing an order book or orders being used inappropriately without proper approvals.
Drawbacks
EzyPO is licensed on a per show per year basis. Only the number of licensed users can connect concurrently.
Learning Curve
All users will need to learn how to create or approve and order. The system is not difficult and there is a manual and online video's.
Internet Connection
Internet - it is an internet based system so if the internet goes down so does the ability to do\approve orders. Users can switch to the Excel Templates so once the internet comes back online they can quickly process their orders.
No instant order or Order Number
Crew on the road or on set do not have a PO book. This could be seen as a benefit. One of the most asked questions is what about the dresser who is on the road - sure, but what about proper approvals? We do create "blanket" orders for some depts that need to go down the hardware store and pickup miscellaneous items with a fixed weekly max - but we used to do that with paper orders as well. There is also nothing stopping a production using a combination of paper order books and electronic PO's. You just need to make sure your numbers don't overlap.
Conclusion
EzyPO is revolutionary from what we are used to in the Film & TV Industry. The bigger the show the more important part EzyPO will play in keeping a lid on production purchasing. For productions spread out in different locations locally and internationally it makes sense to not only have all this information in a central database but also have proper authorization for purchasing. We are moving more and more into the digital age.