The Add Customer window consists of several tabs, but you don't have to enter information in every field on every tab. You only need to enter the required fields (the ones with the red asterisk*). All other fields are optional.
The Add Customer window consists of the following tabs:
* indicates a required field
Customer tab. Used to enter a customer’s name*, location*, contact information, price level*, discount group, membership number, and characteristics.
Addresses tab. Used to enter a customer’s billing address* and additional addresses.
Contacts tab. Used to add other customer contacts (i.e., contacts whose information differs from the main customer contact information entered on the Customer tab).
Credit/Finance tab. Used to enter a customer’s credit information, banking information, and interest rate.
Tax Exceptions tab. Used to enter a customer’s tax exceptions (e.g., GST exemptions).
Permits tab. Used to add a customer’s permit information which is required to purchase certain products.
Farm Info tab. Used to add a customer’s field information, farm size, farm notes, tillage practices and customer equipment. Link the field to a Google® map.
Notes tab. Used to document any information you want about the customer that appears on screen and/or print on related reports.
Comments tab. Used to document any free form text information you want about the customer.
CRM tab. Used to document user-defined attributes about the customer
Grain tabs. Used to enter producer and buyer information used by the Grain module.
Tip
To view the audit trail of changes to a customer’s record, from the customer search results grid click History. The Customer History window appears. The Created By box displays when and who added the customer to the database. The Updated By box displays when and who updated the customer last. To view the detailed Audit report for the customer, click Show Audit Trail.
agrē can send you a message each time a new customer is added.
To add a new customer
Navigate to Accounts Receivable > Manage > Customers.
Click Exit to cancel the search (this time you're adding a new one, not searching for an existing one).
Click Add.
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Navigate to Accounts Receivable > Customer Accounts.
Click New Customer.
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Click the Customer Account toolbar shortcut button.
Click New Customer.
Add customer information as required/needed (see below for details of information on each tab).
Click Save to save the new customer.
The Customer tab contains general information about the customer you need to know like their name, and information agrē needs to know like their price level.
To complete the Customer tab
The Customer tab is selected by default.
Note
The status for new customers is automatically set to Active.
Each customer is assigned a unique code for future tracking.
If the Generate Customer Code automatically check box is selected, agrē assigns the next sequential customer code to this customer when the record is saved.
To enter a specific customer code, uncheck the Generate Customer Code automatically check box and type a unique code in the Customer Code box.
Note
You can enter customers’ last names, first names and aliases in various ways.
For example, if you choose to enter a customer’s company name as the last name, then you may choose to not enter a first name and enter the customer’s actual name as the alias.
In the Last Name/Company* box, enter the customer’s last name (e.g., Smith) or business name (e.g., Glory Hills Farm).
If possible enter a unique name for the customer so that the customer is easy to identify. The last name is used to find the customer throughout agrē, and invoices are addressed to this name.
In the First Name box, enter the customer’s first name, if applicable.
If you entered a business name as the customer’s last name, then you will likely want to leave this field blank.
In the Alias box, enter the customer’s business name (e.g., Glory Hills Farm), first and/or last name (e.g., Jane or Smith), or enter a commonly used nickname for the customer.
The alias you enter will likely depend on the names you entered as the customer’s last and first names.
(Config U) In the Location* box, enter the customer’s home location.
This location determines the customer’s prices and interest charges (if you have setup different ones for different locations) and may determine where the customer's sales are posted in the General Ledger. This location differs from the location specified for the billing address, which is the location that will be billed.
In the AR Account* box, select which Accounts Receivable GL should be used for this customer.
In the Price Level* box, enter the customer’s price level for billing from the list.
Each customer can be assigned a different price level.
In the Discount Group box, select any applicable discount group (s) from the list.
The customer can belong to multiple discount groups, but only one discount will apply.
In the Sales Representative box, enter a sales rep for the customer from the list.
The sales rep on work orders and invoices will default to this selection.
In the Membership Number box, enter the customer’s membership number.
In the Characteristics box, enter a characteristic that describes the customer from the list.
The customer can have multiple characteristics.
Click Add to add a new characteristic.
You can add multiple customers to a characteristics at the same time from Manage Customer Characteristics.
To remove a characteristic from the account, select the characteristic and click Remove.
In the Primary Phone box, enter the customer’s main phone number.
In the Secondary Phone box, enter an alternate phone number for the customer.
In the Fax Number box, enter the customer’s fax number.
In the Mobile Number box, enter the customer’s cell phone number.
In the Company Email box, enter the customer’s company email address.
In the Company Website box, enter the customer’s company website address.
In the IBC Member No. box, enter the Integrated Blend Control customer code.
In the Customer Since box, the date defaults to today.
Optionally change the date the customer began doing business with you.
Uncheck the Include this customer in batch statement runs check box if you do not want this customer's statement to be included in the batch run of printed, paper statements.
The box is checked by default.
Check the Exclude from external reporting? check box if you want this customer to be excluded from all external manufacturer reporting (AgCollect, FMC, Kenna, TKXS, etc.) that is sent to third parties.
Check the Email Statements? check box if you want to email electronic statements to this customer.
Check the Email Invoices? check box if you want to batch email electronic invoices to this customer.
Also ensure Email Invoices? is checked if you want invoices to be autoEmailed to this customer.
If this box is not checked, autoEmailing of invoices will be ignored.
Once Email Statements or Email Invoices is checked, the Email Address(es) box appears. Type the customer’s email address (maximum of 200 characters).
This address will be used by default for batch emailing of statements and invoices, as well as for auto-Emailing of reports, and will also be the default address when manually emailing single reports.
Tip
If reports should be sent to more than one email address, use a comma to separate the addresses.
e.g. lyle.martin@martinfamilyfarm.com, wayne.martin@martinfamilyfarm.com
(maximum of 200 characters total for all email addresses)
You can add multiple addresses for a customer; however, the customer can only have one default billing address and one default shipping address. The billing and shipping addresses can be different.
Note
You only need to enter an address if the customer will have Loadout Tickets. If they are a Cash Customer, or will always be paying immediately for product that they take, they don't need an address.
To complete the Addresses tab
* indicates a required field (other fields are optional)
Click the Addresses tab.
Select the Use Billing Address check box to add the customer’s billing address for invoices.
Boxes under Billing Address are available.
Select the Shipping Default? check box if billing address is also the default ship to address.
Caution
If a customer has a billing address and you uncheck the Use Billing Address box, the billing address will be deleted. You’ll receive a warning and will need to provide confirmation that you want to remove the address.
In the Address* box, enter the customer’s billing address.
In the City* box, enter the city.
In the Province* box, enter the province from the list.
In the Country* box, optionally enter a different country from the list.
The appropriate country is selected by default after the province has been selected.
In the Postal Code box, enter the postal code.
In the AWSA No box, enter the customer's AWSA number (if they have one).
In the Phone box, enter the billing address phone number.
In the Comment box, enter comments about the billing address for your own use.
These comments are printed on loadout tickets.
Click Add Address Row to add an additional address (e.g. shipping addresses). You can add as many additional addresses as you need, and any you don't can be deactivated.
In the Description column, enter a unique description for the address.
This description appears anywhere that you select or view the address.
In the Address box, enter the customer’s additional address.
In the City box, enter the city.
In the Province box, enter the province from the list.
In the Country box, optionally enter a different country from the list.
The appropriate country is selected by default after the province has been selected.
In the Postal Code box, enter the postal code.
In the AWSA No box, enter the shipping address AWSA number.
In the Phone box, enter the shipping address phone number.
Select the Shipping Default? check box if this address is the default ship to address.
Active will be checked by default for new addresses.
Unchecking the box will deactivate the address, and it will no longer be available in drop down lists.
In the Comment box, enter comments about the additional address.
These comments are printed on loadout tickets that have this address specified as the ship to address (e.g. directions, gate lock combination, etc).
Click Update.
The Add Customer Address Row window closes and the address appears in the Additional Addresses list.
If the customer you are adding has several contacts at his/her company, you can add their contact information (i.e., contacts whose information differs from the main customer contact information entered on the Customer tab).
To complete the Contacts tab
* indicates a required field (other fields are optional)
Click the Contacts tab.
Click Add Contact Row.
The Add Customer Contact Row window opens.
In the Name* box, enter the contact’s first and/or last name (e.g., Jane and/or Smith) or enter a commonly used name or description (e.g., Accounting Department) for the contact.
Ensure you enter a unique name for the contact so that the contact is easy to identify.
In the Role/Relationship box, enter the contact’s job description.
In the Phone box, enter the contact’s phone number.
In the Mobile box, enter the contact’s cell phone number.
In the Pager box, enter the contact’s pager number.
In the Fax box, enter the contact’s fax number.
In the Email box, enter the contact’s email address.
In the Comment box, enter comments about the contact for your own use.
Select the Main Contact? check box if this contact is also the main contact.
Only one contact can be the main contact.
In the Birthday box, enter the birth date of the contact for your own use.
In the Anniversary box, enter the anniversary date of the contact for your own use.
Click Update.
The Add Customer Contact Row window closes and the contact appears in the Contacts list.
There are several sections within the Credit Info tab for you to record the details of your financial relationship with this customer.
(Config C) Any information you enter here overrides the same settings in your company default customer configuration settings.
If you set an interest rate, due date, or chargeable date for a customer in a Term Group, agrē will remind you.
Tip
If you need to define Credit/Finance tab settings for multiple customers, you may find it more convenient to use Customer Credit & Interest Settings to update them.
Click the Credit/Finance tab.
Select This is a Cash Customer if the customer should not be allowed to have a balance on their account, either positive or negative.
If normally they should not be allowed to carry a balance BUT:
select Allow account adjustments even if they create a credit or charge if you want to create account adjustments on their account (either debit or credit adjustments)
select Allow prepayment deposits and prepaid work orders if they deposit prepayment funds and pay for items with prepay dollars.
Select Remind me this is a cash customer when creating an invoice if you would like to see a popup message reminding you that this is a cash customer.
Select Customer has Credit Limit of if the customer is allowed to charge up to a certain amount.
Type the maximum allowable balance in the box.
For Loadout Tickets and Invoices:
select Full Stop if you want to prevent the customer from going over their limit. You will not be allowed to save a LOT or Invoice if it would push them over their limit; the customer would first need to make a payment (for a LOT) or an immediate payment (for an Invoice) to reduce their chargeable balance.
select Warning Only if you just want to be advised that they are over their limit when you save a LOT or Invoice.
select the company default warning range or
specify your own dollar value (e.g. warn me when the customer is $5000 away from their limit)
select Default if you want to follow the company default rule (for full stop or warning).
Select Unlimited Credit if the customer is allowed to charge as much product as they want.
You can set specific interest rates and due/chargeable dates for each customer one customer at a time or in a batch. If you do not enter specific information, agrē uses the Location defaults. If the customer’s home location does not have a rate and due/chargeable dates specified, agrē uses the Company defaults. You can also change the interest rate and due/chargeable dates directly on an invoice, if needed.
In the Interest Rate (%) box, enter the interest rate percentage to charge on outstanding items.
If you want the customer never to be charged interest, enter a value of zero.
When you save the customer account, you will be asked: Should the new interest rate be applied to all existing outstanding items?
select Yes if you want the new rate to be applied to all outstanding invoices and charges
select No if you want to use the new rate on a go forward basis only for new invoices and charges
In the Due Date set to invoice date plus box, enter the number of days after the Invoice Date that payment is due.
In the Chargeable Date set to set to box, set the chargeable date based on:
In the Invoice Date plus box, enter the number of days after the Invoice Date that the invoice balance becomes chargeable.
In the Due Date plus box, enter the number of days after the Due Date that the invoice balance becomes chargeable.
Note
Warnings are generated if you change dates for customers in a Term Group.
You can specify the month and day of the customer's fiscal year end for your own information.
In the Month and Day boxes, select the customer's fiscal year end.
To speed up the process of accepting customer payments, prepayments, and immediate payments, you can select a default payment type for this customer.
Select the customer's preferred payment type from the drop down list. You can choose from all payment types, not just the ones applicable to the customer's home location.
Check Customer Order No Mandatory for Invoice if all invoices for this customer require an order number.
(if checked, POS invoices cannot be added for this customer)
You can specify the banks that the customer uses. This data is for your own information, is available only on this window, and does not affect any other areas of agrē.
To complete the Banking Information section
Click Add Bank Row.
In the Bank Name* box, enter the name of the customer’s bank.
In the Account # box, enter the customer's bank account number.
In the Line of Credit box, enter the customer's credit line amount.
(lines of credit are not included in credit limit calculations)
In the Originator ID box, enter the bank's originator ID number.
In the Address box, enter the bank’s address.
In the City box, enter the city.
In the Province box, enter the province from the list.
In the Country box, optionally enter a different country from the list. The appropriate country is selected by default after the province has been selected.
In the Postal box, enter the postal code.
In the Phone box, enter the bank’s phone number.
In the Contact box, enter the name of the main contact person for the bank.
In the Comments box, enter comments about the bank for your own use.
Click Update. The Add Customer Bank Info window closes and the bank appears in the Banking Information list.
The Tax Exceptions tab is one of many areas that you can use to manage taxes in agrē. It displays all taxes and allows you to specify customer-specific exemptions by location.
To complete the Tax Exceptions tab
Click the Tax Exceptions tab.
Next to a Tax/Location combination, check the box under the desired behaviour for this customer: Charge or Do Not Charge.
(optional) If the setting for a tax at one location is applicable to this tax at all locations, click Apply Selected Setting to all Locations.
(you can check all the location boxes for a single tax and get the same result)
In the Exemption Number column, enter the tax exemption number for the tax that the customer is exempt from.
In the Expiry Date column, enter the date that the exemption expires for the tax that the customer is exempt from.
If a customer intends to purchase a product that requires a permit (e.g., certain pesticides, dyed fuel), then the customer must have the appropriate permit. You may also want to use permits to track TUAs and LTAs. Although agrē provides a warning message if a customer does not have a required permit, it does not prevent the sale of the product.
To complete the Permits tab
* indicates a required field (other fields are optional)
Click the Permits tab.
In the Permit column, enter a permit from the list. Permits are set up in your inventory.
In the Permit Number column, enter the permit number.
In the Expiry Date column, enter the date that the permit expires.
Tip
To display Permit information when running the Customer Sales report, Group Sales By: Customer and Product and check the Show Permits box.
Field information is used when making blends for this customer.
To complete the Farm Info tab
* indicates a required field (other fields are optional)
Click the Farm Info tab.
to add optional Farm Fields (also used by the Agronomy module)
Click Add Field.
The Add Customer Farm Field window opens.
In the Field Name* box, enter a unique name for the field.
Check Active? to flag the field as active.
Check Default Field? if this field is also the customer’s primary field.
Only one field can be the main field.
In the Legal Land Description box, enter the legal land description for the field.
In the Acres box, enter the number of acres for the field.
In the Comments box, enter comments about the field for your own use.
From the Ownership drop down list, select Owned or Rented.
Check the Irrigated box if applicable.
Note
Field Mapping is available with the addition of the Agronomy module.
Click Update to save the field information.
The Add Customer Farm Field window closes and the field appears in the Field list.
Farm Size is the total number of acres (or hectares) the customer has.
Farm Name could be the same as the Last Name, or the Alias, or something completely different.
Farm Notes is a free-form text field to record any additional information about the customer's farm.
Tillage is a user-defined list of tillage methods or types.
Equipment is a user-defined list of customer equipment
You can enter notes about the customer that appear on screen and/or on printed reports. On screen notes only appear on related windows for the customer (e.g., invoice notes appear on invoices). Printed notes appear on printed reports for the customer (e.g., invoice notes appear on Invoice reports).
To complete the Notes tab
Click the Notes tab.
Under On Screen Descriptions, enter notes that should pop-up on screen to provide your users with extra information (max 200 characters).
Under Printed Descriptions, enter notes that should print on reports to provide your customers with extra information (max 198 characters).
Tip
Run: File > Exports > Data > Audit/Admin > Notes (Loc, Cust, Prod) data export to double check all notes in one place.
You can enter comments about the customer that only appear on the Add Customer or Edit Customer windows. They are not printed on reports.
To complete the Comments tab
Click the Comments tab.
In the Comments box, enter comments about the customer for your own use.
Comments appear on this window only.
In the Statement Note box, enter notes about the customer’s statement for your own use.
Notes appear on the Customer Statement reports.
You can enter Customer Relationship Management information in the CRM fields defined by your company.
To complete the CRM tab
Click the CRM tab.
Fill in the CRM fields that have been defined by your company.
For an overview of the grain tab, see Managing Grain Producer & Buyers.
Click the Grain subtab.
Check Grain Producer if the customer is a producer.
(cannot be unchecked once used on sales contract, etc.)
Select the Grain Account* (must be flagged as a Grain Payables Special GL Account, can be home currency GL or foreign) from the dropdown list.
Required if Grain Producer is checked.
Select the Grain Sales Rep from the dropdown list.
Click Manage EFT if you will be paying this customer/grain producer with electronic fund transfers instead of (or in addition to) paper cheques.
You'll need to enter the same information as if you were paying a regular supplier with EFT.
Check the Grain Emailer box if you want to email electronic reports to this producer.
Enter the Email Address(es) separated by a comma.
Check Leases Condo Storage if applicable.
The other storage data fields are activated.
Type in their Storage Capacity in bushels.
If applicable, under Other customers with access to storage click Add Customer to add others allowed to use this producer's condo storage.
The other producers must also have a Grain Payables GL Account saved on the Grain tab of their customer account.
Check Grain Buyer if the customer is a buyer.
(cannot be unchecked once used on purchase contract, etc.)
Check Use Credit Check if the customer is a buyer and has a Credit Limit.
Credit Limits can be set at the Company, Location, or Customer level.
Grain Shipments are equivalent to Loadout Tickets/LOTs.
There are no checks or messages for prepayments - prepay is factored into the balance but will not be shown as an option in messages.
You can enter notes about producers and buyers that appear on screen and/or on printed reports. On screen notes only appear on related windows (e.g., invoice notes appear on invoices). Printed notes appear on printed reports for the customer (e.g., invoice notes appear on Invoice reports).
Click the Producer Notes or the Buyer Notes tab.
Under On Screen Descriptions, enter notes that should pop-up on screen to provide your users with extra information
(max 200 char except for Producer Summary max 600 char).
Under Printed Descriptions, enter notes that should print on reports to provide your Producers and Buyers with extra information (max 198 characters).