The Requests Form is used to handle all Requests/Special Orders and items placed on hold. Use the Req (Alt R) command button from most forms to display the requests interface.

Special Customer Order - item is placed on request and an order with one of the designated suppliers for the item. The expectation is that it can be supplied in a reasonably short space of time by a supplier. If not active supplier is currently specified the operator can nominate a new supplier.

Request - item is placed on request but cannot be placed on order as no supplier currently has it listed as available. This can be used for out of print material where there is no obvious supplier but you still want to record the request in case it becomes available in the future.

Every time a book is ordered that you do not currently have in Stock you can record the order as a Request and optionally as a special order which is actually added to a Purchase order. When the book subsequently comes the request command button will be in red to indicate that there are existing requests for the item so that you can offer it to the next requester.

Requests can be recorded in any of the following ways:

• Using the Make (Alt K) command from the Stock or contacts form will add the Current Stock item as a request for the Current Contact.

• When adding an item, that is not in Stock, to an invoice you are prompted to record the item as a request for the contact you are invoicing against. Answer yes to record the request.

• Use the commands on the Requests form for adding new Requesters (Customers that have one or more requests) and new requests.

• At the POS interface when a customer wants a book not currently in stock. Requests can only be recorded against a know customer, ie one in the database so the ioperator may have to create a new contact record to represent the customer.

At any point you can print a list of requests from the Requests form using the Reports command.

Note: Adding/Deleting new Requests or Requesters is equivalent to adding/deleting Stock items and Customer records, respectively. The Requests form is just another view of your Stock and Customers records, linked as requester/requested.

From the Stock form you can view a list of all contacts that have requested the current Stock item. You can further drill down to see details for the requesting contact.