Overview

This module covers the entire process from capturing a potential inquiry to receiving payment for a sale.

Purpose: To manage leads, track sales opportunities, send quotations, confirm orders, dispatch goods, and bill customers.

Configuration:

• Selling Settings: The central control hub for the Sales module where you define global behaviors like allowing "over-selling" of stock, setting default quotation validity, and enabling customer-wise pricing.

• Industry Type: A segmentation tool used in CRM to categorize Leads and Customers by sector (e.g., Retail, Tech) for targeted sales analytics.

• Price List: A master container that manages different currency rates and price tiers (e.g., "Wholesale" vs. "Retail") for automated transaction pricing.

• Sales Partner Type: A classification for external collaborators (e.g., Agents, Distributors) used to organize your network and define commission structures.

• Product Bundle: A "virtual" parent item that automatically explodes into its sub-components (child items) during a sale, ideal for kits and sets.

• Sales Team: A table within Sales Documents used to assign internal staff contributions and automate the calculation of sales commissions.

• Pricing Rule: The automation engine that applies discounts, special rates, or BOGO offers based on quantities, customer groups, or dates.

• Item Tax Template: Used to define specific tax rates for individual items or groups (e.g., a "Zero Tax" template for raw materials vs. an "18% Tax" template for luxury goods). It overrides the default warehouse or company tax.

• Tax Category: A simple label used to group customers or suppliers based on their tax status (e.g., "In-State," "Out-of-State," or "Tax Exempt"). It acts as a "trigger" for Tax Rules.

• Tax Rule: The logic engine that automatically applies a specific "Taxes and Charges Template" to a transaction based on the Customer’s Tax Category, State, or Country.

• Sales Taxes and Charges Template: A master table containing the actual tax ledgers (e.g., Output VAT, Shipping Charges) and their calculations that appear on the final Sales Invoice.

Core Workflow:

Lead → Opportunity → Quotation → Sales Order → Delivery Note → Sales Invoice → Payment Entry

Step-by-Step Process Description:

1. Create a Lead:

   • What it is: The first point of contact with a potential customer. A raw inquiry.

   • How: Go to CRM > Lead > New.

   • Key Information: Person's Name, Email Address, Phone Number, Source (e.g., Website, Trade Show), Status (Lead, Open, Replied).

   • Action: Save the Lead.

2. Convert Lead to an Opportunity:

   • What it is: A qualified lead with a potential for business. You start tracking the deal value and probability.

   • How: Open the saved Lead. Click Create > Opportunity.

   • Key Information: The system automatically carries over lead details. Add Contact Person, Opportunity Type (Sales, Service), and Sales Stage (Prospecting, Quotation, etc.).

   • Action: Save the Opportunity. Now you can track all communication with this prospect from one screen.

3. Create a Quotation:

   • What it is: A formal price offer sent to the potential customer.

   • How: Open the Opportunity. Click Create > Quotation.

   • Key Information:

     • Customer: This will be created automatically if it doesn't exist.

     • Items Table: Add the products/services, quantity, and rates.

     • Taxes and Charges: Apply the relevant tax template (e.g., GST for India).

     • Validity Date: Set how long the quote is valid.

   • Action: Save the draft and Submit it. Once submitted, it cannot be changed. You can now print/email the PDF to the client.

4. Create a Sales Order (SO):

   • What it is: A confirmation of an order from the customer, locking in the price and quantity. This is a commitment to deliver.

   • How: Open the submitted Quotation. Click Create > Sales Order.

   • Key Information: Most data is fetched from the quotation. Add the Customer's Purchase Order number and the required Delivery Date.

   • Action: Save and Submit. Submitting a Sales Order allocates the ordered quantity (increases "Reserved Qty"), impacting future stock availability calculations.

5. Create a Delivery Note (DN):

   • What it is: A document confirming the dispatch of goods to the customer. This is the step that reduces your stock inventory.

   • How: Open the submitted Sales Order. Click Create > Delivery Note.

   • Key Information: Confirm the Items and Quantities being dispatched. Select the Source Warehouse.

   • Action: Save and Submit. This creates a Stock Ledger Entry, officially reducing the quantity of the items from the selected warehouse.

6. Create a Sales Invoice (SI):

   • What it is: The official bill or invoice sent to the customer for payment. This is the step that affects your financial accounts (increases Accounts Receivable).

   • How: Open the Sales Order or Delivery Note. Click Create > Sales Invoice.

   • Key Information: Verify all details, especially the Due Date for payment. Ensure taxes are correct.

   • Action: Save and Submit. This creates a General Ledger Entry, debiting the customer's account (Accounts Receivable) and crediting the income and tax accounts.

7. Record a Payment Entry:

   • What it is: Recording the payment received from the customer against the invoice.

   • How: Open the submitted Sales Invoice. Click Create > Payment Entry.

   • Key Information: Enter the Amount Received, Mode of Payment (e.g., Bank Transfer, Cash), and the account the money was deposited into (Paid To account). The system will automatically fetch the outstanding invoice details.

   • Action: Save and Submit. This closes the sales cycle by crediting the customer's account and debiting your bank/cash account.

Reports & Analysis:

1. Planning & Forecasting

   1. Exponential Smoothing Forecasting: A predictive tool that uses weighted historical data (giving more importance to recent sales) to forecast future demand, helping you plan inventory and procurement more accurately.

   2. Sales Analytics: A high-level dashboard providing visual trends of sales based on Customer, Item Group, or Territory, used for identifying growth patterns.

   3. Sales Order Trends: A time-based report that analyzes fluctuations in sales volume (Monthly/Quarterly) to help identify seasonal demand cycles.

2. The Sales Pipeline (Lead to Order)

   1. Sales Funnel: Measures the conversion efficiency from Lead > Opportunity > Quotation > Sales Order.

   2. Inactive Customers: A report that identifies customers who have not placed an order within a specific timeframe, allowing the sales team to initiate re-engagement campaigns.

   3. Sales Order Analysis: A detailed breakdown showing the status of Sales Orders (Billed vs. Delivered vs. Pending) to ensure order fulfillment is on track.

3. Fulfillment & Logistics (Delivery Note)

   1. Ordered Items to be Delivered: Shows what is pending in the warehouse relative to open Sales Orders.

   2. Delivery Note Trends: Tracks shipping volumes to identify logistical peak periods.

   3. Sales Packing List: Detailed item and packaging breakdown for warehouse pick-and-pack accuracy.

   4. Delivery Note Summary: A high-level status report of all outgoing shipments.

4. Revenue & Finance (Sales Invoice)

   1. Sales Register: The definitive audit trail for all billing, including tax breakdowns (VAT/GST).

   2. Item-wise Sales Register: Breaks down revenue by individual product, showing which items drive cash flow.

   3. Delivered Items to be Billed: A critical "revenue leak" report showing goods shipped but not yet invoiced.

   4. Accounts Receivable (AR): Tracks outstanding customer balances and payment aging.

   5. Payment Terms Status: Monitors if milestone payments linked to Sales Orders are collected or overdue.

5. Inventory & Procurement Links

   1. Item-wise Sales History: A granular report showing the sales performance of each individual item, used to identify top-sellers and slow-moving stock.

   2. Payment Terms Status for Sales Order: Tracks whether the milestone payments defined in your Sales Orders have been collected or remain overdue.

6. Partner & Sales Person Tracking

   1. Sales Partner Commission Summary: Calculates the total payout due to external partners (Distributors/Agents) based on their linked sales transactions.

   2. Sales Partner Transaction Summary: A ledger-style view of all invoices and orders linked to a specific external partner to audit their total business contribution.

   3. Sales Person Commission Summary: Similar to the partner report, but tracks internal staff earnings based on their contribution percentage in the Sales Team table.

   4. Sales Person-wise Transaction Summary: Provides a detailed list of every deal closed by an individual salesperson for performance reviews.

7. Target & Variance Reports

   1. Sales Partner Target Variance Based on Item Group: Measures an external partner’s actual sales against their set targets for specific product categories.

   2. Sales Person Target Variance Based On Item Group: Monitors an internal salesperson’s performance relative to their assigned quotas for specific item groups.

   3. Territory Target Variance Based On Item Group: A geographic performance report comparing actual sales vs. targets for specific regions (e.g., North vs. South) across product categories.

8. Operational Integrity

   1. Gross Profit: Calculates profit per invoice by comparing Selling Price vs. Valuation (Cost) Rate.

   2. Pending SO Items For Purchase Request: A critical "bridge" report that lists items committed in Sales Orders but not currently in stock, signaling the need for immediate purchasing.

This module manages the procurement of raw materials, goods, or services from suppliers.

Purpose: To manage purchasing, from raising material requests to ordering from suppliers, receiving goods, and processing supplier invoices.

Configuration:

• Buying Settings: The master configuration for procurement that dictates rules such as mandatory supplier quotations, allowing "over-billing" against purchase orders, and managing supplier naming rules.

• Supplier Scorecard: An evaluation framework used to rate suppliers based on performance metrics like delivery timelines, quality of goods (rejections), and pricing consistency to ensure supply chain reliability.

Core Workflow:

Material Request → Purchase Order → Purchase Receipt → Purchase Invoice → Payment Entry

Step-by-Step Process Description:

1. Create a Material Request:

   • What it is: An internal document used by a department (e.g., Stores, Production) to request the purchase of items.

   • How: Go to Buying > Material Request > New.

   • Key Information: Select the Items and Quantity required. Set the Required By Date.

   • Action: Save and Submit.

2. Create a Purchase Order (PO):

   • What it is: A formal order document sent to a supplier to procure goods or services.

   • How: You can create a PO directly (Buying > Purchase Order > New) or from a Material Request.

   • Key Information: Select the Supplier, required Delivery Date, and add Items with their Rates. The rates can be fetched automatically if you have set up Item Prices.

   • Action: Save and Submit. You can now email the PO to your supplier.

3. Create a Purchase Receipt (PR):

   • What it is: A document to record the receipt of goods from a supplier. This is the step that increases your stock inventory.

   • How: Open the submitted Purchase Order. Click Create > Purchase Receipt.

   • Key Information: Confirm the Items and Accepted Quantity received. Select the Target Warehouse where the goods are being stored.

   • Action: Save and Submit. This creates a Stock Ledger Entry, increasing the stock level for the received items.

4. Create a Purchase Invoice (PI):

   • What it is: Recording the supplier's bill in your system. This is the step that affects your financial accounts (increases Accounts Payable).

   • How: Open the Purchase Order or Purchase Receipt. Click Create > Purchase Invoice.

   • Key Information: Enter the Supplier Invoice Number. Verify the rates and taxes match the supplier's bill. Tick the Is Paid checkbox if you've already paid.

   • Action: Save and Submit. This creates a General Ledger Entry, crediting the supplier's account (Accounts Payable) and debiting your expense/asset and tax accounts.

5. Record a Payment Entry:

   • What it is: Recording the payment made to the supplier.

   • How: Open the submitted Purchase Invoice. Click Create > Payment Entry.

   • Key Information: Select the Paid From account (your bank account) and confirm the Paid Amount.

   • Action: Save and Submit. This clears the payable amount by debiting the supplier's account and crediting your bank account.

Reports & Analysis:

TBD

This module is central to managing items, warehouses, and stock movements.

Purpose: To maintain an accurate record of all items, their valuations, and their movements across different locations.

Configuration:

• Stock Settings: 

Key Transactions & Concepts:

1. Item Master:

   • What it is: The heart of the inventory system. Every product, raw material, or service you buy or sell must be created as an Item.

   • How: Go to Stock > Item > New.

   • Key Information: Item Code, Item Group, Default Unit of Measure (UOM), Valuation Method (FIFO/Moving Average), and importantly, tick Maintain Stock.

2. Stock Entry:

   • What it is: A versatile document for all internal stock movements.

   • How: Go to Stock > Stock Entry > New.

   • Common Purposes:

     • Material Transfer: Moving stock from one warehouse to another (Source Warehouse to Target Warehouse).

     • Material Issue: Issuing materials for consumption (e.g., for a project or internal use). You only specify a Source Warehouse.

     • Material Receipt: Receiving materials without a purchase order (e.g., customer returns). You only specify a Target Warehouse.

3. Stock Reconciliation:

   • What it is: A tool to update the actual stock quantities in the system after a physical stock count (cycle count).

   • How: Go to Stock > Stock Reconciliation > New.

   • Process: Select a Warehouse. Click Get Items. This will fetch all items in that warehouse with their current system quantity. Enter the actual counted quantity in the Count column. Submitting this document will create Stock Ledger Entries to adjust the difference.

Reports & Analysis:

TBD

This module consolidates all financial transactions from other modules and allows for direct financial record-keeping.

Purpose: To manage the company's finances, including the chart of accounts, journal entries, taxes, and financial reporting.

Configuration:

• Account Settings: 

Key Transactions & Concepts:

1. Chart of Accounts (COA):

   • What it is: The structured list of all financial accounts (Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Income, Expenses). It's the foundation of your accounting system.

   • How: Viewable at Accounting > Chart of Accounts. It is typically set up during implementation.

2. Journal Entry:

   • What it is: The most fundamental accounting transaction, used to record debits and credits that don't originate from documents like invoices or receipts.

   • How: Go to Accounting > Journal Entry > New.

   • Common Uses: Opening balance entries, year-end adjustments, depreciation entries, and correcting accounting errors.

3. Payment Reconciliation:

   • What it is: A tool to match lump-sum bank payments (e.g., from a payment gateway) against multiple outstanding invoices.

   • How: Go to Accounting > Tools > Payment Reconciliation.

4. Bank Reconciliation:

   • What it is: The process of matching the transactions in your bank statement with the transactions recorded in your cBiz bank account ledger.

   • How: Go to Accounting > Bank Reconciliation > New. You upload your bank statement and the system helps you match (or "clear") entries.

5. Financial Reports:

   • cBiz provides all standard financial reports out-of-the-box. Key reports include:

     • Profit and Loss Statement

     • Balance Sheet

     • Trial Balance

     • General Ledger

     • Accounts Receivable / Payable Summary

Reports & Analysis:

TBD

This module manages all employee-related activities from hiring to payroll.

Purpose: To streamline HR processes, including employee records, leave and attendance tracking, and payroll processing.

Configuration:

• Payroll Settings: 

Core Workflow (Monthly Payroll Cycle):

Attendance → Salary Slip → Payroll Entry

Step-by-Step Process Description:

1. Manage Employee Lifecycle:

   • Employee Master: Create a detailed record for each employee (HR > Employee).

   • Leave Management: Employees apply for leave using Leave Application, which goes through an approval workflow.

   • Attendance: Mark employee attendance daily via the Attendance doctype or bulk upload.

2. Process Payroll:

   • Salary Structure: Define the salary structure for each employee, including all earning and deduction components (HR > Salary Structure).

   • Process Payroll Tool: At the end of the month, use the HR > Payroll > Process Payroll tool.

   • Process: Select the Frequency (e.g., Monthly), and the system will automatically create draft Salary Slips for all active employees, pulling in attendance, leave, and salary structure data.

3. Submit Salary Slips:

   • What it is: An individual employee's payslip for the period.

   • How: Review the draft salary slips generated by the Process Payroll tool. Once verified, you can submit them all at once.

4. Create Payroll Entry:

   • What it is: A single journal entry that posts the entire payroll expense to the accounting module.

   • How: Open the Salary Slip list for the month and click Create > Make Bank Entry.

   • Action: This creates a Payroll Entry (a specialized Journal Entry) that debits all salary/expense accounts and credits the "Payroll Payable" account. You can then make the actual bank payment against this entry.

Reports & Analysis:

TBD