Discount Schedules – What are they & how are they used?

Discount Schedules are a quick way to assign a set of discount tables for multiple discount codes to a contract or to ticket applications, when the discount tables needed are different than the default tables used regularly. Best example of when to use Discount Schedules is for sale contracts, where you are selling to multiple different customers. Discount Schedules allows you to have all the buyers discount tables built for each factor, then you can link them to a Discount Schedule to quickly pick the schedule when writing a contract, instead of having to pick a table for every factor.
Steps to getting started.

1. Grain > Commodity Tables > Discount Table > Add New Discount Table. Set up Discount Tables for each factor needed according to your buyer's terms. It is helpful to include the buyer's name in the Discount Table description to easily identify the purpose of this table.

2. Discount Schedules are not location specific. If you want to use a schedule for multiple locations you must ensure that the discount codes attached to a commodity are the same & in the same order. Then a schedule is available for all locations.

Adding a new Discount Schedule

Go to GRN > Commodity Tables > Discount Tables > Select # 6 Discount Schedule Codes

Select the Commodity & click OK.

Open

If you've never setup any Discount Schedules before you will get the following screen.

Click Yes & this opens up the following screen.

Now you are ready to assign a Discount Schedule Code & the description of what this schedule is intended to be uses for. The schedule code is up to 8 characters. You can use any code to help you identify this schedule when doing a look up for schedules. I recommend entering an abbreviation of the customer you intend to use this schedule for. For instance, the customer name is Grain Terminal X, so you might use GRTERMX. Then you can put the full name in the description for more clarity. Now you are ready to select the Discount Tables that you built previously that have the discount scales for sales customer Grain Terminal X. Enter any factors that apply, keeping in mind that if there's a factor used on a ticket & you don't have a Discount Table built for that factor you will get a popup message of "No Discount Table Found" when you are applying tickets. You can enter the Discount Table code for each factor, or you can search to ensure there is a valid table for each factor. Once you have selected all necessary Discount Tables click OK to Save. Now you can see the Discount Schedule has been built. You can select it if you find you need to correct something. Or you can hit the Insert button at the bottom if you need to enter another Discount Schedule. You will notice this is also how you can Delete, if you enter a Discount Schedule completely wrong, (maybe entered on the wrong commodity). You can also Print from this screen if you would like to see a listing of all schedules. If you are done, you can hit Back if you want to enter another schedule for a different commodity. Or you can hit the picture of the house in the lower left hand side of the screen. This will take you back to the main menu without having to continue hitting back.

Using Discount Schedules

Now this Discount Schedule can be used when writing a contract, or when applying tickets from hold. Here are some examples of times to use.
1. Attaching Discount Schedule to Contract. GRN > Contracts > Contract Maintenance > Add New Contract. Once you get to the pricing page you have the ability to insert a Discount Schedule. If default discounts exist for this contract type, you can override them with a schedule also. By selecting a Discount Schedule you save time by not having to select every factor & decide what table to use for that factor. Your contract may look like this when you get to the pricing page:

But as soon as you select the Discount Schedule button you will see this:

Select the Schedule & you will see the tables all change for all the factors in that Schedule.

Continue entering the contract & Save. Now when applying any tickets to this contract it will look at the Discount Tables as assigned by the Discount Schedule.

2. Selecting Discount Schedule when applying tickets. GRN > Shipments > Apply Tickets From Hold > Can be used with Applying 1 Ticket at a Time or with Grouping All Tickets Together. After you have selected where you want to apply tickets to this screen comes up.

If this customer was to get different discounts than what the default tables are, at this point you can select the Discount Schedule button & choose which Discount Schedule to use for these tickets.
If you have multiple Schedules built you could select the one needed for the correct discounts & all of the needed factors will change to the correct tables. And you can see that a Schedule has been selected.

Building Discount Table When Writing a Contract

Discount tables can be built when writing a contract when you have a special scale you are offering & the scale is only valid for that particular contract. Building a table at contract entry is a little bit harder than building from Discount Tables, but it does come in handy when it's a table that won't be used often. It keeps your Discount Tables listing free of clutter of 1 off tables that aren't used often.

Start by adding a new contract in GRN > Contracts > Contract Maintenance > Add New Contract. When you get to the pricing page where the discount factors are at the bottom of the screen, enter an ( ! ) in the factor you want the special scale.

This opens the following screen.

Open

1. 1st field is a description field. You can enter anything in this field, maybe am indication of what the special scale is.

2. Next is Calculation Type, choices are listed.

3. Next enter the Lowest Grade that you feel you will receive grain at. This can even be where there is no discount. If you don't you will get a message when applying tickets of "No Discount Table Found".

4. Next field is the Discount Rate. What is the discount at the Lowest Grade that you entered? 0.00 is accepted as a rate.

5. Next is the Discount Increment. How much does the discount increase/decrease from the base you entered in Discount Rate?

6. Next is Grade Increment. At what grade level does the next increase/decrease start from the base grade entered in Lowest Grade. Does it increment every .1, .25, .5 or 1%, etc?

7. Then enter the Ending Grade where the prior fields stop at. Where does the grade or discount increment change?

This example is for a Moisture Discount where up to 14.0 is zero discount. Above 14.0 is a 1 cent discount for each 1% of Moisture to 16.0. Then it changes to .02 cents for each .5% of Moisture to 18.0. And then changes to .02 cents for each .5% to 20.5. You must click Display Grades before clicking Ok if you want to see the table just built.

If everything looks good, click OK. If something is not correct select Cancel & it will take you back to the grid where you can correct any field that is off.

Once everything is corrected click Ok to finish entering the rest of the contract. It will then pop up a screen with all the tables that have been selected for this contract for 1 more opportunity to approve all the tables for all factors.
If you want to see what the scale is on any contract with a special table you must go into Edit Contract. Go to the Pricing screen. If you click on the Discount Tables button it will display any special scales written on that contract.

Storage/DP Tables

Before setting up Storage or DP Tables you must 1st determine if you want your tables to be unique by Location, Commodity Code, State/County Code, Variety Class &/or Unit of Measure. This is setup up on the Discount Code. Go to GRN > Commodity Tables > Discount Codes. Enter either SC for Storage Charges or DP for DP Charges. Answer Y or N to each of the Enter Tables by questions.

For this example, we will only have unique tables by Location & Commodity Code.

Adding Storage/DP Tables

Go to GRN > Commodity Tables > Storage/DP Tables > Add/Edit Storage/DP Tables. Enter SC or DP depending on which type of table your need. Enter your Location Code. Enter Commodity Code. Determine what table you want to use. Click the magnifying glass to see what tables are already in use. You will get the below message, click Yes.

Enter in a Table Description. I recommend using a description that gives users an idea of what the rates are, so they know which table to select when using lookup features.
Determine if the charges are to be calculated on the Gross Bushels or the Net Bushels.
The remaining fields are dependent on what your Storage or DP program is. There are numerous ways companies use to calculate charges with various free days or allowance days. I will try to explain how each of the fields work.

1. Flat Rate/BU – This is if there is only 1 rate, charged 1 time only, no further charges will be charged. If this is used you will make the Time Period Type be a 0 for no additional Time Period Rates.

2. Time Period Type – Option 1 & 2 will cause an additional screen to appear. There you have the ability to use #1 which will vary the rates by a specific date. Or #2 will vary the rates by a specific number of days.

3. You can also use a combination of both (A) Flat Rate & (B) Time Period Type Option 1 or 2. The use of both will give you the ability to have a flat rate, plus add additional amounts either on a specific date or after a specified number of days.

4. Free Days – This is to be used when a customer has x number of days with no charges. This is designed to be used with only Time Period Type #1, Rates Changing By Date. If using Time Period Type #2, the number of free days should be listed on the next page of the table setup.

5. Allowance Days – This is to be used when a customer has x number of days to decide if he wants to leave in Storage or DP or price it within those # of days. If priced during the Allowance days he is not charged. But if he doesn't price until after his Allowance days are used up, he will be charged from the day of unload. Similar to Free Days, Allowance days are designed to be used with Time Period Type #1, Rates Changing by Date. If using Time Period Type #2, the number of allowance days should be listed on the next page of the table setup.

6. Minimum Rate/Bu – This is used to ensure that if any of the above method calculations do not reach a certain dollar amount, you can have a Minimum set. The system will then charge either the calculated amount or the minimum amount, whichever is greater.
   
   

The following example is for 10 Allowance days, then .04 cents per month, prorated daily for any grain delivered after October 1, 2018. Then if grain is still in DP after August 1, 2019 the rate goes to .05 cents per month, prorated daily. 1st screen would look like this. Click Ok, next screen comes up. You must replace the S with a 1 to edit the 1st line of the table. Type 1 & hit OK. Enter the date you want to start your DP program. If you are charging a daily rate take your monthly rate times 12 months & then divide by 365 days for a year. .04 x 12 / 365 = .0013150. When entering the rate you will use a whole number, so move the decimal to the right 2 places to enter .13150 as the rate per day. Select the Rate Type from the listing to the right. Select Y or N to Apply to Existing? Explanation is also to the right. If this table only applies to new grain delivered after 10/1/18 it doesn't matter how you answer, as long as you don't update any old existing delivery sheets with this table. Click Ok. Option fills in a S to Save, but if you need to add additional instructions replace the S with a 2 to get a 2nd line to open. This is where I tell it what to do after August 1, 2019. Add the date & the new rate, determine if Rate Type stays the same, & this time you will want Y for Apply to Existing.

Now you are ready to Save the table. Leave the S & click OK. If using Time Period Type #1 Rates Changing By Date you need to continue entering a row for each time rates change on a specific date. If rates stay at .05 per month after Aug 2019 no edit needed, but if you have new rates for additional lines can be added each time they change. Just select the next available line number in the option field to access.

Updating Default Storage/DP Tables

To ensure that DP contracts & new Delivery Sheets created get the correct Storage or DP table attached to them you will want to set this table as your Default. Go to GRN > Commodity Tables > Discount Tables > #5 Default Discount Tables enter the Commodity & Location Code. You will see a grid of all the application types. For DP, determine if you use little dp, where you apply to dp type, or if you use big DP, where you apply to a DP Contract. Highlight the appropriate application & hit Enter or Select at the bottom of the screen. You will find the Storage and/or DP table field on the bottom right hand side of the page. You can select the magnifying glass to ensure selecting the correct table needed as the default. Highlight the correct table & hit Select. Then select Ok on the next page to Save your selection. It will ask "Do you Want These Changes To Affect All Locations?", if your tables should be unique by Location you will want to select No.

Document written by Arlena Bannon