FoodLink - A Job For 2 Workers

One of the biggest jobs in a buying club is the ordering and accounting work that is done on the computer. Using FoodLink software for buying clubs, this job can easily be shared by two or more people. Working out a system for sharing the FoodLink job will prevent your hard working computer person from burn-out. Sharing this job gives your buying club back-up workers for emergencies and vacations and also provides an opportunity to improve your systems and become more efficient, as the FoodLink workers share ideas with each other.

The key to successful FoodLink job sharing is the use of the ‘Back-Up' utility to pass current files between the workers. Some buying clubs split this job by having two or more people trained in the full use of FoodLink, and then rotating the job each month, or every other month. Another way to share the job is by having two people split the job between the two major functions of ordering and accounting. Below is a suggested division of the FoodLink work between the 'ordering' and 'accounting/invoicing' functions. This is just a suggestion and a different division of the job may be more practical for your group. Whatever system you develop be sure to write it down for all the FoodLink workers, so everyone will be clear about what to do.

FoodLink Worker #1 -- Ordering

Updates membership records; prepares and sends the warehouse order; prints distribution reports, member orders, and pick up labels, as needed

• Restore from back-up
• Finalize the previous order
• Download and import new pricelist; update Food Items as needed
• Update Membership information as needed
• Enter member orders by importing the emailed orders and keying in the rest.
• Print or display Unfilled Case report and make corrections and adjustments as necessary
• Check quantities, distributor codes, etc by sorting the Group Order in different ways.
• Send order to the distributor via FoodLink, email or faxing the Final Order Report
• Print Member Pick Sheets, Distribution Reports and Pick-Up Labels as needed
• MAKE A BACK-UP and give it to FoodLink Worker #2 on a disk or via email.

FoodLink Worker #2 -- Accounting & Invoicing

Downloads & processes invoice information (uses the truck invoice to adjust for short ships and random weight items); posts payments and adjustments to member accounts; prints member invoices, reconciles FoodLink totals with the truck invoice.

• Restore from back-up
• Enter any outstanding credits and/or additional charges from previous delivery to members' accounts
• Enter members' prepayments

On the day of distribution:

• Retrieve emailed invoice and process it in FoodLink.
• Enter adjustments from distribution (changes in quantities, credits, additional charges, etc.)
• Invoice Surplus items (if you use this function.)
• Change invoice message if needed
• Email/print member invoices
• Print Summary Reports-Group Open Transactions and Member Invoice Summary
• Reconcile FoodLink totals with totals on the truck invoice.
• MAKE BACK-UP and pass disk/email file to FoodLink Worker #1