In OrderEntry, Invoices and all other modules that use spec forms, when you try to print a range of documents to PDF, it prompts you only once for a file name and puts the whole range in that PDF file. For some reason, PO is non-standard in that when you try to print (or even preview) a range of POs, it stops after each one and prompts you for a name (or to preview the next one).

Immediate question: is there a way to get around this, and print a range of POs to a single PDF file straight out of Adagio PO?

Long-term question: can Softrak please standardize this functionality to be like every other module. I can already print a range of POs to individual PDFs by using the email Print to Queue function, so there is no business reason for making PO an exception.

Steve

Hi Steve,

You are correct - Purchase Orders is not standard. Sometimes that's life. Because POs can have multiple vendors and different specifications, the documents are handled as separate print jobs. It works the same way in Adagio Invoices when previewing a batch and invoices and credit notes use different specs. Also, Purchase Orders supports viewing the document spec while it is edited, which other applications do not support. Supporting this feature required a rewrite of the printing code in PO that allowed a range of documents in a single job, and thus a single PDF. Which feature do you like better - printing to a single PDF, or having multiple vendors on a PO and being able to view the PO spec while editing?

Are you printing to the AdagioPDF driver? Or Print to File with a PDF destination? Or is Adagio ePrint used? I suspect it is Print to File with PDF format.

When printing to PDF with ePrint, there is no pause between each printing and instead creates all PDFs with just the single click, with customizable file names and storage. Yes, each PDF is a separate file, but there are PDF joiner programs that Google could find for you. Perhaps future releases of Adagio ePrint will have joining capabilities.

Perhaps we can investigate different behaviour when printing POs without the 'Use Vendor PO' option selected, or when printing Receipts, Requisitions or Invoices, as the only choice is to use the Selected Spec on the print documents screen. Though because these documents can have multiple vendors, this is not a guarantee. Better money would be on Adagio ePrint as the eventual solution.

What is the business reason for printing a range of POs or other documents to a single PDF file? For archival purposes?

Printing to the AdagioPDF driver. Why? Does that make a difference?

The business reason is that management requested to see all outstanding POs for review - I'm not sure whether it's a review by management or by a third party.

I would like to make the suggestion that the mass-printing behavior be made consistent with other modules to the extent possible.

I still need an answer to give my client, and a reason I chose to post this on the forum rather than emailing tech support is to solicit feedback from others who may have discovered a workaround.

Thanks

Steve

Since changing the specification (or even thinking that you might have to change the specification) results in the printer being "closed" and "opened", the behavior you do not like is a Windows behavior and beyond our control.

Sorry.

As Support mentioned, we expect to add "combine" functionality to the next release of ePrint.

If someone wants to see all the outstanding PO's, and you not just print the PO report and show them the list?

Hi Andrew

Thanks for your reply.

However, I would still like to solicit feedback from others who may have discovered a workaround that truly meets the client's request. To be explicit, by "others", I am referring to consultants or end users.

Steve

Steve:

First, I have to admit that no one has ever asked me for this solution and I'm not aware of a workaround (I doubt that one exists).

So like all other printing problems, the solution is PrintBoss.

We also need to print a range of POs to a single PDF file in order to e fax or email to our branch managers.

Hi Steve,

This probably isn't the neatest solution but it might work. There's an open source program called PdfMerge that allows you so select multiple PDF's and merge them into one file. With 'If Archive PDF customer copy? checked', they would have access to the original PO's (I would copy out the PO's to a sub-directory first - makes it easier to find especially since the files are saved by customer/vendor name). With an excel list of outstanding PO's they could then select the required PO's from within PdfMerge to create a single pdf.

Steve: There is a nice program called PDF Factory which keeps adding files sent to it (from any source) until you stop.

I tested it with Adagio PO, and it works fine.

(I use it assemble files from different sources, eg. a quote from Excel, a cover letter from Word and selected pages from the latest Adagio catalog.)

Hi Steve,
We had a similar request that management wanted to see all PO's for review and status.

We looked at printing, and PrintBoss was on the table, but I convinced them to use Gridview, and subsequently created view for each issuing purchaser, so that they could quickly view and track not only the PO's but the link to the Sales Orders, from the SO reference on the PO.

Client seems pretty happy with this alternative.

Best,
Brian