Ordering Plansets

This article describes how to create and manage Orders for plansets on the SolarNexus platform.  For information on how to create and manage RFQs or POs that you send to Suppliers outside the SolarNexus platform, please see Managing Procurement (RFQs and POs).

Outsourcing plansets is more involved than purchasing equipment.  SolarNexus has developed tools that allow you to jointly manage status and share the information you need with partner companies without ever having to leave the platform.

Enable Your Account to Order Plansets

Plansets can only be ordered using a supplier from the SolarNexus Suppliers list.  These internal suppliers are already on the SolarNexus platform and can make use of all the status, order log and data-sharing features. 

1. Add Planset Supplier
   See Administration - Suppliers.
2. Add Service Products to Your Company Catalog
   Your Company Catalog defines all the products that you can use in a customer solution, and can place orders for. Once the supplier approves you, you can add their service products to your Company Catalog.  To add a service:
   1. Go to Resources > Public Catalog
   2. Under View By Category choose Services
   3. Filter Manufacturer by the internal supplier
   4. Add the service(s) to your company catalog
3. Enable Use of Planset Order Information Template
   SolarNexus internal planset providers use a document template to gather information needed for the planset. You need to enable it for use in your company's SolarNexus account. Navigate to Administration > Document Templates. Click on the "SolarNexus Defined Templates" tab and check the box next to the SN_Plan_Set_Order_Form template. Its found in the "other document" type templates.

Ordering Plansets

Prepare Plan Information

First, prepare the information that the planset provider will need to complete your order. Navigate to the sold solution for which you want a planset. Click on the Docs tab, and click Create. Select "Other Document" and select the SN_Plan_Set_Order_Form that you enabled above.

SolarNexus generates the form and fills out as much information as it can. The form is displayed in the editor allowing you to fill in additional needed information. Required fields are highlighted in bright yellow. Complete the fields and click save.

Create/Submit Order

Here are the steps to create a planset order from within a job:

1. From the Orders section at the bottom of the job's management panel, click Create.
2. Select the Solution.
3. For Order Type pick "Planset", then click Create.
4. From the Create Order form, select the internal supplier.
5. Edit or add any other order information as needed.
6. Under the Order Items section, click Add Product and Select the product to order.  Each planset order can have one and only one product.
7. Click Save.
8. Click Send to confirm purchasing the service, or click cancel to create a draft planset order.

Managing Planset Orders

Many solar contractors who outsource design and permit drawings spend a lot of time emailing site survey pictures and information to the supplier, answering questions, checking on the drawing status and managing revisions and changes.  The SolarNexus planset order tools allow you to easily share relevant project information and co-manage the status of an order with these new features:

Guest User Access

For active planset orders, suppliers are given "Guest Access" to view parts of the originating job, such as the site tab, services and attached documents.  This feature eliminates the need to manually send information to the supplier.  The guest access ends as soon as the status is changed to "complete".   Suppliers with guest access cannot see the price screen and have View Only access to the project.  Suppliers can Upload files to the project, which allows them to attach their planset drawings to your project. 

Shared Order Status

A planset order has a status that contractors and suppliers jointly manage (a 'shared' status).  Although the current status can always be viewed by either company, the status value is only "owned" by either the contractor or the supplier at any one time.  Only the current owner can change the status.  Any change in status that transfers ownership to the other company requires a secondary confirmation step.

Only standard status values are available, and each status has a condition color associated with it.  The standard status values and color are:

Orders Screen

You can manage RFQs, POs and Planset orders across projects by selecting Orders from the Operations menu. You can filter the Orders screen by any of the five filters at the top.  For example, set Type = Plansets to filter out all RFQs and POs.

You may sort Orders by clicking on any of the column headers. The slider in the Originating Job column toggles between displaying the Job Name and the Company Address.  Clicking on the Originating Job Name or Address will take you directly to that job's project workspace.

You may edit draft planset orders using the edit icon in the Actions column or clicking on the Order # Link in the leftmost column.

For plansets not in draft status, clicking on the Order # link brings up the Order Detail form.  This has all the features you need to share information, check and set status,  and communicate with your planset supplier. 

Order Detail

The Order Detail screen has three sections:

1. The Manage Order section allows you to track and change the shared order status.  The company that is the current "owner" of the status is indicated by an arrow to the left of the company name.  The current owner is able to click the status link to update the status and optionally add a status log entry. Any change in status that transfers ownership to the other company requires a secondary confirmation step.  If the current owner of the status is the supplier, the status is "view only". The date and time of the last change is shown below the status. The manage order section also provides a link to the originating job and displays the solution services for that job. 
2. The Order Log section provides an order-specific log used to enter notes and @mention other users involved with this order.  Any change in order status is also automatically recorded in the order log.  The order log is separate from any project log.  You may @mention all users associated with the order - both within your company and with the supplier company.  All log entry names are appended with the company name.  Users should always keep in mind the Order Log entries can be viewed by any user associated with the order, whether they work for the contractor or the supplier.  SolarNexus recommends that all communication about the order be done here, as opposed to some other external channel.
3. The Order Details section, which can be minimized, provides details about the order, including shipping and billing information.  This section also lists all items on the order.