DealersEdge Professional Forums

Well, after many days of scratching my head trying to figure out how to put a matrix together I have given up. I have called ADP several times and still don't have the answers. Does anyone know a simple way to set one up. Would like to have only one list price show in PRO. ADP keeps talking about a Price7 field?? Any help would be appreceiated.

i think you're stuck. ADP prices by labor type, which cannot change by sale amount. you may be able to set up different labor ops to achieve this. if you need more help, e-mail me. mvandersteeg@triton.net

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Price7 price matrix is very effective but complicated. You will set up a price break escalator then put it in Price7. You will then tell your ADP computer to use price7 as your list price. Set up a price code that also picks up Price7 and then discount you wholesale business from Price7. If you do not change wholesale also you will sell your competion cheaper than your own shop, big mistake. It is complicated but you can pick up 2-3 % gross retail and wholesale and not lose volume. Good luck

Use the PBE (price break escalator) function.
Select which field of display you would like to display, trade, list, etc. and base the escalation from cost. Start with your smaller dollar items which you most likely sell more of and escalate them a little higher. As your cost increases, lower the escalation, but beware of lowering less than suggested lists. Your list will incidicate your escalated price & noone will be able to see true list. When different labor pay types are entered on RO's, sale prices will be based on these pay types. A couple other things that have to coincide are price codes for RO's and for parts customers.
I'm not in favor of showing "Price 7" or any other "Price #" alongside of suggested list.
If you tell the system to display the list as an escalated one, it becomes easier to eliminate this problem.

It's a little tricky to maneuver at first, but if you work it a little it becomes clearer.

Ok All,

I'll take this one on. First off, you would use a 'price field' such as PRICE6 through PRICE10 to build your matrix table. This is commonly called a "Price Break Escaltor" and your would then build your Matrix Table is program "SPB". A matrix table contains price break escalators and it looks a lot like this:
PRICE FIELD: PRICE7 PRICE BREAK FIELD: LIST

1) 0.01 - 9.99 LIST + 35.00
2)10.00 - 19.99 LIST + 30.00
3)20.00 - 29.99 LIST + 25.00
4)30.00 - 49.99 LIST + 20.00
5)50.00 - 99.99 LIST + 15.00
6)100.00 -9999.99 LIST + 5.00

This now means that when you attach PRICE7 to a price code through OMN Function 4 that it will take a parts with a LIST PRICE of $10.00 and escalate it to $13.00 (LIST + 30.00 above)
You should use this for your retail price code only and use extreme caution when building your table.
You then want to make sure that you go to OMN Option 12 to set up your escalated printing. Assuming you want to apply the matrix table to all of your sources, you would enter "ALL" for Sources; your retail price code; followed by "EPRICE7" in your formula input field. This means Extended PRICE7 and then puts the escalated list price on the counter ticket or repair order.

One last point I want to make with regards to this matrix and escalator program. Let's now assume that your service department wants you to fix your oil filter pricing at $6.95 for all oil filters, regardless of the cost and list price for menu pricing. You use PRICE7 as your retail bump so how do you fix this problem?
Set up a separate source for these oil filters. Use the PRICE8 field in your PM screen and put the price of $6.95 for each oil filter you want fixed at that price and move them into this source. After you have done this, go into OMN Option 4 and make your retail price code PRICE8 instead of PRICE7 for your oil filter source only, and they will all price out at $6.95 on your retail sales.
Two quick comments on remarks posted above. Use PRICE7 in your display lines if you so desire. Unfortunately, since many managers don't bump pricing on the wholesale level and prices are still from regular list, you almost need to have it when you are pricing both wholesale and retail.
Second, parts pricing on the repair order side are driven by the labor type secondly. You attach a price code to the labor type which drives the sale price based on the price code entered in program ULT (Update Labor Type) on the service logon.

I hope this helps......

Chuck Hartle'

Thanks for everyones help.

Chuck,
Thanks for leading me in the right direction, but I still have a few things to resolve.

I want this matrix to apply to my shop and wholesale customers (exc. body shops).

I plan on putting all of my price sensitive parts in a seperate source that will either not be touched by a matrix or will have a user defined price. i,e, price9

The big issue now is how to make it show on the different screens and print on ro's and parts tickets.

I only want list and sale to show on the various screens and tickets. If I use price7 for this and price9 for that, how do I make all the screens read as just list and sale prices?

I used to be on UCS and all of this is easy.

Thanks for your help

This is easy too! If you want to bump your retail sales for Wholesale customers you simply make your wholesale price codes for Garages and Independent Repair Facilities to

PRICE7 - 20
PRICE7 - 25

You can apply your matrix to ANY Price Code through OMN Option 4 (Price Codes). Remember that your standard pricing (STD) will always take effect if you don't over-ride the price code in a specific source. Make sure to go into OMN 12 and add the price code and EPRICE7 for each price code you apply it to.

This is about as close as you are going to get and still apply it properly.

Chuck Hartle'

FIXEDOPSMGR;
You will need to redefine your Pro and I display lines to afford you the info you need. This is done in either MNT or OMN menu, I forget which. You may also need to redefine in you forms set-up the output to the field list (i.e) redefine it as PRICE7.
The sale price (ESALE..for extended sale) is automatically calculated based on how the customers price code is set up. You may need to redefine the default price code structure.
Simply put:
1.Define you PBE as Chuck indicates.
2.Identify the PBE as Price7 like Chuck said.
3.Make sure you do not have any part or source dependent escalation already set-up or the system will compound pricing formulas and screw you all up. Check this in MNT source set-up.
4.Parts pricing is connected to a customer via a "price code". Price 7 must be identified as the formula for all the price codes you require. I believe the price code definition is in OMN. Most customer pay stuff for example is usually Price code 1. You can print out a report of all price codes to help you out.
5.Now modify all your default customer price codes to the one you selected for Price7.(i.e. if Price7 is connected to price code 1 then you must go into Omn:Add/Modify customer and change the default price code for your customers) You may for instance have a default customer 99=cash for over the counter sales or 77=wcash for wholesale. The default price codes for these customer must be connected via their price code to the pricing formula you desire, so to for your individual non-default customer database.
I hope this helps. Any questions:farfinator@aol.com

Hi Chuck,
Whats your reason on your matrix starting the mark up LIST + %? Why not use Cost + % and use a Price field for Wholesale with a lower markup? I have to rearange our matrix to stay on an competitive edge with independents in our area.
Maybe you could advise what GP% should be achieved, maintained and be competitive?
Their are aftermarket sources which sell "Mechaniks Discount" to the Public which undermines any price structure. We hav been asked in the past why they are so much cheaper and we educated them with "Quality and more importantly their warranty is limited to 30 Days which will not include any labor acrued to redue the job".

RPMGeorge,

There is no problem with setting up a matrix table that works from a cost + basis. I was assuming that this was for retail and wholesale customers on captive parts. Using a escalator for highly competitive parts such as ACDelco and Motorcraft could have dire results if it is not suttle.
Most of the matrix tables we see are based off of the cost price but still escalate the retail price above suggested list.
However, let's assume you want to set up a separte table for your competitive products and you want to make a certain profit. The average markup price for suggested retail pricing from the manufacturer is a 40% profit margin. A 40% profit margin works out to approximately cost plus 67% to attain the same mark up percentage.
List - 25% is basically the equal to cost +25%.
Example:
Dealer Net is $10.00
Suggested Retail is $16.66 (40% margin)

List - 25% = $12.50
Cost + 25% = $12.50

Play with your profit margins and implement a table that gives you the desired margin.

I hope this helps. I know of several dealers that use this type of escalated system in place of setting up price codes. The escalator gives the desired profit margin.

Chuck Hartle'