A country-specific update for Russia is available for Retail pricing in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3

Introduction

This article describes a country-specific update is available for Retail pricing for Russia in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3.

More information

The feature extends the standard retail pricing process to support requirements of retailers in Russia. The feature is based on the retail category price rule functionality introduced in AX 2012 R3. Category price rules allows modifying existing trade agreements with more unified retail perspective. It enables, for example, pricing by cost markup for categories of items. You can find more details about category pricing rules in the product documentation.

Pricing process used by retailers in Russia usually consists of configuring price rules for product categories, calculating prices using the rules and validating of calculated prices. Retailer usually configures a rule for each category and have to maintain many price rules. Retailers group rules together to simplify the adjustments and price calculations. Price rule usually sets price based on pre-determined markup and a price basis. Price basis of several common types allows implementing the major pricing rules used in Russia. After price rules are calculated, generated prices are usually validated. During the validation, a user reviews prices having difference with a reference value above a threshold.

When configuring price rules, the feature allows creating group of rules and creating rules with new price basis types.

Group allows organizing price rules for categories from specified product hierarchy, navigating in product hierarchy and viewing rules by category. Group can be created using new menu item Retail > Periodic > Category price rule groups.

Price basis of the following types are introduced with this feature:

• Purchase price - identified as purchase price from trade agreement having specified vendor, inventory dimensions, currency and effective on specified date; converted to sales currency using selected rate type.

• Latest purchase price - identified as purchase price from the latest vendor invoice having specified vendor, inventory dimensions, currency and posted not later that specified date; converted to sales currency using selected rate type.

• Inventory cost – identified as current average inventory cost for specified inventory dimensions; always calculated on current date; converted to sales currency using selected rate type.

• Price group – identified as sales price from trade agreement having specified customer price group, currency and effective on specified date; converted to sales currency using selected rate type; this type can be used, for example, as competitor prices.

When calculating prices using rules, the feature allows generating price agreement journal for specified group. A single journal is generated using all category price rules from the group. Journal contains a line for each item associated with any category for which the group has a price rule. Scope of a category price rule can be limited to items associated directly with the category or extended to items associated with any subcategory of the category. If at the same time an item suites to a rule for a subcategory and to another rule for parent category, only the subcategory price rule applies. The rule generates retail price using price basis on the date specified in new parameter "Price basis effective on date" of the wizard "Generate trade agreement." Price rule can generate price equal to the current retail price for an item. These items can be excluded from the journal using new option "Include only items having new price" available in the wizard. These items will also be excluded from price expiration journal if it is generated.

When validating calculated prices, the feature allows filtering prices having difference with a reference value above a threshold, reviewing corresponding journal lines and exporting data to Excel including reference values. Journal lines can be reviewed in new form "Lines by category." The form can be opened from the form "Price/discount agreement journals" by using the new button "Lines by category." The form "Lines by category" allows navigating the product hierarchy and filtering lines by a category. The form contains columns with reference values and differences. You can select differences above specified threshold using standard grid filtering by the difference column. There is a separate column for amount difference and for percent difference between the new sales price and each reference value saved in the line.

The feature allows using the following pricing data as a reference value to compare with new retail prices:

• Price basis – identified as a value used to calculate new retail price.

• Sales price - identified as sales price from trade agreement having price group and currency same as journal line, empty inventory dimensions and effective on specified date.

• Inventory cost price - identified as current average inventory cost for empty inventory dimensions; always calculated on current date; converted to sales currency using rate type defined in the price rule.

• Comparison price - identified as sales price from trade agreement having specified price group, different from price group in journal line, currency same as in journal line, empty inventory dimensions and effective on specified date; this type can be used, for example, to compare with competitor prices.

Pricing data is calculated and saved in lines during the journal generation. Calculation of all supported data might affect the performance. You can balance performance by disabling unnecessary data using parameters from "Pricing data for verification" group of fields on the form "Category price rule groups."