Any kind of ad space ordered on behalf of a client should be tracked with insertion orders. They are essential for accurate job costing. They allow media costs to be committed to a job before the publication’s invoice is posted. You’ll know at any given time how much media space is ordered.

Insertion orders are designed primarily for print space buys, but are completely customizable. The insertion order’s field labels can be easily tailored for outdoor, internet, and other types of media. Insertion orders can be added by users, or created automatically from media estimates or print media plans. Once insertion orders are saved, they can be pre-billed immediately (showing one insertion order by client invoice) or billed in batches on a media invoice. For easy reconciliation, each space buy is updated with the A/R invoice number and the billed amount once the insertion order is invoiced.



Anyone can add an insertion order if they have the access privileges to purchase orders. Also, insertion orders can be added from any computer running Clients & Profits X. Many users can add IOs at the same time.

The vendor's rep name, phone, and fax number are copied from the Publication Table when an insertion order is added, but can be edited directly on the insertion order through the Vendor Info window if needed.

Insertion orders can be cloned, like purchase orders. Cloning an existing insertion order makes an exact duplicate that you can modify then print. Changing the new insertion order doesn't affect the original insertion order.

An insertion order can be edited and reprinted as many times as needed. The Edit Insertion Order window lets you change the vendor, order date, and other details. If an insertion order has only one media buy (i.e., line item), everything about the order, including amounts, can be edited.

Insertion orders can be approved by authorized users. Once an insertion order has been approved it cannot be changed. Only the user who approved the insertion order can unapprove it.

An insertion order can contain dozens of different media buys for one vendor. Each media buy can specify a different ad to run, another set of run dates, or a special space buy for a certain ad. Each media buy will appear as a separate line on the printed insertion order, as well as the client's A/R invoice.

The pre-bill function lets you bill selected media buys from a broadcast or insertion order immediately after the order is saved. This lets you bill the client prior to the ads actually running so that you get paid closer to when the media invoice from the publication or station is due.

When the ad eventually runs, it will be invoiced by the pub. As the pub’s invoice is posted, the insertion order’s balance decreases. The open purchase/insertion order report keeps a running balance of open commitments, showing how much you’ve ordered that hasn’t been invoiced by its pubs. Once the invoice is posted into A/P, an insertion order can’t be changed.

There are two ways to close an order.  Click the Closed checkbox to close one at a time, or select Edit > Update Order Status to close many at one time.  Closing an order will set any remaining balance to zero, which is good to do after the A/P invoice has been applied against it.  Closing an order will also remove it from the Open Orders lookup list and remove it from various reports such as the Open Orders or Over & Under Orders reports.  Be aware that closing an order that has not been completely billed will remove any unbilled buys on the order from the list of unbilled orders when generating a media billing.

Various records in C&P can require an approval before C&P allows the next step in the workflow process.  In the case of orders, this would be to allow it to be printed.

The vendor diary does not keep an automatic log of every vendor activity. That would create an immense number of entries. Instead, the vendor diary is used like a daily log. Anyone who works with one vendor account can make notes about phone calls, meetings, etc.

Make goods are compensation for ads that either never ran or ran incorrectly. There are many different ways a print ad or radio/tv spot can be compromised, providing less value for your client. For example, you ordered for a guaranteed position in a magazine, but the ad actually ran in a different, less desirable place.

Insertion orders have separate preferences from purchase orders. The agency name, address, disclaimer, and logo can be different than purchase orders. (This is especially useful for in-house agencies that need to maintain a separate identity from the corporation in order to get agency discounts.) Insertion orders are numbered separately from purchase orders, and have a unique numbering sequence to keep them apart.

For clients or shops that like to have insertion orders e-mailed to them, Clients & Profits X allows you to email a change order as a PDF file. As with any window in Clients & Profits X, selecting E-Mail as your print destination, then clicking the Print Order button will bring up the Send E-Mail window.