Understanding Sales Orders in Beacon
In the medtech world, the document used to record products used or sold during a surgical case is known by many names depending on the organization. Whether you call it a Bill Sheet, Device Use Ticket (DUT), Sales Form, Item Use Form, or Usage Sheet, etc.; Beacon standardizes this under the term Sales Order.
Traditionally, these forms were filled out by hand—often messily—sometimes with product stickers applied from UDI labels. While hand-writing provides a sense of total control, it is prone to human error and creates a heavy administrative burden on sales reps and distributors. Beacon transforms this into a digital process, increasing accuracy while keeping you in the driver's seat.
What is a Sales Order?
A Sales Order in Beacon is the primary outcome of a surgical case or event where inventory use is recorded. It serves as a formal confirmation of items consumed before they are officially invoiced.
Typical Information Included:
Procedure Details: Case date, Physician name, Patient ID, and Event ID.
Product Data: Item description, catalog number, lot/serial/UDI, and quantity.
Financials: Unit price and total price per item.
Facility Info: Hospital name and associated account numbers.
Note: The Sales Order is not the invoice. The invoice is generated later in the workflow after a Purchase Order (PO) number has been added to the case and it moves to "Pending Payment" status.
How Beacon Streamlines the Process
Beacon automates the tedious parts of documentation so you can focus on the case.
Automated Pricing: If contract pricing is loaded into the Directory for a specific facility and catalog number, those prices populate automatically on the Sales Order.
Digital Accuracy: By scanning barcodes or using AI to parse bill sheets, the system pulls exact data from the FDA GUDID database, reducing the risk of typos.
HIPAA Compliance: All data is stored on HIPAA-compliant infrastructure to ensure patient information remains secure.
Sharing and Managing Your Sales Orders
Once a case is closed and moves to Pending PO status, the Sales Order is finalized and ready to be shared.
Ways to Share:
Download PDF: Generate a clean, professional PDF for your records.
Email Attachment: Send the form directly from the Beacon web console or mobile app to the hospital's billing contact.
Custom Views: You can download versions with no prices or no replenishment address if the facility requires a specific format.
Maintaining Control:
Reopening Cases: If a mistake is made, cases can be reviewed and revised from the Event Detail screen.
Adding Comments: You can leave internal notes or select specific comments to "Print on Sales Order PDF," allowing you to share relevant context with the hospital without cluttering the document.
Manual Edits: While Beacon automates the form, you can always download the PDF to make manual adjustments or use a PDF editor if unique customizations are needed.
The Sales Order Workflow Context
The Sales Order is a critical bridge in the billing cycle. It is produced after the case is performed, used by the facility to generate a Purchase Order (PO), and finally serves as the basis for the Invoice that ensures you get paid. By moving this workflow into Beacon, you create a digitally connected value chain that is faster and more reliable than paper.