Practice Book - Tradon / Tryton

Interacid Trading S.A
Sulfuric Acid Drop Ship Trading Operations

Avenue des Baumettes 5, 1020 Renens, Switzerland Commodity: Sulfuric acid Currency: USD Scope: Physical trading only

Document Status

This Practice Book describes how Interacid Trading S.A will run sulfuric acid drop-ship transactions in Tradon. It is written as a target operating manual: the Trader, Back-office, Operations and Finance teams should be able to follow the lifecycle from master data and contract entry through budgeted costs, shipment execution, lot creation, matching, pricing and settlement.

The scope deliberately excludes futures hedging and FX hedging. Interacid's activity is treated as USD-denominated physical trading. Pricing covers mostly Priced contracts and selected Basis contracts, with Argus as the principal market reference. The public Interacid service positioning emphasizes global sulfuric acid trading, shipping/logistics capability, terminal services, safety and reliability; those themes are reflected in the operating controls in this book.

Company
Interacid Trading S.A
ERP
Tryton / Tradon
Commodity
Sulfuric acid
Flow
Drop Ship
Default Tolerance
5%
Market
Argus
Currency
USD

Contents

1. Fundamentals and Glossary

Operating principles

Interacid will use Tradon to control physical sulfuric acid trading from contract capture to final settlement. The core business pattern is Drop Ship: the purchase and sale are commercially matched, and the product moves directly from supplier/loading point to customer/destination without an Interacid warehouse storage step.

Each physical flow will be represented by a purchase contract, a sale contract, one or more shipment records, and physical lots that carry executed quantity, cost allocation, invoice status and matching status. The default contract tolerance is 5% unless a customer, supplier or specific contract requires another tolerance.

Important Note: Hedging, derivatives and FX cover tabs may exist in the configured application, but they are out of scope for Interacid's operational book. The teams will keep pricing and physical mechanics separate from hedging chapters because no hedging/FX process is expected for this scope.

Key term mapping

Business termTradon term / modelUse in this book
Purchase contractpurchase.purchaseSupplier-side commercial contract.
Sale contractsale.saleCustomer-side commercial contract.
Open lotlot.lotPlanned quantity used for matching.
Physical lotlot.lotExecuted quantity used for matching, costing and invoicing.
Lot quantity statelot.qtOpen, physical, matched or shipped quantity status used by matching screens.
Shipmentstock.shipment.inOperational record for shipment milestones, BL data, costs and lots.
Budgeted/ordered/actual costfee.feeCost entered first as budgeted at contract level, then ordered at shipment level and inherited on all linked physical lots. Specific costs can be directly assigned to physical lots.
Price curveprice.priceArgus index or other market reference used by Basis/formula pricing.

2. Master Data Setup

Party defaults and price curves

Before entering the trade, Back-office will make sure the supplier, customer, service providers and Argus curves exist. Party defaults reduce repeated entry on contracts and enforce Interacid's default tolerance discipline.

Party screen - General tab

In Tradon, any company, contact, entity or person is a Party. This screen allows you to manage default values for various attributes. These defaults are used when creating contracts and other documents.

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1NameYesName of the party.
2CodeYesUnique code for the party (By default, it is auto-generated).
3Party NameNoLong name for the party.
4Building NameNoSelf-explanatory.
5StreetNoSelf-explanatory.
6Postal CodeNoSelf-explanatory.
7CityNoSelf-explanatory.
8CountryYesSelf-explanatory.
9SubdivisionNoSelf-explanatory.
10CategoriesYesA party can belong to one or more categories. A supplier should be assigned to the appropriate supplier category (same principle applies to customers, brokers...).
Party General tab
Party General tab

Party screen - Contract tab

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1Tol - in %NoDefault negative tolerance for contracts with the party. For Interacid sulfuric acid trading, enter 5 when the commercial relationship accepts +/-5% tolerance.
2Tol + in %NoDefault positive tolerance. It should normally mirror the negative tolerance unless a supplier/customer agreement says otherwise.
3Weight basisNoDefault commercial weight basis for the party, used when creating purchase or sale contracts.
4AssociationNoDefault trade rule or association reference. Use only when the commercial terms require it.
5OriginNoDefault product/geographic origin for documentation. For sulfuric acid, this should reflect the supplier or plant origin where relevant.
Screenshot placeholder - Party Contract tab
Expected capture: open a supplier or customer party in Tradon, display the Contract tab with numbered red callouts on tolerance, weight basis, association, origin and initials. A second capture should show the Execution tab if SLA costs are configured.

Price curve screen - Argus reference

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1Price indexYesShort index code used in pricing components. Example: ARGUS_SA_USD_MT or the final Interacid-approved Argus index naming convention.
2DescriptionYesHuman-readable description of the Argus sulfuric acid reference.
3Index typeNoSet to Spot or Future depending on the Argus source used. For regular physical sulfuric acid pricing, Spot will usually be sufficient unless monthly/future periods are configured.
4UnitNoCommercial unit for the quotation, normally metric ton.
5CurrencyNoEnter USD. All Interacid activity in this scope is USD-denominated.
6CalendarNoQuotation calendar controlling valid price dates.
7Prices ValuesNoDaily or period values imported or keyed for Argus. Basis contracts and formula-priced lines will read these values.
Screenshot placeholder - Price curve and price values
Expected capture: show the Argus sulfuric acid curve header and the Prices Values tab with at least three dated quotation rows. Number the index, description, unit, currency, calendar and price values table.

3. Purchase Contract Entry

The Trader or Back-office will create the purchase contract first. For drop ship, the purchase location and sale destination must be entered carefully because they drive matching, shipment, cost allocation and reporting.

  1. Open the purchase contract screen and click New.
  2. Enter the supplier, purchase date, currency USD, payment term and commercial reference.
  3. Enter the Interacid trade fields listed below.
  4. Add one purchase line for sulfuric acid, including quantity, tolerance, price type and concentration if concentration adjustment applies.
  5. Enter the budgeted costs on the purchase line or contract cost tab before shipment execution.
  6. Click Save, then follow the normal approval/confirmation process.

Purchase contract header field reference

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1Weight basisYesCommercial weight basis used for the sulfuric acid quantity. Back-office confirms the value from the supplier contract.
2CertificationYesCertification attached to the physical contract if required for product documentation. Use the default if no special certificate is agreed.
3OperatorNoOperations owner who will follow the shipment and physical lot execution.
4TraderNoCommercial owner of the purchase. This is used for internal follow-up and P&L ownership.
5Our ReferenceNoInteracid internal reference. Example: ITSA-SA-P-0001.
6Tol - in % / Tol + in %YesEnter 5 and 5 by default unless the supplier contract specifies another tolerance.
7From locationYesSupplier loading location or origin terminal.
8To locationYesCustomer destination or discharge point. For drop ship, this should align with the sale contract destination.
9Incoterm / Incoterm LocationInheritedCommercial delivery rule and named place, copied from the supplier agreement.
10OriginNoOrigin statement used for contract documentation and product traceability.
Screenshot placeholder - Purchase contract header
Expected capture: purchase contract form populated with an Interacid sulfuric acid supplier, USD currency, 5% tolerance, loading and destination locations, Incoterm and Interacid reference. Add numbered red callouts matching the table above.

Purchase line field reference

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1ProductBaseSelect the sulfuric acid product configured in Tradon.
2Quantity / UnitBaseEnter the contractual quantity in metric tons. Physical lots will later carry the executed quantity.
3Price typeNoSelect Priced for fixed USD price. Select Basis when the line references Argus plus/minus a differential.
4Premium/DiscountNoUsed for basis or differential pricing. Example: Argus + 2.50 USD/MT.
5ConcentrationNoEnter contractual concentration when price must be adjusted by sulfuric acid concentration.
6Inherit toleranceNoLeave checked for the default 5% contract tolerance. Untick only when the line has its own tolerance.
7FeesNoEnter budgeted costs at contract level before shipment. These will later be ordered at shipment level and allocated to lots.
8Pricing / ComponentsNoFor Basis contracts, add the Argus curve component and period rules. For Priced contracts, this tab may be minimal.
Screenshot placeholder - Purchase line tabs
Expected capture: purchase line showing sulfuric acid, quantity, price type, 5% inherited tolerance, concentration field, Fees tab and Pricing Components tab. Number the fields used in the table.

4. Sale Contract Entry

The sale contract represents the customer side of the drop-ship transaction. In the regular scenario it will match one purchase. In the split scenario, three sale contracts will be matched against the same purchase physical quantity.

  1. Create the sale contract from the sale menu or from the commercial workflow agreed with Trading.
  2. Enter the customer, USD currency, payment term and Incoterm.
  3. Use the same destination logic as the purchase contract so the drop-ship route is consistent.
  4. Add the sale line with sulfuric acid quantity, price type and concentration assumptions.
  5. Save and confirm the sale contract before lot matching.

Sale contract header field reference

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1Weight basisYesWeight basis agreed with customer.
2Agent / Operator / TraderNoCommercial and execution owners. Fill when ownership must be visible in reporting.
3Our ReferenceNoInteracid sale reference. Example: ITSA-SA-S-0001.
4Tol - in % / Tol + in %YesEnter 5 and 5 unless the customer contract says otherwise.
5From locationYesDrop-ship loading/origin location, aligned with the purchase when possible.
6To locationYesCustomer discharge/destination location. This replaces the base warehouse display in the sale form.
7Incoterm / Incoterm LocationInheritedCustomer delivery term and named place.
8Required documentsNoDocument checklist for customer execution when a template is used.
Screenshot placeholder - Sale contract header
Expected capture: sale contract form populated with an Interacid customer, USD currency, 5% tolerance, from/to locations and customer Incoterm. Number the fields above.

Sale line field reference

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1Quantity / UnitBaseCustomer contractual quantity. In the three-sales scenario, enter each sale quantity separately.
2Price typeNoUsually Priced; use Basis where the customer price references Argus plus/minus a differential.
3Premium/DiscountNoBasis adjustment or commercial differential.
4ConcentrationNoCustomer-side concentration assumption where price adjustment applies.
5LotsAfter matchingDisplays lots allocated/matched to the sale after the matching wizard is completed.
6FeesNoUse when sale-side costs or recoveries must be attached to the sale line.
7Pricing ruleNoFree-text explanation shown on reports for Basis or formula-priced customer lines.

5. Costs: Budgeted, Ordered and Lot-Specific

Interacid will control costs in three steps. First, Trading or Back-office enters budgeted costs at contract level. Second, Operations creates or updates ordered costs at shipment level when the service is committed. Third, final or specific costs are allocated to the physical lots contained in the shipment.

Example cost allocation:
Freight budget = 80.00 USD/MT x 10,000 MT = 800,000.00 USD
Ordered freight = 82.50 USD/MT x 10,000 MT = 825,000.00 USD
Difference to monitor = 25,000.00 USD unfavorable

Fee screen field reference

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1TypeYesSelect Budgeted at contract level, Ordered at shipment level and Actual when final invoice information is known.
2P/RYesPay/receive indicator. Freight, inspection and service costs are normally PAY.
3ProductYesService product, such as Maritime freight, inspection, terminal service, demurrage or other configured cost type.
4SupplierYesService provider or vendor responsible for the cost.
5ModeYesCalculation mode: lump sum, per quantity, percentage of price/rate/cost, or per packing.
6PriceNoRate or amount according to mode. For freight per metric ton, enter the USD/MT rate.
7Quantity / UnitNoQuantity used to calculate the amount. It can be inherited from lots or shipment depending on setup.
8LotsNoSpecific physical lots receiving the cost. Use this when a cost applies only to part of the shipment.
9AmountComputedCalculated amount used for accrual, invoice checking and P&L.
Screenshot placeholder - Fee entry and lot allocation
Expected capture: show a budgeted contract fee, then an ordered shipment fee, then the fee lots selection with one or several physical lots selected. Number Type, Product, Supplier, Mode, Price, Quantity, Unit, Lots and Amount.

6. Drop-Ship Shipment Execution

For Interacid's drop-ship process, the shipment record is the operational bridge between the purchase, the sale and the physical lots. Operations will maintain carrier, vessel, BL, ETA, booking, receipt and control information.

  1. From Lots Management, select open purchase/sale quantities to ship.
  2. Create or open the shipment record.
  3. Enter carrier, transport type, vessel, cargo mode, BL details and logistics dates.
  4. Convert budgeted costs into ordered shipment costs where service commitments are known.
  5. Create physical lots for the shipment once quantities are known.

Inbound/drop-ship shipment field reference

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1CarrierNoCarrier party or logistics provider responsible for movement.
2From locationNoLoading point/origin terminal.
3To locationNoCustomer destination/discharge point.
4Transport typeNoSelect vessel, truck or other. Sulfuric acid seaborne movements will generally use vessel.
5VesselNoVessel master record when applicable.
6Cargo ModeYesSelect bulk or container. Sulfuric acid is expected to be bulk unless a specific containerized flow is confirmed.
7BL number / BL dateNoBill of lading reference and date. These drive pricing and invoicing milestones where contract terms depend on BL.
8ETA / ETD / ArrivalNoOperational milestone dates used by Operations to track shipment status and by Back-office for expected invoicing.
9FeesNoOrdered freight and logistics costs attached to the shipment.
10LotsAfter lot creationShipment lot quantities created from the open contract quantities.
Screenshot placeholder - Drop-ship shipment
Expected capture: shipment form with carrier, from/to locations, vessel, cargo mode, BL date/number, ETA/ETD and the Fees and Lots tabs. Number the fields above.

7. Physical Lots and Matching

Create physical lots

Physical lots are created when shipment quantities are known. They are the operational unit used to allocate ordered costs, match purchase to sale and support invoicing.

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1Quantity availableRead-onlyOpen quantity available to split into physical lots.
2Shipment In / Internal / OutNoShipment source selected by the workflow. For drop ship, use the relevant shipment carrying the direct movement.
3Lot quantityNoQuantity to create for each physical lot. In the three-sales scenario, create lot quantities aligned with the sale splits.
4Net weight / Gross weightNoExecuted lot weights. Use net weight for commercial valuation unless the contract specifies otherwise.
5UnitYesCommercial unit, normally metric ton.
6PremiumNoLot-specific premium or discount if commercial terms differ by lot.
Screenshot placeholder - Add physical lots
Expected capture: Add physical lots wizard with the available quantity and one or more lot rows. For the split scenario, show three rows matching the three sale contracts.

Match purchase and sale lots

The matching wizard links purchase-side quantities to sale-side quantities. The total quantity entered on the purchase side should equal the total quantity entered on the sale side before the user applies matching.

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1PurchaseNoFilter purchase candidates to the contract being matched.
2SaleNoFilter sale candidates to one sale contract, or leave filters broader when matching one purchase to several sales.
3Qt typeNoUse Open for open contract quantities, Physic for physical lots or All for broad review.
4Purchase lot tableComputedShows available purchase lots and quantities.
5Qt to matchNoQuantity entered by Operations or Back-office for each purchase and sale candidate.
6Sale lot tableComputedShows sale-side candidates. In the split scenario, enter quantities against three sale rows.
7Total purchase / Total saleComputedControl totals. Apply matching only when totals agree within accepted tolerance.
Screenshot placeholder - Matching wizard
Expected capture: Matching wizard with purchase and sale filters, purchase lot rows, sale lot rows and total quantities. For the second scenario, show one purchase quantity split across three sale rows.

8. Pricing and Concentration Adjustment

Most Interacid sulfuric acid contracts will be Priced, but Basis pricing is also in scope. Basis lines use a pricing component linked to an Argus price curve and a premium/discount. Where agreed, the final price can be adjusted according to concentration.

Basis price example:
Final price = Argus reference + premium/discount
Final price = 95.00 USD/MT + 2.50 USD/MT = 97.50 USD/MT
Concentration adjustment example:
Adjusted price = Contract price x Actual concentration / Contract concentration
Adjusted price = 100.00 x 98.5 / 98.0 = 100.51 USD/MT
[@vendor: confirm final Interacid concentration adjustment formula and rounding rule]

Pricing component field reference

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1Price SourceYesSelect Curve when pricing from Argus. Select Matrix only if a configured route/quality matrix is used.
2Fixation typeNoReference fixation type for the curve, for example official quotation or settlement.
3RatioNoComponent weighting percentage. Use 100% for a single Argus reference unless the contract specifies a blend.
4CurveNoSelect the approved Argus sulfuric acid price curve.
5CalendarNoQuotation calendar used to decide valid pricing dates.
6Period rulesNoRules that define pricing and application windows, such as dates before BL or a monthly quotation window.

Pricing record field reference

#AttributeRequiredOperational description
1DateNoQuotation or fixing date.
2ComponentNoPrice component being fixed.
3QtNoQuantity fixed on the date.
4Settl. priceNoArgus or final settlement price for the date.
5Fixed qt priceComputedWeighted average price for fixed quantities.
6Unfixed qtComputedRemaining quantity still to be priced.
Screenshot placeholder - Pricing component and fixing records
Expected capture: contract line Pricing tab with an Argus component, period rule and pricing dates. Number the curve, ratio, calendar, date, quantity and settlement price fields.

9. Worked Scenario 1 - One Purchase Matched with One Sale

Scenario 1 Regular Drop Ship
StepActorExpected result
Create purchase contractTrader / Back-officeOne USD purchase contract for sulfuric acid, 5% tolerance, supplier route and budgeted costs.
Create sale contractTrader / Back-officeOne USD sale contract with matching product, route, quantity and price type.
Create drop-ship shipmentOperationsShipment contains carrier/vessel or logistics reference, BL data, ETA and ordered costs.
Create physical lotOperationsOne physical lot carries the executed shipment quantity.
Apply matchingBack-officePurchase lot quantity equals sale lot quantity and both are linked.
Allocate costs to lotBack-office / FinanceOrdered freight and services are allocated to the physical lot for P&L and invoice control.
Finalize pricing and invoicingFinancePriced line invoices directly; Basis line uses Argus pricing records and concentration adjustment if applicable.
Screenshot placeholder - Scenario 1 flow evidence
Expected captures: purchase contract, sale contract, shipment, add physical lot wizard, matching wizard with one purchase row and one sale row, and fee allocation on the physical lot.

10. Worked Scenario 2 - One Purchase Matched with Three Sales

Scenario 2 Purchase Split Across Three Sales

In this variant, one purchase shipment is commercially allocated to three customer sale contracts. Operations creates physical lots or lot quantities that match the commercial split, then Back-office matches the purchase quantity against the three sale quantities.

StepActorExpected result
Create one purchase contractTrader / Back-officePurchase quantity covers the combined expected sale quantities plus tolerance.
Create three sale contractsTrader / Back-officeEach sale contract has its own customer, price, delivery terms and quantity.
Create shipmentOperationsShipment represents the full purchase movement.
Split physical lotsOperationsPhysical lot rows are created to mirror the three sale quantities, or one lot is matched in three quantities depending on operational choice.
Apply matchingBack-officeThe purchase total equals the combined total of the three sale rows.
Allocate costsBack-office / FinanceShipment costs are allocated to the specific physical lots so each sale carries its correct cost share.
Invoice each saleFinanceEach customer invoice reflects its matched lot quantity, price type and any concentration adjustment.
Example split:
Purchase lot = 30,000 MT
Sale A = 10,000 MT, Sale B = 8,000 MT, Sale C = 12,000 MT
Matching control = 10,000 + 8,000 + 12,000 = 30,000 MT
Screenshot placeholder - Scenario 2 matching
Expected capture: matching wizard showing one purchase contract/lot and three sale rows. The Total purchase and Total sale fields must agree before applying matching.

11. Appendix - Models and Tables

Primary models used by this book

Screen / functionTryton modelPostgreSQL tableRole
Purchase contractpurchase.purchasepurchase_purchaseSupplier-side contract header.
Purchase linepurchase.linepurchase_lineSupplier product, quantity, price and cost line.
Sale contractsale.salesale_saleCustomer-side contract header.
Sale linesale.linesale_lineCustomer product, quantity, price and cost line.
Shipmentstock.shipment.instock_shipment_inDrop-ship execution, BL, dates, fees and lots.
Physical lotlot.lotlot_lotExecuted physical quantity used for matching and costing.
Lot quantitylot.qtlot_qtAvailable, physical, matched and shipment quantity state.
Matching wizardlot.matching.startTransientMatches purchase quantities to sale quantities.
Add physical lots wizardlot.add.lotTransientSplits available shipment quantity into physical lots.
Feesfee.feefee_feeBudgeted, ordered and actual costs.
Fee allocationfee.lotsfee_lotsFee-to-lot allocation.
Pricing componentpricing.componentpricing_componentArgus curve or matrix component for Basis pricing.
Pricing fixingpricing.pricingpricing_pricingPricing/fixing values by date and quantity.
Price curveprice.priceprice_priceArgus market index master data.
Price valueprice.price_valueprice_price_valueCurve quotation values.
Partyparty.partyparty_partyCustomer, supplier and service provider master data.
Open item: Screenshots must be replaced with annotated captures from Interacid's configured Tradon environment. Never reuse another client's captures.