Data Entry Options

Order data can be entered into MAC-PAC in two ways: through online MAC-PAC conversations or by processing inbound sales order transactions.

Online MAC-PAC Conversations

Order data can be entered through three online MAC-PAC conversations:

· Sales Order Maintenance

· Quote Order Maintenance

· EDI's online Sales Order Data Entry

Sales and Quote Order Maintenance Conversations

The Sales and Quote Order Maintenance conversations in the Order Processing module allows you to add, change, and close customer sales orders. Maintenance to order descriptive data, line item information, and order and line level comments is combined into one conversation.

Both the sales and quote order functions will be performed by the Sales Order Maintenance program; however two menu options will be available. The processing for the two maintenance functions will be very similar, except that some functions will not be performed (such as inventory reservation) and some fields will not be displayed for quotes. Separate sets of files for quotes and sales orders will be used. For more information about sales or quote order processing, see the Order Processing User Manual.

EDI's Sales Order Data Entry Conversation

The Sales Order Data Entry conversation provides minimal online processing capabilities. Only part and quantity are required on the multi-line, all other sales order fields will be defaulted from the customer or part when the EDI Sales Order Generation program is run.

Pricing and discounting, credit checking, calculation of totals, and inventory reservation will not be performed by the Sales Order Data Entry program (ED160E), but instead by the EDI Sales Order Generation program (ED140E). If any errors occur from validation, the sales orders in error will be available for correction through EDI's Sales Order Exception Resolution program (ED150E). You can also print the EDI Sales Order Header/Line Errors Report (ED520A) to view these errors.

In Sales Order Data Entry, if you wish to delete a line from the data entry files, you should select the line for deletion by placing an 'X' in the Delete Option field on the multi-line screen. Lines that have been selected for deletion will be deleted from the files as they are processed. If the subfile has to be displayed because of errors, those lines will be displayed protected. Otherwise, the next time the subfile is redisplayed, the deleted lines will no longer be displayed.

Note: The Sales Order Data Entry program (ED160E) does not allow the customer's default ordering currency to be changed or for order comments to be entered. It also does not process blanket orders, configured orders, bundle parts, and assignment of lot inventory. If you wish to use these functions, you must maintain the order in Sales Order Maintenance conversation within the Order Processing module.

Processing Inbound EDI Sales Order Transactions

In addition to using online conversations to enter order information, you can process inbound EDI sales order transactions. This normally occurs when the customer sends you an EDI purchase order transaction. Once you receive the purchase order, it is converted (via ED140E) into a sales order on your system. On the resulting sales order, "Customer PO" fields exist from which you can cross-reference the original customer's purchase order. Further information about processing inbound sales order transactions is discussed extensively in other key concepts in this manual.

Processing Configured Items

The system allows the EDI Sales Order Generation program to process configuration options for Sales Order configured items during Sales Order Generation. If Option Header and Option Detail records were sent with the EDI transaction, the Sales Order Generation program will update the EDI Option Header records with the sales order number, sales order release number, and sales order line number that is currently being processed. The program will then send the options through the Expert Configurator's Inference Engine to generate the configuration code and update the Sales Order Option Master file with the options that were sent on the EDI transaction. If no EDI Option Header and Detail records are sent with the EDI transaction, the options copy functionality will be executed.

If a configuration code was not sent on the EDI Sales Order Line Detail record, the options copy functionality accesses the Customer/Item Relationship file in order to determine the configuration code for the sales order line. Once the configuration code is determined, the most recent sales order line is retrieved based on the part/configuration/ company/sourcing warehouse combination. Once a sales order line is located, the option records for that sales order line are processed to create new EDI Option Header and Detail records for the EDI transaction.

The Sales Order Generation program will then send the options through the Expert Configurator's Inference Engine to generate the configuration code and update the Sales Order Option Master file based on the retrieved options.

If options are not found for the configuration code, the transaction is flagged as an error and is not processed. However, the Sales Order Exceptions conversation allows you to update the configuration code and options for the lines that are in error.

Errors will be printed on the EDI Sales Order Generation Summary Report if any of the following conditions exist:

· No customer/item relationship exists and the configuration code was not sent on the transaction

· A customer/item relationship exists but with a blank configuration code and the configuration code was not sent on the transaction