Interface with Sales Force Automation

The Sales Force Automation module is a windows-based ordering system that runs on a remote PC and is fully integrated with the Order Processing module. The primary purpose of this system is to allow sales staff to enter orders at remote locations without having to dial into MAC-PAC. Interfacing between the two different platforms is possible through the use of the Data Exchange Facility.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Requirements

Electronic Data Interchange refers to the electronic exchange of standardized business documents between trading partners. The Sales Force Automation module on the PC uses the EDI Sales Order Generation program to process uploaded sales orders on the host.

There are several MAC-PAC transaction monitors that affect electronic data interchange transactions. If these monitors are not active, your transactions will not be processed in a continuous flow. When interfacing with Sales Force Automation, the EDI Sales Order Generation (ED140E) monitor needs to be active to ensure that your transactions will be processed. Additionally, all monitors required for order processing need to be active. Refer to the Electronic Data Interchange User Manual for more information regarding the monitors that need to be active.

Using the Expert Configurator

If you are entering configured orders, you must install the Expert Configurator module. The Expert Configurator inference engine operates on both the host system and PC. The full host database is not duplicated on the PC and therefore, several processing differences between the host and the PC platforms exist.

If you are configuring orders, is important to verify that configuration processing on the PC matches the host system. To assure this, synchronize the databases on both platforms and configure the same part and enter all the same options on each. Each platform should have the same configuration code (first 50 characters), price, and order/shipping dates. It is important to perform this dual platform test to ensure that all supporting data exists on the PC. Trace Debug can be used to ensure the same rules are processed. For more information on processing configured orders, refer to the Expert Configurator User Manual or the Configuration Maintenance Online Help System.

Help Screen Names

Help screens for screen generation rules (used for configured orders) are supported on both the host and PC platforms. Custom help text can be created for these screens. On the host system, the help text is maintained through the help maintenance facility. Screen names can consist of any alphanumeric characters. On the PC, the help text is maintained through the windows help facility and stored in the Screen Generation Help file (ECCUSTOM.HLP). All screen context IDs must be numeric. If you are processing screen generation rules on both platforms, be sure to use all numeric characters for your screen names. For more information on creating customer help, refer to the Client/Server User Manual.

Processing Remote Orders

The orders you enter through the Sales Force Automation module appear as electronically transferred orders on the host MAC-PAC system. Once uploaded to MAC-PAC, PC orders can take advantage of the Order Processing module's functionality. However, there are several processing differences between the host and the PC platforms. These processing differences are described in detail below.

Regular sales orders are the only type of orders that can be uploaded from the PC database to the host system. Once they are uploaded, they are processed through the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) sales order generation program. For more specific information on the interface with EDI, see the Electronic Data Interchange User Manual.

Data Exchange Facility

The Data Exchange Facility is part of the Sales Force Automation module on the PC. The Data Exchange Facility allows you to manage the flow of data between the host database and the remote databases. The amount of data and therefore the amount of time that needs to be exchanged between the platforms can be minimized without affecting the functionality of the application. This is accomplished by categorizing customer, part, and warehouse information by division and section and assigning a division and section ID to a particular PC user.

Net Change Processing

Net change processing identifies any changes to the host database files. When you select the Submit Net Change Processing option from the MAC-PAC System Processing Menu, the Net Change Processing program reads the Journal Receiver file and displays all the adds, updates, and deletes to the Net Change Transaction file since the last time net change processing was performed.

Once all of the journal entries have been added to the Net Change Transaction file for the current period, the Net Change Processing program monitors any errors. If no errors occur during the processing, the Net Change Transaction file is cleared. Any changes that occur are stored in the appropriate Net Change Master file. Below is a list of the Net Change Master files.

· Bill-to/Ship-to Customer Relationship file

· Contract Price File

· Currency Master File

· Customer Master File

· Customer Name and Address File

· Customer/Item Relationship File

· Discount Detail File

· Discount Header File

· Matrix Header File

· Matrix Line File

· Part Master File

· Price List Detail File

· Price List Header File

· Price List Line File

· Reference File

· Rule Master File

· Sales Order Header File

· Sales Order Line Item

· Screen Rule Detail File

· Template Master File

· Template/Price Master File

· Warehouse Balance File

· Warehouse Description File

The processing starts at the end of the Net Change Transaction file processing every record in the file back to the start of the file looking for after images of adds, deletes, and changes. The file is processed backwards so that the most current version of a record will be written to the appropriate Net Change Master file. Once each record has been properly distributed to its associated Net Change Master file, the necessary fields will be updated on Reference File category G90. These fields include the date and time of the last successful net change processing and the latest period for which the changes are stored.

Note: A salesperson's user ID, which can be found on the MACPAC.INI file on the client, is the name of the database ID on the Distribution Master file on the host system.

You can control how long the net changes are retained before they are purged through Reference File category G90.

Uploading Data

Sales orders that are waiting to be uploaded from a remote database to the host system are stored in the Sales Order Generation files. These orders have a specific order standing of Normal (0) or Save (1). A user connects to the host database by selecting the upload option from the Data Exchange conversation on the PC. Once this connection is made, sales orders, from the Sales Order Generation files, are uploaded to the host database.

The uploaded sales orders are written to transaction files in preparation for processing by the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) sales order generation program on the host system.

Downloading Data

Once net change processing has been executed, the users can connect to the host database to download the data. Two methods are available to download data from the host database to a remote database: net change or initialization. A net change downloads only the changes on the host database to the remote database. Initializing a remote database downloads all data from the host database to the remote database replacing what exists. Net change is quicker than initialization and should be used under normal circumstances. The initialize is triggered if the salesperson has waited beyond the save window.

Reference File Categories

The following reference file categories are directly related to interfacing with the PC.

· G90 - The net change processing control category contains and maintains process control information about the Data Exchange Facility.

· I61 - The reference file categories required by Sales Force Automation category contains a list of Reference File categories that are required by Sales Force Automation on the PC. The required categories are:

002 Entity Name

005 Unit of Measure Codes

006 Unit of Measure Translation Table

007 Country Codes

029 Customer Defaults

133 System Operations

309 Finance Charge Information

313 Credit Manager Description

315 Salesperson

319 Ship Via

320 Shipment Route

321 Shipment Terms

323 Payment Terms

324 Customer Messages

326 State

402 Sales Order Hold Codes

403 Order Status Codes

405 Part Types

412 Order Processing System Defaults

413 Order Processing System Defaults 2

415 Order Line/Customer Price Codes

446 Quantity Field Sizes

D37 Credit Check Type

D88 Part Status Codes

D89 Decimal Precision

D94 User Defined Short Description

D97 User Defined Long Description

D99 User Defined Three Decimal Field

G69 Price/Discount Template Code

G86 Price/Discount Template Priority

G87 Volume Discount Basis

I63 Sales Order Origination

I73 Order Standing Codes

I74 Order Processing Defaults 4

P44 Aging Periods

Y12 Multiple Options Table

Y14 Validation Tables

Y21 Sales Order Entry Group

Y22 Sales Order Entry Sub-Group

Y23 Pricing Group

Y24 Pricing Sub-Group

· I62 - The valid division and section category is used to help filter the amount of data being downloaded to a remote database. With the proper data setup, you can download a subset of the full MAC-PAC database. This category is the starting point for setting up your division ID and section ID.

For more information about these categories, see the sections dedicated to the individual category in the Reference File Categories Manual.

Transferring Order Information Between the Host and the PC

Local orders are created on the PC in the EDI Sales Order Transaction files (ED140AP1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8). They are uploaded into the same files on the host and then sent through Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) processing. If no errors occur, they are sent to the Sales Order Header file (OP100M1) and Sales Order Line file (OP100M2) and then downloaded to the same files on the PC as processed orders.

If an error occurs during sales order generation on the host, the errors are placed in the EDI Sales Order Error Transaction file (ED140AP5). The EDI Sales Order Resolution program (ED150E) allows the errors to be corrected. If the errors are not corrected on the host, the create header, create header comment, create line, and create line exceptions are created and downloaded to the PC the next time it gets updated. However, if no errors are detected, normal processing continues.

Variances

A variance is difference between the expected result and the actual result. For example, if an order has a requested dock date of March 1 and the order is expected to arrive on March 3, the variance is two days. Orders can potentially have variances in the amount, line price, line quantity, or date.

The PC users set the tolerance level for a variance. For example, if an order amount falls within the tolerance level of a variance, an exception is not created. If an order amount exceeds the tolerance level, an exception is created and downloaded to the PC. The host creates a header comments exception, line exception, or line comments exception that is downloaded to the remote database the next time a net change download or initialization is performed.

Processing Differences between the Host and the PC

Several areas exist where processing differs between the remote and host databases. The following provides a brief description of the differences. More detailed information about processing done on the host system is provided in other key concepts included in this manual. Processing related to the remote database is included in the Online Help system for the Sales Force Automation module.

Error Messages

Error messages on the PC are generally longer and more descriptive than the corresponding error messages on the host. Error messages consistent with the host use the same error code.

Order Numbers

For PC users, order numbers are not assigned until sales orders are uploaded to the host system. A unique customer PO number must be entered for each order. This will allow remote users to track the final order once it has been processed on the host database.

Date Processing

Several dates entered on the local database are only used as estimates. These dates are updated when the remote orders are processed on the host database.

Credit Checking

Corporate credit checking is not done for orders entered on the remote database because there is no way to capture all of the customer information required to do this on the PC. If corporate checking is used, it will be done once the order is processed on the host system. Order exceptions downloaded to the remote database will notify remote users of any orders placed on hold.

Note: Account receivable days overdue are calculated as of the last dial-in date.