Tip of the Month for: April 2017
Import Lines into Quotes and Sales Orders
Last fall's release of Answers included a new feature that allows you to import lines into the detail of Quotes and Sales Orders.
This feature works much like the Price File Import option available in Answers. It allows you to create an import "map" that relates the columns in a spreadsheet to the fields available on the detail lines of a sales order or quote. At a bare minimum, you can import a spreadsheet with stock number and quantity and build an order or a quote. This can be a very useful feature if your customers create spreadsheets containing their order items, or if you use non-integrated online order sources that send you spreadsheets containing order lines.
The first step is to create an import map. Import maps are set up through the Detail Line Import Management program found on the Order Processing > File Maintenance menu. Setting up the maps is similar to setting up Price File Import maps. The map is given a unique name and description. It can also be set for a specific customer. The customer is optional, and if it is defined, then when the map is used, if it is used for a customer other than the one specified on the map, the user will be allowed to run the import, but warned the map is for a different customer. The map also must be set to the type of data file that will be used. As with other imports, the detail line import can use tab-delimited, fixed-length, or comma-separated files. Once the primary map fields are set up, the detail fields must be set up so that the program knows which data to pull out of the file and import into line items.
Once the map is in place, it can be used for any order or quote.
When a file is received for import, it should be detail lines only. All header information will be filled out manually, so this information need not be in the spreadsheet. Each detail line in the file will correspond and create one detail line in Answers.
Save the incoming file as a the proper file type... Tab-Delimited, Comma Separated, or Fixed-Length.
On the Order Entry/Quote Entry detail tab, on a new blank line, click on Edit > Import Detail Lines. The user is then prompted to choose a map, and then to choose the file to be imported.
The program checks the stock numbers coming in to see if they are inventory. If so, then Answers can default all pertinent fields… price, cost, description. Cross reference numbers, vendor part number, vendor number, buyer, product code, etc. Your file only need contain stock #’s and quantities. If the file is set up for importing these other fields, they will be updated as well… even on stock items, unless the import map instructs that fields are only to be used on non-stock fields. The import map allows defining fields such as category so that if you wish to set it and bring all items in as non-stock or factory direct you could.
As items are imported, if they need to be placed on a purchase order and Answers is configured to allow creating a purchase order from Order Entry, the user is prompted to create the purchase orders. If Answers is not set up allow creating purchase orders from Order Entry, the items will go to the Suggested PO Review.
A summary window shows the number of items imported. It also shows the number of items with pricing errors. A pricing error will occur if the incoming price is different than the customer default price. The incoming price is used, but the default price is shown on the audit. There is a View Audit button for reviewing the input audit. It can also be viewed in Spooled Reports Management.
Once the lines are imported, they are treated as any other
line items. You
can edit them as needed.