ACTIVANT STANPAK. NetLink Network. Version 6.1

Transcription

1 ACTIVANT STANPAK NetLink Network Version 6.1

2 This manual contains reference information about software products from Activant Solutions Inc. The software described in this manual and the manual itself are furnished under the terms and conditions of a license agreement. The software consists of software options that are separately licensed. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium, or to enable any software options, except as specifically permitted under the license agreement. In addition, no part of this manual may be copied or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Activant Solutions Inc. From time to time, Activant makes changes to its software products. Therefore, information in this manual is subject to change, and the illustrations and screens that appear in the manual may differ somewhat from the version of the software provided to you. Created by: Yardley Technical Communication 2006, Activant Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. Activant and the Activant logo are registered trademarks and Activant Prophet 21 is a trademark of Activant Solutions Inc. All other company or product names are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Activant Solutions Inc Southfront Road Livermore, CA Version 6.1 Publication.1 Date:

3 Contact Information: Mike Hugos Chief Information Officer Network Services Company Phone: (847) , fax: (847) John Collett JMC Systems Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 3

4 Included in this Manual NETWORK Requirements...5 The Utility Transfer Program... 6 Summary... 6 Processing Inbound Product Masters from Network... 8 Summary... 8 Processing Inbound Purchase Orders Summary Sending Outbound Invoices Summary Preparing your Databases for UPC Codes Stanpak Release Requirements Prior to installation After Installation Installation of new Programs Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 4

5 NETWORK Requirements Network s initiative automates the handling of business documents. More specifically, they are looking to leverage Netlink to transfer more electronic documents between Network and its and member companies. Those documents are as follows: 1) Purchase Orders a. Inbound from customers b. Outbound to vendors 2) Invoices a. Inbound from vendors b. Outbound to customers * 3) Product Masters a. Inbound from NSC b. Outbound to NSC 4) Advance Ship Notices a. Inbound from vendors b. Outbound to customers 5) Price Book a. Inbound from NSC b. Outbound to NSC * In an effort to improve compliance of this initiative, Network s Operations and Technology Committee recommended, and the Board of Directors ratified, a $25 fee for each invoice received by Network that did not have UPC codes after December 31, Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 5

6 The Utility Transfer Program Summary The NetLinkXFR Program replaces all of the scripts from the previous Netlink programs. It transfers files to and from Network with an easy, central utility. NetLinkXFR facilitates the processing of both inbound and outbound data files. NetLinkXFR provides the ability to send alerts when a transaction takes place. It also allows you to separate out which transactions are run by utilizing a checkbox selection screen. In this way, you can selectively decide what processes are to be done on that transfer. This will make it easier to separate out the processes if you have these functions residing in different departments or have them split between different employees. The setup preferences required for NetLinkXFR to operate are contained within the Preferences menu selection. Here you will need to enter system access and path information so the program will know where to get and put the files that are transacted. Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 6

7 notifications are set up in the Setup screen, which can be accessed from the NetLinkXFR menu. If you decide to utilize notifications, this setup screen allows you to choose who gets an notification for each transaction type. Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 7

8 Processing Inbound Product Masters from Network Summary Network currently maintains a giant database detailing each item (manufacturer, manufacturer item number, UPC code, etc.). The application grabs an electronic version of this file from Network and downloads it into Stanpak. This file can be automatically cross-referenced to the distributor s item file (IM) to build and maintain a UPC database in Stanpak. In other words, keying UPC codes into Stanpak from Network s item file is not necessary. The new file transfer utility provided with the NETLINK II programs will allow you to download the current Network Item Product Master from Network s FTP site directly to a new file created for this purpose. This file is updated on a weekly basis on both Wednesdays and Fridays. Once this file has been populated with current information, you will be able to update UPC codes to NSCCIM using the new NSCSYNC program. To do this, open the file transfer program and click on the Download Inventory file from Netlink button. Be aware that this is a very large file and may take several minutes to download. NSCITEM Once the NSC items are imported using the Transfer utility, you will need to update these items to Stanpak by running NSCITEM. When run, the items that have been imported from Network, including the UPC codes, will be uploaded to Stanpak. You will also be given the option to clear this file or keep it to rerun at a later date. Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 8

9 Once the Item Product Master has been updated to Stanpak you will have the option to automatically run NSCSYNC. This translation program will match up all of the items downloaded in the Product Master that match the vendor item number in field #19 in IM. NSCSYNC will also create an audit report that can be used to research and fix any items that do not match. The uploaded and synced items will be built into the NSCCIM file, and the UPC code will be automatically included in this record for later use when receiving orders and sending invoices and purchase orders from and to Network via NETLINK. Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 9

10 Processing Inbound Purchase Orders Summary Instead of needing to manually key orders in from Network s faxes, this application grabs an electronic version of the order and uploads it into the Stanpak server (similar to the way Stanpak s WebOE works). This process will move Inbound Purchase Orders that have been downloaded from the Network drop zone into Stanpak. Once the order files are downloaded, open the NetLinkXFR program and press the Process Netlink Transfers to/from Stanpak button. This will grab the orders and move them to Stanpak. NSCINT Once the NSC orders are imported using the Transfer utility, you will need to create Stanpak orders for these with the NSCINT program. This program will load the orders and alert you if there are any fields that do not have a match in the database. Information that can be edited include customer numbers if the customer is not found in the database and item numbers if the system does not find a match in your database between the Network item identification and your Stanpak item number (as in the example below): Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 10

11 Once the orders are corrected, NSCINT will allow you to print multiple reports to match up with the data and ensure that the orders were input correctly by the system. Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 11

12 Sending Outbound Invoices Summary This application picks up the UPC codes and transmits them with the invoice file to Network. Provided that a distributors UPC database has been built (see #3 below), a distributor will escape the $25 fee for not having UPC codes on uploaded invoices. Changes to the Outbound Invoice programs are largely transparent. NSCCLEAR removes data from the file so that new data can be entered. NSCIPFB creates the new data file for the date range that you specify, including the UPC codes that have been linked. And NSCDU moves this data to a location where it can be picked up. Once the files are built and moved with NSCDU, you need to go into the NetLinkXFR program and press the Process Transfers to/from Stanpak button. This will get the invoice header and detail files and move them to your PC. Once this is done, they can be transmitted to Network by using the Network website. Provided the UPC database is built, there will be no $25 fee per invoice from Network. Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 12

13 NEXT STEPS Preparing your Databases for UPC Codes Stanpak Release Requirements The NetLink programs have been built to operate on Stanpak versions higher than 6.1. Prior to installation There will be some initial maintenance required in order to set up the files, but once this has been done, most of the items in the Network Item Product Master will be automatically linked to the Network Item file with the 14 digit UPC code from the product master (as seen below in this excerpt from the NSCCIM Screen): Field 19 in your Item Master (IM) must be the exact item number used by your supplier and/or must match the item number in Column H of Network s Item Product Master. This is the number that is used to match item files and trigger the population of the UPC fields. o o This field prints on your purchase orders that you are currently sending to your vendors, so it is probably correct. In order to audit this field, you can print the information for each vendor from the Network Product master and use IMM to print and compare the field. You will need to make changes to field 19 in IM as necessary. The Item Product Master can be downloaded from the Member access area on After Installation The NSCCTL program allows you to establish a connection between Network preferred vendors and those in you Vendor Master. Field #60 (second page of your Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 13

14 vendor master - VM) should be set to Y, after which these vendors will appear on the list when your select V in NSCCTL. Only vendors that have had a link established will have their UPC fields populated. You will also need to know the vendor number assigned to each of these manufacturer s by Network Services. This information is updated to Stanpak when you download the Network Item Master and can be printed from the NSCVEND program located within the NSCMENU. Once your have compiled this information, you are ready to maintain the vendors listed in NSCCTL. Type in a vendor number and insert the pertinent information. The screen will look like the screen print below. Add the information in the appropriate fields (indicated by the white arrows): Installation of new Programs The new NETLINK II programs are available by contacting your Stanpak customer support at Stanpak /Netlink II Interface Page 14