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Supplier Parameters

Article Number: 1787 | Rating: Unrated | Last Updated: Thu, Jun 22, 2023 at 10:19 PM

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Supplier Parameters

This provides the data necessary for XML file creation and processing for each specific supplier. This may well need to be modified to fit the particular supplier set that you use.

The options here include the EAN code (if required), the supplier’s code for yourcompany, a short-form code for use with the GLU file, the version numbers of output XML files, how to determine the supplier product code from within your stock system, and any specific parameters that are supplier-dependent.

Supplier Short Code

You can use this for your own purposes. For the BOSSFed suppliers, however, codes such as SPIC, KING, ISAW are used within the XML templates to determine how to treat elements that are specific to certain suppliers. See appendix 6 for a list of the supplier codes currently used (you can add to these if required, of course).

Product Code Decision

Depending on the supplier, they may want a general EAN code or their own product code (which may also be in EAN format). A general EAN code can be maintained on the stock record and should be copied to the POD records if this is to be used by any supplier.

One way to maintain a supplier’s product codes in the system is to use data item 13 in the supplier price matrix; in which case that should be copied into the POD records for use as the supplier part number. Another way, which might co-exist with this, is to hold alternate product codes on the stock file to hold the different supplier part numbers. These could be copied into the POD records too, for use by the XML templates.

The two prompts here show how these items could be managed by the Datafile templates. If the code to be used for this supplier comes from the EAN data item, then put a "Y” in that box. If the code to be used comes from one of the alternate product codes, then indicate which one here, else leave blank or zero. For example, "M” could be used to indicate that the product code comes from the supplier price matrix item 13; and a number between 1 and 9 could indicate which of the alternate product codes to use.

Second Screen

The second screen contains the pathname and filename substitution values that are to be used within the pathname and filename commands of any output XML template for this trading partner (see Processing Commands under Datafile XML Template below).

It is not uncommon to put all the output files for a particular trading partner into a specific folder for that trading partner. This makes it easy for an FTP script to find and transfer files across to each trading partner’s system.

Similarly, many suppliers will required a predefined format for their filenames, and this can be catered for by giving here the filename required, but using a string of 9s for a sequence number that is normally a part of the filename.

Note

If you send more than one type of XML file to a trading partner, then you may need a set of pathname/filename parameters for each type of file. The above screen would then be modified to cater for this. At present the GLU file can take up to three sets.

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