This enhancement provides the capability to import webpage orders into the ACCPAC Sales Orders Program. Once the order is placed on the web, the file is emailed to the location identified in the web page. The email includes an attachment that has the order information for that customer. If the customer already exists in the ACCPAC system, it will update the files using the customer information. If the customer does not already exist, it will create the new customer by a defined set of rules.

When running the ACCPAC Sales Orders module there is a choice on the main menu for Extensions. Under this choice is a maintenance option that includes the choice to import orders. Once selected, the option grid below will be provided. The choices in the option grid are saved, and will be displayed each time the files are imported.

Default information will be used from the customer and item files. If only limited information is included in the imported order, the information will be filled in from the customer or item files. For example, the price is an optional field in the import file. If it is not entered, the system will use the price in the item file. The same is true for many other fields as noted in the technical section.

Sales Order Type - The type of sales order can be determined by the imported file if desired. Selecting the 'Import' choice will use the msotype field in the import file to determine what the type of sales order it is. If incorrectly used, it will default to a bid. If one of the other choices are used, all the imported records will be created as selected.

Import File Type

Skip - Skip the importing process and reprocess files already in the import file.

Comma - Import a comma delimited file with the exact same number of fields as is included in the import file database listed in the technical section.

Text - Import a text file with random format. Normally this choice would be included with the multiple files selection. This selection would normally be used for importing text files such as email.

When using this selection the text document should follow these rules. The equal sign (=) is used when establishing what part of the file is used for importing. There can be many other lines included, but the importer will look for lines with the equal sign. The lines with an equal sign will be extracted.

For example

In the following lines the 1-4 and 8-11 will be disreguarded, and the others will be imported.

Email from Bob Smith

To:Sales Operation

Subj:Test of the WebLink Product

Attachment included an order for items to be shipped as soon as possible

CUSTNO=ABC1

ITEM1=AIRC

ITEM2=ASSC

PRICE1=23.45

PRICE2=145.99

DESCRIP=Test of the importer

Other lines can be added for whatever reason. The following line will be disreguarded because the characters to the left of the item do not match any of the fields in the import database included in the tech guide.

TESTINVALID=Not to be imported

Database - the imported databases will have the same structure as the import file database listed in the technical section. Refer to the technical guide to see which fields are mandatory and which are optional.

Multiple Files - The option is provided to import multiple files instead of just one. If selected the program will look in the directory noted and attempt to import all databases in the selected directory. If a single file includes all the records to be imported select "N".

Import Location - The disk location where the import files are located. Enter the location only without the name of the file or files.

File Name - If only one file is being imported, enter the complete file name including the extension. If multiple files are being imported, leave this file name blank.

Default Item - When importing orders the items are normally included in the order. The default item number is used when either no item is used, or the item used is erroneous.

Standard Customer - When importing records it is possible to add new customers if they are not already entered. It would be too cumbersome to force all fields from the customer records to be imported. Instead a standard or default customer is set up in the system to use as a template for any new customers that are created as a result of the imports. When a batch of orders is imported it is possible to change the customer number to use as a template. This way if importing a batch of records for which the customers should all be on 30 day terms it is possible to use a matching customer as a template. Each time an import is done it is possible to change the template customer number.

Update Customers - Sometimes the data being imported is more current than the data already in the system. If the data is reliable it can be used to update existing customers by selecting "Y" here. If not used the existing customer data will not be changed.

Delete After - Once the data has been extracted and prepared for input the files it imported must be deleted to keep from importing the same records again. This choice will delete the files after they are imported. If not selected there must be another process set up to avoid duplicating the records.

If the customer number field is left blank on the import file, the import routine will attempt to locate the correct customer. If the phone number field is completed and exactly matches one of the existing customers, that customer number will be used. If the phone number does not match or is not entered, it will check the company name and the first line of the address. If they match exactly, that customer number will be used. If both of these checks fail, and there is a company name included, the system will make up a new company number from the company name.

Once the data has been imported it is possible to list the data by a number of different criteria. The option grid is displayed below: