Click to view/hide picture.The Electronic Transmissions screen allows you to configure website or FTP information for a distributor and setup templates for order guides, orders, invoices, and journal entries.
Once a template for electronic ordering has been configured, you can assign the template to a vendor in the "Electronic Distributor" fields of the Vendors' definition. Then, electronic orders for the vendor can be transmitted from the Orders screen.
Once a template for order guides has been configured, vendor order-guides can be imported from the Import Order Guides screen.
Note: Stock templates for many major distributors are available for download from the Compeat website. To use these templates, simply download them from the Downloads page of the Client Login area, and then import them through this screen. Once imported, enter a local directory and save the screen. The templates will then be available for future use.
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Name Enter the name of the distributor. This field will populate the drop-down list of the Import Order Guides screen.
Host Enter information for the hosting site where order guides can be downloaded from and/or where orders are submitted. Your distributor should provide you with this information. Specify the type of host used, and then enter the host address. For FTP sites, it is not necessary to include address information. Simply select FTP and choose the FTP Configuration that applies.
Local Directory Enter the file path (or browse) to an existing folder on your computer where order files will be saved when you create them. For an FTP host, the system will look in this folder when you transmit an order, and then FTP to the host address.
This tab allows you to set up specifications for importing order guides.
The Import and Export buttons can be used to export the current configuration to an xml file or import an existing configuration from an xml file. Templates can be downloaded from the Client Login area of the Compeat website.
Remote Order Guide Directory If your vendor's order guides are hosted on an FTP site, enter the file path to the directory where order guides will be downloaded prior to importing. When you import order guides, Compeat will connect to the FTP site specified, search for a file by the remote order guide filename specified, download that file to the remote order guide directory, and then update its order guide table from that file.
Remote Order Guide Filename Specify an order guide filename if downloading from an FTP site.
File Type Select the format type of the data.
Delimited Fields of this type are separated by a character, such as a comma, tab, or space. Files of this type will often have extensions such as .txt, or .csv. Here is an example of what the data might look like in this type of file:
Fixed Width In this type, fields are defined by a specific length of characters. Files of this type may also have extensions of .txt. Here's what the data may look like in a fixed width file:
Excel Select for Excel spreadsheets.
File Options
Text Qualifier For delimited data, specify the text qualifier used. Delimited data use a text qualifier to specify a string of words as one field, even if it contains a delimiter. Typical text qualifiers are single- or double-quotes. You can usually determine what text qualifiers are used by opening your data file in Notepad and examining the data. In the example below, the text qualifier is the quotation mark:
Header rows to skip Most data files will have one or two header rows with column names. These should not be included in the order guide import. Specify the number of header rows in your data file, and Compeat will remove this number of rows from the imported data.
Skip rows with fewer than n columns This will force Compeat to ignore category rows or other insignificant data.
Match on Split Case This causes Compeat to look at the split case configuration for items in the restaurant inventory, when attempting to match items on an imported order guide to them. This is usually checked if the order guide file contains a split case indicator.
Match on Vendor Pack Size This causes Compeat to attempt to match the vendor pack size entered on the ‘Par Levels/Vendor Information’ tab of the restaurant inventory items, when attempting to match items on an imported order guide to them. This can be used in conjunction with, or in place of ‘Match On Split Case’.
Field Delimiter For delimited file types, specify the delimiter. Delimiters separate different fields in a record (row). You can determine the delimiter type by opening the file in Notepad, and look for column separators.
Row Delimiter For fixed width and delimited file types, select a row delimiter. Row delimiters separate one record from another.
The Fields section contains a data grid that is used to map fields from the order guide to fields within Compeat. Click the plus symbol in the grid toolbar to open a list of hard-coded Compeat fields.
Select the fields that you wish to map to and then click OK.
Note: The list of available fields may not exactly match those in a data file. For example, a "Item ID" in the data field may need to be mapped to the "Item Code" in Compeat.
Description grid options:
Field Name This field is non-editable and can be selected from a list of hard-coded options by clicking the plus symbol in the grid toolbar. This forms the list of Compeat fields to be mapped to the order guide fields.
Column Index/Start Index/Excel Column (Column heading changes depending on file type selected) Use this field to indicate which column in the order guide should be mapped to this Compeat field. The columns in a file are numbered left-to-right, beginning with 0 for the first column. For example if you wish to map the Description field to the third column in the data file, enter "2" in this field.
Length Specify the length of the field for fixed-width data types. This field is not relevant to other file types.
Formatting Rules Shows any formatting rules applied to the field. Double-click to create or edit rules.
True/False Values Use for fields that use a boolean value, such as true/false, yes/no. Enter the value used in your data file. For example, if your data file uses "Y" for true and "N" for false, enter "Y" and "N" respectively. This is frequently encountered in files that have an indicator field to denote if the price for a split case or a whole case.
Note: If the vendor accepts orders for split cases, chances are the order guide file will indicate whether the price represents cases or eaches. Most vendors include this indication in one of two ways:
1. Separate columns for Case and Each prices. If this is what the vendor uses, you will need add ‘Price’ and ‘Split Price’ fields to the template. If the price appears in the ‘Split Price’ column of the order guide, and ‘Match on Split Case’ is selected, Compeat will only find an exact match in the restaurant inventory if the item code in the order guide matches one that is assigned to the purchase unit that is marked as the split qty in a restaurant inventory item.
2. One price column and a split case indicator with true/false values. If this is what the vendor uses, you will need to add ‘Split Case’ and ‘Price’ fields to the template. You will also need to enter the true and false values for the ‘Split Case’ column. Many vendors use something like ‘EA’ for a true split value, and ‘CS’ for a false split value, but it can vary from vendor to vendor. If the price in the order guide is for a split case, the ‘Split Case’ column will contain the true value. If it is not flagged as the split, it will contain the false value. All prices will appear in the ‘Price’ column. If the value in the ‘Split Case’ column of the order guide is true, and ‘Match on Split Case’ is selected, Compeat will only find an exact match in the restaurant inventory if the item code in the order guide matches one that is assigned to the purchase unit that is marked as the split qty in a restaurant inventory item.
You can apply functions to transform the data as it is imported. To create rules for a field, select the field and click on Edit Formatting Rules. These rules include functions for concatenating, removing spaces, converting case, basic math functions, and more. A brief description each function will display at the bottom of the dialog when you click on the function in the "Available Rules" list.
The more common uses for formatting rules are for defining the date format in the file, or replacing a value with another value.
This tab allows you to configure Compeat for exporting orders. Your vendor should provide you with the specifications needed to complete this form.
The Import and Export buttons can be used to export the current configuration to an xml file or import an existing configuration from an xml file.
Remote Order Guide Directory If your vendor's orders are hosted on an FTP site, enter the file path to the directory on the vendor's FTP server where the order file should be placed after the order has been completed.
Remote Acknowledgement Directory Specify the acknowledgement directory on the vendor's FTP server. This is used by the FTP server to place an acknowledgement file after an order file has been received, indicating that an order has been received.
File Type Select the format type of the data file.
Delimited Fields in the file are separated by a character, such as comma, tab, or space.
Fixed Width Fields are defined by a specific length of characters.
Sysco Select this for Sysco orders only.
File Options
Text Qualifier For delimited data, specify the text qualifier used.
Include Leading Zeros in Number (fixed width only) Pads the left of a number with zeros. For example, the number "1" in a field with a length of 3 would result in "001" in the export file.
Include Token Check to create a token file along with the order file. Enter the file name with extension in the field provided. Only needed if specified by vendor, otherwise leave unchecked.
Include Footer Row Check to include a footer row in the order file. Enter the text for the footer in the text field provided. Some vendors may require the file include an EOT (End Of Transmission) in the footer. Only needed if specified by vendor, otherwise leave unchecked.
File Name Options
Prefix Allows you to enter a prefix to be added to the beginning of all file names for this distributor.
File Extension Allows you to specify a file extension for all files for this distributor. If no extension is specified, a default extension of .txt will be used.
Date Format Enter any valid date format (a technical description is available here). Commonly used formats are MMddyy, and MMddyyyy (month, day, year). You must also check Date in the box below to include the date in the file name. If not specified, default is yyyyMMdd (e.g., 20090625, for June 25th 2009).
Other file name options You can include Vendor Code, PO#, Entity Name, an/or Date (date of order transmission; format configured above) in the file name by checking the appropriate checkbox.
Date Options
Date Order Select the order in which day (D), month (M), and year (Y) should be written in the exported order file.
Date Delimiter Enter the character that should be used in the order file to separate date-parts; for example, you would enter "/" for the general date format of 02/15/2009.
Four Digit Years Check to use four-digit years, e.g., "2009" instead of "'09." If unchecked, two digit years will be used.
Field Delimiter For delimited file types, specify the delimiter.
Row Delimiter For fixed width and delimited file types, select a row delimiter.
Create a field list and specify properties for the order header in this section. Your vendor should provide you with the specifications needed to complete this form.
Description grid options:
Field Name This field is non-editable and can be selected from a list of hard-coded options by clicking the plus symbol in the grid toolbar. This forms the list of Compeat fields to be mapped to the vendor fields.
Excel Column (Only for Excel file type) Specify the Excel column (e.g., A, B, C...) that the field should be exported to.
Note: For other file types, fields are exported in the order they appear in the list.
Length Specify the length of the field for fixed width data types. This field is not relevant to other file types.
Default Value If this field is filled, its contents will be used in the absence of other input.
Decimal Places Specify the number of decimal places to be used for the field, if applicable.
Formatting Rules Shows any formatting rules applied to the field. Double-click to create or edit rules.
True/False Values Use for fields that use a boolean value, such as true/false, yes/no. Enter the boolean value used by the vendor.
Note: If the vendor accepts orders for split cases, chances are they are expecting the order file to indicate whether the quantity being ordered represents cases or eaches. Most vendors expect this indication in one of two ways:
1. Separate columns for Case and Each quantities. If this is what the vendor uses, you will need add ‘Case Qty’ and ‘Each Qty’ fields to the template. If the purchase unit that is selected on the order is flagged as the split quantity in the restaurant inventory item, the quantity will appear in the ‘Each Qty’ column in the order file. If it is not flagged as the split, it will appear in the ‘Case Qty’ column.
2. One quantity column and a split case indicator with true/false values. If this is what the vendor uses, you will need to add ‘Split Qty’ and ‘Qty’ fields to the template. You will also need to enter the true and false values for the ‘Split Qty’ column. Many vendors use something like ‘EA’ for a true split value, and ‘CS’ for a false split value, but it can vary from vendor to vendor. If the purchase unit that is selected on the order is flagged as the split quantity in the restaurant inventory item, the ‘Split Qty’ column will contain the true value. If it is not flagged as the split, it will contain the false value. All quantities will appear in the ‘Qty’ column.
Note: For catch-weight items, most vendors will assume that any quantity in the order file for catch-weight items is for cases.
