Thanks for your reply.
SAP does provide a facility for capturing this data, as well as
customer\material cross referencing.
Unfortunately, customers frequently require data in a format or with field
lengths that do not correspond to what is offered in the standard system.
Additionally, the data needs to be accessible and understood by the CSR
doing the data entry. Typically this is where most of the errors occur. The
ability to access and correct the data by the individual responsible is
important. Since we run our entire business on SAP and it is the repository
for all transactional activity, all sales related data needs to reside
there.
Based on replies to the original posting, our solution for capturing
customer specific data into sales text fields, while not the best approach
is not an unusual one.
Thanks to all.
RM
-----Original Message-----
From: Electronic Data Interchange Issues
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Michael Mattias
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2001 7:27 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: EDI & SAP: Partner Specific Data
It's not just SAP users, this happens to everyone. There's always a couple
of
partners who want data on an ASN and/or invoice which are not stored (as
explicit fields, or even with a "place for user data") in the seller's order
processing system.
Some commercial ERP systems provide "capture" files, where one can store
inbound
data and retrieve it later. (e.g., Point.man, Macola). When these capture
systems do not exist, I've always ended up creating a capture file myself.
(Here's one: I recently had to create a capture file for "customer part
number/our part number" and build and maintain it based on inbound 850's.
Not
too many systems don't have a "customer part number" cross reference).
Some translator systems (e.g., TPPC/32) provide an integral capture facility
provided you specify a "turnaround" document.
But capture systems fail when the customer is not sending 850's (or 830's) -
or
worse, the customer usually DOES send 850's, but then phones or faxes an
"emergency" order, and expects the "extra" info on the still-required
ASN/invoice.
I hgave never worked with SAP; but for its ubiquitousness, it's hard to
believe
SAP does not provide a "user-defined sales order data" capability. You might
ask
SAP support, because they have had to field this question.
Bottom line is, good news-bad news: Bad News is, you'll have to make changes
to
some part of your system to accommodate your customers (or live with "text
comments"); Good News is, you're not alone.
Michael C. Mattias
Tal Systems
Racine WI
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----- Original Message -----
From: Roger Myers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2001 12:43 PM
Subject: EDI & SAP: Partner Specific Data
> A perennial issue, where to put the customer specific data that is not
> regular or reoccuring.
>
> We have a number of trading partners looking for us to return PO data
that
> doesn't really fit in within standard SAP sales order fields...
[snip]
> Our CSR's manually enter the data on the sales order and at billing time
we
> map it to the 810. Up until now we have been using sales text and sales
text
> identifiers to capture and pass the data on the outbound IDOC. This
approach
> works but is prone to user error.
>
> I have been reluctant to append the sales data tables and build a user
> interface in our system in order to satisfy a customer's data
requirements.
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