Product import hierarchy

This hierarchy is used by the PI Administrator Import File to tie line items from the import file to existing Product entity records. The information in this topic addresses the order in which files are searched to find a matching product record. If it is unable to find a match in the first step, the system proceeds to the next step, and so on. If the system is unable to find a matching product record using this process, the item is considered a new product.

Trade Service files

  1. The 9- or 11-digit UPC number is parsed, or divided, based on the UPC Sections definitions in SA Administrator Options-Product-Alternates/UPC-UPC Structure. Using the vendor and product sections, the Product UPC Information Setup records are checked for a record that points to a valid product.
  2. The 9- or 11-digit UPC number (or NAED# or EDP#) from the import record is used to find a Product Extended Product Cross Reference Setup Auto Pricing Interchange (Type T) record. The UPC number and the PI (SL) Rec # on the Product Extended Product Cross Reference Setup record are used to find an existing cross reference between the UPC number and this specific PI import. If a match is found, the product in the cross reference (the Product entity product) is used as the correct product.
  3. The UPC number (NAED or EDP #) is used to find a generic Product Extended Product Cross Reference Setup Type T record. The UPC # and 0 (zero) are used to find an existing cross reference between the UPC number and any PI import record. If a match is found, the product in the cross reference (the Product entity product) is used as the correct product.

Non-Trade Service files

Non-Trade Service files are those where the value used in Product Extended Product Cross Reference Setup Auto Pricing records as the Pricing Service Product # (UPC, EDP, or NAED#) cannot be mapped for Delimited or Fixed Length files.

  1. The 9- or 11-digit UPC number is parsed, or divided, based on the UPC Sections definitions in SA Administrator Options-Product-Alternates/UPC-UPC Structure. Using the vendor and product sections and the 5th section, which are defined by you in SA Administrator Options), the Product UPC Information Setup records are checked.
  2. If no Product UPC Information Setup record exists with a matching 5th section, the system looks for Product UPC Information Setup records with matching vendor and product sections.
  3. The raw product is used to find a Product Extended Product Cross Reference Setup Auto Pricing Interchange (Type T) record. First an attempt is made using the PI Import Definition Setup PI (SL) Rec # to see if an import-specific interchange record exists.
  4. The raw product number and 0 (zero) as the PI (SL) Rec # are used to find an existing cross reference between the number and any non-specific Product Extended Product Cross Reference Setup Type T Interchange record.

If a match is not found during the steps listed, use the All Files process.

All Files

If a match has not been found, the system uses these steps, regardless of the type of import file.

  1. The system attempts to find the appropriate PI New Product Default Setup record in the hierarchy to generate the Distribution SX.e product number from the raw product number:
  • Using a specific vendor code and line code
  • Using a specific vendor code and blank line code
  • Using a blank vendor code and specific line code
  • Using a blank vendor code and blank line code
  1. If a PI New Product Default Setup record is found, the prefix, suffix, and special character information is used to transform the raw product number into a Distribution SX.e product number in this sequence:
  • any special character manipulation that alters the product number is performed;
  • if a prefix is defined, the prefix and optional space is attached to the beginning of the raw product number;
  • if a suffix is defined, the suffix and optional space is attached to the end of the raw product number; and
  • if the resulting product number is longer than 24 characters, it is truncated to 24 characters.
  1. This new product number is used to check the Product Catalog Setup and Product Setup records.
This error message is issued if a Product Extended Product Cross Reference Setup record is found, but the product it pointed to is not in either Product Catalog Setup or Product Setup:
AutoPricing Interchange XXXXX is not in system. The product is not imported. 
  1. If the product is not found in either Product Catalog Setup or Product Setup, then it is assumed to be a new product. Default fields for the new product are taken from the PI New Product Default Setup record. If no PI New Product Default Setup record for this vendor code/line code is available, or the PI New Product Default Setup record that was read does not allow for the creation of Product Catalog Setup or Product Setup records, the product is not imported, and a message displays on the report.
  2. If either Product Catalog Setup or Product Setup records are available for the product, then several field values are loaded for possible use (that is, creation of Product Setup or Product Warehouse Product Setup records from Product Catalog Setup records).
  3. If a new product is created, the two description fields and lookup name are constructed from the PI New Product Default Setup settings.
  4. If a Product Extended Product Cross Reference Setup record was used to find the product, the modified raw product number is matched to the product number that the Product Extended Product Cross Reference Setup record pointed to in an attempt to determine if a product name change has occurred. If a product name change has occurred, it is considered a supersede.
  5. If Manual is specified in the Change Product Names field in PI Import Definition Setup, and a product name change has taken place, the Create ICSC, Create ICSP, and Create ICSW flags are automatically cleared when the PI Entry Edit File (SLED) is created, forcing the operator to manually change the product number using Product Administration Change Product Report.

When importing quantities from Trade Service files, Product Import allows the use of C or M to identify hundreds or thousands. For example, 50,000 can be imported as 50M. Importing a quantity break of BULK sets the quantity break to zero. Any other non-numeric characters in the quantity or quantity break fields result in an error message and the record does not import.

Any error that causes the import to abort is identified with a message at the line of its occurrence, and this message displays:
WARNING: An Error has been encountered during this Import. This Import is being aborted at or after Line #xxxxx See previous WARNING for exact problem.
The records before the occurrence of the error is imported.

When the same product displays twice in an import file, it is imported on the first occurrence. The second occurrence does not import and is listed in the Products Not Imported section of the PI Administrator Import File.