How does the Vendor Agreement Import process work?

Use the Vendor Agreement Import batch program to electronically load a vendor file that contains vendor item, unit of measure, and unit price information, into the Purchase Order application.

After you set up an agreement header record on Vendor Agreement (PO25.1) and determine which items to include on an agreement, the application will add or update vendor agreement line information on Vendor Agreement Line (PO25.6), add an item on Item Master (IC11.1), and add a vendor item on Vendor Item (PO13.1).

Each item record in the vendor file must contain a vendor item number, a unit of measure, and a unit price. The file can contain all items from a vendor's catalog or only specific items that are included in a negotiated contract. The vendor file is imported in a comma separated value (CSV) format. Next, the items are loaded into a vendor agreement based on the agreement information entered in the batch load parameter program. The agreement information includes agreement name, vendor, type, and effective date. Once the items are loaded, you can select items that are not available for use in the agreement. These items do not default pricing to requisitions or purchase orders.

If you have set up a cost tolerance amounts and/or percent, you will need to access Accept or Delete Future Costs (PO36.6) to approve or delete any vendor agreement lines that fall outside of the set tolerances. To display the updates to future costs (additions or deletions) on agreement lines, run Agreement Cost Update (PO137). After the items are loaded, you can select which items will be available for purchase.

Planning for Purchase Order setup

The vendor cost for the items you select will default on requisitions and purchase orders if you set up a cost defaulting hierarchy for your company to include contract, catalog, and blanket agreements.

Items included on an agreement must have an item number assigned to the new vendor item. The system uses the following to determine if a Lawson item number exists:

• Vendor item number

• UPC, SKU, UPN number

• Manufacturing item number

• NDC identifier

• Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN)

If a match is found, the Lawson item number is assigned. If a Lawson item number does not exist, one will be created and added to the item master. You will use one of the following methods to link an item number on the item master to an item on the agreement line:

• Sequential: Creates an item number by adding one to the last sequential item number that was used

• Assign: Creates an item number as the vendor item number, UPC, SKU, UPN, NDC, GTIN, or manufacturing item number

• Manual: The item number is manually assigned by the customer

The Vendor Agreement Import process consists of three phases which you can run separately or together.