What is a slush file --- well in J-Con it was called the Parts Source file that we got a copy of monthly. A SLUSH FILE is a big file of all parts available that on MIGHT sell - so you have pricing and the counter staff find it seamless to sell - they don't recognize the data is not in the normal system.
EXPLORIS has no such slush file -- that means a couple of things -- your active files will become HUGE. When the Washington's moved from EXPLORIS to EAGLE they found out they had more than 2,000,000 - yeh -- two million parts in their file in Exploris. And since we are asking how you DELETE parts from Exploris -- we have an interesting situation that will become messy in a few years.
Ian from Alliston wants to point out that if you see a part that is NOT in your system - your Exploris will NOT go negative ...so when your incoming paperwork arrives --you system will ADD ONE once it adds the part number and you count will be wrong ... ouch. On top of that Ian feels the tracking is not up to J-Con standards to make things simple to see where an error occurred.
Some computer systems allow users to MODIFY their slush files ( we have experience with ACS computer ) -- so you could add X lines to your slush file --want to add FRAM filters -- why would you want to add every part number to your active files --add to the slush file and pull out IF and WHEN you have a sale. This is very handy for secondary lines - so in the example of Fram - you stock CARQUEST but that once in a while you need fram * for whatever reason) - you have all the data in your system and the staff make an easy sale without having to know prices and markup logic. Of course you have to maintain the data -- so you have to know how to use Excel and apply markup logic to their price updates ... but having first hand experience doing this for many secondary lines from 1996 thru 2003 - it can be done - easier if you have a couple of stores or large sales volume (to cost justify the job).
4 comments:
In J-Con are you referring to the JIF and the PartSource CD? The JIF maintained all of the part numbers stocking and otherwise that resided as part of the stores local inventory file on the system. (JIF - Jobber Inventory File) If a part was not in the JIF, it would grab it from the PartSource CD and drop it into the JIF if it became active. [stocked or on hand] I assume this is what you are calling the "Slush file".
From my understanding Exploris works in a similar matter. The parts that have been added to the system in the course of business for the stores database are in the "Active" Parts File. Those that are not are in the "Non-SKU" table. The Non-SKU table is similar to the PartSource CD, except it is pulled from the database as needed, not a CD/DVD locally in a drive.
I don't know who pulled the data on the conversion and what type of SQL query was ran, but I suspect they tried to pull the Non-SKU table as well.
You are correct about not being able to delete a part as of yet, however future releases may address this. There are many things to take into account when you delete a part number and it is not always as simple as one may think.
If there is a slush ( called this for lack of a better term ) file in Exploris -- how do we access it? Can we add additional sku's into it - especially for X lines --there is a GREAT DEAL of confusion on this.
Recently I had Bob Miller run a report for all parts ( would that include an so called slush file data - one would think it would not ... ) and it jammed as the report was TOO BIG -- we only wanted line - part & mvt code.
I am not 100% certain, but I do not think the Non-SKU table is accesable or editable through the application. From my understanding it is something that resides as a seperate set of tables for reference. Your BTM should be able to add any X-Line parts you need into your active parts table with little effort or delay.
BUT - there are LOTS of times your X line data is 5% what you keep and 95% what you may never sell--and as such needs to go into the non-sku data - and as you sell it ( or stock it ) then it gets transfered.
This is NOT a new idea -- Autologue has this - we started using it in 1996 and worked very very well.
Greg
Post a Comment