Chapter 84: E-Commerce Item Availability Processing

Purpose: The EVAVAIL job, started through Working with E-Commerce Job Control (EJCT), responds to requests for item availability information by sending the quantity available, expected date, and how this date was determined (that is, whether this date is from an open purchase order, or defaulted based on a standard calculation for items without open purchase orders).

You can use these messages as an alternative to, or in addition to, the ECAVAIL periodic function (program name ECR0144), which provides availability information for the web storefront.

You can pass availability information for a maximum of 999 items in a single request and response.

Note: You can also download item availability information using the Generic Inventory Download API.

In this chapter:

• Which Items have Availability Information Downloaded?

• When is Item Availability Data Downloaded?

• What Item Availability Data is Included?

• E-Commerce Item Availability Request Message (CWItemAvail)

• E-Commerce Item Availability Response Message (CWAvailResponse)

Which Items have Availability Information Downloaded?

The system downloads availability information for items only if you have used the Downloading E-Commerce Offer Files (EOFR) menu option to extract the items to the EC Item (EXITEM) file in the E-Commerce Staging Library (G56).

Item availability download method: The E-Commerce Item Availability Download Method (I10) system control value defines the method the system uses to download e-commerce item availability data.

The methods you can select are:

• FILE: the system downloads e-commerce item availability data to the EC Item Availability (EXAVAI) file in the E-Commerce Staging Library (G56) for retrieval by the web storefront.

• XML: the system downloads e-commerce item availability data to a E-Commerce Item Availability Response Message (CWAvailResponse) and sends the XML message to the EVAVAIL job for processing.

• BOTH: the system downloads e-commerce item availability data to the EC Item Availability (EXAVAI) file in the E-Commerce Staging Library (G56) and a E-Commerce Item Availability Response Message (CWAvailResponse).

When is Item Availability Data Downloaded?

The system extracts item availability information when:

• you submit the ECAVAIL periodic function (program name ECR0144). This periodic function downloads the current available quantity for every item and SKU for which you have downloaded information to your web storefront.

Note: MICROS recommends you schedule this periodic function after running batch PO layering, so that the expected dates for backordered items are correct. See Purchase Order Layering and Backorder Notifications for an overview.

• an activity triggers an interactive download. Activities that trigger an interactive download are:

• an item’s availability falls below a specified Item Availability Web Threshold

• you change the soldout control code for an item, either through item maintenance, Working with Retail Integration Item Upload (RIIU) or Processing Auto Soldout Cancellations (MASO)

• you enter or maintain a purchase order for an item whose available quantity is zero or less

Note: The above activities trigger the download or message generation only if the item has already been sent to the web storefront.

• an E-Commerce Item Availability Request Message (CWItemAvail) is received from the web storefront.

Item Availability Web Threshold

The system determines the web threshold used to evaluate an item’s availability by checking the:

1. Avail threshold (item-level availability threshold) assigned to the item.

2. If there is no item threshold, the Availability threshold (item class-level) for the item class assigned to the item.

3. If there is no item or item class threshold, the Quantity Available Threshold for Inventory Downloads (G36) system control value setting.

4. If all of these thresholds are blank, the system will not automatically download item availability information to the web storefront.

 

Example: An items’s threshold is 20; its item class threshold is 15; and the system control value is set to 25. The interactive availability download takes place based on the item-level threshold of 20.

Interactive download: An item or SKU’s available quantity is downloaded:

• if an item or SKU’s available quantity is greater than or equal to this threshold, and then it falls below the threshold.

Example: Available quantity for item AB100 is 21, and the web threshold is 20. You enter an order line for a quantity of 2, reducing the available quantity to 19.

• once an item or SKU’s available quantity is below the threshold, each time the available quantity is reduced until it is zero.

Example: After entering the order line in the above example, you enter another line on a different order for a quantity of 4, reducing the available quantity from 19 to 15.

• if an item or SKU’s available quantity is below this threshold, and then it increases to the threshold quantity or more.

Example: After entering the order line in the above example, you cancel an order for 5 units, bringing the available quantity for the item from 15 to 20.

What Item Availability Data is Included?

The availability information consists of:

Quantity available	The quantity available for the item/SKU. If the Include Projected Returns in Available Quantity for Download (J62) system control value is set to Y, and the item/SKU has a soldout control value with a status of 2 (include on-order quantity in soldout calculation), the system includes an item’s Projected return quantity in the quantity available. For more information: See the following for a discussion on how the available quantity is determined for different types of items: • Item Availability Data for Soldout Items • Item Availability Data for Set Items • Item Availability Data for Non-Inventory and Drop Ship Items
Date Expected	The next date when you expect a purchase order receipt that should be able to fulfill the next order: • If the item is not on any open purchase orders, the system calculates an expected date by adding the FTC -- # of Days for Items without Expected Ship Date (C71) to the current date; otherwise, • If there are any open purchase orders, the date sent to the web storefront is from the PO Layering file. However, the system does not assign a next expected date if the item is assigned a soldout control code with a status of: • 1 (Sell out immediately). • 2 (Include on order) if the available quantity is zero or less and there is no quantity expected on open purchase orders (based on the On order quantity field for the Item Warehouse). • 3 (Exclude on order) and the available quantity is zero or less.
Default Delivery Date flag	Indicates whether the date expected was based on an actual purchase order, or was defaulted based on the FTC -- # of Days for Items without Expected Ship Date (C71) system control value: • 1 = date was defaulted based on the FTC -- # of Days for Items without Expected Ship Date (C71) system control value. • 0 = actual purchase order date from the PO Layering (POLAYR) file. Note: The system also sets this flag to 0 if the Include Projected Returns in Available Quantity for Download (J62) is set to N, the Include Projected Returns in Available Quantity for OE (L68) system control value is set to Y, and the item/SKU: • has a soldout control value with a status of 2 (include on-order quantity in soldout calculation), • has no available quantity, and • is associated with a Projected return quantity.

Examples:	1. Date from open purchase order: Item AB100 has available quantity of 100 and an open purchase order that is due on May 15, 2012. Result: Quantity available = 100 Date expected = 05152012 Default delivery date = 0
	2. No open purchase orders: Item CB200 has no available quantity, and there are no open purchase orders. The current date is May 1, 2012, and the FTC - # Of Days for Items without Expected Ship Date system control value is set to 30 days. The Include Projected Returns in Available Quantity for Download (J62) system control value is set to Y. Result: Quantity available = 0 Date expected = 05312012 Default delivery date = 1
	3. Multiple open purchase orders: Item DB300 has an available quantity of -150 and there are three open purchase orders: • Purchase order #1 is due 06282012 for a quantity of 100 • Purchase order #2 is due 07162012 for a quantity of 100 • Purchase order #3 is 08022012 for a quantity of 50 The PO Layering file indicates that the quantity of 100 on purchase order #1 is fully accounted for by existing orders, but some of the quantity on purchase order #2 should be available to fulfill new orders. As a result, the date sent to the web storefront is 07162012, because this is the due date of purchase order #2. Result: Quantity available = 0 Date expected = 07162012 Default delivery date = 0 Note: Even when an availability download is triggered by a change to a purchase order, the date on the changed purchase order is not necessarily the date sent to the web storefront. For example, if you changed the due date on purchase order #1 from 06282012 to 06302012, this activity would trigger an availability download, but the date indicated would still be 07162012, from purchase order #2.

You can present this information about each item’s projected availability to your web customers if your storefront supports it. For example, if there was no expected delivery date for item AB100, and the expected date downloaded through the periodic function was simply calculated based on this system control value, you might display a message on the web storefront indicating that no purchase order receipts are expected in the near future.

Item Availability Data for Soldout Items

If the item is assigned a soldout control code, the information downloaded varies depending on the soldout control code’s status. The soldout statuses and the resulting availability information included in the download are summarized in the table below:

Soldout control code	Availability download
1 = sell out immediately	Regardless of the actual quantity of the item you have available, or whether there are any open purchase orders, you will not be selling any more units. In this case, the setting of the Default delivery date field is irrelevant. The expected date is always blank and the default delivery date is always 1. Example: Quantity available = 0 Date Expected = always blank Default Delivery Date flag = always 1
2 = include on order quantity in the soldout calculation	If the Include Projected Returns in Available Quantity for Download (J62) system control value is set to Y and the item/SKU has a soldout control value with a status of 2 (include on-order quantity in soldout calculation), the system: • includes an item’s Projected returns quantity in the quantity available. • leaves the date expected blank if the available quantity is zero or less and there is no quantity expected on open purchase orders (based on the On order quantity field for the Item Warehouse); otherwise, the system uses regular logic to determine the date expected; see Date Expected. • uses regular logic to set the default delivery date flag; see Default Delivery Date flag. Example: Item A1 has an available quantity of 0, a projected returns quantity of 10, and a soldout control value with a status of 2. No open PO exists for the item. Results: • Quantity available = 10 (returns quantity) • Date Expected = current date + FTC -- # of Days for Items without Expected Ship Date (C71) • Default Delivery Date flag = 1
	Example: Item A2 has an available quantity of 100, a projected returns quantity of 10, and a soldout control value with a status of 2. No open PO exists for the item. Results: • Quantity available = 110 (100 + 10) • Date Expected = current date + FTC -- # of Days for Items without Expected Ship Date (C71) • Default Delivery Date flag = 1 Example: Item A3 has an available quantity of -5, a projected returns quantity of 20, and a soldout control value with a status of 2. An open PO exists for the item with an expected date of 5/20/2012. Results: • Quantity available = 15 (-5 + 20) • Date Expected = 05202012 (PO date) • Default Delivery Date flag = 0 Example: Item A4 has an available quantity of -5, a projected returns quantity of 20, and a soldout control value with a status of 2. No open PO exists for the item. Results: • Quantity available = 15 (-5 + 20) • Date Expected = current date + FTC -- # of Days for Items without Expected Ship Date (C71) • Default Delivery Date flag = 1
	If the Include Projected Returns in Available Quantity for OE (L68) system control value is set to Y, the Include Projected Returns in Available Quantity for Download (J62) is set to N, and the item/SKU has a soldout control value with a status of 2 (include on-order quantity in soldout calculation), the system: • does NOT include an item’s Projected returns quantity in the quantity available. • leaves the date expected blank if the available quantity is zero or less and there is no quantity expected on open purchase orders (based on the On order quantity field for the Item Warehouse); otherwise, the system uses regular logic to determine the date expected; see Date Expected. • sets the default delivery date flag to: • 0 if the date expected is the actual purchase order date from the PO Layering (POLAYR) file, OR the item has no available quantity and is associated with an open purchase order or has a Projected return quantity. • 1 if the date was defaulted based on the FTC -- # of Days for Items without Expected Ship Date (C71) system control value.
	Example: Item A1 has an available quantity of 0, a projected returns quantity of 10, and a soldout control value with a status of 2. No open PO exists for the item. Results: • Quantity available = 0 • Date Expected = blank • Default Delivery Date flag = 0 Example: Item A2 has an available quantity of 100, a projected returns quantity of 10, and a soldout control value with a status of 2. No open PO exists for the item. Results: • Quantity available = 100 • Date Expected = current date + FTC -- # of Days for Items without Expected Ship Date (C71) • Default Delivery Date flag = 1 Example: Item A3 has an available quantity of -5, a projected returns quantity of 20, and a soldout control value with a status of 2. An open PO exists for the item with an expected date of 5/20/2012. Results: • Quantity available = 0 • Date Expected = 05202012 • Default Delivery Date flag = 0
	Example: Item A4 has an available quantity of -5, a projected returns quantity of 20, and a soldout control value with a status of 2. No open PO exists for the item. Results: • Quantity available = 0 • Date Expected = blank • Default Delivery Date flag = 0
3 = exclude on-order quantity in the soldout calculation	• Quantity available = same as an item without a soldout control code. • Date Expected = blank if no quantity available • Default Delivery Date flag = 1 if no quantity available

Item Availability Data for Set Items

The availability of a set item is based on the availability of its components; in this case, the information in the availability download is consistent with the “worst case scenario” for the set based on its components, as described in the following table.

Note: These scenarios assume that the Include Projected Returns in Available Quantity for Download (J62) system control value is set to Y. If that system control value is set to N, then the Projected returns quantity is not considered as part of the availability calculation.

Set includes:	Availability download indicates:
six components; five components have several hundred available each, but one component has only five available; the set master item does not have a soldout control value or a Projected returns quantity	Quantity available = 5 Date expected = from the latest expected delivery date Delivery date = 1
five components: four are available, but one is backordered; the set master item does not have a soldout control value or a Projected returns quantity	Quantity available = 0 Date expected = from the backordered item (actual or default) Delivery date = 1
seven components: six are available, but one has a soldout control of 1 (sell out immediately); the set master item does not have a soldout control value or a Projected returns quantity	Quantity available = 0 Date expected = blank Delivery date = 1
three components: two components have over 100 available, but one component has just 10 available; the set master item has a soldout control value of 2 (include on-order quantity in soldout calculation) and has a Projected returns quantity of 20	Quantity available = 20 Date expected = from the backordered item (actual or default) Delivery date = 0

How to sell out the set, regardless of the availability of its components: To have the set item itself appear to be sold out, regardless of the availability of its components, assign the set item a soldout control status of sellout immediately.

Note: In order entry, the set item will sell out if it is assigned any soldout control code; however, in the item availability download for e-commerce, only a soldout control status of sellout immediately will make the set item appear to be sold out.

Item Availability Data for Non-Inventory and Drop Ship Items

Availability information is irrelevant for the following types of items, which will have the Quantity available set to 99999:

• non-inventory items (based on the Non/inv (Non inventory) flag for the item)

• membership items (based on the Membership flag)

• gift certificates (based on the Gift cert (Gift certificate) flag)

• subscriptions (based on the Subscription flag)

• drop ship items

Note: A stored value card item, if not flagged as Non/inv (Non inventory), is not included in the availability download.

Calculating expected ship date for drop ship items: The Assign Drop Ship Expected Ship Date (I59) controls how the expected ship date is calculated for drop ship items. If this system control value is:

• set to N: the expected ship date is calculated using FTC -- # of Days for Items without Expected Ship Date (C71)

• set to Y:

• CWCollaborate items (the item’s default vendor has the Drop ship output field set to C): the expected ship date = the current date + Drop Ship Lead Days (H36) + the Lead days for the vendor item

• other drop ship items: the expected ship date = the current date + FTC -- # of Days to Add for Drop Ships (C68) + the Lead days for the vendor item