Alternate Methods of Entering Items in Order Entry

Purpose: There are alternative methods of identifying and entering items in order entry by specifying an alternate item or SKU code:

• alias

• SKU cross reference (non-JCP; not associated with an offer)

• SKU cross-reference (JCP; specific to offer)

• fast track item code

• page/letter code

Note: MICROS recommends that you select a single method of cross-referencing items by an alternate item or SKU code, as attempting to use multiple cross-referencing options can yield unpredictable results.

In this topic:

• Ordering Items by Alias in Order Entry

• Alias Selection Screen

• SKU Cross Reference Codes in Order Entry

• SKU Cross Reference Selection Screen

• Fast Track Items

• Enter Fast Track Window (Entering Fast Track Items)

• Using Item# or Page/Letter Code

For more information: See Maintaining SKU Cross Reference/JCP Codes (MSKR) for information on working with JCP cross reference codes that are specific to an offer.

Ordering Items by Alias in Order Entry

Overview: You can set up aliases for items within a specific offer to provide an alternate means to identify the item within the offer. Aliases are alternate item codes you can set up by offer in order to track demand for an item by offer or depiction. You can set up aliases only at the base item level, not at the SKU level.

Display alias? If the Display Item Alias (D56) system control value is set to Y, the screens you use in order entry display the alias code rather than the actual item code when you add the item to the order; also, when you prompt (press F4 on) the Item field in order entry you advance to the Alias Selection Screen, which displays only the existing item aliases related to the current offer; however, you can select an alternative offer to display aliases associated with that offer.

Search across offers? The Search Offers for Alias (J68) system control value enables the system to search for aliases in order entry, order maintenance, and working with return authorizations, including the following screens:

• Work with Order Lines Screen (Line-by-Line Format)

• Work with Order Lines Screen (Full-Screen Format)

• Work with Order/Detail Screen

• Enter Return/Exchange Reason Window

• Enter Exchange Item Screen

The Search Offers for Alias (J68) system control value does not enable the system to search for aliases when you are Entering B2B Orders or at the Create RA Detail Screen (for mis-ship returns). Also, this system control value does not affect the Display Item Availability Screen (Reviewing Item Availability), where the system is always able to locate items by any alias you enter.

Tracking demand: If the Search Offers for Alias (J68) system control value is set to Y, the system uses the Alias field in the Order Detail file to record the alias used to add an item to an order. Also, the Override Offer on Order Detail Line (D49) or the Override Offer/Page/Alias on Order Detail (E72) affect how you track demand in the Order Detail file. See those system control values for more information.

Differs from SKU cross reference: Unlike SKU cross references, you set up aliases at the item level and associate them with a particular offer. Aliases enable you to track demand for an item within an offer. See SKU Cross Reference Codes in Order Entry for information on how you use SKU cross reference codes.

Alias Selection Screen

How to display this screen: You advance to this screen by prompting (pressing F4 on) the Item field in order entry if the Display Item Alias (D56) system control value is set to Y.

INR0946 SELECT Alias Selection 12/05/06 14:54:18 EZK Mail Order Opt Alias Description Offer OFR Type options, press Enter. 1=Select AUG11234441 AUGIE DOGGIE DOLL OFR BDDD1234 AUGIE DOGGIE DOLL OFR BR13413444 BELT OFR BP101 GUATAMALAN BELT PACK OFR MA234324 MOSAIC KIT OFR NSTS3241234 ALLSPICE 2 OZ. OFR 423423432 83% BAKING CHOCOLATE OFR RAB234 SOLID PREMIUM MILK CHOCOL OFR VAN1324333 PURE VANILLA EXTRACT OFR RQREER22 COLORED PENCILS OFR F3=Exit F12=Cancel

Field	Description
Alias	The alias you have set up for the item through the Work with Alias Screen. Aliases are at the item level rather than the SKU level. Alphanumeric, 12 positions; optional.
Description	The description of the item, from the Item file. Alphanumeric, 25 positions; optional.
Offer	The offer related to the source code on the order header. See Determining the Offer and Price for a discussion of how the system determines the offer to display if you display this screen from the Display Item Availability Screen (Reviewing Item Availability). Alphanumeric, 3 positions; optional.

SKU Cross Reference Codes in Order Entry

About SKU cross references: Cross reference codes enable you to identify items in CWDirect by the codes used for these items in external systems, such as retail outlets. You can use these codes to identify items and add them to orders, similar to aliases. SKU cross reference codes differ from aliases in that:

• They are not associated with (or restricted to) particular offers

• They are associated with specific SKUs of an item, rather than with the base item of SKU’d items

• The system does not display the SKU cross reference once the item is on the order

• The system does not record the SKU cross reference that was used to select an item for an order or track demand based on the SKU cross reference used

Prompting for items by cross reference code: If the Search SKU Cross Reference (J56) system control value is set to Y and the Display Item Alias (D56) system control value is set to N, you can display the SKU Cross Reference Selection Screen, which lists items by their SKU cross reference codes, when you prompt (F4) on the Item field in order entry, at the display item availability screen, and when working with return authorizations.

Entering a SKU cross reference code rather than an item code: If a SKU cross reference is assigned to a SKU cross reference type that is flagged not to restrict search (the Restrict search flag for the SKU cross reference type is set to N), then you can add the item to an order by entering the SKU cross reference code in the Item field.

Note: The Item field can be a maximum of 12 positions, but the SKU cross reference code field allows for up to 30 positions in length. As a result, you can enter the SKU cross reference code in the Item field only if it does not exceed 12 positions, regardless of the setting of the Restrict search flag for the SKU cross reference type. However, you can always add an item to the order by selecting it at the SKU Cross Reference Selection Screen, regardless of the length of the SKU cross reference code.

Automatically creating SKU cross references for new items/SKUs: To have the system automatically create a cross-reference whenever you create an item/SKU, you specify the cross reference type code to use in the SKU Cross Reference Type (J55) system control value. When the system automatically creates the SKU cross reference code this way, the code is identical to the item and SKU codes concatenated with any spaces omitted, and makes searching for an item/SKU easier if you use the SKU Cross Reference Selection Screen. If this system control value is blank, the system does not automatically create SKU cross references at item/SKU creation. Having the system automatically create the SKU cross reference enables you to select items using either the SKU cross reference code or the regular item code from the SKU Cross Reference Selection Screen, simplifying the item selection process in order entry.

SKU Cross Reference Selection Screen

How to display this screen: You advance to this screen by prompting (pressing F4 on) the Item field in regular order entry, business to business order entry, work with return authorizations, and at the Display Item Availability Screen (Reviewing Item Availability) if the Search SKU Cross Reference (J56) system control value is set to Y and the Display Item Alias (D56) system control value is set to N.

INR1879 DISPLAY SKU Cross Reference Selection 12/06/06 10:19:19 EZK Mail Order Opt SKU Cross Reference # Item# SKU Type Item Description SKU Description Type options, press Enter. 1=Select AC10000CHOCALMNGNTL AC10000 CHOC ALMN GNTL PSTS SUPER SKIN CONDITIONER EXTRA DRY DMMSPEN23BLUE PEN23 BLUE DMMS fine point gel writer blue ink EARMUFFS EARMUFFS PSTS WARM EARMUFFS WARM EARMUFFS GLOVESBLUE GLOVES BLUE PSTS WARM KNIT GLOVES BLUE GLOVES GLOVESGRN GLOVES GRN PSTS WARM KNIT GLOVES GREEN GLOVES + F3=Exit F7=Scan by Keyword F8=Scan by Item F12=Cancel

Field	Description
SKU cross reference #	The code used to identify the item/SKU in an external system, such as a retail store. If you use the SKU Cross Reference Type (J55) system control value to have the system automatically create a SKU cross reference each time you create a new item/SKU, then these SKU cross reference codes are composed of the complete item and SKU codes with any blank spaces omitted. For example, when you create a SKU of BLUE 7 WIDE for item AB1234, the system creates a SKU cross reference code of AB1234BLUE7WIDE. Multiple listings of items/SKUs: Because this screen lists each existing SKU cross reference code for an item/SKU, each item/SKU can be listed multiple times on this screen. For example, if a SKU is cross-referenced to seven external systems, the screen lists the same SKU seven times. Alphanumeric, 30 positions; optional.
Item	The CWDirect item code. Alphanumeric, 12 positions; display-only.
SKU	The item’s additional characteristics, such as its color and size. Alphanumeric, 14 positions (full SKU) or three 4-position fields (split SKU); display-only.
Type	The SKU cross reference type that identifies the source of the SKU cross reference. If the cross reference type matches the SKU Cross Reference Type (J55) system control value, this indicates that the system creates SKU cross reference codes automatically based on the CWDirect item and SKU codes.The Restrict search? flag for the type code also indicates whether you can add an item to the order by entering the SKU cross reference code in the Item field. See Working with SKU Cross Reference Types (WSXT) for more information on SKU cross reference types. Alphanumeric, 4 positions; optional.
Item description	The description of the item from the Item file. Alphanumeric, 40 positions; optional.
SKU description	The description of the SKU from the SKU file, or the item description from the Item file in the case of non-SKU’d items. Alphanumeric, 40 positions; optional.

Option	Procedure
Advance to a screen where you can select items by keyword	Press F7 to advance to the Keyword Selection Screen (Scanning for Items Using Item Keywords).
Advance to a screen where you can select items by CWDirect item code	Press F8 to advance to the Item Selection screen, which lists all items in your company in alphanumeric order by the base CWDirect item code.

Fast Track Items

About fast track item entry: With fast track item entry, you enter a "dummy" item that the system converts to one of three valid items, based on a purchase date, cutoff code, and/or serial number. Fast track item processing is useful when you sell date-sensitive, warranty or upgrade items and the system, not the Order Entry operator, determines which item the customer should actually receive.

The Fast Track Inventory (A70) system control value must be set to Y for the system to perform fast track item conversion.

The system performs fast track item processing only for items defined in the Fast Track Item file; regular items are handled as usual. See Working with Fast Track Items (WFTI).

Fast track items are items that are not kept in your inventory. Based on a serial number or a cutoff date, the system replaces the fast track item with one of three valid items.

Fast track items are defined in the Fast Track Item file (WFTI). The item conversion (how the system will replace the generic, fast track item with a another item) depends on the value in the Cutoff code field in the Fast Track Item record, which may contain:

• D = Item conversion based on purchase date

• S = Item conversion based on serial number

• B = Item conversion based on purchase date and serial number

• N = Item conversion based on neither factor, the system will replace the fast track item automatically with representative item #1.

Note: A "dummy" record must exist in the Item file for the fast track item. In addition, the conversion items must exist in the Item file. See Working with Existing Items (MITM).

Enter Fast Track Window (Entering Fast Track Items)

Use this window to identify the purchase date and/or the serial number of the item. The system, in turn, evaluates this information and adds an item to the order in place of the representative fast track item.

When appears?

• The Fast Track Inventory (A70) system control value is set to Y, and

• The customer orders a fast track item defined in the Item file and Fast Track Item file.

Based on the fast track item being ordered, you may enter information in the Serial number or Purchase date field, both fields, or neither field. The system evaluates these conditions, and, through fast track item conversion, replaces the “dummy” fast track item number automatically with a valid item defined in the Fast Track Item file.

Enter Fast Track Purchase date . . Serial# . . . . F12=Cancel

Item conversion processing: The system uses the value in the Cutoff code field in the Fast Track Item record to determine which item will be added to the order in place of the fast track item, based on the date you enter in the Purchase date field and/or the Serial # field on the Fast Track pop-up window.

If Cutoff Code	Meets this condition	The system uses
D = Purchase Date	Is before the cutoff date	Ref. Item #1
	Is equal to or after the cutoff date	Ref. Item #2
S = Serial #	Is less than the cutoff serial #	Ref. Item #1
	Is equal to or greater than the cutoff serial #	Ref. Item #2
B = Both (Purchase Date and Serial #)	Purchase date is before the cutoff date, and the Serial # is less than the cutoff serial #	Ref. Item #1
	Purchase date is greater than or equal to the cutoff date, and the Serial # is less than, equal to or greater than the cutoff serial #	Ref. Item #2
	Purchase date is before the cutoff date, and the Serial # is greater than or equal to the cutoff serial #	Ref. Item #3
N = None	--	Ref. Item #1

Using Item# or Page/Letter Code

Purpose: The Page/Letter Entry (A72) system control value indicates whether you identify the items you are adding to the order by the item number or the page/letter assignment in the catalog. With page/letter item entry, you specify the catalog page and letter assignment instead of the item number to identify the items being ordered. When you use this item entry method, you define a page/letter assignment for every item you sell. The catalog represents the code for the offer in which the item is sold; the letter represents the place on the page in which the item is advertised.

This is a system-level option that cannot be changed once you start entering orders on the system.

Entering the item#: When using regular item entry, you enter the item number, and the individual SKUs For example, with regular item entry, the customer orders a jacket by requesting “item # 5372, size = SML, color = MUL.” You enter the item number in the Item field, which is a 12-position field shown in this example:

Ofr Item CLR SIZE WDTH Qty Price N/C Ovr C/G S/H Whs

SU6 5372 MUL SML 1

Entering the page letter code: With Page/Letter entry each item included in the catalog is assigned a code instead of an item number. This code consists of the page in which the item is presented and a corresponding letter. The customer orders an item using the page/letter code and the desired SKU. For example, with page/letter format, the customer orders a jacket by requesting “...14B, size = SML, color = MUL...” You enter the page/letter code in the Page/letter field; which is a 12-position field shown in this example.

Ofr Page/Letter CLR SIZE WDTH Qty Price N/C Ovr C/G S/H Whs

SU6 5372 MUL SML 1

Note: In page letter entry, you enter just the letter code, not the page number. For example, if you create a page letter of 234 for an item on page 56, you enter 234 in order entry.