Default Customer for Customer API (I90)

Purpose: Use this screen to indicate the customer record to use as a guideline indicating which fields can be overwritten with blanks when you process a customer update through the generic customer API.

Number field: Enter the customer number that identifies the default customer the Generic Customer API uses as a guideline when processing a Change request. The information specifies how to process customer updates as follows:

For each field that is not provided in the Inbound Customer Message (CWCustomerIn), the Customer API checks the corresponding field for the default customer.

• If that field contains any data in the default customer record, then the Customer API does not clear the information in that field for the customer being updated. Example: The default customer has data in the home phone number field. The Customer API receives a change request through the CWCustomerIn message. No home phone number is specified in the CWCustomerIn message, and the specified customer currently has a home phone number on record. The Customer API does not clear (blank out) the customer’s home phone number.

• Otherwise, if that field does not contain data in the default customer record, then the Customer API clears that field when updating the customer. Example: The default customer does not have data in the home phone number field. The Customer API receives a change request through the CWCustomerIn message. No home phone number is specified in the CWCustomerIn message, and the specified customer currently has a home phone number on record. The Customer API clears (blanks out) the customer’s home phone number.

Note: It does not matter what the data is in the corresponding field for the default customer record; the process simply checks to see whether there is any data.

Why use default customer? Using a default customer enables you to use the customer API to process customer updates that do not include the customer’s complete name and address. You can receive just the information that needs to change, and leave other fields with their current values.

Important: While defining a default customer is not required for the Generic Customer API, create it to avoid errors when processing a Change CWCustomerIn request.

Regular customer validation still applies: The Customer API still requires all of the same information required whenever you create or update a customer. For example, even if no city is provided through the CWCustomerIn message, the Customer API does not clear the City field for a customer.

Primary email updates: Regardless of whether the Email address field (primary email) is blank for the default customer, the Customer API does not clear an existing primary email address if no email address is passed in the CWCustomerIn message.

Suppress sales rep email: The system does not use the default customer for the cst_suppress_sales_rep_email attribute. If this attribute is not included or is invalid in a Change request, the system updates the Suppress Sales Rep Email Flag field for the sold to customer in the Customer Sold To table to Y.

Leave this field blank if you do not use the Generic Customer API to process customer updates.

For more information: See Changing a Customer using the Customer API for more information on processing an Inbound Customer Message (CWCustomerIn) Change request.