Purpose: Use this screen to indicate the number of characters in the postal code to consider when scanning for a customer.
Number field: Enter the number of positions to use for searching based on postal code (or zip) code. Any additional characters in the postal code beyond this number do not affect the sequence in which matching records are presented.
Example: Most of your customers are in the U.S., so you have this system control value set to 5. Most customers know their five-position postal code (such as 01760), but do not know the full ZIP+4 (such as 01760-1234). When you scan based on postal code, customers with the full ZIP+4 are included in the search results with customers whose postal codes are just five positions; they are not listed after the five-position postal codes.
How does the system use this system control value to control scanning by postal code? Even though the system saves the full ten positions of the customer’s postal code in the related customer table, the system does not actually use this field for searching and scanning. Instead, it uses an additional, hidden Postal code scan field in the related customer table to find customers based on postal code. This hidden field includes the number of positions of the postal code that is indicated by the system control value, with any additional positions saved as blank spaces. For example, if this system control value is set to 5, and the customer’s actual postal code is 01760, this hidden field is set to 01760 with five blank spaces.
If you set this system control value to 10, the system uses the full ten positions of the postal code for scanning. As a result, customers whose postal codes include the full ZIP+4 (such as 01760-1234) are listed after customers who use the five-position postal code (such as 01760) at a scan screen.
How to use postal code scanning based on this system control value: When searching for a customer based on postal code, your entry should not exceed the number of positions indicated in this system control value. For example, if this system control value is set to 5, enter up to five positions of the postal code to search correctly:
• Enter 017 to display postal codes such as 01701, 01702, etc.
• Enter 01760 to display postal codes such as 01760, 01761, etc.
However, at most scan screens, if you enter more than five positions when scanning, your search results begin after your entry. For example, enter 01760-1234 to display postal codes starting at 01761, etc.; 01760 and any variation (01760-1234, 01760-5678, etc.) are not included in the search results. Based on the five positions indicated by this system control value, these postal codes occur after 01760 alphanumerically.
Available for customer or address types: Scanning based on the designated postal code length is available for:
• Customer Sold To
• Customer Ship To (Address Book)
• Customer Bill To
• One Time Ship To Address
Scanning based on the designated postal code length is not available for other types of addresses, such as vendor.
Used where? The postal code length scanning applies when you search for a customer in:
• customer maintenance: see Selecting Customers
• order inquiry: see Using the Order Inquiry Scan Screens (OIOM)
• order maintenance: see Selecting an Order for Maintenance
• order entry: see Selecting Customers in Order Entry
• entering catalog requests: see Entering Catalog Requests (WCAT)
• return authorizations: see Selecting Orders for Return (WRTA)
• Generic Customer Inquiry (Search) API
Important: If you set this system control value to zero, the system does not update the Postal code scan field in any of the customer tables. As a result, you cannot scan on postal code.
