Platform Data Requirements

There is a subset of core platform data files that can be created and loaded once and then used across some or all application modules. These files use a specific format as detailed below.

Note:

Every application included with Retail Analytics and Planning has additional data needs beyond this foundation data. But this common set of files can be used to initialize the system before moving on to those specific requirements.

The first table defines the minimum dimensional data. A dimension is a collection of descriptive elements, attributes, or hierarchical structures that provide context to your business data. Dimensions tell the platform what your business looks like and how it operates. This is not the entire list of possible dimension files, just the main ones needed to use the platform. Refer to Legacy Foundation File Reference for a complete list of available platform foundation files, along with a cross-reference to the legacy interfaces they most closely align with. A complete interface specification document is also available in My Oracle Support to assist you in planning your application-specific interface needs.

Table 3-1 Common Foundation Dimensions

Dimension	Filename(s)	Usage
Product	PRODUCT.csv	The product foundation data includes the items you sell, their core merchandise attributes, and their hierarchical structure in your source systems.
Product	PRODUCT_ALT.csv	Alternate product attributes and hierarchy levels intended for downstream Planning application extensions.
Organization	ORGANIZATION.csv	The organization foundation data includes all of your business entities involved in the movement or sale of merchandise. This includes stores, warehouses, partner/finisher locations, web stores, and virtual warehouses. It also includes your organizational hierarchy and core location attributes.
Organization	ORGANIZATION_ALT.csv	Alternate location attributes and hierarchy levels intended for downstream Planning application extensions.
Calendar	CALENDAR.csv	The calendar foundation data defines your business (or fiscal) calendar. This is the calendar that you operate in when making critical business decisions, reporting on financial results, and planning for the future. The most common calendar used by all modules of the platform is a 4-5-4 fiscal calendar.
Exchange Rates	EXCH_RATE.csv	Exchange rates define the conversion of monetary values from the currency they are recorded in to your primary operating currency. Most data is provided to the platform in the local currency of the data source, and it is converted to your primary currency during the load process.
Product Attributes	ATTR.csv PROD_ATTR.csv	Product attributes describe the physical and operational characteristics of your merchandise and are a critical piece of information for many AI Foundation modules, such as Demand Transference and Size Profile Optimization. They are not required as an initial input to start data loads but will eventually be needed for most applications to function.
System Parameters	RA_SRC_CURR_PARAM_G.dat	Parameters file that supports certain batch processes, such as the ability to load multiple ZIP files and run batches in sequence. Include this file with nightly batch uploads to specify the current business date, which enables the system to run multiple batches in sequence without customer input. Required once you begin nightly or weekly batch uploads.

The other set of foundation files are referred to as facts. Fact data covers all of the actual events, transactions, and activities occurring throughout the day in your business. Each module in the platform has specific fact data needs, but the most common ones are listed below. At a minimum, you should expect to provide Sales, Inventory, and Receipts data for use in most platform modules. The intersection of all data (meaning which dimensional values are used) is at a common level of item/location/date. Additional identifiers may be needed on some files; for example, the sales data should be at the transaction level, the inventory file has a clearance indicator, and the adjustments file has type codes and reason codes.

Table 3-2 Common Foundation Facts

Dimension	Filename(s)	Usage
Sales	SALES.csv	Transaction-level records for customer sales (wholesale data provided separately). Used across all modules.
Inventory	INVENTORY.csv	Physical inventory levels for owned merchandise as well as consignment and concession items. Used across all modules.
Receipts	RECEIPT.csv	Inventory receipts into any location, including purchase order and transfer receipts. Used by Insights, Planning, and the AI Foundation modules to identify the movement of inventory into a location and to track first/last receipt date attributes.
Adjustments	ADJUSTMENT.csv	Inventory adjustments made at a location, including shrink, wastage, theft, stock counts, and other reasons. Used by Insights and Planning modules.
Purchase Orders	ORDER_HEAD.csv ORDER_DETAIL.csv	The purchase order data for all orders placed with suppliers. Held at a level of order number, supplier, item, location, and date. Separate files are needed for the order attributes and order quantities/amounts. Used by Insights and Planning modules.
Markdowns	MARKDOWN.csv	The currency amount above or below the listed price of an item when that item's price is modified for any reason (planned markdown, POS discount, promotional sale, and so on). Used By Insights and Planning modules.
Transfers	TRANSFER.csv	The movement of inventory between two locations (both physical and virtual). Used By Insights and Planning modules.
Returns to Vendor	RTV.csv	The return of owned inventory to a supplier or vendor. Used by Insights and Planning modules.
Prices	PRICE.csv	The current selling retail value of an item at a location. Used by Insights and AI Foundation modules.
Costs	COST.csv	The base unit cost and derived net costs of an item at a location. Used by Retail Insights only.
Wholesale/Franchise	SALES_WF.csv	Sales and markdown data from wholesale and franchise operations. Used by all modules.
Deal Income	DEAL_INCOME.csv	Income associated with deals made with suppliers and vendors. Used by Insights and Planning modules.

Details on which application modules make use of specific files (or columns within a file) can be found in the Interfaces Guide on My Oracle Support. Make sure you have a full understanding of the data needs for each application you are implementing before moving on to later steps in the process. If it is your first time creating these files, read Data File Generation, for important information about key file structures and business rules that must be followed for each foundation file.