VendorConnector

Use the following instructions to copy the database component files and install the database component updates.

Copying Database Component FilesCopying Database Component Files

Installing the Database Component UpdatesInstalling the Database Component Updates

The VendorConnector Tool is automatically installed with e-automate. To access the VendorConnector Tool functionality from within e-automate, you can use the Add-in Manager to add a VendorConnector option to the main e-automate window's Tools menu. To add this option to the Tools menu, do the following:

Login to e-automate.

From the Tools menu in e-automate, select Add-in Manager... to open the Add-in Manager window.

In the Menu text field, enter VendorConnector to identify this menu option.

In the Command line or web URL field, do the following:

To populate the Command line or web URL field, click the  Browse for program (folder) icon to the right of the field to open the Open window.

Using the Open window, populate the File name field by browsing to the location of the eAddins.exe file on your computer.

Click the Open window's [Open] button to close the Open window and to populate the Add-in Manager window's Command line or web URL field with the selected path and file name.

In the Command arguments field, type the following, exactly as it appears below. Be sure to match upper and lower case letters.

VendorConnectorImport
 

Check the Include user info checkbox.

Click [QuickAdd] to add the entry to the list.

Click [Close] to close the Add In Manager window. The e-automate Tools menu now displays the VendorConnector menu option. Use this option to access the VendorConnector Tool.

To set up an existing vendor as a VendorConnector Vendor, do the following:

On the e-automate tool bar, click [Vendors] to open the Vendors window.

From the list, select the vendor you want to identify as a VendorConnector vendor.

Click [Edit] to open the Edit Vendor window.

Click the Miscellaneous tab to bring it forward.

In the Order method field, use the drop-down menu to select Export.

In the PO export module field, use the lookup to select VendorConnector Export.

Click [OK] to save this change.

For information on creating a new vendor, see the Creating Vendors topic.  When you enter information on the Miscellaneous tab, enter the selections listed in Steps 5 and 6 above.

To configure the VendorConnector Export Module, do the following:

From the Tools menu, select Options to open the Options window.

In the left pane of the window, double-click on Misc. options. The miscellaneous options are displayed in the right pane.

Click the [Export Modules] button to open the Export Modules window.

Select VendorConnector Export.

Click the [Configure] button to open the VendorConnector Import/Export Settings window. Do the following:

Click the [Dealer Credentials] button to open the VendorConnector Settings window. Do the following:

In the Dealer Auth Token field, enter the appropriate token.

In the Dealer Pass Key field, enter the appropriate pass key.

Click the [Test]button.  If the system displays a "Success!" message, the system was able to verify your dealer credentials; if the system displays a "Test failed" message, view the details of the message and recheck the dealer credentials you entered.

Click the [OK] button to close the VendorConnector Settings window.

Click [Vendors] to open the Vendor Mapping window. Do the following:

In the e-automate vendors field, select a vendor for whom you created a Vendor record in e-automate to work with the VendorConnector Tool.

In the VendorConnector vendors field, select the vendor you want to map your e-automate vendor to.

Click the [Add] button to add the mapping to the list of mappings on this window.

Click the [OK] button to close the Vendor Mapping window.

Click the [Ship Methods] button to open the Shipping Method Mapping window. Do the following:

In the e-automate shipping methods field, use the drop-down menu to select an e-automate shipping method that you want to map to a VendorConnector shipping method.

In the VendorConnector shipping methods field, select the vendor method shipping method you want to map your e-automate shipping method to.

Click the [Add] button to add the mapping to the list of mappings on this window.

Click the [OK] button to close the Shipping Method Mapping window.

Click the [Close] button to close the VendorConnector Import/Export Settings window.

Click the [Close] button to close the Export Modules window.

Click the [OK] button to save your changes and to close the Options window.

For any item you want to add to a purchase order to be processed via VendorConnector for a VendorConnector vendor, the item's Item record should be updated to include the vendor's Vendor item number on the Edit Item Vendor window. If any item that does not include the vendor's Vendor item number is added to a purchase order to be processed via VendorConnector for a VendorConnector vendor, the VendorConnector vendor will reject the entire purchase order.

 Additionally, if you plan to use the Inventory Logistics Console (ILC) to generate purchase orders and want to check the Auto assign preferred vendor checkbox on the Add to Queue window to have the system automatically assign the preferred vendor when multiple vendors are listed for an item, then checking the Preferred item vendor checkbox on the Edit Item Vendor window will facilitate the process of assigning the item to this vendor when generating purchase orders through the ILC.

For more information on creating and/or updating Item records, see the topics in the online help's E-automate > Inventory > Functional > Item Creation book. For information on using the Inventory Item utility's Insert and Update Item Vendors tab to update the Vendor item number field and the Preferred item vendor checkbox setting in the Item records, see the Using the Inventory Item Utility Spreadsheet topic.

The ship-to customer location must include the Country code. For information on updating Customer records, see the Creating Customers topic.

 Use the VendorConnector Tool to do the following:

From the e-automate Tools menu, select VendorConnector to open the VendorConnector Import window.

To pull shipping receipts from VendorConnector vendors and create PO receipts in e-automate based on the pulled shipping receipts, do the following:

Select the Create PO Receipts radio button.

Pull shipping receipts from VendorConnector vendors by doing the following:

Click the Pull shipping receipts icon.  The system displays the Import Shipping Receipts from VendorConnector window.

To specify the vendors from whom to import shipping receipts, do any of the following:

To pull receipts from all vendors, check the All VendorConnector vendors checkbox.

To pull receipts from one vendor, do the following:

Uncheck the All VendorConnector vendors checkbox.

In the Vendor field, use the lookup to select the vendor from whom to pull shipping receipts.

In the From date field, enter the beginning date from which to pull shipping receipts.

In the To date field, enter the ending date through which to pull shipping receipts.

Click [OK] to close this window and to pull the receipts. The system displays a message similar to the following: "Vendor [Vendor Number]: Retrieved [Number] new line item(s) to be received."

Click [OK] to acknowledge and close the message. The system updates the display with the pulled shipping receipts information. For each shipping receipt, the display lists the following information: VendorConnector vendor, Shipping receipt number, Shipping receipt date, PO number, Order date, Order req date, Vendor name, Description, Order Type, Purchaser, and Ship to name.

To create purchase receipts in e-automate from the shipping receipts pulled in Step 2.b, do the following:

For each row listed in the display on the VendorConnector Import window for which you want to create a purchase order receipt in e-automate, check the checkbox at the beginning of the row.

Click the Create receipts icon.  The system creates the PO receipts and displays a message similar to the following: "Successfully created [Number] PO receipt(s)."

Click [OK] to close the message and to clear the selected row(s) from the display on the VendorConnector Import window.

To pull invoices from VendorConnector vendors and create PO invoices in e-automate based on the pulled invoices, do the following:

Select the Create PO Invoices radio button.

Pull invoices from VendorConnector vendors by doing the following:

Click the Pull invoices icon.  The system displays the Import Invoices from VendorConnector window.

To specify the vendors from whom to import invoices, do any of the following:

To pull invoices from all vendors, check the All VendorConnector vendors checkbox.

To pull invoices from one vendor, do the following:

Uncheck the All VendorConnector vendors checkbox.

In the Vendor field, use the lookup to select the vendor from whom to pull invoices.

In the From date field, enter the beginning date from which to pull invoices.

In the To date field, enter the ending date through which to pull invoices.

Click [OK] to close this window and to pull the invoices. The system displays a message similar to the following: "Vendor [Vendor Number]: Retrieved [Number] new line item(s) to be invoiced."

Click [OK] to acknowledge and close the message. The system updates the display with the pulled invoice information. For each invoice, the display lists the following information: Invoice number, Invoice date, PO number, Vendor name, VendorConnector vendor, Description, Order Type, Purchaser, and Ship to name.

In the Price reconciliation region, do one of the following:

Select Use PO cost if the system should use the purchase order cost for any item where the monetary amount listed on the purchase order does not match the monetary amount listed on the invoice for the item.

Select Use invoice cost if the system should use the invoice cost for any item where the monetary amount listed on the purchase order does not match the monetary amount listed on the invoice for the item.

To create purchase invoices in e-automate from the invoices pulled in Step 3.b, do the following:

For each row listed in the display on the VendorConnector Import window for which you want to create a purchase order invoice in e-automate, check the checkbox at the beginning of the row.

Click the Create invoices icon.  The system creates the PO invoices and displays a message similar to the following: "Successfully created [Number] PO invoice(s)."

Click [OK] to close the message and to clear the selected row(s) from the display on the VendorConnector Import window.