Interface Import

SYSPRO Interface Import

When you load this program for the first time, any files identified as being importable are listed on the opening screen.


This list is not displayed for subsequent runs of the program (even if you do not import them on the first run). You can view a list of these importable files using the View Files to Import function, located on the screen indicating the available selection options for the Interface Import program.

This list is not displayed for subsequent runs of the program (even if you do not import them on the first run).

You can view a list of these importable files using the View Files to Import function, located on the screen indicating the available selection options for the Interface Import program.

Field

Description

Interface Import Selections

Select this function to access the selection options for the Interface Import program.

Local site

This indicates your local site identifier code.

Import site selection

To import files, the interface system must know all the sites from which a local site will be importing. These must be added using the Interface Sites program.

All

Select this to import files from all sites defined as part of this local site's network.

Single

Select this to import files only from a specific site.

View files to Import

Select this to view all the files available for importing to your selected site.

Irrespective of the number of files you are importing, a maximum of 200 files are displayed in this listview. The number of files displayed and the number of files to import are displayed on the screen. These values will only differ if the there are more than 200 files to be imported.

Update prices/discounts

Update files from import

Select this to update prices and discounts when importing inventory.


	You can only access this option if you selected the option: Request at run time at the Update prices/discountswhen importing inventory field of the Interface System Setup program.

Payments linked to Cash Book

Update Cash Book when printing deposit slips

Select this to update the Cash Book with details of any payments that are imported. These transactions are not printed on the deposit slip itself.


	You can only access this field if Accounts Receivable is integrated to Cash Book (Accounts Receivable Setup).

Validate Import

Select this function to validate the import file before starting the import process.

Start Import

Select this function to start the import process.

No records are imported if any errors are encountered during the validation phase of the import.

Close

Select this to exit the program without performing an import.

Import File Naming Convention

The name of the control file is ?xxyy.nnn, where:

?	indicates the company id of the local site
xx	indicates the code of each local site
yy	indicates the code of the export site
nnn	indicates the next group import control number

According the above formula, if the next import group control number is 9, your local site is called BB, and you were importing from site HO, then the next control file would be named ABBHO.009 (assuming a company id of A).

From this it follows that the next import group control number of the receiving site must equal the next export group control number of the sending site.

The Import Routine

The following describes how the import routine works:

The Interface Import program automatically locates and stores details of data files that have been transferred from another site. This is achieved by processing each of the defined sites in turn and extracting the next import group control number.
Using this control number, the company id and a combination of both local and remote site codes, the program searches for the group control file.

After locating a group control file, the file names held in the file are processed and the import program attempts to locate each file name on disc. These file names are stored in a log file so that the interface system has a record of which files are still to be processed. If a file cannot be found it is still recorded in the log file. A display of the log file indicates that the file was not found by showing the file name within brackets.
After processing all the file names in a group control record, the program automatically deletes the control file; increments the next import group control number by one and attempts to locate the next control file (assuming there may be more than 1 group control file for a given site awaiting import).
If the next control file is not found then it is assumed that no more control files exist for this site and the program processes the next site in sequence.

So far the import program has merely entered the list of files to be imported into the transaction log file. The records contained within these files have not yet been used to update the live system.
At this point you can exit from the import program without performing an import run, perform a normal import run, or you can continue with the program and validate the import procedure only. This enables you to validate the files to be imported without actually updating live files.
When the import procedure is running, regardless of whether you selected to validate the import or update the live files, the program first performs a validation check on each file to be imported.

If any errors are encountered, the program terminates before performing the actual update (or before attempting to import another file). No live files are therefore updated if the validation check fails. If any errors occur, you must rectify the problem and then repeat the import procedure.

Updating the Live System

The Interface System automatically imports records and transactions in a sequence that emulates the sequence of events occurring on the remote site.

For example: If on the same day you add a new customer; post an invoice to that customer; and enter a cash receipt against that invoice, then the import will first create the new customer, then post the invoice and then post the cash receipt.

The following is a description of how the live system is updated:

The interface update flags are set so that subsequent exports from the local back to the remote site do not extract the imported record again.
For each inventory master record imported the following occurs:
- For a new stock code, the stock code is added to the host's master file. If a warehouse is added to the master file, then all month-to-date and year-to-date values for that warehouse are zeroed before the record is added to the file (this includes zeroing the stock on hand).
  
  For an existing stock code, the information affected will be static data such as stock descriptions, and so on. For an existing warehouse code no history information is affected, only static data (e.g. safety stock) fields are updated.
The import will not update either purchase orders or jobs on the host site even if an inventory receipt/issue on the remote site affects either a purchase order or a work in progress job.
The import will not update either the lot traceable or serial tracking files on the host site, even if an item is defined as traceable or serialized (Stock Code Maintenance)
For each inventory journal imported the following occurs:
- The GRN suspense is NOT updated at the host site.
- The history of receipts is NOT updated at the host site.
- The stock on hand and relevant month-to-date fields on the warehouse file are updated. The unit cost is updated according to the new cost transferred from the remote site.
- A record of the transaction is output to both the inventory movement and inventory journal files.
- The FIFO or multiple bins are automatically updated.
- If General Ledger integration at the host site is required, the new imported journals are transferred in the normal manner through to the ledger system.
For each customer master record imported the following occurs:
- For a new customer, the customer is added to the host's master file and all balances and history information are zeroed.
- For an existing customer, the only information affected is static data such as customer names and addresses, and so on. No values in terms of balances or history information are updated.
For each sales transaction record imported the following occurs:
- A record is output to the sales transaction file on the host site. This causes an invoice register to be printed on the host site and, if General Ledger is integrated for sales, the transaction entries are posted to the ledger system.
  
  The Sales Analysis system (sales by product class/salesman, sales history, sales tax and commission files) is updated when the normal sales analysis update function is performed at the host site.
  
  The inventory and customer movement files are automatically updated when the files are imported
  
  If the option: Create GL journal is not selected for Accounts Receivable (General Ledger Integration) but Accounts Receivable is linked to the General Ledger, then run the AR Invoice GL Integration program to create the General Ledger journals for the transaction.
  
  If you import invoices and credit/debit notes and the numbers for these documents are identical, then the invoice and credit/debit note are automatically offset by the Interface Import program. This is irrespective of whether you have selected the option: Post to existing invoice (AR Invoice Posting) for credit/debit notes.
- The inventory warehouse records are updated for each stocked transaction record.
  
  FIFO and Multiple bins are automatically updated.
- The customer master and invoice detail files are updated accordingly.
For each cash posting journal imported, the following occurs:
- A record of each journal is output to a cash journal on the local site.
- A bank deposit slip (if defined as being required in the Accounts Receivable installation options) is not printed at the local site.
- Cash journal entries are transferred to the General Ledger system as normal (assuming General Ledger integration is required).
- Customer master and detail files are updated accordingly. If check payments are required, then a record of each check payment is output to the customer master file.

Troubleshooting

If the Interface Import program cannot read the Import files (Exported Files from other SYSPRO sites via the SYSPRO to SYSPRO Interface Module), then you can do the following:

Verify the file format of the source files.

The format should be: ?TTFF.nnn and ?TTFFDT.nnn where
- ? - is the Source Company Code
- TT is the Host Site Code
- FF is Site Code of the Source Company
- nnn is the Next Group Number
- DT is the Code for Sales Transaction file
The SYSPRO Host Company cannot read the file if the format is incorrect.
Check if you still have the Control file and the Transaction file (?TTFF.nnn and ?TTFFDT.nnn) in the Work Directory.

If the Control file for the Group is missing in the Work Directory (?TTFF.nnn), then it has to be recreated or you could copy the backup copy of the file back to Work Directory.
Change the Next Import Group Number for the Site and make it the same as the number on the file extension number (nnn).
Open the ?INTLOG.DAT file and remove the line for the Site Code where the Import Group Number (nnn) is included.
Reindex ?INTLOG.DAT file.
Run the Interface Import. It should display a message that the file has been read and you should be able to view the file to import.

Notes and warnings

Importing files in the same financial period

If importing Accounts Receivable files, ensure that the financial period of the Accounts Receivable module is the same for both the exporting company and the importing company.
If importing Inventory files, ensure that the financial period of the Inventory module is the same for both the exporting company and the importing company.
If importing both Accounts Receivable and Inventory files, ensure that the financial period for both modules are the same for the exporting company and the importing company.