Summary
SPLAT (Suppliers Price Link And Transfer) is a method of importing and exporting price file data
This routine is in addition to the standard XML Import /Export routines
Details
The Process
Maintaining accurate supplier's prices is critical to accurate estimating and ordering. Many suppliers will give you electronic price lists.You can supply those that won't or can't with an export file of the items you want them to price. They can then use a text editor to enter their prices.
Once you have received their file, you need to:
| • | Select that supplier in the drop-down. |
| • | Select the import file  |
| • | Determine the format of their file. Available options are: |
If you have previously refreshed that supplier's import grid, the previous values and templates will be read.If the format is Fixed Position or Separated Values you will need to enter additional information shown in those topics.
| • | Set the reference date. This date is used if the import file has no date, to select the appropriate price in reports and export. |
| • | Set the Price Level. This is used for export, reports and updating the catalogue |
| • | Set the default cost centre. Import files that do not have a cost centre use this when refreshing. This cost centre is then used when creating new items in the catalogue. |
| • | Refresh the Import Grid ( ).Matching rows will be over-ridden, and an option is given to delete all existing rows. |
| • | You now need to identify the items in your catalogue corresponding to each suppliers item. You have several options here: |
| • | Shift SPLAT reference to link. Use this where you are happy to share the same code with your supplier. |
| • | Match link to Supplier's reference. The system searches your catalogue for an item that has a matching supplier's reference |
| • | Drag & drop an item from you catalogue |
| • | Enter a code manually |
It is permissible to have multiple supplier's items pointing to a single catalogue item (ambiguous links). In this case the comments field should be used to identify differentiation. Existing links are retained unless cleared.
| • | Run the SPLAT report. This identifies actual and percentage variances. Now is the time to accept, reject or renegotiate these prices |
| • | If the supplier supports ambiguous links, and has not supplied mutually exclusive Comments for each row, you may need to run Build Comments from Ambiguous Links from the Links menu. This routine finds ambiguous links (where more than one suppliers item is linked to a single Databuild catalogue item),strips off the common part of the supplier descriptions and puts the remainder into comments. This allows the system to find the correct match when producing purchase orders. |
| • | Select Import rows, then Update ( ) your catalogue. Any items that do not exist in your catalogue are created on the fly |
Toolbar
Links Menu
Clear selected Links on this Supplier
Clear ALL Link on ALL Suppliers
Match Link to Supplier's reference
Shift References to Links
Clear Comments (Only empty comments are built from Ambiguous Links)
Build Comments from Ambiguous Links
Set Cost Ctr to Link Default
Sort Menu
by Link
by Cost Centre
by Reference
Select or deselect all rows
Delete current or selected row(s)
Edit the import file
Exports selected Price List Items in the selected format.
Only available if you have selected items before entering this routine
Refresh
SPLAT Report
Update Catalogue with selected items. Items not in the catalogue will be created
Exit