Export Inventory

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Overview

• The Export Inventory screen synonymous with the Microsoft Access Form object or graphical user interface (GUI) provides an interface by which users can export product data from SEOM to a text file for use with other applications.

• To access this screen:

Main Menu>Accordion>Manage My Inventory>Export My Inventory

Description of the Screen

Delete Current Template Button

• click this button to remove the currently viewed template from the system; use this with caution as there is no way to reverse this action

Save Template Button

• after changes have been made to the currently viewed template, click this button to retain the changes

• to abandon the changes, simply navigate away from this screen without clicking this button

Filter Button

• this button will open the Select to "left-click" the mouse on an object, usually a row in a table, in the context of Monsoon OMS documentation Items screen, from which the user may enter selection criteria to narrow down the list of SKUs that appear in the Sample Data section of the screen

Custom Exports Tab

Load Export Template Drop-down List

• this drop-down list contains all of the export templates that have been created in the current store data file the MS Access or SQL database that contains the users order information and program preferences. It does not contain Reports, which are housed in the Monsoon OMS program file (MS Access database).

• to create a new export template, simply make the desired field and setting choices and click the [Save Template] button; the program will prompt the user to enter a name for the new template and it will then be included in the drop-down list of Export Templates

Show fields: Buttons

1-20

1. • click this button to see Fields 1 - 20

21-40

1. • click this button to see Fields 21 - 40

Clear All  Button

• to clear all selections from fields of the currently viewed template, click this button

• use this button with caution, the program will not prompt for confirmation before clearing the data

Custom Columns Button

• clicking this button opens a help screen with instructions for creating a non-standard column in a template

• enter a label to be used for the Field Name of the custom column; if no label is entered the program will use the name of the field as its label

• choose "Add Custom Column" from the Field to Export drop-down lists in any of the Fields 1-40

• to produce a column that contains the same value in each row, enter a comma after the value in the Field Label column and append the static value; for example, if we select "Add Custom Column" from the drop-down list in Field1 and enter a label of Drop-ship an order placed with a supplier for an item or items that are not normally stocked by the retailer; the supplier then ships the merchandise directly to the retailer's customer. The retailer never takes physical possession of the merchandise. Charge,Not Applicable, every record in the file would contain the value, "Not Applicable", in the column labeled Drop-ship Charge.  

File Type:

Comma Delimited

1. • the data fields in the text file are separated by commas

Tab Delimited

1. • the data in the text file are separated by a tab character (appears to be one or more blank spaces between the fields)

Include Field Names Check Box

• select this box to have the SEOM field name or an alternate Field Label inserted in the first row of the text file

Include:

Discontinued Items Check Box

1. • click this box to include products that are marked as discontinued in the export file

Out of Stock Check Box  

1. • click this box to include products that are currently out of stock in the data in the export file

Field 1 - Field 40

• each of these fields relates to a SEOM field in the product inventory record

• select the desired field from the drop-down list in the Field to Export Column

• fields are exported in the sequence in which they mapped

Field to Export Column

• each row in this column contains a drop-down list containing a list of SEOM fields that can be selected for export

Field Label Column

• to use a value other than the SEOM field name when exporting product data, enter the alternate value in the Field Label Column

• check the box labeled [Include Field Names] to have the labels included in the first record of the text file

Sample Data Section

• this area of the screen will reflect the product and fields presently selected for export

• to limit the products in this section, use the [Filter] button to enter selection criteria

Export Button

• when the appropriate selections have been made in all areas of the screen, click this button to export the specified data from SEOM into the text file

Exporting Product Data to a Text File

1. To access the Export Inventory screen, go to the Main Menu>Accordion>Manage My Inventory>Export My Inventory.  

2. Select an export template from the Load Export Template drop-down list or create a new template by selecting the appropriate fields and settings and click the [Save Template] button. The program will prompt the user to enter a name for the template, which will then appear in the drop-down list.

3. Select the type of text file that will be created. This decision depends on the application with which the data will be used. If you are unsure of the file types the application accepts, consult its documentation. If the application accepts both file types, follow this general guideline: If the data contains commas, apostrophes, quotes and/or carriage returns, use the tab-delimited format. If the data does not contain special characters, use the comma-delimited format.

4. If the first row of the file should contain the field names, click the [Include Field Names] check box.

5. If discontinued items should be included in the list of products that will be exported, click the [Include Discontinued Items] check box.

6. If products that are currently out-of-stock should be included in the export, click the [Include Out-of-Stock Items] check box.

7. In the Sample Data section, note that the first column is already populated with a list of SKUs from your inventory records.

8. To map Minimum Advertised Price; applies to Consumer Goods categories and listed on Amazon Seller Central Market the inventory SKU the abbreviation for Stock Keeping Unit; a unique identifier used to track product inventory field to Field 1, click the drop-down menu in the Field to Export column of that row and select [SKU] from the list. As the other fields are mapped, their values will also appear in the Sample Data section of the screen.   

9. To export a subset of your inventory products, click the [Filter] button to open the Select Items screen. After a list of items is built at that screen, click the [Export Selected Items] button to return to the Export Inventory screen, which now shows the filtered list of products in the Sample Data section.

10. Continue mapping additional fields (Field 2 - 40) as needed. Or, select [Add Custom Column] from the Field to Export drop-down list, and enter a name for the custom field in the Field Label column of that row. To create a custom column that will always contain the same static value, enter the static value following the Field Label in the format: FieldLabel,StaticValue

11. Click the [Save Template] button to retain these settings. The program will prompt the user to enter a name for the template or permission to overwrite an existing template with the changes. Click [OK] to proceed.

12. Click the [Begin Export]  button. The program will prompt the user to provide a name and location where it should create the export text file.

Example 1

• In the figure below, we see that a template named "My New Template" has been selected.
• This template only has four fields mapped, one of which is a custom column that will contain the value "stuff' in every row of the export text file.
• The file will be a comma-delimited text file and field names will be included in the first row of the text file.
• This export file will not include discontinued items, but it will include those items which are currently out of stock.
• A filter has been applied to select only those product inventory records in which the SKU begins with the letter 'b'.  

1. Click the [Begin Export] button.

2. Click [OK] to use the name and location suggested by the program or navigate to another location and enter the name of your choice in the File Name: field.

3. If the file name already exists, the program will prompt the user for the action it should take.

4. Click [Yes] to overwrite the file or [No] to use a different file name or location.

5. Click [OK] to proceed with the export. The program will pop-up a message box when it has finished.

6. Click [OK] to end the dialog. When we view the text file it looks like this:

• Notice that the first row of the file contains that field names, and that the custom field contains "stuff" in every row of that column.

Additional Information

Created: 3/1/11

Revised: 5/21/12

Published: 04/13/16