Products

Products & Suppliers

Sections in this article

Building Our Product Master File

The Product Master File (K_PRODUCT) within K3S is built from a series of interface files from the customer’s ERP. First, the customer will have an optional step of sending us the raw invoice data from their clients who order from them. This file can be used to create K_INTPROD. If the customer desires it is also possible for them to build the accumulated (sales and outs) needed within K_INTPROD and skip the use of K_INTDALY.

Every day that K_INTPROD is built there is a snapshot of that file taken into K_DLYPROD.

K_DLYPROD can be edited if it is within the same period as the K_DLYPROD record if there is demand that needs to be adjusted.

Every day K_PRODUCT is then built from K_INTPROD. This allows for settings to take effect via the Night Job.

  • K_INTDALY(optional) -> K_INTPROD
  • K_INTPROD -> K_DLYPROD is a snapshot of K_INTPROD every day
  • K_INTPROD -> K_PRODUCT

K_INTDALY(optional)

This is raw detail of what is ordered by a customer on a per product level per date basis. This can be viewed by the Sales Journal screens. This file is not needed if the customer will deliver summed up demand (sales and ours) within K_INTPROD. It is advantageous to have this file if possible.

K_INTPROD

A list of all the products that will be within K3S by location. The sales and outs (aka demand) of the product will either be built by the customer or will be created with K_INTDALY.

K_DLYPROD

This is a daily snapshot of what came in K_INTPROD. This can be edited by the Daily Product Journal screens. You can can only edit data for a specific date for the current period. Once a period has closed, this data is no longer editable.

K_DLYSVCE

This is an additional daily snapshot of what came over in K_INTPROD, along with other pertinent information stored in K_PRODUCT. When a customer uses the K3S Count Days Out of Stock logic, this file can provide an estimate of lost sales by day. This file is also used for developing metrics and K_FINALOG.

K_PRODUCT

This is the product master file that is built from K_INTPROD.

Building Product History

At the end of the period our system will process the accumulated demand within K_PRODUCT and build the history for the period that just closed.

How to Uniquely Identify A Product

A Product within K3S will have a unique entry based off the Product ID (PR_PROD), Location ID (PR_LOCN), Temporary Flag (PR_TEMPORY), Alternate Source Flag (PR_ALTSRCE), Supplier ID (PR_SUPL), and Supplier Subcode (PR_SUPLSUB).

In most cases the Supplier ID and Subcode are not needed as a product is not sourced from multiple suppliers at one location (excluding using diverters, which is handled by the PR_ALTSRCE flag). Products sourced from multiple suppliers at one location is usually only the case for Auto Parts and for ReStore.

  • Product ID - The product ID that will help identify a product
  • Location ID - A product lives at one location. It is considered unique with a different location ID
  • Temporary Flag - This is used for products added during the day, is on a Combined Supplier, or is in an Alternate Source Supplier.
  • Alternate Source Flag - This will identify if the product is an original product (PR_ALTSRCE = 0), Alternate Source product (PR_ALTSRCE = 1), or a secondary product entry at a combined supplier (PR_ALTSRCE = 2)
  • Supplier ID - This will be the regular supplier ID
  • Subcode - This will be the regular supplier subcode

How Products Are Removed From K3S

When building and importing our interface files if a product does not come over from the ERP, that product will be placed into ‘Delete Count’ within K3S for the next 7 business days. During the 7 business days of Delete Count the product will not be suggested for order and each day a Night Job Log entry will be created for the users to be aware of products entering Delete Count. If within these 7 business days a product reappears within the interface files, a product will be reinstated. If not, on the 8th business day of processing the product will be deleted and removed from K3S. Products cannot be directly deleted by a user within K3S.

Suppliers Within K3S and Where a Product Lives

User’s System Supplier - Stored in PR_SUPLUSR PR_SUPLUSB

This is the supplier that a product lives under in the customer’s ERP system. This is considered the ‘Home’ supplier that all products reference. No matter what supplier a product moves to and from, then lives under within K3S, the User’s System Supplier will always be the same.

Regular Supplier - Stored in PR_SUPL PR_SUPLSUB

This is the supplier that the product is living under for Orders. This can match the User’s System Supplier, or may be adjusted depending on the situations in the suppliers listed below. The Supplier listed in PR_SUPL PR_SUPLSUB must exist within K3S.

Change Product Source to New Regular Supplier - Stored in PR_SUPL PR_SUPLSUB

When the user creates a Change Product Source record the Night Job will move what supplier the products Suggested Order is created under (the Regular Supplier). The Regular Supplier and User’s System Supplier (which never changes) will not match and an entry within the Change Product Source file will exist. Change Product Source cannot change the location of a product.

Alternate Source Supplier - Stored in PR_SUPL PR_SUPLSUB PR_TEMPORY = 1 PR_ALTSRCE = 1

A product that exists under Alternate Source Supplier will have a record where the Alternate Source will be listed as the Regular Supplier, and PR_ALTSRCE = 1. Alternate Source products will be specific and contained to a location.

Hub Transfer Supplier

When a Hub Transfer Supplier is created and a Hub Transfer Product or Supplier record is created the Night Job will set the Regular Supplier at the To Location of the transfer to the Hub Transfer Supplier. The Original Supplier will be set to the Hub Transfer record.

Combined Supplier - PR_CMBLOCN PR_CMBSUPL PR_CMBSUB PR_TEMPORY = 1 PR_ALTSRCE = 2

When a product lives within a Combined Supplier an additional PR_PRODUCT record is created for that product. This new record will have PR_ALTSRCE = 2 (the original record will have PR_ALTSRCE = 0). This allows the original product to have a home, but also lets us have the product under a combined supplier. If we are looking at Combined Supplier product record we will have the Regular Supplier information (including the Location as Combined Suppliers can span multiple locations) within the Combined Supplier. If the record is the original product record, then the Combined Supplier info will remain blank.

Temporary Regular Supplier - Stored in PR_SUPL PR_SUPLSUB PR_TEMPORY = 1

If a product is added to an order during the day, the product will be a temporary product (PR_TEMPORY = 1). These products will be specific and contained to a location.