FlexQuery DMA

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The FlexQuery Data Moving Agent is part of the FlexQuery ecosystem of applications built specifically with Retail Pro 9 retailers in mind.

 

FlexQuery DMA is a map centric data import solution for Retail Pro 9 and Retail Pro Prism (RIL).  DMA supports importing Excel spreadsheets, CSV files, and in an automated setting JSON files.

When automated, DMA can monitor specified folders for predefined file names (including wildcards) and will convert the file into a Retail Pro compliant ECM compliant XML file.  The conversion is based on a pre-defined map which is used to map fields in the spreadsheet or JSON file to fields in Retail Pro’s Oracle database.

Where an Excel spread sheet contains multiple worksheets, FlexQuery DMA will “walk” through the spread sheet importing all worksheets that contain data that can be imported.

DMA maintains a detailed log of all import activity, whether the import was done manually or automated. As import files are processed they are archived into success/failure folders in case revisiting an import is required.


Features

  • Support for Multiple Document Types – DMA can import Inventory, Vendors, Departments, Vouchers, ASNs, Sales Orders and Customers into Retail Pro 9.
  • Create or Update – DMA supports creating new items or only updating specific details of existing items, which allows product maintenance without overwriting changed details on existing items.
  • Configurable Item and Style lookups – items and styles can be individually configured to be looked up by any combination of fields available in Retail Pro.
  • Subsidiary Support – inventory can be added to one or more subsidiaries (version dependent).
  • Subsidiary Aliases – Users can give their subsidiaries meaningful names instead of number – e.g. Subsidiary number one can have a aliases of NZ, New Zealand, NZL etc.
  • Required Fields – maps can be set to require certain fields over and above those required by Retail Pro.  E.g. if part of the business requirement is that the UDF3 field be set in inventory, FlexQuery DMA will prevent the import from being initiated until the UDF3 field is mapped.
  • Field Defaults – Sometimes, it is necessary to map a field (e.g. a subsidiary number), but it can be time saving to exclude the field from the source data.  FlexQuery DMA supports setting field defaults so that if a field is missing from the source data the default configured in the map will be set during the import process.
  • Sizes as Columns – Often retailers are given or provide their vendors with spreadsheets where the sizes of the items are set up in adjacent columns rather than as separate line items.  FlexQuery DMA has a size editor (which can also be populated from the sizes configured in Retail Pro) which allows making use of such a format.
  • Logging – FlexQuery DMA’s logs can be accessed using FlexQuery’s familiar interface.
  • Clientless Connectivity – FlexQuery DMA can run on systems with and without the Oracle client installed locally.
  • Colour Coding – FlexQuery DMA allows the user to configure the colours of the import screen so, for example, mapped fields are displayed in green while fields not yet mapped are displayed in red. Error messages can also be displayed in different colours to more easily troubleshoot operation.
  • Automation – Fully automated update/import solution including launching ECM after a file conversion.
  • Flexibility – User definable parameters for input/output folders.
  • Alerting – DMA can send alert messages for failed file conversions/processing.

Supported Retail Pro Document Types

  • Inventory
  • Vouchers
  • Advanced Shipping Notices (ASNs)
  • Departments
  • Vendors
  • Customers
  • Sales Orders (including deposits)
  • Purchase Orders
  • Adjustment Memos (quantity, cost, and price)
  • Transfer Orders
  • Invoices

Benefits

  • Provides Retail Pro 9 users with a fully automated tool to updated/import data into Retail Pro 9’s Oracle database.
  • Support for single and multi subsidiary operations automates the delivery of specific product to specific subsidiaries.
  • Retail Pro users can make use of Excel’s familiar and common user interface to manage updates/imports in Retail Pro 9.

FlexQuery DMA  is license per device it is installed on and per site and is available in a single-subsidiary or multi-subsidiary edition.