Loading Item Files through the ASP Service

If we host your eNsite or eNsite Pro system through our ASP service, it's easy to load your O/PUS item file update each quarter. We'll explain how to do this here, and also provide answers to the most frequently asked questions on this topic.

• Loading Item Files through the ASP Service
• FAQs for Loading Item Files through the ASP Service

Loading Item Files through the ASP Service

Loading your item file requires three steps:

• Determining when to perform the update
• Getting Instructions
• Starting the item file update

Determining When to Perform the Update

Determine when you will load the update. This is a dedicated procedure, which means that once you start, no one else can use the system until the procedure is complete.

When scheduling a time for the update, first determine how long your update will take, use the following estimates:

Before starting SIMPLE to load your update, you need to know which pricing plans to load. You also need to determine whether the plans you're loading are included in SIMPLE, or if you need to download them from the (+IFD) Download a File screen. To learn how to do this, see Determining Which Pricing Plans to Load for ASP (file: opuspriceplan_asp.pdf)

Once you have a rough estimate of how long your update will take, check the times when servers are available to make sure they'll be up during the time you perform your update.

You can perform your General Update outside of business hours, whenever SIMPLE is enabled on your server.

REMINDER: You must start and finish your O/PUS load during the specified time blocks. When determining your start time, you need to allow enough time to complete the process before business hours begin.

Most ASP customers (see Exceptions*, below) may perform O/PUS item file updates during the following times:

• Weekends: between Saturday 3:45 am (your time zone) and Monday 2:45 am (your time zone)
• Weekday mornings: between 3:45 am and 6:30 am (your time zone)
• Weekday evenings: between 5:30 pm and 8 pm (your time zone)

*Exceptions: D-Force™, Distributor Station™, and Dealer Station® Canada (who do not subscribe to ASP period-end procedures) have a slightly different schedule, as follows:

• Weekends: between Saturday 3:45 am Central time and Monday 3:15 am Central time
• Weekdays: between 7:30 pm and 3 am Central time.

For more information, you can see the complete server maintenance schedule, Times when Your Servers Are Available.

You may process vendor pricing files, Matrix price plans, or your best cost scan at any time, even during business hours, so long as none of your employees or customers is using the system.

Getting Instructions

You'll receive the FYI² Flyers and Notes for the current quarter by e-mail. (You can also read or download them from the O/PUS support page.) Here you'll learn about the sales flyers and contracts you can load this quarter.

If you need to load a manufacturer's or wholesaler's file from the O/PUS (+IFD) screen, you first need to obtain the appropriate file name from your vendor.

To find out if the flyer files you need are available, please complete the Vendor File Availability Form for ASP. For your convenience, we include two versions:

• A Microsoft® Word document version that you can email (file: VendorFileDownloadASP.doc). To use the Word form, open the file and fill in your contact information and the files you need in the upper half of the form. E-mail the completed form to support@eci2.com.
• An Adobe® Acrobat Reader version that you can fill out online, then print and fax (file: VendorFileDownloadASP.pdf). To use the Acrobat form, open the file, and fill in your contact information and the files you need in the upper half of the form. Then print the form and fax it to 682-831-9909. (Do not try to email; unless you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat installed, it will not send the data you entered.)

Please be sure to fill out the following fields:

• Company
• Account Number
• Attention
• Email/Fax #
• File Name (just the file name; not the fields to the right of the file name)

Without this information, the Support techs will not be able to process your request.

Your technician will send you specific instructions for that file, or you can view and print them from the the Vendor Price File Loading Instructions page on the Web site.

Starting the Item File Update

To start your item file update:

Make sure you request a backup from ASP Support before beginning your item file update. If you're performing the update early in the morning, before business hours, the backup done at day-end the night before will suffice.

1. Go to your website—http://ensite.ddms.com/youraccountnumber
2. Click Graphical O/PUS.
3. Specify your user name and password, and click the Login button. The S.I.M.P.L.E. program will start.

FAQs for Loading Item Files through the ASP Service

• Is online help available?
• I received an error message when accessing the S.I.M.P.L.E program. Is emergency help available?
• My update did not finish. What should I do?
• Can others use the system while I load the O/PUS item file?
• Can I perform the update during business hours?
• How do I request an additional backup of my data?
• What happened to my progress page?
• What If I Can't See My SIMPLE Progress Screen? Can I Restart?
• When and How do I Process My Vendor Pricing Files?
• Can I Get the Super Store Data Update?
  

Is online help available?

Yes. While the S.I.M.P.L.E. program is running, press the F1 key to see online help, or select the Help menu and click Help.

I received an error message when accessing the S.I.M.P.L.E program. Is emergency help available?

Yes, if you need help outside of our normal business hours (8 am–5 pm Central time), call ASP Support at 817.999.9554.

We provide ASP support after hours for emergency situations: you cannot connect, cannot print, or cannot finish an O/PUS update. If it is not an emergency situation, please e-mail us at support@ddms.com, or call Support during business hours.

My update did not finish. What should I do?

If it is between 8 am–5pm Central time, contact ECIČ Technical Support. Outside of normal business hours, call ASP Support at 817.999.9554.

Can others use the system while I load the O/PUS item file?

No, O/PUS item file updates are dedicated: no one else can use the system until they finish. If someone tries to use your system before the procedure is complete, it may cause file corruption.

Can I perform the update during business hours?

No, remember that no one can use the system during the item file update. In addition, you must schedule a backup before beginning the update by calling ASP Support. However, if you begin your O/PUS Update after your server's scheduled backup, you do not need to schedule a backup.

To help you determine the best day and time to begin O/PUS Updates for your time zone, see Determining when to perform the update.

How do I request an additional backup of my data?

Please notify us at least 24 hours in advance if you need ASP Support to perform a backup. If you are calling between 8 am–5pm Central time, contact ECI² Technical Support. Outside of normal business hours, call ASP Support at 817.999.9554.

What's an "invalid configuration" error message?

"Invalid configuration” messages result when you attempt to start SIMPLE while it is disabled during normal business hours or for scheduled maintenance. You must start and finish your O/PUS load during the specified time blocks. When determining your start time, you need to allow enough time to complete the process before business hours begin.

To help you determine the best day and time to begin O/PUS Updates for your time zone, see Determining when to perform the update.

We appreciate your adherence to the ASP server schedule for loading your quarterly item and price updates. Your cooperation prevents outages and slowdowns on the ASP service for you and your fellow dealers.

Please call Support ahead of time if you have any questions about your SIMPLE loading schedule. Planning ahead will enable you to complete year-end procedures on schedule.

What happened to my progress page?

There may be cases where a dealer leaves the SIMPLE progress screen to visit another Web page, or has network problems. As a result, the progress page times out or is no longer in view.

Note: This does not mean the program stopped working. Do NOT start another session of SIMPLE. Running multiple concurrent sessions of SIMPLE is an unnecessary use of server resources. It can significantly slow down your item load, as well as the item loads for all other dealers on the same server.

The good news: Re-starting SIMPLE is almost never necessary. Once it begins, the SIMPLE program will keep running on the server until your load is complete. Even if you lose your Web connection, or see no apparent change in progress, SIMPLE will keep running on the server.

If you are considering a restart of SIMPLE, please contact us first:

• From 8 am to 5 pm Central Time, contact ECI² Technical Support.
• After hours, call ASP Support 817-999-9554, and leave a message with your name, number, and a brief description of the problem.

An ASP technician will confirm whether your account's O/PUS load is still running.

What If I Can't See My SIMPLE Progress Screen? Can I Restart?

We do NOT recommend re-starting SIMPLE. Once it begins, the SIMPLE program will keep running on the ASP server until your load is complete. Even if you lose your Web connection, or see no apparent change in progress, SIMPLE will keep running on the server.

There have been cases where a dealer left the SIMPLE progress screen to visit another Web page, or had network problems. As a result, the progress page timed out or was no longer in view. Believing the program had stopped working, several dealers started another session of SIMPLE.

Running multiple concurrent sessions of SIMPLE is an unnecessary use of ASP server resources. It can significantly slow down your item load, as well as the item loads for all other ASP dealers on the same server.

If your SIMPLE progress page times out or is no longer in view, an ASP technician can confirm whether your O/PUS SIMPLE load is still running.

When and How do I Process My Vendor Pricing Files?

Some vendor files include dealer costs. These files must be processed after you load the O/PUS update, but before you perform post-load procedures.

Other vendor files contain only selling prices. These files can be processed at any time.

If you're not sure whether your vendor file contains dealer costs, it's safer to process it between the O/PUS update and the post-load procedures.

Here is a simple outline of the procedure:

1. Determine which price plans to load (see the FAQ File mentioned above).
2. Load the O/PUS update by starting the SIMPLE program. (Make sure everyone else is off your system before you begin.) Go to your ASP home page (asp.ddms.com/youraccountnumber), and click Graphical O/PUS.
3. Download the vendor files, using the (+I-F-D) screen. (In Ensite Pro™, get to this screen by double-clicking Keyop Menu, then double-clicking Specials; at Enter Program Request, type I F D.) You may download vendor files before or after loading the O/PUS update.
4. Process vendor files using the (+I-F-P) screen. (On Ensite Pro, get to this screen by double-clicking KeyOp Menu, then double-clicking Specials; at Enter Program Request, type I F P.)
5. Set your purchasing vendor using the (+I-L), (+I-Z), or (+I-T) screens. (In Ensite Pro, get to this screen by double-clicking Keyop Menu, then double-clicking Specials, and enter the appropriate screen letters.)
   

Can I Get the Super Store Data Update?

If you are an ASP dealer who wishes to implement the Super Store Data Update (SSD), its import software and database file is available upon request by contacting your support team (support@eci2.com).

To fulfill your request, ASP Support personnel will load the SSD update software into your ASP system and notify you when you may access to the SSD program and data file.

Before using SSD import software, you must first complete your quarterly catalog updates using SIMPLE software (rebuilding I-SUPER), and complete all other optional post-load procedures. TBL Server must be running for the SSD import to work properly, as with all other pricing files and catalog updates. You must rebuild Super Index (+I-I) afterward so that the Order Entry, Purchasing, and integrated Web storefronts such as Dealer Station® and is.D-Force® will accept the input of the superstore item numbers.

For detailed instructions, see Super Store Data Update (pdf). ASP dealers may skip steps 1 and 2 of the instructions once Support provides access to the SSD software and data file.