Version 8.11 EnsiteEBS Conversion
Only Required for New SQL Applications
Date: Friday, Dec. 8, 2006
Dear DDMS Customers:
ECi released DDMS Version 8.11, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006, and began shipping in waves to customers who requested the software update. This message is from your ECi Technical Support team, to provide guidance as you implement groundbreaking new features.
The two most highly anticipated features in Version 8.11 are Customer Price Plans and Price Modeling. These are significant advancements using the new EnsiteEBS SQL relational database architecture. Their wizard-like interfaces make it easier than ever to:
- Create, configure, and analyze your customer contracts.
- Measure and manage your profitability.
- Create new price models to target specific items, a particular customer’s sales history, or imported data.
Other new features include electronic purchasing services for furniture dealers, delivery and install marking improvements, and machine meter enhancements. To take advantage of these and other non-SQL enhancements, just install the Version 8.11 software update as usual on your DDMS server.
After you load Version 8.11, if you wish to take advantage of the new Customer Price Plans and Price Modeling, please note. Before you can begin using these SQL applications, your existing data base files for price plans, price modeling, and sales history require special attention. You can use the new EnsiteEBS Utility to convert your DBF data into the new SQL architecture. It looks at every field to see if it contains the data type that will work in SQL, and identifies any exceptions that could cause problems. But you don't have to convert your data to SQL at the same time that you load your software update.
Rest assured, your company can use all other non-SQL programs and enhancements in Version 8.11 while you prepare your data for SQL conversion. The new EnsiteEBS and SQL applications do not affect your current functionality or workflow.
We recommend the following implementation plan for Version 8.11:
- Load Version 8.11 according to the latest installation instructions.
- Use or implement non-SQL applications and enhancements as usual. Remember, your current functionality and workflow DO NOT require EnsiteEBS data conversion to SQL.
- When you’re ready to implement the new Customer Price Plans and Price Modeling applications, you can use the EnsiteEBS Utility at your convenience:
- Test your settings for proper SQL database connectivity.
- Validate your DBF data.
- Make adjustments as needed to address validation exceptions, and test validation again until no more exceptions are found.
- Import your compliant data into the SQL database.
- Set up and use Customer Price Plans and Price Modeling according to the instructions for these features.
DBF data validation is the most important step in implementating the new SQL applications. The new Microsoft SQL architecture has very rigid rules for database fields (or data types). By comparison, DDMS’s DBF flat-file database structure has been much more lenient. For example:
- DDMS software customarily allows you to enter 9999 for the year in an expiration date. The SQL database in some cases now requires a valid date between January 1, 1900, and June 6, 2079.
- Some DDMS fields allow any alphanumeric character or symbol, but in some cases the SQL structure may now enforce either text or numeric data types to reflect the constraints of how the data is now used.
Exceptions like these must be addressed before you import your data. Do not import invalid data. Some invalid data can result in inaccurate calculations. Some invalid data may be omitted, resulting in partial records that cannot be reported properly.
If you need assistance in adjusting any validation exceptions in your data, you may send your validation results to ECi Technical Support using one of the following methods:
- Email your validation results to ddmssupport@ecisolutions.com. Use your mouse to highlight the lines you wish to copy, then use the Ctrl+C Copy shortcut, then paste it into a Notepad file, save the file and attach it to your message.
- Print and fax your validation results to (682) 831-9909.
A member of your support team will be happy to assist you.
For information about additional enhancements released so far in Version 8, see Version 8 Documentation and What's New in Version 8 (PDF). For information about all released changes, use Program Updates.
We continue to ship DDMS Version 8.11 software updates on request in waves. If you want to take advantage of the enhancements in Version 8.11, we will be happy to ship the software update and instructions to you via United Parcel Service (UPS) Ground. Please email a request for Version 8.11 to ddmssupport@ecisolutions.com, and include your DDMS account number, contact name, company name, shipping address, and phone number.
Sincerely,
ECi Technical Support