Export Files problem

[Mike Hughes]

I run my stock control in excel, which allows me to import the 'export' files from actinic and generate new stock orders from my suppliers when the stock quantity of any item starts to get low.

This all works fine for orders that I've completed and shipped. The problem is for orders that are still pending. My excel spreadsheet is happy to take the file, mark the quantity as 'orders not shipped' and take it into account for stock committed to customers.

The problem is that if I export a pending order, then Actinic immediately overwrites the 'packing list' and 'invoice' printed bit as 'exported' and transfers the order to the completed section.

For me this is a complete pain in the proverbial. Just because I've exported the file doesn't mean the order has been processed.

The 'bypass catalog order processing' isn't ticked so why does Actinic do this?

Help Please.

Mike

[cdicken]

Mike

The 're-export to file' function effectively overrides Actinic's order processing requirements - essentially bypassing the Actinic order processing.

If you do 'Reports | Outstanding Exports' (without 'Bypass Catalog Order Processing' selected) then that will export all orders that are marked as 'Complete' but have not yet been exported.

All I can suggest for your problem is using an Access database (rather than Ecxel) and linking a table in the Access database to the 'Products' table in the Actinic database - then use that for tracking stock levels.

[Mike Hughes]

Thanks for the reply Chris. It doesn't help much, but at least it confirms what I thought.

I'm not great with databases (and don't have access) whereas I can make a spreadsheet do all the things I want using VBA.

I think the best way forward is for me to investigate using access just to generate the export files myself. I might to be able to cope with that, and it should give me the option to mark the orders without disrupting the order processing.

If anyone else has some ideas on this I'd love to hear them.

Mike

[Mike Hughes]

OK. I think I've cracked it.

1. I can do the database query straight from excel and pull the relevant bits into the spreadsheet.

2. If I look at the 'order detail' table I can get each order by number together with the product reference, number ordered, number shipped, number cancelled, etc.

I don't think I need anything else, but if anyone has any suggestions I'd like to hear them.

Mike