Receiving Ace Electronic File Maintenance (EFM)  

Use the following procedure to receive File Maintenance (EFM) from Ace. Click here for a complete list of the benefits of receiving EFM.  Because new data is available each week, you should run it as part of a weekly queue.  

Ace Electronic Catalog Users only:   

• While the actual transmission from Ace to retrieve EFM will be brief, it may take many hours for the system to process the catalog updates. Thus, the EFM procedure is typically run when the store is closed.  

• If you want all items in the national catalog to be updated when EFM runs, you must receive "all-item hotsheets." If you receive hotsheets based on your purchase history, only the items you've purchased will be updated in the catalog. If you want to switch to all-item hotsheets, notify Ace at 800-777-6797. However, keep in mind that switching to all-item hotsheets can affect the EFM information you download each week. For example, if you add new items during EFM, all new items will be downloaded, rather than just the items that are new to your mix. This may require more editing before you merge the EFM data with your inventory file.

Receiving File Maintenance

This procedure assumes you have already completed telecommunications setup.

1. From the Eagle Browser, enter EFM in the Launch bar and press Enter.

Alternatively, you can click on the Ace Telecommunications Menu, and then select Receive File Maintenance (EFM).

2. In the Item File Maintenance Transmission window, in the Control Stream field, enter the name of your EFM control stream, or leave the default if your control stream name is ACEEFM.

Multistore: If you receive hotsheets in multiple transmissions, enter the control stream for your store. For example, you are Store 2 and are receiving EFM data for Store 2. Enter ACEEFM2. For ACENET+ systems, enter ACEEFMA2.

3. Click . Review the default entries in the fields and make changes if needed.

4. Click and select the vendor code you use for Ace from the drop-down list.

5. Click . Select Yes or No to update user codes. If you select Yes, use the bottom portion of the screen to enter the letters of the user codes you want to update. You must use only one User Code group but you can update any position in the group. In the example below, all three user codes (D, P, and N) are being updated in the Exp Codes A group.

6. Click . If you selected Yes to update user codes in the previous step, use this page to define the user codes the system will use when updating Price Strategy and Defective Goods. You can leave the defaults or enter your own codes.

7. Click . Fill in the fields on the screen.

8. Update Existing Items

   Select Yes or No to update existing items in your inventory. If you select Yes, use the bottom portion of the page to select which fields you want to update.

9. Options

   Enter the option(s) you want to use when updating Function FIL (Flexible Inventory Load) with EFM data for existing items in your Inventory File.  

   A = Update Function FIL with EFM data even if your primary vendor for the item does not match the code you specified in the Vendor Code field.

   Z = Print items that are not in your Inventory File on the Transmission Report. Note: Option Z can include thousands of items on the report. If you use Option Z, spool the report so you can review it in Spooled Report Maintenance (MSP) before you print it.  

   blank = Do not update Function FIL with EFM data if the primary vendor field items whose vendors do not match.  

10. Fields to Update

    If the Update Existing Items field is Y, this field is required.

    Enter the option letter(s) for the EFM data fields you want to update in Function FIL (Flexible Inventory Load).     

    Enter AD or AR if you want to update all fields.  

    A = Update all fields.

    B = Update catalog page.

    C = Update class code.

    D = Update department code. This option cannot be used with Option R. The department code is a one-character code from 1 to 9.

    E = Update description.  

    F = Update discontinued flag.   

    G = Update fineline. The fineline code is a combination of the Ace class and product group.   

    H = Update manufacturer part number.

    I = Update manufacturer vendor.

    J = Update order multiple** (See the note below)                   

    N = Update weight.   

    O = Update UPC. If you use this option, you must run Report RAP after running Report RFL.

    R = Update department code with commodity group code. This code cannot be used with Option D. The commodity group is a two-character code from 10 to 99.  

    **Note:  If you use Option J, the system looks at Ace's order multiple and retail unit, and the item's stocking unit and purchasing unit (from Inventory Maintenance) when updating the order multiple. The system uses the following rules:   

    • If both Ace's order multiple and retail unit are equal, and the item's stocking unit and purchasing unit are equal, then the item's new order multiple is the Ace order multiple.  

    and                        

    If both the item's order multiple and standard pack are equal, then the system updates the standard pack with the new order multiple (Ace's order multiple).                      

    • If Ace's order multiple does not equal Ace's retail unit, and the item's stocking unit does not equal the item's purchasing unit, then the item's new order multiple is the Ace retail unit.

    and  

    If both the item's order multiple and standard pack are equal, then the system updates the standard pack with the new order multiple (Ace's retail unit).                       

11. FIL Posting Flag Default

    Indicate your default value for the "Add/Change Item in IMU" field in Function FIL (Flexible Inventory Load).                  

    Y = Set the Function FIL field to Y for all EFM data.

    N = Set the Function FIL field to N for all EFM data.        

    Enter Y if you add most of the EFM data to your Inventory File. Enter N if you do not add most of the EFM data to your Inventory File. You can override this field on an item-by-item basis in Function FIL.

8. Click . Fill in the fields on the screen.

9. Add New Items

   Select one of the following:

   Y = add new items from EFM to your inventory. If Ace adds items from a new vendor, all of the items associated with that vendor are added. If you select Yes, fill in the other fields below.

   N = do not add new items from EFM.

   A = Add only Acenet requested items. Only items for which you requested a hotsheet from the Item Detail page on ACENET will be added via EFM. (Note: this feature is available beginning in Spring of 2007)

10. Use Default Dept for All

    For all new EFM items, indicate if you want to update Function FIL (Flexible Inventory Load) with the department code you specify in the Default Dept field.                            

    Y = Use the department code entered in the Default Dept field for all new items.  

    N = Use the Ace department or commodity group code. If the Ace code does not  exist in Department Maintenance (MDE), use the code entered in the Default Dept field.

11. Default Dept

    Enter a default department code.

    The system uses this code if:  

    • You enter Y in the Use Default Dept For All field.    

    • You enter N in the Use Default Dept for All field and the department on the item is not in Department Maintenance (MDE).

12. FIL Posting Flag Default

    Indicate your default value for the "Add/Change Item in IMU" field in Function FIL (Flexible Inventory Load).                  

    Y = Set the Function FIL field to Y for all EFM data.

    N = Set the Function FIL field to N for all EFM data.        

    Enter Y if you add most of the EFM data to your Inventory File. Enter N if you do not add most of the EFM data to your Inventory File. You can override this field on an item-by-item basis in Function FIL.

13. In Stores

    If the Add New Items field is Y, this field is required. Enter the stores for which you want to add new items. Enter a list of store numbers, such as 1234, or enter an * (asterisk) to indicate all stores on your system.

    You can override this field on an item-by-item basis in Function FIL (Flexible Inventory Load).

EFM will not run unless you select Yes to Update Existing items or to Add New Items (or both). You cannot answer No to both.

9. (Optional) Click  . If you selected Yes to Add New Items in the previous step, use this page to include or exclude items from certain departments. For example, if you want to exclude items from departments 4, 6, and 8 from being added to your inventory, set the "Include/Exclude Depts" field to E, then enter 4, 6, and 8 in the fields below.

10. Click . Fill in the desired options. In the Vendor Code field, select your vendor code for Ace.

11. Click . Fill in the desired options. In the Vendor Code field, select your vendor code for Ace. If you select Y in the "Add Items To Inventory" field, any Ace promotion items that do not exist in your Inventory file will be added, as long as the item is in the Ace catalog.

1. • For Ace Best Buys, Super Coupons, and Incredible Bargains, the promotion start/end dates are set to the first and last day of the month, respectively.

   • Beginning in Spring of 2007, you'll be able to download Major Market and National Event promotions at percent-off discounts (as opposed to being based on a specific price). These percent-off promotions will be downloaded through your regular EFM process.The ’percent off’ promotions are supported for the following hierarchy groups:

   • • Merchandise Class

     • Merchandise Class - Product Group

     • Item

     • Vendor

     • Private Label (which will be sent as items)

     • Merchandise Class – Vendor Combination

     • Merchandise Class – Product Group – Vendor Combo

     • Merchandise Class – Private Label Combo

     • Merchandise Class – Product Group – Private Label Combo

12. (Optional) Click . Fill in the screen so that you can download Reverse purchase orders (Drop Ship orders) from Ace. Click here for a definition of the fields on the screen.

    Vendor-This is the vendor code of the vendor from which you ordered the merchandise. The vendor must exist in the Vendor File Maintenance window.
    
    Create PO Using Vendor In Transmission File-if you enter Y, the system will use the vendor code contained in the ACE purchase order transmission file.  If you enter N, the system will use the Vendor code specified in the Vendor Code field and not the code contained in the purchase order transmission file.
    
    Buyers Initials-The Buyers Initials that you want to be applied to the purchase order the system creates.

13. Click Run to initiate the transmission. Or, click Queue (F7) to add EFM to an end-of-day queue.

14. Give the transmission a few minutes to process, and then check the transmission results.

• From the Eagle Browser in the Launch bar, type ASYMSG and press <Enter>.

• Press Next (F7) to view the correct section of the log.  A message similar to the following indicates a successful transmission.

ACEEFM: RECEIVING HOTSHEETS

ACEEFM: HANGING UP

ACEEFM: EVALUATING SCRIPT RESULTS

ACEEFM: BTC JOB SUCCEEDED

BTCTRAN: BEGIN ASYNC PROCESSING

BTCTRAN: END ACE ASYNC PROCESSING

BTCTRAN: TRANSMISSION SUCCESSFUL

The transmission reports print when the transmission process completes.

15. If you have a problem receiving EFM data, try receiving EFM data again. If you are still not successful, do the following:

15. • Make note of any error messages you see in ASYMSG.

    • Call the Eagle Advice Line at 1(800) 322-3077 to help you solve the problem.