Inventory Import Utility (IIU)

This COTS interface permits a customer to issue parts and credits to FASTER Web work orders. It supports importing inventory (parts) data from an export file provided by your parts or fluid vendor. This can be from a vendor who manages your parts storerooms or from a vendor who provides a separate internal inventory management system (such as a fluid management system).

Once deployed, the IIU is available in FASTER Web’s Integration Module and provides configuration, scheduling (as often as every 5-minutes), and import results in the FASTER Web Integration Module. The IIU will retrieve a comma separated value (CSV) flat file from a designated file location or SFTP site. This import reduces the risk of data entry errors and reduces the need for a FASTER user to enter related information in both FASTER Web and the vendor’s software manually.

You will need to have your other vendor confirm it can provide export files that meet the specifications for the IIU. Customers who have outsourced their parts have generally opted not to keep parts inventory in FASTER. Thus, among other things, the parts vendor’s export file will need to include cost and quantity. Customer’s importing fluid inventory data will likely want to configure it to pull cost and quantity from FASTER Web’s inventory and not receive cost and quantity from the vendor’s file.

Please Note: Using this import may require process changes and it is important that you get agreement from your other vendor prior to purchasing the IIU. It is also important to note that there are business decisions that you, the customer, will need to make so you can instruct your vendor as to the details of the export file you need it to provide.

The IIU is a COTS product that is being used by multiple FASTER Web customers and is not vendor-specific. Thus, the parts vendor is responsible for providing an export file that meets the specifications you provide them based on the form noted in the link above. As such, FASTER does not get involved in testing or vetting the vendor’s export file. You should confirm with your parts vendor that it will take responsibility for the accuracy, timeliness and testing of its data export file and that the parts vendor will address any issues that arise with respect to its export file.

Prerequisite

• Utilization of FASTER Web’s Technician Workstation’s Request for Parts
  • Your Vendor will require the Request ID from the FASTER Web system in order to complete the part issue.
• FASTER Web 6.4.111 and above (documentation accessible with FASTER Customer website credentials)
  
  • View 6.4 Documentation

Next Steps

Determine How Your Vendor Will Get the Request ID

Your Vendor’s export file will require the Request ID associated with each item request in FASTER Web.

There are two ways for the Vendor to acquire the Request ID as detailed in the table below. Before your Vendor creates export files, it is up to you and your Vendor to determine how to acquire the Request ID.

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Vendor Export File Specifications

In order to make it as easy as possible for you to decide what data you desire from your Vendor and provide that information to your Vendor in an easy fashion, FASTER has provided an easy to use form. After completing the form you will receive an email with a copy of the form so that you may provide it to your Vendor. The form is designed to be interactive and will take you through the step-by-step decisions to collect, select and communicate the data your Vendor will need.

Before you purchase the IIU, FASTER strongly recommends you receive confirmation from your Vendor on their ability to create valid export files meeting the Vendor Export File Specifications that you choose when filling out the below form.

Visit this link to complete the form: Vendor Export File Specifications

Preparing to Test Your Vendor’s Export Files

This solution statement provides detailed information that will enable your Vendor to create simple export files. You may want to have a test environment deployed with FASTER Web and the IIU where you can have your Vendor create several test export files which you can then import into that test environment. Remember that you will want to create some sample data in FASTER Web so that when you import data you can reconcile it to things like work orders and assets.

Please know that due to the importance of the customer insuring its data is accurate combined with the simple nature of this type of an export file, FASTER does not provide testing services for Vendor’s export files. The cost for FASTER to stand up an environment for you and get a copy of your database to test for this simple of an export is cost-prohibitive.

Addendum: Populating Cost

You can either configure to get Item Cost from FASTER Web or choose to import Item Cost from your Vendor’s export file.

Get Item Cost from FASTER Web

This option is configured within the IIU and can be used for internal dispensing systems where cost is not tracked and not provided in the Vendor’s export file.

Additional Functional Details Include:

• The IIU will issue a part to a closed Work Order as long as the Issue Date/Time provided in the export file is between the Work Order’s Date/Time In and Date/Time Out.
• The IIU will confirm the item exists within FASTER Web and the item has enough quantity on hand to perform the issue.
• Warranties are associated with the issue if the item has a warranty and a single warranty vendor. However, warranties are not added to the inventory item master record by the IIU.
• Retrieves Item Cost and Other Costs from the inventory item record and issues items to the work order.
• The IIU will deplete existing in-stock quantity of the inventory item that is being issued.
• Configuration options for identifying which repair the issued inventory item will be associated with include:
  • Ability to issue the inventory item against a PM if one exists on the Work Order and applies logic based on your hierarchical PM configuration.
  • Ability to identify a default repair that will be used to issue the inventory item if no PMs are found or if you choose not to issue the inventory item to a PM repair.

Limitation:

• Inventory items with warranty returns are not handled by the utility. Returns must be processed manually by the user through FASTER Web.

Importing Item Cost from Vendor’s Export File

IIU configuration “Get Item Cost from FASTER Web” is set to No. This option can be used for outsourced storerooms where the vendor is providing cost in the export file.

Additional Functional Details Include:

• The IIU will issue a part to a closed work order as long as the Issue Date/Time provided in the export file is between the Work Order’s Date/Time In and Date/Time Out.
• Creates a non-stock inventory item record if the item number does not exist in FASTER Web
• Creates an order and receipt for each inventory item that is issued to work order with all required audit records
• Deducts funds from the designated purchase order for each receipt
• Creates a billing adjustment against the work order when a negative selling price in the import record is found
• Warranties are associated with the issue if the item has a warranty and a single warranty vendor. However, warranties are not added to the inventory item master record by the IIU.
• The IIU does not deplete existing in-stock quantity of the inventory item that is being issued. New orders or receipts are created for each issue record quantity.

Limitations:

• Inventory items with warranty returns are not handled by the utility. Returns must be processed manually by the user through FASTER Web.
• Inventory stock levels are not maintained by IIU for the target inventory storeroom.
• IIU uses the moving average costing method to support the order-receipt process.