WARNING to HQ users running SO Tracker
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Duplicate SO_ codes can be created in error by issuing Worksheet 250 with inactive SO_ items on them. The 250 should only contain SO_ items if the codes have been activated at the store level, sent up to HQ, modified in HQ (ex. price, description, etc), and the changes need to be sent down to the stores.
The best way to avoid this issue is to select the Item Filter option when issuing a worksheet 250 for the SO dept. Then exclude Inactive items in the filter settings. Or sort the worksheet by ILC, then remove any SO_xxx_y entries shown with the descripition Special Order.
Example: Inactive = No AND Dept = Special Orders AND Last Updated = Today
If you use Recently Changed items instead, on days when SO_ codes are auto-replenished the worksheet may contain inactive items in error. The only SO_ items listed on a user-created worksheet should be those modified in HQ Manager and the changes are being sent back down to the stores.
If you create duplicate entries of this type in error, the only way to fix them is to retire the "bad" codes, cancel the outstanding orders containing those codes, and re-create the order with a new SO_ item. To retire a code, mark it Inactive in HQ and send down a worksheet 250 containing only those codes you want retired.
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Note this warning from HQ Bridge installation instructions --
WARNING: Never run a 250 worksheet with outgoing inactive SO_ entries on it again. Once started this process is automated by HQ Bridge. Manual operation in the future would overwrite the codes at the store level and create DUPLICATES.
The only legitimate SO_ entries sent to stores on manual WS250 should be activated special order items. That means activated special order items sent to HQ from a store, then modified in HQ, which need to be updated at the store level (ex. description or price change).
To avoid sending duplicates SO_ codes in error, always select Item Filter for worksheet 250 worksheets when updating SO_ items from HQ. The filter should be set to: Inactive = No, Dept = Special Order. This will exclude the replenishment codes (inactive items).
You should also scan WS250 contents for SO_xxx_y entries and remove them before approving the worksheet, where xxx is a sequential number and y is store ID.
The only legitimate codes on a manual generated WS250 will be in the format SO_xxxxxxxxxx_y where x is the customer's 10 digit phone number and y is a sequential number (if same customer has more than one special order in progress).
If duplicate SO_ codes are created in error, you will need to retire them by canceling the affected orders, retiring the bad codes (mark inactive and remove SO dept assignment), then recreate the special orders.
Here are two simple tests that determine if duplicate codes have been issued in error –
Test 1 -- Run Store Operations Manager, Reports, Items, Quantity List report, Dept = Special Orders, Inactive items only (change filter to Yes). Entries listed should display the description "Special Order" with ILC = SO_xxx_y where xxx is a sequential number and y is the store ID number. The only other entries listed might be codes you deliberately made inactive after a processing a special order. These entries will be in the format SO_xxxxxxxxxx_y where xxxxxxxxxx is the 10 digit phone number for the customer account and y is a sequential number (if customer account has had more than 1 special order processed).
Test 2 -- Note the replenishment code count in AutoGen for SO_ generation. Example, 99 codes are generated for replenishment whenever a store's pool of inactive SO_ runs low. Now view SO Tracker in POS and see if the maximum shown is 99 whenever the pool of codes is replenished. If this count never reaches 99, it means you have duplicate codes on file (which can be viewed by running Test 1).
TIP: You can enable automated WS250 for both SO_ items and all other depts in HQ Bridge, and never issue WS250 again for new item adds. This primarily avoids the problem as WS250 would only be issued manually for item changes. However, whenever a manual WS 250 is issued the same rule above applies -- no inactive SO_xxx_y entries should be included on the worksheet. Sort by Item Lookup Code and remove any offending entries before approving the worksheet.
Dave J
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