Aligned Solutions Consulting - Blog by RickAligned Solutions Consulting - Blog by Rickhttps://getaligned.zohosites.com/blogs/author/rickTue, 23 Dec 2025 08:33:48 -0800http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Time Phase: What's The Part Status?]]>https://getaligned.zohosites.com/blogs/post/time-phase-whats-the-part-status
Recently, a client brought me an interesting problem that we were able to solve in an interesting way with a fairly simple BPM.  One of the Purchasing Buyer's called and stated that customer service was getting upset with her as she was not purchasing parts. She said that the part was not showing up in PO Suggestions. 

When we reviewed one of the parts, we found that that the part was marked as "Run Out". When a part is marked as "Run Out", it means it will be excluded from PO Suggestions because if you want to run out of the part you wouldn't want to purchase it.  However, when a part is marked as Run Out, Inactive, or On Hold, there is nothing that warns the user nor informs anyone of the change. So, we quickly did a few simple actions:
  • Created a BPM on Part.Update to provide an informational message popup when Run Out, Inactive, or On Hold is set to true to inform the user if there are open Sales Order or Purchase Order lines.
  • Created a Data Directive to record any change to Run Out, Inactive, or Hold in the Change Log.
  • Created a Data Directive in the Change Log where Table = Part and if the Log Text references any of those fields to email the Part Number (Key1), Log Text and '#PartAvail' to their Company SocialCast feed. (Other SocialCast users can email subscribe to the tag '#PartAvail' or the Epicor User feed.  Something similar can be done with Epicor Social).
  • Created a BAQ Search for the Sales Order Search that would display all the Open Sales Order lines where the Part Status is marked as Inactive, Run Out or On Hold.
  • Created a BAQ Search for the Purchase Order Search that would display all the Open Purchase Order lines where the Part Status is marked as Inactive, Run Out or On Hold.

 Which this all helped, a few days later I received another call from the Purchasing Buyer that customer service used Time Phase frequently to determine when to set Order Due Dates and would like to see the Part Status in that screen somehow. (Note: I have found that most CSR's do not find the "Capable and Available to Promise" functionality very useful and adoption has been impossible despite multiple tries.  Most are more comfortable with the Time Phase UI; it's more intuitive to them).   


At first, I thought I would need to do a customization to the screen and add the fields to the UI even though it is not something I prefer as it's one more thing we have to check when we upgrade.  However, when I reviewed the Time Phase screen carefully, I discovered that the Exception column value for the first row (Due = Null and Source = On-hand Quantity) never had a value. Perhaps I could use a BPM to determine the Part Status value that mattered and set that value on the fly as the data is retrieved. 


I performed a quick test to identify the correct Business Object & Method to put the BPM on and to see if I could set the value to something like "On-Hand"... and it worked! It took a few passes with the trace tool to ID the Business Object & Method, but it ended up being the TimePhas.GoProcessTimePhase BO & Method.  Post-Processing would be needed so that it would change the value after the Method retrieved the data from the database.


Next, I had to work out the logic for the switching to get the correct meaningful result in the field.  While an inactive part can both be set for Run Out and On Hold, it's On Hold status is inconsequential when it's inactive. The intent is to give the user an idea of the part's availability. If they need more, they can review the part in Part Tracker.  I wanted to avoid using a custom code to do this, if for no other reason than to prove it can be done. I ended up with a series of 4 Set by Query Setters. (I started with conditionals and trying to set BPMContext fields, but I quickly discovered that it was quite redundant). I determined that the right order to evaluate the part status to get the correct value would be to evaluate the various status fields in this order: OnHold, RunOut, InActive. 

Step-by-Step Process

 Part Status Evaluation Order

1. Set Active Query for ttTimePhas


This query doesn't actual check against the Part table itself, it is just setting the default for the field on the correct row. I considered just leaving the value blank, but then I would have no confirmation that the BPM was firing. (In 10.0 there is a bug where BPM's will stop firing). Additionally, it's clearer to the end user. 


This query is just against the ttTimePhas table. I passed the Part Number as an argument just for good form and since then I only need to change the Exception Reason value for the rows where the Source column is 'On-Hand Quantity'. I have set a criteria for that as well; this will be repeated for the ttTimePhas table in each subsequent query.


Then, for all the rows identified by that query I am setting the ttTimePhas.ExceptionReason to 'Active'.the ttTimePhas table. I passed the Part Number as an argument just for good form and since then I only need to change the Exception Reason value for the rows where the Source column is 'On-Hand Quantity'. I have set a criteria for that as well; this will be repeated for the ttTimePhas table in each subsequent query.  Then, for all the rows identified by that query I am setting the ttTimePhas.ExceptionReason to 'Active'.

2. Part Hold and OnHoldDate Query Setup


The next query will evaluate the Part's Hold status. What is tricky with this is that along with the Hold, there is an OnHoldDate field which can be set in the future. So, there needs to be an additional criteria on the OnHoldDate field to only select if the date is today or in the past.  If it's not on hold yet, it's not on hold and it shouldn't say it is. Consider the following points when crafting queries that involve joins with database tables. 


First, be sure to set a good join between the tt 'table' and the database table. There does not seem to be any automatic joins, so understand the data in the tt (temporary table) and create the appropriate joins.  While doing this, I noticed that ttTimePhas does not have a Company field.  I wanted to be sure I was only selecting the Part records for the current company, so I added a criteria to the Part table where Company = BAQ CurrentCompany constantly. It doesn't hurt to be sure. 


 Do not forget to apply the same criteria on the ttTimePhas table as in the preceding widget. The widget should exclusively select and update the 'On-Hand Quantity' row. Then, on the Set by Query widget the ExceptionReason field will be set to 'OnHold!', overriding the previous Set by Query widget if the part is on hold.

3. Configuring Set by Query Widgets for RunOut or InActive Cases

The next two Set by Query widgets will all be similar to the On Hold query except the RunOut or InActive field will be evaluated and there is no need to check the OnHoldDate.  


Again, don't forget the ttTimePhase criteria, the joins and a criteria on Part for Current Company.  Then, just set appropriate messages for the ExceptionReason.

4. Final Configuration and Testing

Finally, just connect all the Set by Query widgets together in the appropriate order, save and enable.
Test in TimePhase and you should now see the appropriate Part Status in the Exception column of any row where the Source says "On-Hand".  

You should probably test with different parts with different values for each of the fields evaluated to be sure you are getting the appropriate message in the Exception column. The CSR's expressed satisfaction with this solution and shared additional information to enhance their understanding of the data presented in Time Phase.

 I learned a few new things with this solution:


  1. Manipulation of most field values in the UI can be done with the appropriate Business Object Method in Post processing no matter if it's a read only control or not, nor if it's an Entry form or a Tracker form.
  2. If values manipulated via other methods are set before an Update they are usually then available in the update, which can provide better feedback to the user when setting defaults, that way fields aren't 'magically' changing when the Update method is called.
  3.  Explore the Business Object methods, there are so many of them and while often times we end up landing on the Update method, some other method may be more appropriate to use, and in some cases easier.  Using the trace feature is very valuable in understanding the role of each method and when it is called.

If you found this post helpful, be sure to like, share and comment.


Need help implementing this BPM or with anything else Epicor?

Contact me and let's get something scheduled!

]]>Tue, 22 Aug 2017 10:09:37 -0500<![CDATA[Epicor ERP Email Notifications: Self Opt-In/Out]]>https://getaligned.zohosites.com/blogs/post/epicor-erp-email-notifications-opt-inopt-out-with-socialcast-com
If you've been running Epicor for at least a month, you know that someone wants an email notification when something happens.  Usually, it starts with PO Approvals, but as time goes on more and more users wish to be notified when something happens or changes in Epicor. 

 Before you know it, you have at least half a dozen BPM's that are emailing people and eventually either promotion or turnover happens and now those email notifications need to change.  BPM Email notifications and changes can quickly become an annoyance, but how to manage it?  There are many solutions to this problem:
  1. Email Distribution Groups: This is a good option and if you haven't done it yet, you should. This way your email administrator can help manage who receives the notifications but be sure to add a line in your BPM Email Template that informs the receiver why they are receiving the email notification and what distribution group is being used.  While it is possible for your email administrator to allow users to self-add and remove, many companies do not use this feature. However, if your company does, it could be an effective solution. (Here is a helpful Spiceworks post on this topic)
  2. Epicor Social Premium: While it doesn't have Email notifications (Yet? Will they ever add it?), it does allow users to follow and unfollow.  But maybe your business isn't willing to take on Social nor the cost.  Besides, it's still a bit of a closed system.
  3. Social Platforms: Such as Slack, HipChat, Jive, SocialCast, and others that will receive emails and post them to a user/group/channel/room/stream/etc, allowing users to self-subscribe to email notifications.  (Evaluate your options carefully, some do one but not the other).  This can also allow your company to experiment with social technologies for free. If your company already uses one of these social platforms, give it a try. This is the option one of my clients decided to give a shot and it's worked out very well.

While you can use other social platforms, I will be demonstrating doing this with SocialCast. To get started, first head over to Socialcast.com and sign up for a free account. You will receive an email confirmation so you can set up your account (as an admin) and invite your first users. 


 As the last of my knowledge, the free account is limited in functionality and user count. However, everything shown in this article should work.  Please keep in mind that you cannot have more than 50 active users at a time, including you and an Epicor user account.

1

As the admin, you will need to setup many of the company accounts under Admin Settings in the "cog" menu.  For this to work, be sure to enable the "Email to Share" and "Respond to Messages" settings under Integrations > Add-Ons.



2
If you haven't already, you should create an email address on your email server for Epicor. An example would be Epicor@YourCompany.com.  You could just do this as an email alias on your own email account, as you will need to receive the SocialCast invite email to setup the Epicor user account.  Epicor will be one of the first SocialCast users you will need to invite.  Once you receive your Epicor user invite, go ahead and set it up with the appropriate details.
3
Now, we can test by creating a BPM that sends an email to the special SocialCast "Email to Share" email, "share@socialcast.com".  The way this works is that when share@socialcast.com receives an email, it looks up the "from" email address in the header in SocialCast and then posts the message to that user's feed.  For our test, we will send an email to SocialCast whenever a user logs in.
4
 In Epicor open Data Directives Maintenance from System Management > Business Process Management.

5

 Enter "SysUserFile" in the Table field.

6

Select "New Standard Directive" from the new menu.

7

Give the Directive a name like "EmailSocialcast".

8

Click on the "Design" button.

9

Add a Condition Widget and select the "The specified field has been changed from any to another".

10

 Set "specified" in the phrase to "LastLogOnAttempt" field.

11

Add the Send E-mail widget and change the Action option from "asynchronously" to "synchronously" and then click on the "Designed" word.

12

Give the e-mail template a name like "EmailSocialcast".

13

 Set the From field. Enter the Epicor email address you created for the Epicor SocialCast account.

14

Set the To field to "share@socialcast.com".

15

In the Subject field, right-click and select Call Context > callContextClient > CurrentUserID, then press the space bar and type "has logged in!".

16

In the Message, clear out the existing contents and right click and select "Field Query".

17

 In the popup, set the name of the field to something like "MyFullName" and check the Updated records field and then find the Field Name called Name and check the box next to it and select "OK".

18
After the inserted token, press the space bar and type in "has logged in:" and press the enter key.
19
Right-click and select Table Query.
20
 Name the field "MyUserData" and check the Updated records field and then enable the following fields from the list: UserID,  LastLogOnAttempt, PwdLastChanged and select "OK".
21
Review your template and then click the "OK" button if everything looks good.
22

Now, connect the Start Widget to the Condition Widget. 


Then, from the True side of the Condition Widget to the Send E-mail Widget, it should look something like this:
23

Select the Save and Exit button to get back to the Data Directive screen.  There, enable the Enabled checkbox and save.

24
Now, just log out of Epicor and log back in. 

Within a few minutes, if you monitor your SocialCast, you should see the email message populate as a post in the Epicor User Feed.


25

Once you have confirmed it works, you should recall the Data Directive in Data Directive Maintenance and disable the Enabled checkbox, Save, and Delete the Data Directive. Otherwise, you will be sending an email to SocialCast every time someone logs in. (Before deleting, I always save records where I have disabled something just to make sure any actions triggered by changing the value actually happen so that abandoned records are not accidently created).                                               

26
In SocialCast, email notifications can be sent on several things. To be able to only receive Email Notifications from certain BPM's, the email message needs to contain a tag, basically a # with a word following it; in this case we could add #loggedin. 

Once SocialCast has one post with the tag, each user can setup what is called a "Stream" for any message that contains that tag.  Then, the user can enable or disable email notifications for that Stream:
                 1.  Click on your SocialCast Company logo to go to your home page.

                2.   Once on Home, click on the Home Menu and select "New Custom Stream".


                3.   Now select the type of stream, "Tag/Keyword".


               4.  Give the Stream a descriptive name, like "Logged In". Your users can either create one stream that they". Your 

                       users can either create one stream that they are subscribed to and add additional tags or they can create a 

                       stream per tag.

5.  Type in the tags or keywords that should be included in the stream.

In this case #loggedin. I recommend using tags so that other unintentional posts are not included and notifying your users unnecessarily.

                6.   Now select the "Create Stream" button.  This will create the stream and take you to the stream.

7.   To receive emails for new posts to the stream, select the Stream's Cog icon and select "Receive Email".


                8.  To stop receiving emails from the stream, select the "Don't Receive emails for new posts".

Now, you just need to invite your users, train them on how to create and subscribe to streams, and convert many of your BPM's over to email SocialCast instead.  This isn't ideal for every situation, but for users who want to be in control of their notifications, this is a good option.  Some users may not even use the email notifications and instead just follow the Epicor user account or a stream.  Here are some ideas for BPM's notifications to SocialCast:
  • DMT PowerShell Activities
  • New Part Numbers
  • Parts added to a PO with Zero Std Cost
  • Nonconformance Created
  • New Customer Created
  • New Vendor Created
  • Part Bin Negative Qty on Hand
  • Corrective Action Issued
  • Certain PO's Have Closed (Watch List)

Really anything where a group of people could benefit from seeing the activity relatively close to when it happened.  This could even be used to kick off a process or discussion where everything is tracked as comments on the original post.  You could even use web services like Zapier and KissFlow together to kick off a KissFlow process by having an Epicor BPM email Zapier. Creative, flexible and quick to deploy integrated solutions like this is what I love to do.  How can I help you use tools like this to align your business and your software?

If you found this post helpful, be sure to like, share and comment.


Need help implementing this BPM or with anything else Epicor?

Contact me and let's get something scheduled!   

]]>Tue, 08 Aug 2017 11:25:43 -0500<![CDATA[Epicor Paste Insert Feature]]>https://getaligned.zohosites.com/blogs/post/epicor-paste-insert-feature

To facilitate getting data imported into Epicor simultaneously and quickly, Epicor provides a "Paste Insert" feature into List Views. This way users can copy and paste insert data from a spreadsheet into Epicor. This can reduce redundant data entry and speed data entry when done correctly. 


In this example, we will Paste Insert into PO Entry based on a Quote received from a Supplier. (Note: The key to getting Paste Insert to work properly is matching up the columns between the Excel copied data and the Epicor List View.)

1.  Open Epicor PO Entry & The Excel Spreadsheet

We first need to open PO Entry and the spreadsheet that contains the data that is to be entered into Epicor. This way we can compare the column order between the two so that the columns in either Excel or Epicor can be adjusted to match. 

2.  Enter the PO Header Data

1.   Select New PO from the New Toolbar Menu.

2.  Enter the Supplier ID & PP of the supplier. 

3.  Select the Attn contact from the drop down if applicable. 

4.  Select the appropriate Buyer ID, if the default is not correct. 

5.  Select Save from the toolbar to save the PO, a PO number will generate.

3. Select the Summary Line Type for the PO

On the Summary tab towards the bottom of the screen select the type of PO Line(s) that will be entered. In this case, these are non-inventoried items, so we will select the Other tab.

4. Delete Unnecessary Data from the Excel Spreadsheet

1.  On the Other tab, we can note the order of the columns: Line, Part, Description, Unit Price, Cost Per, Our Qty, UOM, Type, etc... If we compare this to the column order of the spreadsheet, we see they do not line up:

Line, Date, Location, Sub Location, Qty Ordered, Quantity Shipped, Quantity Back Ordered, Description, Control No., Part No., Price/Hundred, Amount.

By comparing the two sets of columns and the data in the spreadsheet we can first determine which columns in the Excel Spreadsheet are not required. In this case we do not need:

Line, Date, Location, Sub Location, Qty Shipped, Qty Backordered, Control No. & Amount. Line & Date are auto generated so those are not needed.

Amount is not needed but we will want to keep it on the Spreadsheet for verification later.

2.  We can now select these columns in the spreadsheet and delete them.

3.  You can consecutively select columns by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on the column headers. 

4.  Then you can let go of the Ctrl key and right click and select Delete from the context menu.

5. Add Missing Data Columns

Epicor PO Lines have several required fields and several fields that can affect how pricing is calculated: 


1. Part Class - this is required so that the expense writes against the correct GL account - The spreadsheet does not contain this data, so we need to enter the appropriate Part Class Code, not the description, that should be used.  we need to enter the appropriate Part Class Code, not the description, that should be used.  we need to enter the appropriate Part Class Code, not the description, that should be used.  we need to enter the appropriate Part Class Code, not the description, that should be used.  we need to enter the appropriate Part Class Code, not the description, that should be used. 


2.Cost Per - this Epicor field controls how the Unit Price and Order Qty are calculated. Valid values are "/1", "/100", and "/1000" - these translate to Epicor codes "E", "C" and "M", respectively. Notice on the spreadsheet that it says "Price/Hundred", so that means that we should select "/100" for the Cost Per Code.

6. Align PO Entry Columns To Excel Spreadsheet

1. With all the columns determined in the spreadsheet, we can move the column headers on the PO form to match. This can be easily done in Epicor by just clicking and dragging the column to the desired position. 

2. After moving the columns to the desired order, you can Right Click in the list view and select Save Layouts so that the list view will stay the same for the next time. 

3. If some columns are not visible, you can add them via Personalization from the Options Menu.

If you need help with moving columns and adding columns, see Epicor 101: Grid/List View Tools.

7. Copy Spreadsheet Data

Now that the source data and the data targets match, we can copy and paste insert:

1.  Select ONLY the cells that contain the data to be added to the PO, not the column headers. 

2.  Right click and select Copy from the context menu.

8. Paste Insert Into Epicor

Switch back over to Epicor PO Entry and right click anywhere in the List area and select Paste Insert. If everything in Excel is setup correctly, you will then see the PO Lines paste into the list view. 


If everything in the spreadsheet is not setup correctly, you will probably receive an error message that says: "Unable to Complete Paste Operation". This is usually because the columns are not aligned properly to match the grid, or in some cases there can be a missing required field.  If you need help, let me know.

9. Verify Paste Insert Data

Trust But verify. Review the data that was pasted into the PO and validate it against the source. For instance, in this case the source Excel file included a Sub Total as the sub totals match.

10. Finish PO Entry

Apart from the PO Lines, it might be necessary to include miscellaneous PO charges, such as freight. Remember to choose the PO for approval and print it if required.

This same process can be used in most other Epicor grids to quickly input data that has already been entered into a spreadsheet, for instance:

  • Sales Order Entry
  • Quote Entry
  • RMA Entry
  • GL Journal Entries
If you found this post helpful, be sure to like, share and comment.  
​
​If you need help with using Paste Insert in Epicor or are interested in remote or on-site Epicor training, please contact me and let's get something scheduled!
]]>Tue, 27 Jun 2017 11:30:43 -0500<![CDATA[Epicor Insights 2017: Epicor Searches]]>https://getaligned.zohosites.com/blogs/post/epicor-insights-2017-epicor-searches

I presented two sessions at Epicor Insights 2017:

Tuesday: DMT PowerShell Scripts, Lessons Learned

Thursday: Epicor Search Tools

Here is the content of the Epicor Search Tools session, including the PowerPoint in PDF format presented during the session. Please like, share and leave a comment if you downloaded the PowerPoint, or found this topic helpful or how you plan to use the Epicor Search Tools to seed other's imagination.


If you ever find yourself in need of Epicor consulting services, take a moment to explore how I can be of assistance. Feel free to reach out—I would love to help! I would like to thank Kathie Poindexter at Epicor for planning and scheduling the sessions. 


This session reviewed the many different types of Search Tools included in Epicor and highlighted how I have helped some of my clients use these tools to quickly get to the data. Often times users asked for reports or dashboards—but after a process review, many times all that was needed was some education on how to use the Search Tools or a custom search. We will be going through all the Epicor Search Tools, beginning with the most commonly used ones and then some of the little-known tools.

Where To Find Search

There are multiple ways to launch a search:

  • Toolbar's Binocular’s button.
  • Search buttons next to a key field. These buttons are found on sheets throughout the interface. The button label indicates what specific records this search program locates.
  • If you have Enterprise Search, it is available on the Epicor Main Menu.

Base Search

  • Sort By: Select an option on this drop-down list to organize the search results by a specific field found in the record. The results display in descending order.
  • Starting At: Enter a character or characters to indicate where in the dataset you would like to begin your search.
  • Additional Filters: Many Basic searches offer addition types of filters to further specify the criteria
    • Combobox/Dropdown: Select from a predefined list of values.
    • Search: Click on the Search button to search for an additional filter.
    • Radio Button: Select a radio button that best matches what you are looking for.

Quick Search

Sometimes the Basic Search does not provide enough criteria options.  A Quick Search is a custom designed search based on a BAQ (query), that can be developed to provide custom searches that fit a specific workflow or business process. 


Quick Searches are great for adding additional result columns when the base search does not provide the columns your business process needs. You can just emulate the Basic Search criteria.  Select the Quick Search from the list and click on "Search", then enter the Quick Search criteria. Click "Search" again to view the results. See your ERP Administrator if you have an idea for a Quick Search.

Quick Search: Use Cases

  • Search by User Defined fields.
  • Search for Sales Orders that contain a certain part or open lines, for this Epicor has already provided a Quick Search as an example called zOrderLine.
  • For times when the Base search only provides a single value criteria option, like in Master Pack Entry and Transfer Order Shipment entry.

Part Search

  • By Product Group & Part Class
  • By UPC, EAN and other product codes

Customer Search

  • Display additional result columns (credit hold)
  • Customer Ship To
  • Customer Parts (all ports ordered, sorted by ordered last)

AR Invoice Search

  • By Part Number
  • By XRefInvoiceNum (imported from legacy system)

Job Search

  • Job Date Range (Start, Due, Completed & Closed)
  • Additional Job Status (Printed, Candidate, Started, etc)
  • By Job Codes

Order Search

  • zOrderLine BAQ: by Order line details, Part, Customer Part, Rev, Description, etc)


RMA Search

  • Related Case
  • RMA Detail: Part, Order & Invoice Reference

Customer Shipment Search

  • ZCustShipLine BAQ: Order Number, Part Number, etc

Supplier Search

  • Supplier Group
  • Supplier Attributes
  • Supplier Acct Ref

Quick Search: The Steps

1

Create a BAQ for your Quick Search

  • Make sure you mark the BAQ Shared.
  • Be sure to include the Key context fields such as OrderNum and PartNum.
  • If the BAQcan be limited, set appropriate criteria.
  • For the display fields, be sure to select all the fields you want displayed in the search results.
2

Create the Quick Search

     1.  Open the program you would want to use the Quick Search in, like Order Entry

    2.  Right-click on the search field (Order Number)

    3.  Select Quick Search Entry

    4.  Click New

    5.  Enter BAQ ID and select the matching return field (OrderNum)

        6. Setup Quick Search Criteria


             1. New > Quick Search Criteria


            2. Select Criteria Column, Caption, Type of             Condition (=, <>, >, <, >=, <=, Begins, Matches)                   and Type of Criteria (Prompt, Constant, Value             List, Radio Set).


            3. For Value List or Radio Set, you can create the         Option names and values in the grid below. This         is handy if you want a drop down, but Prompt             doesn’t automatically create a drop down. 


            For instance, on a Part or Job Quick Search you might want the Type field to be a drop down for P & M (Purchased &         Manufactured). While it doesn’t do that by default, with this you can create it. This could also be used for a Boolean         value field where you want options that are more descriptive…. or you can use a value list to limit the options the user         can search against (Part Class, Product Group, etc.).

         7.  Test Your Quick Search

               1.  Actions > Test Quick Search


             2.  SAVE -> Share -> SAVE -> All Occurrences

      BAQ Search

      A BAQ search is a predefined search based on a BAQ (query), that can be developed to provide custom searches that fit a specific workflow or business process. After selecting the BAQ Search from the list and clicking on Search, the results of the BAQ will be displayed. 

      BAQ searches do not require any criteria to be entered since the predetermined criteria was already provided. See your ERP Administrator if you have an idea for a BAQ Search.

      BAQ Search: Use Cases

      Working with Queues that need to be processed or reviewed.

      Created by\Owned by

      • My Cases
      • My PO's

      Simple Grid Dashboard Alternative

      Supplier Search

      • SRM Ratings
      • Expired QA Certs
      • Top Invoiced Supplier YTD

      Parts Search

      • Run out Parts With No Inventory
      • IC Part Status Mismatch
      • On Hold
      • No Standard Cost

      Customer Search

      • Credit Review\Holds
      • My Customers (Per Territory Salespersons assignment)

      Order Search

      • Open Lines that are now Inactive or Run Out
      • Zero Price SO Lines
      • Stock and Release Programs: Customer Order with parts on hand past X days.
      • My Orders

      Job Search

      • Printed\Unprinted
      • My Jobs (by Planner, Prod Team membership)

      Customer Shipment Order Entry

      • Ship By Today (or other date range) with certain status
      • Empty Packs (No Detail Lines)

      BAQ Search: The Steps

      1.  Create a BAQ for your BAQ Search
        • Make sure you mark the BAQ "shared"
        • Be sure to include the Key context fields such as OrderNum, PartNum, etc.
        • Usually the BAQ can be limited, set appropriate criteria.
        • For the display fields, be sure to select all the fields you want displayed in the search results.
      2.  Set which Search Screens it will display
        1. Select the BAQ Search tab.
        2. Select the Like columns that represent the Search Screens you want.
        3. Save.
      3.  Test
        1. Open the appropriate screen.
        2. Click on the appropriate Search button.
        3. Select the BAQ tab – your BAQ Search should be listed.
        4. Highlight the BAQ Search Row and select the Search button.
        5. The BAQ results will display.
        6. Depending on the Search, you can either select the result row you want or use the Select multiple buttons to select more than one results row to pull into the program.

      Advanced Search

      An Advanced Search uses a custom dashboard to search for the desired data.  After selecting the Advanced Search Dashboard from the list and clicking on Search button, the dashboard will be loaded.  If applicable, enter the Dashboard search criteria and select Search. I have not found this type of search very useful since most times the dashboard can just be embedded as a UI customization to an existing Tracker. 

      However, you can deploy a dashboard as an Advanced Search instead of to the Main Menu.  If you already have dashboards, you can move them to search where they probably fit into the business process more efficiently. See your ERP Administrator if you have an idea for an Advanced Search.

      Purchase Order Search

      • Pending PO Approvals (includes a Buyers tab with purchase limits as a reference)

      Supplier Search

      • Supplier Monthly Invoiced Spend (Enters Year & Period to review Supplier Spend Sorted By Invoiced Amount.)

      Order Search

      • Shipment Planner (view orders due to ship by certain dates.  Helps CSR's better understand shipment progress and load.)

      Customer Search

      • Credit Hold Orders (Review credit hold orders including late invoices.
      •  Can then select the customer to open in customer Entry to modify Customer Limit. 
      • Can also be accessed from Customer Credit Manager.)

      Advanced Search: The Steps

      1. Create a BAQ for your Dashboard

      • Make sure you mark the BAQ "shared"
      • Be sure to include the Key context fields such as OrderNum, PartNum, etc
      • Usually the BAQ can be limited, set appropriate criteria.
      • For the display fields, be sure to select all the fields you want displayed in the search results.

      2. Create your Dashboard

      1. You will probably want to create a Tracker pane for criteria filters.

      3.Test and Save the Dashboard before enabling Advanced Search

      Select the General tab and then the Adv Search tab.

      1. Enable the dashboard for Advanced Search
      2. Select the appropriate Like columns that correspond to the Searches you want the dashboard to be available.

      4.Test

        Named Search

        Use the Named Search program to create a series of pre-set search options.  You may create Named Searches for Basic, Quick and BAQ Searches.  Named Search options also allow you to define a default Named Search. If the named search should Auto Execute, set the maximum rows returned and if a single value is returned if it should be auto selected.  

        You create Named Searches by selecting the Named Search button in the Search dialog and setting up the named search criteria.  You may have as many Named Searches as you wish, and they are displayed in the Named Search drop down.  When selected, the search criteria defaults are set on the appropriate search form. 

        It seems that whenever I am training new users, and we open a Search form for the first time they immediately click on the Named Search drop down… because it’s the first field on the form. Unfortunately, redirecting the user seems to cause them to block out that area of the form in the future. Time to revisit!

        Named Search: Use Cases

        Supplier Search

        • Inactive Suppliers (Base Search)
        • Unapproved Suppliers (Quick Search)

        Customer Search

        • Territory (Base Search)
        • My Customers (BAQ Search)

        DMR Search

        • Open DMRs (Base Search)

        Case Entry

        • Open Cases (Base Search)

        Fulfillment Workbench

        • Ship Today
        • Customer Group

        Job Search

        • Released Jobs (Base)
        • Other Statuses (Quick Search)

        Purchase Order Suggestions

        • Buyer & Cutoff Date (Base Search)

        Purchase Order Entry

        • Buyer & Open PO (Base Search)

        RMA Disposition

        • Open Disposition (Base Search)

        Named Search: The Steps

        1

        Open the program and click on the search button.


            1.  Click on the Named Search button.

        2

        Named Search Options will open.


            1.   Click on the New icon in the toolbar.

        3

        Give the Named Search an ID (no spaces).

        4

        Give the Named Search a Description.

        5

        Select the Search Type you want to use: Basic, Quick Search, BAQ Search.

        1. If Quick or BAQ Search, select the Using search option.
        2. For Basic and Quick, the search form will display. BAQ Searches do not have any criteria options, so nothing displays.
        3. Set the default search options for this named search, just like normal.
        6

        Select the Options tab to control the Named Search behavior.

        • Default
        • Auto Execute
        • Upin Criteria Sheet
        • Return All Rows
        • Maximum Rows Returned
        • Single Value Auto Select

        Data Tag Search

        Data tag searches allow you to search for records that are grouped by private or shared tags. The tags are unstructured text values that provide a way to associate otherwise unrelated records so that you or other users can search for them.  You may Tag any record by Right-Clicking on the data field and selecting Tag Record from the context menu. You can add as many data tags as needed to a record, each separated by a space. Because the tags are space delimited, you cannot include a space as part of a data tag.  

        Data Tag Search: Use Cases

        "Watch" Data Tags

        • Customers, Sales Orders, Purchase Orders, Parts, Jobs, Cases

        Automatic Data Tags

        • Via BPM or Data Directive
        • Add predefined data tag on update under certain criteria.
        • Remove predefined data tag on update under certain criteria.
        • Can be used to design a way for user to opt in and out of email notifications.

        Bookmarks for grouping business objects for data review projects

        User ID data tags or Initials

        • Customers (CSR ownership)

        Advanced Dashboard Technique

        • Per User Budget Tracker
        • Accounting data tags GL Budget Accounts with user ID's for account activity tracking dashboards.

        Data Classification

        • Parts & Product Groups (some users need more precise or different part classification for reports)

        Data Tag Search: The Steps

        1
        1. Create The Data Tag
          1. Identify a record to be tagged.
          2. Right Click on the key value
          3. Select "Tag Record"
          4. Enter private or shared tag and select OK.
        2
        2.  Search for a Data Tag

              1. Open Search

              2. Select Data Tag tab

              3. Enter Data Tag(s) needed

              4. Click Search button

        Data Tag Search: An Achilles Heel

        The one trouble with the data tag's is that users forget what tags they used so they don’t have something to search for. You can address this by creating a My & Shared Tags Dashboard.

        1
        1. Create a BAQ on the ICE.SysTag table where the CreatedBy = CurrentUserID OR IsShared = 1.
          1. Created a Calculated Count field and then group by all fields besides the Calculated Count field.
          2. SHARE!
        2
        2.  Create a Dashboard on the BAQ with two grid views,


                1. Grid 1: My Tags with a filter where CreatedBy = current user id.

                2. Grid 2: Shared Tags with a filter where IsShared = true.

                3. Set the dashboard to Auto Refresh on Load.
        3
        3.  Deploy it on the main menu where everyone can access it, for us this was Executive Analysis > Trackers.

        Now if anyone forgets their tags they can check this tracker to refresh their memory. The BAQ could be copied and the ICE.SysTag table linked to specific tables which would then allow you to provide the list per search object via a BAQ Search.  You could also adjust the dashboard to provide table, user, tag and other filters.

        Auto Populate & Auto Load Search

        Now to get into potentially dangerous stuff.  Each program in Epicor can be configured to either automatically populate the program with data or automatically load a Named Search.  These options can be accessed by selecting Options from the Tools menu within each Epicor Program.  The option settings are per user and are considered a personalization. On the General tab there is a As the Form Opens section, here you can select what you want to happen when you open the program.

        • No Action is the default and nothing will happen when you open the program
        • Auto Populate Data will automatically execute and select the data specified by the criteria of the Named Search specified.  If you do not select a Named Search then ALL the records for the program in the database will be loaded into the program.  This is generally a bad idea.
        • Auto Load Search will automatically open the Search window with the selected Named Search. If a named search is not select then the Base Search form will be loaded when the program is opened.

        Auto Populate: Use Cases

        Setup Programs (blank)

        • Buyers, Country, Customer Groups, Fiscal Year, FOB, Part Class, Product Group, Misc Charges, Ship Via, Terms Codes, Users

        General Operation Programs (blank)

        • Cross Dock, Job Closing Exception Tracker, Job Completion Exception Tracker, Planning Workbench, QA Inspection Processing, Supplier Contract Approvals

        With Named Search Selected

        • RMA Disposition, Fulfillment Workbench, Case Entry, Customer Credit Manager, Job Closing (Candidates), Planning Workbench, PO Suggestions, RMA Disposition

        Auto Load Search: Use Cases

        Customer Shipment Entry

        Most Trackers

        Auto Populate & Auto Load Search: The Steps

        1

        Open the Program

        2

        Select Options from the Tools menu.

        3
        Select either Auto Populate or Auto Load Search.
        4
        Select the Named Search from the drop-down.

        Auto Populate & Auto Load Search: A Final Warning

        • Auto Populate Data: When left blank, it will then retrieve all data records for the program. Use with caution!
        • Auto Load Search: When left blank, it will auto load the default search for the program.

        Predictive Search

        Predictive Search is an Epicor 10 feature and works similar to auto-complete in that it searches based on what you have typed in a key field. However, it does not attempt to complete the value, instead it presents a dropdown/pop-up style grid of "starting at" matches.  While this function is not great for everything, there are some scenarios where it would be very helpful. A key benefit is that the search does NOT have to search against the search field but any field on the table.

        Predictive Search: Use Cases

        Order Entry

        • Search against Customer PO when typing in Sales Order field. 
        • CSRs avoid an additional step to search for a sales order by the customer’s PO. 
        • Took some getting used to but proved very helpful.

        Employee Entry

        • Search against Employee Full Name instead of Employee ID.

        Part Number

        • Handy for long part numbers.
        • Search against Description, Search field, etc.

        Purchase Orders

        • Search against Supplier Name of "my open PO's" BAQ

        Customer

        • Search by Customer Name

        Supplier

        • Search by Supplier Name.

        Job Tracker

        • Enter Part Number for list of all Released Jobs for that part.

        User Accounts

        • Search by Full Name

        Predictive Search: The Steps

        1
        Create a BAQ for your Predictive Search.

        1.     Make sure you mark the BAQ "shared".
        2.     Be sure to include the Key context fields such as OrderNum, PartNum, etc.
        3.     Usually the BAQ can be limited, set appropriate criteria.
        4.     For the display fields, be sure to select all the fields you want displayed in the search results.
        2

        Open the program you wish to create the predictive search in and right click on the search filed and select Predictive Search Entry.


        If this option is not available in the context menu, then check your user account in Epicor under the options tab and make sure the account is enabled for maintaining Predictive Search.

        3

         Select New and set a Predictive Search ID, Description and select the BAQ created earlier.

        4

        Select the Return Column that matches the search field.

        5
        Select the Search By Column that you want to type and search against.
        6

        Set the Top X Rows (default of 100 seems excessive, try 25).

        7

        Save > Shared > Save > All Occurrences

        8

        Test!

        Enterprise Search

        In the Main Menu, you can use Enterprise Search to search for common or basic business objects across the database. Other search programs within the Epicor application are limited to querying records for a specific record type, but Enterprise Search locates a search item throughout the database.  Enterprise Search can be customized to index specific Business Objects and by default all business objects are NOT indexed. 

         Many of the common business objects that are indexed include, Customer, Contacts, Ship To, Sales Orders, Shipments, Quotes, Purchase Orders, Parts, Invoices, Cases & Service Calls.  Users can enter the search criteria they are looking for and return results with links to open the business object in its native program. Enterprise search can be a very powerful tool once it is configured properly for your data and environment.  

        Installation of Enterprise search for Epicor 10 is very easy and straightforward.  Once installed and activated, it basically indexes your database according to BAQ's provided in the Epicor Administration Console.  Review the BAQ Indexes that are enabled and disable any that you do not need, this will improve the index performance dramatically. Each BAQ index has configurations to control how the data is indexed and presented in the results.  By default, the results may seem random, messy and difficult to read but by configuring these indexes a relevant and easy to read result set can be achieved.

        Enterprise Search: Tips

        • Most common problem was timeouts.
        • Create a Search Index for each Company.
        • Only Index the BAQs that each Company needs.
        • Do not rebuild more than necessary.
        • If needed, limit the BAQ results additional date criteria.
        • Monitor Build History – As your data changes the rebuild may take longer or corrupt data can cause the rebuild to fail.

        Wrap Up: The Search Summary

        While the time savings is hard to definitively measure, those who do leverage these different search functions are able to save clicks and seconds throughout their daily processes that they repeat dozens of times a day. Especially for those working with Customers on the phone, every second counts and being able to quickly get data or answer customer questions improves the customer experience and satisfaction.


        Attached below is the original Insights 2017 Slide Deck to assist with exploring these search tools and deploying them in your environment.  Please let me know if I can be of any service regarding design, creation, setup or anything else with Epicor Searches. A full business process review is an ideal way to identify where these powerful search tools can be deployed to save time.  

        Feel free to leave a comment if you've downloaded the PowerPoint, found this topic helpful, and share how you plan to use these Search tools to inspire other’s imaginations. 
        ]]>        Thu, 08 Jun 2017 13:01:03 -0500        <![CDATA[Epicor Insights 2017: DMT PowerShell Session]]>https://getaligned.zohosites.com/blogs/post/epicor-insights-2017-dmt-powershell-session
        I presented two sessions at Epicor Insights 2017:

        Tuesday: DMT PowerShell Scripts, Lessons Learned

        Thursday: Epicor Search Tools.
        Here is the content of the DMT PowerShell session, including the PowerPoint in PDF format and the example PowerShell scripts presented during the session. Please leave a comment if you download the PowerPoint, scripts or found this topic helpful or how you plan to use DMT PowerShell to seed other's imagination.

         If you could ever use any Epicor consulting services, be sure to check out how I can help and let me know, I'd love to help! I would also like to thank Kathie Poindexter for planning and scheduling the session and Gary Parfrey for providing expert DMT Support during the session.

        What You Need

        You will need a few things to implement DMT PowerShell solutions, so first make sure you have everything you need:


        I found that the last one was the most difficult to obtain.  My hope is to provide several examples to help you find problem/opportunities to use DMT PowerShell as the solution.

         How It Works

        Everything here is just standard PowerShell.  DMT provides the necessary interface that can be called from a command prompt, batch script, PowerShell and reportedly even VB.  With these commands the following functions can be performed and are demonstrated in the sample scripts:

        1. DMT Load
        2. DMT BAQ Extract
        3. DMT SQL Extrat
        4. Results Logging
        5. Emailing

        While the samples provide much of the syntax needed, there are many arguments that can be used.  You can obtain the full list of DMT arguments by entering 'DMT.exe /?' at a command line or running 'Start-Process DMT.exe /?' from the PowerShell prompt.  Depending on what you need you can construct the script different ways.

        Examples

        Here are a few examples of how DMT can be used:
        • Scripted Data Migration: If you are sure your source data files are good you can write a PowerShell script that calls each Add or Update load sequentially in the correct order for an unattended migration process once adequate testing confirms the data and process is solid.
        • SQL Data Sync: If you have direct access to another SQL database you can use DMT PowerShell scripts to execute a select query to a file and then load that file as Add or Update into Epicor.
        • Other Source Data Sync: Have a data source that support SOAP or REST API's?  With some skills you can use PowerShell to call those Web Services to collect the response, format it into a CSV that can then be loaded into Epicor via DMT.
        Here are some examples that I have implemented for clients:
        • Automated Quantity Adjustments:  Each night clear out a specific inventory bin with an appropriate reason code.
        • Bug Workaround: For some unknown reason some Customer Ship Pack header fields (Invoiced & Status) does not update when invoiced.  Each night a BAQ provides the ShipHead records that are out of sync with the ShipDtl records and a DMT load corrects these ShipHead records.
        • Lock Qty on Printed Jobs: Planning doesn't want Job change suggestions on any Jobs that have had their Job Traveler printed.  Nightly BAQ results of any Jobs that are printed but the Lock Qty is not enabled. Using DMT to enable the Lock Qty field prevents MRP from making Qty change suggestions.
        • Update an Order Header UD Status Field: Need a user-friendly status for orders.  Hourly BAQ that contains a calculated field that determines the new status and then use DMT Update to set the new UD field status.
        • Log File Monitor: While there are many ways to do this, I used PowerShell to monitor the MultiCompany Log last modify date and if it has not been changed after a few minutes a warning email is sent to the administrator.

        Struggles

        In addition to being a PowerShell Novice, there are a few key issues I struggled with:
        • Syntax for multiword arguments.  The very first DMT Load I needed to script was a two word load name 'Quantity Adjustment.'  I first thought there may have been some shorthand aliases that DMT included, like QtyAdj or something, but nothing worked.  I then figured I needed to use the actual load name and put quotes or double quotes around it, but that errored out as well.  I tried many escape characters I was familiar with such as blackslashes, but nothing worked.  Finally I found that the PowerShell escape character is the 'backtick' AKA, 'grave accent.'  This is usually the key to the left of the 1 key.
        • DMT Epicor User Scope. When running the DMT process, one of the arguments that must be provided is the Epicor username & password.  The DMT process will have the very same Epicor module scope as the Epicor user, so it is important to make sure that user has access to the Company, Plant and menu items you would run the DMT loads.  It is also important to note that there is not any arguments for the DMT process to specify the Company & Plant as it will just use the last Company & Plant that the Epicor User accessed.  For this reason is it very important to always include the Company & Plant ID's whenever possible.  When the DMT Process is running a load it can process across multiple companies & plants in the same load, provided that the company & plant ID's are provided, otherwise the load will run against the last Company & Plant.
        • PowerShell Running Process Scope.  Keep in mind that PowerShell is just calling the DMT process and the PowerShell script itself will not time out.  When a PowerShell DMT load fails, the DMT process will continue to run, even if the Task Scheduler is used to start the PowerShell script and is configured to cancel after a timeout period.  This is because the Scheduled Task is the PowerShell script NOT the DMT process which the PowerShell script called.  While I have not attempted it, adding some error handling or a timeout loop to kill the DMT process may be possible.

        Setup

        As a System Administrator setting up things in an organized and obvious way is critical to having a manageable system for myself and future administrators.  Most of the time there are academic best practices that can be used; however when working with software like Epicor I try to understand the standard ways that the Epicor developers tried to set things up and follow that pattern.

        1. Install DMT on your Epicor App Server. If you intended to have the PowerShell script setup on a Scheduled Task, then it needs to be installed on a system that will be online at all times.  In most cases installing DMT on your Epicor App Server will do the trick.
        2. Create a DMT folder in the EpicorData folder.  You will need a folder location to store both the DMT Load csv files and the resulting DMT log files.  Using the Epicor EpicorData folder seemed to be a logical place for storing these files.
        3. Create shared BAQ's that generate DMT Load csv files. Often times the data that needs to be added, updated or deleted is already in Epicor but just needs some transformation.  Use of calculated fields to perform the transformation is critical.
        4. Construct The PowerShell Script.  The PowerShell script will called the DMT process with arguments that instruct DMT what you want to do, the available modes are Export & Import (Add, Update & Delete).  When using Export, a BAQ ID will need to be defined.  The Export will generate a csv file in the location specified in the path argument.  Then the Import mode can be used to reference that file for Add, Update or Delete into Epicor.

        PowerShell Syntax

        In addition to the attached PowerShell Syntax Samples, here is a few examples broken down.  Please note that all $ notations are variables that would need to be defined in your script:

        Extracting Data: SQL. PowerShell includes the Invoke-SqlCmd allowing you to execute SQL queries against a local SQL database, provided that the user account running the PowerShell script has access to the database. This will output the results of the SQL query in a CSV file.


        #Import the PS SQL module Import-module "sqlps" -DisableNameChecking #Extract SQL Data Invoke-SqlCmd -Query "SELECT TOP 50 'EPIC06' As Company, ProductNumber As PartNum, Name As PartDescription, (Case when = 0 then 'P' else 'M' END) as TypeCode FROM .." | Export-Csv -NoType $Source

        Extracting Data: Epicor BAQ. I prefer to use the BAQ Designer, I have found that I can build some very complex queries quicker with the BQA Designer. In Epicor 10 the BAQ Designer really seems to help construct queries quickly.  In this case the DMT Process is called and several arguments are passed:                                                                                                                                

        #Extract BAQ Data Start-Process -Wait -FilePath $DMTPath -ArgumentList "-User $User -Pass $Pass -Export -BAQ CustomerDetails -Target $Source -NoUI -ConfigValue=ERP10"


        • -Wait - This is the PowerShell Start-Process argument that tells the script to not continue until the called process completes.  If you exclude this argument then the script will call the process and then move on to the next section of code.  Since we need to wait until the extraction is complete and a CSV file exists before attempting to load the -wait argument is needed.
        • -FilePath $DMTPath - this is the Start-Process path that is being started.  Here the variable $DMTPath is used as it is defined earlier in the script.
        • -ArgumentList - this is the Start-Process argument so that a string of arguments can be passed to the started process.  In this case the DMT process will need the Epicor userID, password, Mode, BAQ ID, csv file target location, and the app server configuration ID.  Most of these are variables set at the beginning of the script.
        Loading Data: Now that the source data has been generated in a CSV file, it can be loaded with the following: 

        #Load Data Start-Process -Wait -FilePath $DMTPath -ArgumentList "-User $User -Pass $Pass -Add -Update -Import Customer -Source $Source "

        -Wait - Depending on how your data needs to be loaded, sequentially or consecutively you can either include or exclude this Start-Process argument.  By excluding this argument, the script can start the DMT process consecutively loading multiple files at the same time.  Be aware of your data interdependencies, usually waiting is best.

        -FilePath $DMTPath - this is the Start-Process path that is being started.  Here the variable $DMTPath is used as it is defined earlier in the script.

        -ArgumentList - this is the Start-Process argument so that a string of arguments can be passed to the started process.  In this case the DMT process will need the Epicor userID, password, Mode, Import Name, csv file source location, and the app server configuration ID.  Most of these are variables set at the beginning of the script.

        Scheduling the PowerShell Script

        After testing your PowerShell script thoroughly the last and most important step is to schedule your PowerShell script, if you want the script to be ran on a schedule.  This is done with the Windows Task Scheduler. Here is another reference for creating Scheduled Task for a PowerShell Script.

          1. Open Windows Task Scheduler on the system DMT is installed on the PowerShell script exists.
          2. Create a Basic Task via the Actions pane.
            1. Set the Trigger (time or server event), probably recurring.
            2. Configure the Action as "Start as program".
            3. Set the Program/script to "Powershell.exe".
            4. Define the arguments as "-File ".

          Depending on your scheduling needs, you may create a single PowerShell script with multiple DMT extracts, loads, etc. on one or more schedules or multiple scripts with one or more schedules.

        Final Thoughts

        Attached are several resources below to assist with getting your DMT PowerShell scripts up and running.  Please let me know if I can be of any service regarding design, creation, setup or anything else with DMT PowerShell scripts.  Please leave a comment if you download the PowerPoint, scripts or found this topic helpful or how you plan to use DMT PowerShell to seed other's imagination.
         Please leave a comment if you download the PowerPoint, scripts or found this topic helpful or how you plan to use DMT PowerShell to seed other's imagination.
        ]]>        Sat, 03 Jun 2017 00:36:45 -0500        <![CDATA[Epicor Insights 2017: Nashville]]>https://getaligned.zohosites.com/blogs/post/epicor-insights-2017-nashville
        Next week is Insights, the Annual Epicor Customer Conference in Nashville, a great time for education, product announcements and networking.  I will be in attendance and will be leading two customer sessions for one of my clients, Rowmark.  I look forward to networking with as many of you as possible.  If you would like to meet up, send me a message on the Insights App or send me an email at rick@getaligned.solutions.

         On Tuesday at 2:25pm in Governor's Chamber E I will be presenting DMT PowerShell Scripts, Lessons Learned, Rowmark uses several DMT PowerShell Scripts to automate many different DMT import for different reasons. In the session I will be going over not only what all Rowmark uses DMT PowerShell scripts for but also, step by step on how to set them up. 

        On Thursday at 10:00am in Governor's Chamber D I will be presenting how Rowmark has leveraged the many different Epicor Search tools to not only get to the data, but get to it quickly, streamline processes and take out the ever time-consuming mouse clicks.  Stop by and see how each of these types of searches are setup and used by Rowmark.  
        ]]>        Fri, 19 May 2017 18:01:18 -0500        <![CDATA["Always write your code like the person taking over is a serial killer with your address."]]>https://getaligned.zohosites.com/blogs/post/how-to-review-manage-epicor-user-sessions2

        An 'old saying' quoted by Bart Elia, Software Architect from Epicor on the E10Help.com forum.

        ]]>        Fri, 19 May 2017 17:35:44 -0500        <![CDATA["Assume the best about people, and 99 percent of the time you will be right."]]>https://getaligned.zohosites.com/blogs/post/how-to-review-manage-epicor-user-sessions3

         A quote by Chester Elton's Father

        I came across this insightful article that explores the evolving dynamics of communication, specifically the reluctance towards phone calls in the digital age. The author shares an experience where an email didn't seem as the most sufficient solution compared to direct communication through a phone call. It is a quick and though-provoking read that might change your mind on how you communicate it your personal or work life.

        See Article on LinkedIn
        ]]>        Fri, 19 May 2017 17:35:44 -0500        <![CDATA[BPMs & Data Directives Row State: Updated Row vs Changed Row]]>https://getaligned.zohosites.com/blogs/post/how-to-review-manage-epicor-user-sessions1

        If you are new to the Epicor Technical Tools, you may have run into the quandary when working with a condition or one of the Setter widgets when trying to choose between "the updated row" and "the changed row". 


        What is the difference and when should you use each?

        • Added Row - means the record is being added.
        • Updated Row - means that the record already existed and has been updated.
        • Changed Row - means that the record is either new or already existed.
        So, if you only want your condition to apply when an existing record has been updated, then use "Updated Row".  If it is possible that your record could have been just created (new) or updated, then use "Changed Row". When the row is new, then use the "Added Row" option. 

        Also, don't forget what Method directive you are specifying the condition in. If it is the Updated method, then depending on how Epicor uses and calls the method the record could be use or previously existing.  If it is a GetNew method, then you would want to always use Changed since Updated may not meet the condition and cause you lots of confusion.  Don't assume too quickly which Method directive is the correct one to use.  Use the Trace option and be sure to understand as much as possible with what is going on when each method is called.
        ]]>        Fri, 19 May 2017 17:35:44 -0500        <![CDATA[How To Review & Manage Epicor User Sessions]]>https://getaligned.zohosites.com/blogs/post/how-to-review-manage-epicor-user-sessions

        Epicor 10 allows users to run multiple sessions simultaneously, from time to time those sessions are not released for various reasons. This can cause all licensed sessions to be used and prevent users from logging into Epicor. By carefully reviewing open sessions, they can be deleted to correct the problem.

        1. Login to the Epicor Application Server

        Using a Remote Desktop Client, login to epicorapp1 with a domain administrator account.

        2. Open the Epicor Administration Console

        The shortcut to the Epicor Administration Console can be located: 
        - on the Desktop 
        - Start Menu > All Programs > Epicor Software > Epicor Administrative Tools > Epicor Administration Console 
        - C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Epicor Software Corporation\Epicor Administration Console\AdminConsole.msc

        3. Connect to the App Server

        In the Tree View Pane, expand:  Server Management > EPICORAPP1 > Epicor905


         If you have never connected to the database, you will need to provide an Epicor Security Manager username and password, but this is normally cached. There are several Databases to connect to. Epicor905 is the Live Production Database.

        4. Review In-Use Licenses

        To determine how many user licenses are currently in use, select Licensing in the tree view, double click on the single license to open the License Properties. The Default License, type Default and 'Data Collection' will show how many are licensed, how many are currently in use and how many are currently available. If In Use = Total, then no one will be able to login.

        5. Review Active Sessions

        To review active sessions, click on the Sessions node in the tree view pane. In the middle pane, all sessions will be populated. The License column will note if the license is currently in use or allocated as available.

         The Session Type column will list the type of session that is being used, Default and Data Collection are the only sessions that matter.

        Note that the user icons are in color if they are In Use and Greyscale if they are only allocated. Click on the Name column to sort the list by username. Review the list to see if some users may be concurrently using more than 5 In-Use Sessions. Ignore any Manager sessions.

        6. Delete Sessions

        If any user is using multiple Session Types of Default or Data Collection, notify the user and ask them to log out of Epicor. Then, Refresh the list by selecting Refresh from the Action menu. Resort by the Name Column, select all the user sessions that need to be ended by holding down the Shift or Ctrl key, and click on each session. Right click and select Delete. A confirmation dialog prompt will be displayed; select the appropriate action.

        7. Additional Help

        The user can now log back into Epicor. If performance issues continue or if the user is not able to use the system, contact the Romark Administrator or Epicor Support for additional troubleshooting:
        ]]>        Fri, 19 May 2017 17:35:44 -0500