Here's what I wanted to do. I have a client who was advised incorrectly with respect to the barcode field on the Pastel Inventory file. They were told that supplier inventory codes were to be captured in the barcode field. Now this became a problem when the client needed to have the actual barcode numbers captured to the barcode field. They did not want to lose the supplier inventory code data as they use this data for re-order.
The client has in excess of 15000 inventory items and manual data capture was out of the question. The most efficient process to follow was to export the master inventory file to Excel, copy the barcode field across to the supplier inventory code field, and the user defined field. The purpose of the latter field was for the client to use the supplier inventory code for search purposes in Pastel. Pastel does not allow you to filter data using the supplier inventory code. Pastel does, however, allow you to filter data using a user defined field.
So here's the process to follow.
1. In Pastel, go to File, and select Export/ Import. Please note that you need to be in sole access mode in order to perform this function.
2. In the Export/ Import window, select Export Inventory Items from the Choose A Function To Perform drop down menu. Then click the magnifying glass on the Export File Name window. You will now be prompted to name the file you want to save the data to. Please ensure the file is saved as .csv. (eg. sample.csv)
3. Now click on the Process button in the Export/ Import window.
4. Now select the inventory code you want to start your report from. Then select the inventory code you want to end the report with. Click OK and your file is generated.
5. You can now open up the .csv file you have saved the data to, and add the data you want to import into Pastel. In order to format the file correctly, you should familiarize yourself with the Import/ Export file layouts for the Inventory Master File. You will find the format in the Pastel help menu.
6. First, left align all columns in the .csv file. It is important to note that Excel will reformat data exported from Pastel. What this means is that preceding zeros, as an example, will be lost in the .csv file that is generated on export. You will have to format the file to include the preceding zeros, or amended data will not import into Pastel.
The following columns will require formatting:
Column A. This column displays your inventory codes. If you have inventory codes with preceding zeros, it is advisable to do your data import in two files. You should import the inventory codes with preceding zeros separately. Format the column in the following manner.
Click on the A column, highlighting the column.
Right click the A column and click on Format Cells.
In the Format Cells window, click on Special. In the sample field, you will notice that a zero has been added to the code. If you have more than one zero preceding a code, select the appropriate type until you see your inventory code displayed the way you want it in the sample field. Then click OK.
Columns AB & AJ. These columns must be formatted to include two preceding zeros. Click on the columns as indicated in the format process above, then format them as follows.
Select Custom in the Format Cells window, and add three zeros to the Type field. In your sample field, you will see the format that Pastel will accept on import.
Column AK. This column must not be left blank. Ensure that it is populated with the relevant Inventory Category number.
You should now make the changes you want. in my scenario, I needed to copy the barcode data across to the supplier inventory code field, and the user defined field 1 field. All I did here was click on the Z column, copied it, and then pasted it into the columns I wanted. In this example, the Y column is for the supplier inventory code, and the AC column is for the user defined field 1.
7. It is now time to save the changes you have made.
Click on the Save button.
Click Yes
Click on the Save button again.
Click No.
In the Save As window, save the file as a CSV (Comma delimited) file.
DO NOT CLOSE THE FILE
If you close the file, you will lose the changes you made.
7. Importing the data into Pastel Partner.
Go to File and select Export/ Import in Pastel.
Select the option to Import Inventory Items.
Click on the magnifying glass in the Import File Name window, and select the file you have just saved.
Uncheck the Map Fields box.
Then click Process.
The system will scan all fields, and then indicate the import of all fields. On completion, the system will indicate the number of items imported. You can verify the number of records against the original file you created.
