Change OR Import Item Number - Mass Item Change and Import

Occasionally there may be a reason to change a large quantity of item numbers, for example items may have the prefix of a vendor and the vendor changes its name and you would like the item number prefixes to match the new name of the vendor.  This can be accomplished by using the Import mode in the Change Item Number program.   As a precaution, we suggest following these procedures for a single or limited range of items, before making the change for all items, to be sure you understand the steps.  Please follow the steps below for instructions, which relate to using the suggested report below (INVALP):

Step 1:  Create a report of the items you want to change.

• Run this suggested report:  “Item List by Description” found in the Inventory module, Task 9, Sub-task 6.
• Process the report for one warehouse at a time.
• On the printer selection screen:
  • ​Write down the report name found in the upper left hand corner.  It will begin with an R and end with .PRT.
  • Change field #4 (Delete Rpt?) to No
  • Change field #5 (Spool Rpt) to VUE (Note: do not use EXP when using this report.)

• ​Follow the prompts on the screen, answering NO to double space

• Unless there is a second ‘range’ of items being changed, press the left arrow key when prompted for a second set of item numbers.

• The report will appear on the screen (if VUE was used), verify the items,  and press the left arrow key.

Step 2:  Find & Export the report.

• Open a new Excel spreadsheet
• Using “File / Open” (on the toolbar) go to:  U-mvs / dsk0 / 240001 (the last digit is the company number, not division or warehouse number…if running the report in company 2, the report would be in 240002)
• Find the report number from step 1 (note: the r and .prt are now in lower case)  and open the report. NOTE: you may need to change “Files of Type” to ALL FILES.
• When the “Import Wizard” appears, select “Next”.  On the next screen a box with up-and-down lines will appear….some vertical lines maybe within the item description…..delete all the lines (delete by double-clicking on the line) except the one line between the last letter of the description and the actual item number.  Press “Next”, then “Finish”.

Step 3:  Format the spreadsheet.

• On the spreadsheet, insert three new columns BEFORE Column A (so original column A now becomes column D). 
• Copy new Column E (item code) into the new Columns A & C.
• In column A, using “Edit / Replace” (on the toolbar) type in the box ‘find’ the portion of the item number you are going to change and in ‘replace’ box type in the new change (using the example of the vendor changing names and the original prefix was XES- and now you want to change the prefix to RAS, type XES- in ‘find’ and RAS in ‘replace’).  Select “Replace All”. Note: if using items from Profits Plus, which have a – after the first 3 characters, the – must be removed from the new item code, therefore the example XES- to RAS (with no -).
• Copy the item description now in Column D into the new Column B. 
• Make any item description changes in Column B.
• A 6^th column is also used.  Enter an ‘x’ into the first row in column F, and copy the x to the other rows.
• Note: if there are any “ (quote marks) in the item code or description (i.e.  Pencil 6”), ALL “ (quote marks) must be changed to the ^ (caret symbol).   The easiest way to accomplish this is to do a global ‘find / replace’ on the “ for a ^    

When finished, the spreadsheet should look like this (as an example):

       A                 B                             C                D                          E            F

With Column A being the new item code, with no dashes; B is the new item description and C the old item number (with dashes) and Column F filled with x’s.

Step 4:  Save the spreadsheet

• In “File” on the toolbar, save the spreadsheet using ‘Save as”.  Name the report a meaningful title (i.e.changexes), however be sure to select (from the ‘save as type’ drop-down box) the Comma Delimited extension (.csv)…making the example report name:  changexes.csv

Step 5:  Import the spreadsheet.

• Go back to Profits Plus and to the Change Item Number program (found in 5/32/10).   Please read the information on the first 2 screens. 
• On the 3^rd screen, put in “I” for Import and enter the spreadsheet report name you selected (i.e. changexes.csv)
• Answer ‘Yes” to the ‘Replace Carats’ prompt. Note: it is important to answer Yes.
• The items you selected will now appear on the screen with the New Item Code (column A from the spreadsheet), New Description (column B) and Old Item Code (column C).  If everything looks correct, press Y for Yes.
• ‘Strip out dashes in 4th character of `Old item code' (Y/N)?’  IF column C (old item code) has a – in it (i.e. 105-1 and 105-2), then answer Yes to this question, IF there are no dashes in column C (old item code), then answer No.
• Then press the Enter key twice (the 2^nd Enter will be a report number with DSK in front of it).
• The next few screens prompt to change the item numbers in history, open orders, open Purchase Orders, etc.  Answer Yes or No to each.
• A report will either print to screen or on paper (depending on the selections on the Printer Selection screen).

Step 6:  Sort the data

• “Sort” the data by going to the Inventory module, Task 17 (Inventory Master), Sub-task 6 (Sort Existing Item Records). 
• Check the change…the old item number will be gone and the new item number will be there.