In This Issue

ISSUE 10 * November 2013

net WORK

Allied Price Upload Module

Flexible and Comprehensive Pricing Solution

FDC Solutions’ Allied Price Upload

utility was created to simplify the

process of uploading allied price

changes and part information into

the DBS parts system. It bypasses

any customized programming or

tedious manual processes involved

with conventional price or part in-

formation changes from allied ven-

dors.

Easily and effortlessly, you can:

Upload price changes

New part information

Part description changes

Core parts and pricing

Without the Allied Price Upload

tool, parts price updates for Allied

suppliers can be a very manual,

time-consuming task. If updates

are not done via data entry, every

time suppliers change the format

used for their price data, the price

update programs must be manually

corrected to properly map suppli-

er’s data to the proper DBS fields,

requiring IT resources you most

likely cannot spare. Multiply this

effort by the diverse number of

suppliers, and you can easily invest

hours you do not have. The Allied

Price Upload tool can solve this!

Features:

The product contains four major steps: 1. Determine the format of the

data.

2. Assign the tags by mapping

the data via an easy to use

Windows-based tool

3. Set the parameters for the

job submission. Pick the SOS

to upload.

4. Click Run! Once you click

Run, the Upload tool will con-

vert the file, FTP the file to

the AS/400, and schedule the

Price Update job.

Benefits:

Before and after inventory dol-lar valuation reports are gener-ated as well as a control and error report. Mapped fields can be saved

by SOS. No need to assign

tags from scratch after initial

setup

Can handle cores, replaced

parts

Dry run feature generates

reports only, no file updates

Call and schedule a demo. See firsthand how this user friendly application can save you time and money!

Pg. 1

Pg. 2

Pg. 3

Allied Price Upload

Module

Mach 1—Machine

Orders

What is an AS/400

PTF?

DICE Team Projects

Update

Technical Health Check

ERP Support Webinar

Series

Pg. 4 Dealer Happenings

DBS Installation

Parts Operation

Seminar

DICE Team Projects Update Complete Assessment of Your IT infrastructure

Warranty Claims Web Service

Phase 1 Status: Implementing

The initial install of the Warranty Claims

Web service interface has been very

successful and is already in production

at seven dealerships with another six

installs scheduled over the next two

weeks. This interface must be in place

by Feb 2014, or claims will have to be

entered in CLAIMSi.

Phase 2 Status: Design

We are currently designing an enhance-

ment pack (known as Phase 2) that will

add five additional required fields CAT

has recently added to the Web service.

In addition, this enhancement will re-

place the batch mailbox process with a

process using the Web service instead.

CAT Used Web Service

CATUsed Equipment:

Implementing

With three dealers already in production,

three additional dealers testing, and

three more scheduled for install, we are

making good process rolling out the

CATUsed Equipment Web service inter-

face. All FDC supported dealers that

have not started this process will be

contacted shortly.

CAT Used Parts Status: Piloting

Equipment Data Web Service

Status: Piloting

We are currently working with a DBS

2.3.4 and DBSi 5.0 dealership to pilot.

If you have any questions about any

DICE interface projects, please don’t

hesitate to contact us at:

dice@fdcsolutions.net

FDC Solutions is pleased to an-

nounce yet another service to our

ever expanding suite of dealer of-

ferings. The FDC “Technical Health

Check” is a comprehensive solu-

tion designed to provide dealers

with a searing audit of the compo-

nents that make up their larger

technical infrastructure’s central

nervous system.

Led by industry experts with hun-

dreds of years of experience spe-

cifically within the Caterpillar mar-

ketplace, the FDC Technical Health

Check analyzes, evaluates, and

makes comparative judgments on

a host of areas within the following

macro-level fields:

Security

Performance

Operating System

System Backup and Recovery

After focused scrutiny, the FDC

team develops an inclusive re-

port detailing its findings while

also making recommendations

for any areas requiring action or

additional dialogue.

Whether acting as guidepost for

improvement(s) or supplying

dealers with much needed

peace of mind, the FDC Tech-

nical Health Check provides

clarity, form, and function within

this critical sphere.

Please contact FDC today to

learn more or schedule this

service.

DBS Report(s) Review – Inventory Control

FDC’s webinar series promotes

efficiencies, best practices, and

general philosophies to our DBS/

DBSi ERP support dealers. Dedi-

cated exclusively to our ERP Sup-

port dealers, the monthly webinar

series helps dealers expand their

working knowledge of and maxim-

ize utility with DBS/DBSi.

Our recent webinar contained an

overview of the key reports stem-

ming from the Parts Inventory Con-

trol daily run (PCJN0500S). Deal-

ers were provided a guideline for

efficiencies in maintaining parts

inventories, billings, reporting, and

other related processes.

The interaction with the audi-

ence provided ideas on who

should review/maintain key re-

ports and at what frequency.

Reporting Subsets:

Daily Returns

Backorders

Inventory Print Queues

FDC offers this forum to our

ERP Support Dealers as anoth-

er value-added service free of

additional costs. As always,

dealers are welcome to contact

our team with questions, sug-

gestions, or feedback.

Mach 1—Machine Orders Issue and Resolution

(Program Temporary Fix)

Recently, we have learned that direct

LU6.2 machine orders that are Mach 1

Orders are NOT automatically updating

the MSO (Machine Shipping Order)

back into the EMS Order. A message

continues to be sent from Caterpillar to

the screen that the ‘Order was Re-

ceived’, accompanied by a message

that indicates that the Order will be sent

to Mach 1.

Mach 1 Orders are identified for those

models where the Caterpillar facility has

implemented Mach 1. Machine orders

that are being placed to facilities NOT

on Mach 1 will continue to process in

CMOPS and WILL get the MSO number

updated as usual.

The reason that the MSO number is not

getting updated is because the MSO

number is not available until the Order

gets to Mach 1; in essence, there is no

interface between CMOPS and Mach 1

that enables this MSO number to exist

when the LU6.2 Order is placed. The

effect of not getting the MSO number

updated is that no Acknowledgments get

applied because no match occurs.

The work-around to solve this would be

to find the assigned MSO number in

Mach 1, then manually input the MSO

number via MNTEMORD (Order Mainte-

nance) so that Acknowledgments can

match and update the order while being

filled from Caterpillar.

If you need further clarification for the

resolution, please contact our Support

Desk for assistance.

Caterpillar is migrating warranty

claim processing to a web service

based solution. The web service

will allow dealers to submit a claim

and receive an immediate re-

sponse from Caterpillar on any

claim errors. Prior to implementa-

tion, dealers should review the Pro-

gram Temporary Fixes (PTF’s) on

their AS/400 and determine if the

PTF’s are up-to-date.

A program temporary fix (PTF) is a

temporary solution to a bug in an

IBM software product that is made

available for dealers to install.

PTFs correct problems or potential

problems and are specific to an

Operating System. PTFs also can

provide new system functionality.

PTF’s can be applied individually

but are usually made available as

part of a fix package that includes a

number of PTFs. A fix package can

be distributed as one or more

downloadable compressed files or

on a CD-ROM. PTFs carry cover

letters in members of the QGPL/

QAPZCOVER file. Each member

starts with a ‘Q’ followed by the

PTF character designation.

Major types of PTF groups:

Backup & Recovery

Printing

Database

HIPER (High Impact Pervasive)

Blade and System X integration

Java

Performance Tools

Security PTF’s in HIPER

TCPIP

Websphere

Program Temporary Fixes

(PTFs) can be applied one at a

time or grouped. PTF’s can be

applied temporary or perma-

nent. Temporary applications

save the replaced PTF into a

holding area that is removed

when the PTF is made perma-

nent. Permanent PTFs may be

removed by restoring the

Iseries to a point prior to the

PTF application. Most often an

IPL activates PTFs made tem-

porary or permanent.

PTF commands:

DSPPTF

Shows the TL marker which

can be drilled down to group

and individual PTFs

Reports any IPL actions

required

Reports status of the PTF

On Order

Not Applied: All PTFs in the

group must be applied

Save File Only: Downloaded

but not loaded or applied

Temporary or Permanent:

Can be easily removed

Superseded: Replaced by a

later PTF

Damaged: Must be loaded

again

Modifiers: Action to be taken

for PTF to reach next status

IPL: Needs IPL to make

active

PN: Need to read cover letter

to see what action to take

ACT: Similar to PND

WRKPTFGRP

Shows groups, level, status,

target release, and short text

on the group. Options show de-

tails, special handling, and re-

lated PTF groups.

Dealer Happenings

New Dealer Implementations: Allied Price Upload Program

Yancey Bros.

Georgia

November 2013

Customer Master Interface

(SAP Finance)

MacAllister Machinery

Indiana

October 2013

Freight Module

Empire Machinery

Arizona

TBD

Freight and Tax Module

Butler Machinery

North and South Dakota

TBD

Marketing Claims for Flat Rate

Work Orders

MacAllister Machinery

Indiana

October 2013

Standard Job RBOM: Import to Shop/

Counter Document

Ring Power

Florida

October 2013

Technical Health Check

Butler Machinery

North and South Dakota

October 2013

Contact us:

FDC Solutions Inc.

456 Fulton Street, Suite 298A

Peoria, IL 61602

(309) 676-7795

info@fdcsolutions.net

http://fdcsolutions.net

Gentrac Belize

The week of September 23, 2013 proved to be a successful

week of training and testing for employees at Gentrac Belize.

Dealer personnel from Cogesa in El Salvador were on-site as

well as a team from FDC Solutions to assist with the activities

associated with going live on DBS. Gentrac Belize is sched-

uled to go live on DBS Monday, December 9, 2013.

Dealers Sharing Ideas

During the week of October 7, 2013 FDC hosted seven deal-

erships at their headquarters in Peoria, IL for a Parts Opera-

tions Seminar. Designed as a tool to drive collaboration

amongst dealers, this seminar featured three days of engag-

ing dialogue facilitated by FDC but driven by the dealers

themselves. With blocks of time dedicated to engaging major

parts topics in-depth, dealers were able to discuss, compare,

and brainstorm together on shared challenges, processes,

concepts, and areas of desired improvement. As with all

things FDC, the group made sure to have a little fun too!

Due to overwhelming positive feedback from attendees, FDC

will be looking to mimic this format for other operational areas

in 2014. While dates are still to be determined, dealers should

feel free to contact us should they care to participate in future

sessions. Seminar attendance will be capped in order to ena-

ble optimal collaboration.