The Import Items preprocessor is an add-on product that you can use to upload item information (parts, services, or goods) from flat ASCII text files into Costpoint.

This preprocessor also updates item information for existing rows if the input file has a value for a column. However, if an input file field is null, the existing database columns in Costpoint that apply are not deleted or changed to null. You can specify the network location and name of the input file, and the application performs all necessary database and business rule validation.

If you select the Separate Items By Company check box in the Corporate Settings block of the Configure Product Definition Settings screen, Costpoint assigns your company ID to your newly processed items and saved parameters, based on the company logged into when the process was executed. Users logged into other companies cannot modify or delete these items or parameters. If you select the Separate Items by Company check box, you can have two item records in the database with the same ID (and revisions, if you also selected the Allow Multiple Revisions for Each Item check box in the Corporate Settings block of the Configure Product Definition Settings screen), as long as the items are linked to different companies. If you are modifying or deleting an item, item record, or its related data, the company ID must be the same for both your user ID and the item ID.

If you do not select the Separate Items by Company check box, all items in the database are available to users in all companies, and two items cannot coexist with the same item ID (and revision, if you also selected the Allow Multiple Revisions for Each Item check box) in the database.

Select the Plan MRP by Company check box (in the Corporate Settings block of the Configure Material Requirements Planning Settings screen) to enable MRP planning by company ID.

There are two ways to work with input files in Costpoint

• You can access the input file from the network by using Alternate File Locations.
• You can upload the input file to the Costpoint database; in which case, no further access to network folders is necessary.

If you decide to use the first option, click in the File Location field to select an alternate file location. If you choose the second option, leave the File Location field blank and use the File Upload Manager to upload the input file to the Costpoint database.

Setup Procedures

You must perform the following before you run the Import Items preprocessor:

• Set up the unit of measure codes referenced in the input file on the Manage Units of Measure screen.
• Set up the commodity codes referenced in the input file on the Manage Commodity Codes screen.
• Set up the product classification codes referenced in the input file on the Manage Product Classifications screen.