Outside Computer Access? Or Not?

[gully]

Does anybody have feedback or problems with providing outside Vendors, Locators, Etc. access to your parts inventory?

Reluctantly I have allowed Locators access with no apparent problems. Now I currently have a Delco Distributor providing a service to re-source or flag my Delco parts. It involves me providing them basically full access to our ADP parts log-on (ENG, PM and MNT). Are there any problems allowing them to mess with my sources?

[This message has been edited by gully (edited 06-27-2003).]

[Richard]

I personally have a HUGE problem with it. Opening your system to anyone that doesn't work for your company opens you to a whole world of liability with all the new priacy laws. Can you guarantee that cannot access any customer data? I upload my d2d files each night, I DO NOT allow them to 'dial-in'. If you do choose to let anyone in your system, have your attorney draw up a privacy agreement, at least so if you get in any trouble later, you can show due-dilience...

[jimgarner]

I think it depends on the company your dealing with first off. I've flagged a few hundred Dealers myself for Johnson Ind. in Atlanta. A program normally has to be loaded first, but after that it's all handled by script programs that just dial up, load, update and hang up. The faster I can get off the phone, the more I save. But again, it depends on the company and the person at the botton end, like myself.

[fburrows]

Gully:

We extract data for General Motors and I agree with Jim Garner. You have to know who is doing the work and be careful to limit what programs we have access to. We dont want access to anything we dont need.

We were doing some extractions for a follow up company when we were just getting started and a dealer gave us a master password. I wound up going into the security screen, setting up a password for my self with the just the programs I needed and then letting the monthly automatic change lock me out of the master password.

Just like Jim, I can tell you that we just want to get in and out and time is money.


------------------
Frank Burrows ABS
fburrows@absdata.com

[Matt Parsons]

Why do they need access to your system? Why can't you pull the data they are seeking in a report format and then FTP it to them? That way they do not have access to your system and yet you get the value of their offerings.

[gully]

Matt

That sounds like the perfect answer to my problem, but since Im not hugely computer literate, I would have to pull a few hairs out to do the FTP file process you mention.

I would be able to gather the desired info into an ADP report, but my problem is how to save that report into a Windows file and what program to save it in. I believe I have the ability to do that in RXR, but have never done it.

Lets say Ive done it and now part of my inventory is on the Web. They make the changes and now I have a file I can access through the FTP site. Now, how do I get these changes back to the part numbers without manually doing it?

Sounds like I would have to get my computer vendor involved every time..Or is it simple to do?

Thanks

[Matt Parsons]

Gully, the answers to your questions really pertain to what DMS you are using.

All DMS providers provide some sort of tool to 'query' data on the system and produce ad hoc reports. For EDS, the main tool is called Executive Assistant (or EA), for R+R I think it is EraLink, and for ADP I think it is Reflections. These tools basically can allow the user to save the report in any format the user desires from Microsoft Excel to ASCII. These reports can normally be built by a trained employee at the dealership, or by the DMS provider (EDS provides 50 hours of free report programming to each client per year).

Once you have the report in the format you desire, each DSP should offer a way for it to be transmitted off of your system out to a third-party provider. EDS uses a program called AutoMate (this was sold to our clients for a one time only charge of $295 plus $5 shipping). This type of tool has recently become very important in that if your store is a GM, FORD or DCX dealer and you need to communicate to D2D (Dealer 2 Dealer) for Parts and or Vehicle Inventory uploading, you have a need to transmit these files daily to Digital Motor Works who is doing the D2D work for the OEM's. The Automate tool is both a job scheduler (it will run the report on what ever frequency you choose - daily, weekly, hourly, etc.) and will transmit it (FTP) to the third-party company assuming you have a static IP address at your dealership (most do). R+R and ADP (and all the others) must have a similar offering so they can participate in D2D, what they call their offering and how much they cost - I am not sure.

The hard part comes if you need to update data back on your system. There are only 2 ways to do this...either you update it manually, or you allow a third-party company to have access and they update it manually. Probably not what you wanted to hear.

EDS and UCS do allow for data to be electronically updated (imported) into the system from outside sources through the applying of files into their system, but I believe this is only available in the area of General Ledger (financial) data and would not effect items like parts quantities, locations, etc. This type of importing is used to create a batch on the system that then goes through the normal edit checks in the accounting department.

All of these steps except for the updating of the data are pretty easy for your vendor to set-up and once running, should be care free.

Hope this helps.

[gully]

Thanks Matt! You helped quite a bit.

My DMS is ADP with Reflections and since Im GM I use D2D. Ill probably be in touch with ADP & D2D and up-load myself.

But, in the case of re-sourcing or flagging part numbers, it looks like there is lots of manual input to keep the third party out. Not sure what to do there.

I do have some concern with the new Privacy Laws that Richard commented on. Guess we need to CYA more and more these days.

[Richard]

Matt, one of the great things about AutoMate, is once you load it and set it to run, you only have to check to make sure it ran at the scheduled time. You don't have to reload the data, the program pulls the new data nightly, and send it (our is set for a 7 PM pull time, and a 9 PM transmitt). I don' thave to do anything but check the status the next morning to make sure it sent.

[Matt Parsons]

Richard, glad to see the Automate is working well for you.

Please keep in mind that this tool has many more 'uses' than just D2D. For years, one of the things that I think dealers using EDS have wanted is any easy way to get data off the system and to third-party providers for use by them in support of the dealerships operations. EA and Automate are the answer to that scenario, for parts information, vehicle data out to a website provider or a follow-up company, etc.

You may want do a bit of asking around the store to see if you are currently gathering data for other third-party providers of services as when I usually ask this, many stores are doing this manually and only the parts team members understand they have the tools to do it electronically and easier.

[This message has been edited by Matt Parsons (edited 07-08-2003).]