EDS Parts Systems

[Matt Parsons]

Topic starter.

[Richard]

Would love to have some discussion from others on Partsline Ver 2, Especially setting up Stocking Groups, Manfactuers Codes, and Bins Locations. We have had V2 since October 1999, and I would just like to see how others are doing it.
Also, how do you delete a Manufacter Code, or merge Manufacters? (Example; Merge Acura and Honda into just HN, or Merge Chrysler, Mercedes and Mitsubishi into code CH or DM, or some such?)

[Matt Parsons]

Richard, I wanted to first thank you for suggesting that EDS start this type of forum. Within approximately two-weeks we will be advising/promoting this site to all of our EDS clients and prospects. Until then, I do not expect a great deal of attention here. I will ask one our (EDS) parts experts to answer your questions in the interm (until other clients canlog their opinions).

[Matt Parsons]

Richard, we dont have a standard format for setting up Stocking Groups, Manufactures Codes, and Bin Locations. Our application is flexible enough to let the Parts Manager determine a format that he/she feels comfortable with. However, what I would suggest is that the Parts Manager set up his inventory as follows:

The major part of his inventory in 'G' stocking code (GM),
C Chemicals
P' Paint
'O' Oil
G Gas and Grease
'B' Belts, etc.

The Work with Manufacturers screen below show the capabilities available with manufacturers codes (i.e., change, copy , delete, display, etc.), so to delete a manufacturer, enter a (4) next to the appropriate line item.

PI201901 EDS Motors 5/18/00
Work with Manufacturers 11:00:53

Type options, press Enter.
1=Add 2=Change 3=Copy 4=Delete 5=Display 7=Setup S/G Classification

AU AUDI
BM BMW
CH CHRYSLER

More...

F3=Exit F4=*Prompt F12=Cancel
F13=Change company F17=Top F18=Bottom
F21=Report

The ability to merge a manufacturer is not available from within our application today. If you would like to merge two or more manufacturer (i.e., Honda and Acura), contact our support center at 1-800-633-6323 to submit this as a custom program request.

This response entered by Gene Richards.

[Richard]

We are a GM Dealership, so most of our stocking groups are GM. Here are our GM Stocking Groups.

GM/B Delco Batteries
Lo 7 Hi 19 Alpha 17 PI 2/36 PO 0/35

GM/C Collision Parts (cars)
Lo 7 Hi 14 Alpha 5 PI 4/30 PO 0/35

GM/CT Collision Parts (trucks)
Lo 7 Hi 14 Alpha 5 PI 3/26 PO 0/35

GM/F Family Priced Fast Moving Parts
Lo 21 Hi 37 Alpha 13 PI 2/18 PO 0/26

GM/G GM General Stock Parts
Lo 24 Hi 35 Alpha 15 PI 2/18 PO 0/26

GM/GC GM Chemicals
Lo 36 Hi 48 Alpha 15 PI 3/30 PO 0/35

GM/GO Forced Stock (SOP not picked up)
Lo 0 Hi 0 Alpha 0 PI 2/24 PO 0/26

GM/GR RSG Parts with no movement or new
Lo 30 Hi 60 Alpha 15 PI 2/18 PO 0/26

GM/O Oil, Gas, Grease
GM/P Body Shop Use (Paint & Material)
GM/T Default Stk Group for deleted Parts

We set up most of these stocking groups over the 8 years we have been on EDS, and have a very good fill rate (91% average). We hit the RSG every month now that we added the GR group. Hope this will help some of you other EDS parts managers setting up Ver2.

[cfrost]

We have been on the new parts rewrite since August. We have been informed that someone is supposed to be working on fixes to several problems with the software. When can we expect some action on this? When I have inquired no one can tell me anything.

[Richard]

CF, what kind of problems are you having? There are a few "fixes" out, just have to be careful on use of certain areas, such as Special Orders on the Service Order side. Don't use it. If you need an accurate SOP report,from a PC or Parts Imager PC, go to "Work with Special Orders" , F10 to sort, and choose "Sort by Cust Name" and then Select "Filled", at this point you will have to have either an attacted printer, or a networked printer. This WILL give you an accurant, up-to-date SOP list that you can use to check your SOP bin, or contact Customers (except one field that is missing is the Phone #). It's not the easiest method, but it DOES work.
We have had some problems, but at this point are doing OK with the upgrade. Not sure why it is taking so long to get the fixes in place, last I heard they had made a lot of headway, but were testing to make 100% sure it worked properly before giving it to us. I appreciate that, personally.

[EDS_FORUM]

cfrost, Thanks for your question. With regards to enhancements to the new parts application, we will be sending a letter to all existing customers on the new application in the next few weeks. The letter will advise all customers of the expected enhancement implementation timeframe. We will also be posting all changes on our eds.com/arg web site. A user ID and password will be included in the letter you will be receiving from EDS shortly. If you have addtional questions, please feel free to contact our customer support center at 1-800-633-6323 or your territory represenative.

Thanks,
Chris Blackmore
DMS Portfolio Manager

[cfrost]

Thanks for the SO report tip. For the most part we believe that the new software is a major improvement over the earlier version, but could be much better with a few tweaks here and there. Like I stated before we have been on the new version since Aug. 1999 and at this point we do not have any indication or timetable as to if or when any corrections are going to be made. This was understandable with all of the y2k stuff going on but that should no longer be an issue at this point. Also here is a short list of some unresolved problems.

1. The lack of sale types for parts invoicing. Visa, our private label card, COD sales are all lumped together in the customer sales inquiry. Also when creating a SO paid with a Visa card the address information for the customer is wrong. The name and phone# fields are the only thing that can be changed.
2. We do use special orders on ROs. It works fine except for some reason accounting transactions are not generated when parts SO parts are invoiced on a ro. We continue to use this feature but we have to watch the service accounting batch closely.
3. After selecting a special order part to be invoiced, any part w/o a price matrix will use the price matrix of the so part. We found that by putting on and extra parts before selecting the so parts with use the correct pricing.
4. Sales tax calculation is different when creating a so deposit and selling the so part. Sometimes it will leave a 1-cent balance on a 100% order.
5. A part invoice with only a misc sale will create an accounting batch error.
6. The control# for a so is not being overridden. The customer deposit account is controlled by the invoice number when the order is made. When the deposit is used to make a sale the system uses the current invoice# or AR# and the control number not the original invoice number. We were a Cars Dyatron customer prior to switching to EDS. This has always worked before even after changing to the EDS version of the software.
We have a lot of special order transaction and this is creating a lot of extra work overriding the accounting entries. We are not the only dealer who is scheduling the customer deposit account. Also for example if on a parts ticket there are both a deposit collected for a so part and a deposit used towards the purchase of an sp part the accounting entry is the sum of the two transaction. This doesn't work on a controlled account.
7. On the parts inquiry screen a part will not show its is on order in the message field.
8. Can't change the cost or list on a special ordered part until it is being invoiced. This causes a great deal of grief but I spare you the details for now.
9. Excess stock report is wrong.
10. Service does not use the correct stocking group matrix for price inquiries.

[Richard]

PNC causing Lock-ups. Anyone else having this problem or is it just me? Have had it happen several times when a part comes in on an order with a New #, when I try to do a supersession/reciept, it locks the order and I have to call in to get it unlocked. Just curious if it is a real problem that needs investigation, or just a really crazy situation.