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Onetrail AnyForm Service Introduction

This page describes the approach to implement the Onetrail AnyFor solution between a supplier (Vendor or Distributor) and their buyers via Onetrail.

The supplier's objective is to implement the AnyForm connection via Onetrail in order to achieve process efficiency and to improve data processing for their buyers, resulting in an efficient and easy order process.

The following processes will be implemented:

  1. Ability for supplier to send text based document(s) via e-mail to Onetrail;
  2. Document conversion through Onetrail from text based documents into EDI based documents for processing through supplier's ERP system;
  3. Ability for supplier to receive orders electronically through EDI exchange from Onetrail; 
  4. Ability for supplier to receive order Acknowledgements (processing success abbreviated as ACK) and Negative Acknowledgements
    (processing errors abbreviated as NACK) through e-mail (or EDI) exchange from Onetrail.

The Onetrail AnyForm implementation is divided into two main functional areas:

  1. Set-up supplier's own internal AnyForm e-mail process to Onetrail .
  2. Receive Buyer's order data via Onetrail in an EDI based document for processing by supplier's ERP system.

These two main areas have their own plan for end-to-end testing and if
required can be moved independently to the production environment.

AnyForm overview

Supplier AnyForm project flow

Below is an overview of the Onetrail AnyForm project flow:
Submitting a new Buyer to Onetrail for analysis and implementing a new Buyer for AnyForm.

supplier's steps to add a new Buyer to the Onetrail AnyForm solution:

  • Select a buyer you want to connect through the Onetrail AnyForm solution. Mind the limitations mentioned in this document when selecting a suitable buyer.
  • Provide at least 25 Buyer test data examples to Onetrail for analysis and development purposes. These can be sent to either the Onetrail project manager or to the Onetrail account manager or to 'support@onetrail.com'.
  • (Assuming Onetrail can process the Buyer's orders through AnyForm Set-up the Buyer in supplier's own ERP/EDI system, so orders can be processed via the Onetrail EDI exchange.
  • Provide Onetrail all relevant data concerning this Buyer. (I.e. all different delivery types available, all warehouse addresses and their codes, Customer Number, EDI authorization codes, etc.).
  • Provide Onetrail the following e-mail addresses (per connected Buyer):
  1. Supplier Sender e-mail address; which e-mail address will be used to send/forward the Buyer's text based orders to Onetrail , I.e. "Buyer-AnyForm@supplier.com".
  2. Supplier Receiver e-mail address; which e-mail address Onetrail needs to send the Order Acknowledgements (ACK) or Negative Acknowledgements (NACK) back to, I.e. "Onetrail-Orders@supplier.com".

Tip: Most of the time it will be easier to set-up one generic e-mail address to send the orders Onetrail with an AutoForward rule activated in supplier's e-mail service. This way all sales/purchase people involved in the supplier's team can be added to this address to forward
orders to Onetrail . (Onetrail cannot process orders coming in from an unregistered e-mail address due to security reasons. All suppliers e-mail addresses authorized to send e-mails to Onetrail need to be set-up at Onetrail.)

The same rules can apply for the supplier's receiving e-mail address.

  • If possible: provide a test URL/FTP location that Onetrail can use for sending test data for evaluation. supplier informs Onetrail when the buyer's first live order will be sent, so Onetrail can track and
    trace this order in the production environment and provide feedback to the supplier if necessary.
  • When the first live order has been accepted and successfully processed by the suppliers ERP/EDI system, the supplier can plan additional live tests. (*If the supplier also uses a development
    environment, the supplier also needs to give an approval to Onetrail to change the set-up to the suppliers production environment.*)
  • When the supplier is satisfied with the provided solution, the supplier will sign off for the buyers live status and informs Onetrail.

Onetrail's steps to add a new Buyer to the Onetrail AnyForm solution:

  • Onetrail will make an assessment for each of the supplier's new AnyForm buyers and will let the supplier know whether Onetrail is able or unable to process orders through AnyForm from this buyer.
  • When Onetrail Development or Onetrail Implementation has specific questions about the supplied format or the contents of the provided examples which prevents the assessment to be completed, Onetrail Implementation will inform the Supplier about this.
    Depending on the supplier's answers the assessment can be completed thereafter.
  • If Onetrail is unable to process orders from the Buyer, Onetrail will provide feedback about the reason(s) why processing is not possible and then the supplier may take appropriate actions (when possible).
  • If Onetrail is able to process orders from the Buyer, the supplier will be informed by either the Onetrail project manager or the Onetrail account manager.
  • After the commercial agreement for the new Buyer between the supplier and Onetrail account manager has been finalized, the Onetrail account manager will provide Onetrail Implementation the go ahead to proceed with further development.
  • Onetrail Implementation then informs the supplier when the AnyForm implementation is expected to start for the new Buyer and indicates when the development and implementation process is expected to be
    finished and when the AnyForm solution for this Buyer is planned to Go Live.
  • After development has been completed to add the new Buyer to the Onetrail AnyForm solution, Onetrail Implementation sends test orders to the supplier test or live environment.
    Onetrail Implementation will also inform the supplier if new test data has been send through to the supplier's ERP/EDI system after requested AnyForm updates.
  • The supplier signs off on the development stage and agrees together with Onetrail to move onto the production stage (Go Live).
  • The newly developed AnyForm code is always expected to be put in production on Monday evenings (except bank holidays or any technical issues preventing release to live).
  • Sign off on the live status will be given either by the Onetrail project manager or by Onetrail Implementation. The supplier can start sending in the first live (test) orders.
  • When the supplier is satisfied with the new AnyForm solution and signs off on the production stage with the Onetrail project manager or Onetrail Implementation, the project is considered completed.
    Responsibility for monitoring the supplier's AnyForm connection than shifts to the Onetrail Support department.

Basic rules and limitations when selecting a new AnyForm Buyer

Please be aware of the following rules and limitations when selecting new buyers for order processing through the Onetrail AnyForm text to EDI solution:

Supported File formats:

PDF (with selectable text!), XLS, HTML, Plain Text, RTF, DOC, DOCX, XLSX and CSV

  • Only one format can be supported per Buyer at the same time. Two or more different format types can't be supported and the Supplier has to decide which format Onetrail needs to support.

Unsupported File formats:

TIFF (scanned fax), Image in PDF (non-selectable text!)

Provide as many different scenarios for the test examples as possible:

  • Standard warehouse orders
  • Dropshipment orders
  • Dropshipment orders with different kind of delivery addresses with varying available delivery lines (3,4,5,6,7,etc. delivery lines)
  • Dropshipment orders to Irish delivery addresses (no postal codes)
  • Orders with an item quantity of more than 2 for each order line
  • Orders with more than 2 order lines
  • Multiple page orders (i.e. Multipage PDF)
  • Multiple orders in one document when available
  • OPG orders
  • Orders with an item quantity of more than 99 or 999 on one order line
  • HTML orders in the exact same format as provided by Buyer (including the actual format which will be forwarded by Supplier to Onetrail )
  • Price values higher than one thousand.
  • If orders have special / separate comment fields, provide examples with comments AND without comments added.
  • All different possible timed deliveries supported by the Supplier ( like pre 9AM, pre 10.30AM, Saturday, etc.)

Required fields on the order:

  • Order Number
  • Supplier details(code or name)
  • Buyer details (code or name)
  • DeliveryAddress (either dropshipment address or warehouse)
  • OrderLines
  • OrderLines should either have Supplier Part Number(SKU), and/or VPN and/or product EAN (GTIN) and/or Buyer Part Number (at least one part number should be available which the Supplier can support for EDI processing)
  • OrderLines should have quantity in them

Optional fields:

  • OrderDate
  • End user reference (in case of dropshipments)
  • DeliveryDate
  • Currency
  • Total price
  • Carriage Charge
  • DeliveryTypes
  • OrderLines can have UnitPrice
  • OrderLines can have Line Total Price
  • OrderLines can have a Descriptions/Comments field
  • OrderLines can have DeliveryDates

Notes: 

  • PDF security settings: If a PDF is set-up with heavy security settings this will reduce the likelihood of Onetrail being able to process the orders through AnyForm.
  • A change or difference in layout from the original reviewed files (of ANY document type) can affect the output after data extraction. This might cause an error at Onetrail . When Onetrail is reviewing these changes, this may have a commercial impact for the
    Supplier when these changes significantly affect the existing AnyForm solution.
  • If a Buyer has multiple layouts and formats for their orders, please provide all possible examples to determine impact on development.
  • When reviewing examples to provide to Onetrail, be aware that examples which are not "fitting" the standard layout, are the best ones to provide (i.e. when an address field normally contains 5
    lines and one example has 7 lines on it or if a comment is added somewhere where it is usually not available).
  • When reviewing the test examples, please provide as much feedback about these as possible for the preferred EDI solution (i.e. when a value/field can be skipped because it doesn't contain useful
    information or when Buyer's part numbers are preferred instead of supplier's own part numbers).

When above guidelines are carefully followed, it will make the entire Onetrail AnyForm development, implementation and testing process much smoother and quicker.