Maintaining Trading Partner Locations

Maintaining our trading partners ensures consistent and accurate data.

Trading partners should typically be deleted if they are unused or are exact duplicates of another.

Aliases are useful when a trading partner is known by different names. Instead of creating duplicate trading partners, we can maintain a consistent trading name and assign aliases as needed. Aliases are also helpful when importing transactions. If our internal warehousing or transport system uses different codes or naming conventions, an alias can be assigned to ensure the correct location is identified on import.

Below is a recommended workflow for maintaining trading partners.

1. Deleting unused trading partners link arrow_upward

1. Open Locations page, unhide Kind, Primary Location, and Last Transaction Date column.
2. Filter Kind column to 'Trading Partner.'
3. Filter Primary Location column to 'Has No Value.'
4. Filter Last Transaction Date column to 'Has No Value.'
5. Filter Created Timestamp to be 'On or before' 7 days. Typically we do not want to delete trading partners in the past 7 days as they are recently added.
6. Shift-click delete button to delete all rows.

2. Merging trading partners with duplicate codes link arrow_upward

1. Open Locations page, unhide Code and Primary Location column.
2. Filter Kind column to 'Trading Partner.'
3. In Code column, filter to 'Has a value', and click Duplicate Filter button. This will display duplicate codes.

4. We typically want to remove the trading partner with the lowest transaction count. If unsure, filter on the locations transactions. Rename this trading partner so it is easily identifiable when merging, e.g. 'merge-'.
5. In Primary Location column, select the trading partner name we want to keep (the trading partner name without 'merge'). This will prompt a pop-up to merge all data.
6. Click Yes.
7. Delete the 'merge-' trading partner.

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Merging trading partners will update existing transactions, and will be included in the next transaction export.

3. Merging trading partners with duplicate names link arrow_upward

1. Open Locations page, unhide Code and Primary Location column.
2. Filter Kind column to 'Trading Partner.'
3. In Name column, click Duplicate Filter button. This will display duplicate names.

4. Ensure both trading partners do not have different Codes. Codes are typically used to identify trading partners in custom imports. If it is used, it is best to rename the trading partner name instead.
5. We typically want to remove the trading partner with the lowest transaction count. If unsure, filter on the locations transactions. Rename this trading partner so it is easily identifiable when merging, e.g. 'merge-'.
6. In Primary Location column, select the trading partner name we want to keep (the trading partner name without 'merge'). This will prompt a pop-up to merge all data.
7. Click Yes.
8. Delete the 'merge-' trading partner.

info

Merging trading partners will update existing transactions, and will be included in the next transaction export.

4. Merging trading partners with duplicate accounts link arrow_upward

1. Open Locations page, unhide Code, Primary Location, Business and Account Number columns. If we use multiple suppliers, ensure all Account Number columns are unhidden.
2. Filter Kind column to 'Trading Partner.'
3. Filter Business column to 'Has No Value.' Trading Partners with Business are genuine duplicates derived from the trading partner catalogue and should not be merged.
4. In our supplier's Account Number column, filter 'Has a Value', and click Duplicate Filter button. This will display duplicate account numbers.

4. If we use multiple suppliers, ensure both account numbers are duplicated, or the other is empty. When trading partners have a e.g. national CHEP account and state-based Loscam accounts,these are genuine duplicates and we do not want to merge these.
5. We typically want to remove the trading partner with the lowest transaction count. If unsure, filter on the locations transactions. Rename this trading partner so it is easily identifiable when merging, e.g. 'merge-'.
6. In Primary Location column, select the trading partner name we want to keep (the trading partner name without 'merge'). This will prompt a pop-up to merge all data.
7. Click Yes.
8. Delete the 'merge-' trading partner.

info

Merging trading partners will update existing transactions, and will be included in the next transaction export.

5. Linking trading partners to the catalogue link arrow_upward

1. Open Locations page.
2. The trading partner catalogue is a public list of sites and accounts that are maintained in 2ic Pallets by the account owners. Identifying, linking, and syncing ensures we have the correct trading partner information.
3. Follow the steps at identifying locations for manual linking and syncing.
4. Follow the steps at linking to a catalogue item.
5. Follow the steps at syncing with a catalogue item.

6. Simplify trading partner names link arrow_upward

1. Open Locations page.
2. Filter Kind column to 'Trading Partner.'
3. In Name column, rename with a simple naming convention, e.g. Business Name - State - Site Name.

7. Verify trading partners for missing or inconsistent data link arrow_upward

1. Open Locations page.
2. Follow steps at trading account verification.

8. Defining our trading policies link arrow_upward

1. Open Trading Policies page.
2. Follow steps at defining trading policies.

9. Deleting unused trading profiles link arrow_upward

1. Open Trading Profiles page.
2. Filter Linked Accounts column to 'Equal to' and key '0.'
3. Shift-click delete button to delete all rows.

10. Merging trading profiles link arrow_upward

1. Open Trading Profiles page.
2. Open the right-side panel by clicking the blue arrow.
3. Open Row Compare tool.
4. Click Row Compare icon. This will colour the focussed row purple.

5. Focus another row to compare.
6. Note the differences in the Row Compare tool. If these are the same, click Merge. This will replace the linked trading partners profile, and delete the unused profile.
7. Click Yes.

11. Simplify trading profile names link arrow_upward

1. Open Trading Profiles page.
2. In Name column, rename with a simple naming convention, e.g. TN 0 / TF 7.

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Transfer on delay days should be defined by our trading policies. Trading policies take precedence over transfer on profiles. Follow steps at defining trading policies.

12. Verify trading policies for missing or inconsistent data link arrow_upward

1. Open Trading Policies page.
2. Follow steps at trading policy verification.