Program Description
This is a new program added to the System Manager Billing System Manager menu (17-2-14). It is used to convert a serial number from one number to another number throughout the system. It is also used to merge two existing serial numbers (with like item numbers) together in either the Service History Files, Sales History Files, or both Service History and Sales History files. The program uses a Serial Batch File (SBATCH.IX) that is set up in Serial Batch File Maintenance. The listing for this file is Serial Batch Listing. Note: This program can only be run when no one is on the system. It will also lockout users from logging in by setting the global file to display Serial Number Batch Conversion/Merge In Progress.
Rev 15 Changes
Logic has been added to the Serial Batch Conversion / Merge programs to convert the OEM Interface files if the OEM Interface is activated.
Logic was also added to convert or merge the Item Number / Serial Number versus just the Serial Number. The Serial Batch Conversion / Merge File Maintenance program will allow the operator to enter an Item Number for the “New” Serial Number. Please see the documentation on the Serial Conversion Merge (BISY017A) later in this document for more information.
If the program encounters a Serial Conversion (vs a Merge) and the Old Item Number and New Item Number are different, the program will check to see if the “Old” machine is on a contract. If it is on a contract where the item has a quantity greater than one, the program will print an error message on the exception report and skip converting the machine. The machine will be deleted from the Serial Batch File.
Rev 14 Changes
There was a problem if an operator entered the program while other operators were on the system. The program will lock users off the system by changing the Global Record 0 lock users off system switch, display a message stating temporary index is in use and then try to return to menu without turning off the global lockout switch. The program will no longer give temporary index in use message. When the operator enters the program, if someone has the Serial File opened, the program will display a message “Files Are In Use. Please Be Sure Everyone Is Logged Off The System. Everyone Must Be Off The System While This Program Is Being Ran. Press 'CR' To Return To Menu”. It will return to the menu without locking out other users.
See screen sample below:
Also, if the operator enters the program, and no one is using the Serial file at that time, there has been a message added to the top of the screen stating “*** No One Should Be On The System While This Program Is Ran *** “.
See screen sample:
Rev 13 Changes
The service plan linkage prompts refer to the service plan linkage serial number stored in the Order Entry Line Item File (OELID), Sales Analysis File (SALID), and Sales History File (SHHIST.DT). The item number of the service plan linkage file is not stored in those files. If you know for a fact that there are not any duplicate serial numbers, enter Y for yes in the following prompts:
If a duplicate serial number exists with different item numbers, the serial number should be changed to the new serial number as long as the ship-to customer number is the same as the ship-to customer number where the machine is currently placed.
Also, the serial number should be changed in these records even if the ship-to customer number in these files does not match the customer number where the machine is currently placed.
If there are duplicate serial numbers in the system, but never for the same customer number, you may want to enter Y for the first prompt and N for the second prompt. This will convert the serial number in the above files as long as the customer number is the same. The first prompt should never be set to N and the second prompt should never be set to Y. That would mean you would only want to change the serial number on records in which the customer number is not the current customer number where the machine is placed.
Note: Between converting serial numbers, the following prompt will display: Ready To Convert XXXXXXX Continue (Y/N) Continue Is Automatic In 10 Seconds. If the conversion runs overnight and you need to let people log in, this will allow the option to interrupt the conversion safely. Wait for this message to appear, then enter N for no. If nothing is entered at this prompt in 10 seconds, the program will continue automatically.
See Serial Conversion/Merge for details on what is converted. A report will print out showing which serial numbers were converted or merged. It will also print files that were not converted correctly, and either of the following messages will print: "Could Not Add..." or "Could Not Delete...".
Note: If errors are encountered, please fax the printout to LMS Support. As the serial number is being converted or merged, the serial number is deleted from the Serial Batch file.
If the serial number was added to the batch file as a merge, but between the time the serial number was added in batch file maintenance and the batch conversion/merge was run, the new serial number was deleted from the system, the serial number will be skipped. A message stating COULD NOT MERGE BECAUSE NOW NEW SERIAL# WOULD BE A CONVERT will print on the error report.
If the serial number was added as a conversion, but between the time the serial number was added in batch file maintenance and the batch conversion/merge was run, the new serial number was added into the system, the serial number will be skipped. A message stating COULD NOT CONVERT BECAUSE NOW NEW SERIAL# WOULD BE A MERGE will print on the error report.
If the old serial number was deleted from the system between the time the serial number was added in batch file maintenance and the batch conversion/merge was run, the serial number will be skipped. A message stating ****** COULD NOT CONVERT xxxxx TO xxxxxx - NOT FOUND IN SERIALD FILE ****** will print on the error report.