Data Interface Requirements

Introduction

This page describes the complete set of data input requirements for a custom integration with Netstock Inventory Advisor.

Data extraction scheduling

Netstock requires a daily refresh of data from a host system. The most appropriate timing for data extraction is usually at midnight or early in the morning. Files will be exchanged with Netstock via a secure exchange which in some cases may be facilitated by a program installed on a local server.

File format

Data should be provided in CSV file format (i.e. Comma Separated Values).

Further requirements are as follows:

File names must be precisely as specified below (noting the all-lowercase lettering)
Column headings should be omitted (except for custom ut_### files)
For fields that are not being provided, blank values must still be included to ensure conformity to the file specification (each field must be in its correct position). Blank values can be supplied by using an immediate comma to move to the next field.
All character fields should be wrapped in double quotes (for example, the value ABC123 should be supplied as “ABC123”).
Character fields should not contain line breaks or carriage returns.
If a double quote features within the data itself, replace it with two consecutive double quotes to distinguish it from the start and end double quote delimiters.
Files must utilize UTF-8 encoding. This enables faster processing and error free handling of symbols, emojis and foreign language characters.

Data validation service

Netstock operates a data validation service which can be used to check for file validity based on this specification. Region specific services are provided to help ensure compliance with data sovereignty regulations.

Unit of measure

It is important to note that all stock related quantities in the data provided are assumed to be in a common unit of measure (referred to throughout this document as the “Netstock unit of measure”). This should typically be the stocking unit of measure, however it must be sufficiently granular to eliminate the need for decimal places in Netstock. Any necessary conversions should be undertaken by the data extraction process.

Data files

The following table lists the input files that Netstock accepts. Note that many files are required, while others are preferred or merely optional. Click on the first column to see a detailed description of each file.

Data	File Name	Importance	Description
Locations	location.csv	Required	Physical stocking locations (warehouses and branches)
Suppliers	supplier.csv	Required	Active vendors
Product Master	master.csv	Required	Basic product information
Stock by Location	stock.csv	Required	Data about products at locations including current stock position
Custom Groups	group.csv	Required	Codes and descriptions for custom fields
Sales History	sales.csv	Required	Sales and returns transaction history
Outstanding Purchase Orders	po.csv	Required	Outstanding purchase / production order lines
Outstanding Customer Orders	co.csv	If Applicable	Outstanding customer order lines
Outstanding Transfers	transfer.csv	If Applicable	Outstanding transfer lines
Completed Purchase Orders	pohist.csv	Preferred	Completed purchase order lines and receipts
Meta Data	control.csv	Required	Information about the interface and data extraction
Bills of Materials	bom.csv	If Applicable	The relationship between finished goods and raw materials
Supersessions	supersessions.csv	If Applicable	Product replacement relationships
Custom Data	ut_###.csv	If Applicable	Custom file(s) for customised business rules

Data types

A number of basic data types are referred to in the file definitions. Here are details about the size, precision and expected values for each data type.

Data type	Comment
Char	Text up to 255 characters long.
Integer	Numeric values without a decimal component.
Decimal	Numeric values with a 12 digit maximum including 4 decimal places. Decimal places must be delimited by a full-stop character.
Date	Date values should be formatted as YYYY/MM/DD. For example, 22 August 2011 should be provided as 2011/08/22.
Bit	Valid values are 0 (false) and 1 (true).

A note about lead times

Lead times are crucial to Netstock but the availability of accurate data from the host system can vary. For this reason, lead times can be provided or managed in different ways, as listed below (from the most to least preferred option):

Ideally:
Provide lead times in the Stock file.
Alternative #1:
Provide lead times in the Supplier file.
Alternative #2:
Maintain lead times by supplier in Netstock.
Alternative #3:
Let Netstock calculate lead times using the receipts provided in the Completed Purchase Orders file.