Using reports to buy doors, drawerfronts, and drawerboxes

[Gene Davis]

Who is able to just fax off (or email) the cut list or buy list to your suppliers, and have them use the info for all component size and quantity detail?

Not me. Not without a whole lotta massaging in MS Excel.

Why? Why not?

Not a rant about the eCabs software, really. It seems as if my supplier is stuck in a rut.

Examples:

I can order sizes in mm or fractional inches to 1/16\". Not 32nds. If my output says \"height 31 8/16\"\", they will not accept or acknowledge. I have to change it to read \"31 1/2\"\"

I can order to size in mm, but not to mm.m (mm to one decimal place). They'll do, however, a hinge bore to a 2.5mm cup offset. Go figure.

[Glenn Van Reason]

I have suppliers that don't do 0.5 increments, all suppliers will not take orders on anything other than their own order forms, all of which are setout differently from each other. no-one does electronic ordering.
The one that masters this will get all my work I can tell you.

[DanEpps]

Yeah Gene, that is a chip-on-the-shoulder that suppliers seem to have...order it my way or not at all.

I guess what they are saying is that their order processors are good enough to do the conversions when the order is not in their exact preferred format.

You could write Excel macros to do the conversions and reformatting automatically. If your supplier has an Excel worksheet formatted to their specs you could also write macros to copy the exported cut list to the new format.

There are several folks on the forum that are good with Excel macros (I'm not one of them) that might be able to help if you need it.

[Rick Palechuk]

It's the same thing over here Gene, write it down and fax it.

[Michael Yeargain]

Sorry guys and gals but I agree with the \"chip\". If you were in their shoes and did the volume as they do in the office, the clerks would go bonkers over the many different formats they would have to interpret. I wouldn't do it not without charging extra for the interpreter.

In retrospect to that; it maybe a good idea to create a macro to change the data and align the feilds the way the vendors require. Just a suggestion.

[Glenn Van Reason]

Michael, That's right I agree it would be a headache trying to sort through all the different formats, which is why they need to go to some form of electronic order so that we can write macros to go from eCabs output to their form. At present all that is available is format then print/view and fill in propriety order form by hand (prone to error).

What I'd like to see is a solution beneficial to both sides.

[Michael Yeargain]

I agree Glenn,

I also go through the same thing with vendors. There is no difference.

I especially dislike the measurement interpretation.

Maybe Thermwood programmers can do a \"make doors and drawer fronts round to nearest 1/16\" or something similar in metric.

[Gene Davis]

I am flying blind on this because I am not home, and haven't access to my eCabinets program from this \"on the road\" laptop, but can't we specify our measurements to be metric, and also that our mininum incremental door sizings (drawerfronts, too) be 1mm?

I don't believe the buy list can be exported to MS Excel, but the cut list can, right? If we specify doors as 5 piece make in house, then they appear on the cut list somewhere, right? With L in one field, and W in another?

[Michael Yeargain]

If I'm not mistaken Gene, the Conestoga doors have a minimum increment of 1/32\" but, we don't have the option to change it in the software.

However, the buy list can be exported if you right click in the buy list pop up window and select \"Export to Microsoft Excel\". A dialog will come up and you will need to click on the top check mark to select all the fields then click Import. Next, another dialog will pop up and just select OK again. That should do it...

[Gene Davis]

The trouble with the buy list in getting something useful for actually purchasing doors and drawerfronts, is that the size of each is embedded in the description as text.

You can program in Excel to extract the numeric info you need, but it is far easier if height is in one field and width in another. I believe it is that way in the cut list.

For those components to appear in the cut list, though, they have to be defined as make in house.

Am I recalling the program outputs correctly?

[Kerry Fullington]

Gene,

I am all for making things more simple to order but eCabinets was set up to work with the original Cooperative door vendor Consestoga. It follows all of their rules. You can also get easy online electronic ordering for three other door vendors through the member store.

I run into the same problem because I build most of my own doors and I don't build to a 1/32\" increment.

It doesn't hurt to ask though.

Kerry

[Michael Yeargain]

The trouble with the buy list in getting something useful for actually purchasing doors and drawer fronts, is that the size of each is embedded in the description as text.

The sizes are relative to the column "D" and are a part of the description if you choose in house. However, if you chose the alternate source for doors you will have the height and width in columns "E" and "F" respectively on the alternate door and drawer front sheet.

You can program in Excel to extract the numeric info you need, but it is far easier if height is in one field and width in another. I believe it is that way in the cut list.

Yes, in the cut list as above, change to alternate source.

For those components to appear in the cut list, though, they have to be defined as make in house.

Yes, If you need the individual component sizes.

Am I recalling the program outputs correctly?

Yes, just change to alternate source and this will provide you with a better environment to filter in excel.[/quote]