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PackAI 2.0.x

When working with imported data from external systems the users rely on the quality of data and completeness. The data cannot be manually adjusted in the Import Part Lists section and in case of missing information, you have the options to either manually update each single entry after converting to a part list or automatically enrich the data through the Import Data Rules. 

Workflow

The following articles explains the complete process of creation and application of the rules. The rules are defined and stored in the database and applicable for the complete environment, they are not user based. The modification and creation is done in a dedicated editor:

Creation of data rules
  1. After logging in PackAI, open the File menu and go to the Import Data Rules
  2. A new window for the data rules will open
  3. In order to add a new rule, click in the center of the last row.
    Double click here to add a row
  4. Important when creating a new rule, you first must define the Result field
  5. Once the result field is selected you will be able to add a Formula. By double clicking the Formula field an Expression Builder will open.
  6. The Expression Builder provides unlimited number of formulas and combinations, allowing the user to enhance the data the best suitable way for him
  7. After describing your formula, click the OK button to go back to the Import Data Rules
  8. The final step is to save your changes and store them in the database.
Your rules are already stored in the database and will be automatically applied during the Import Part Lists conversion to Part Lists.
 

exlamation-circleImportant: When opening the Expression Builder window the result field INFO1 (for example) is copied automatically in the Formula. Delete the result field and type your formula.

 
Data rules application

The application of the data rules is fully automated and the user only needs to define the rules once for the complete environment. Once defined, every time you are converting an Import Parts List to a Parts List, all rules will be evaluated and applied to each entry.

Example:
 
The following Import Parts List contains 57 entries, where some of them are under material category Particle Board, others Glass. 
We have two import data rules in the database defining Sensitive or Non-Sensitive descriptions in the INFO1 and INFO2 fields.
 
Since the sensitive description is missing from the import file, you can enrich the data based on the material category.
 
Input data
Part list after conversion
Definitions

Result field - the result field is the one you are updating if the conditions in the rules are met. For example if you want to add a description text in INFO1 based on material category, INFO1 is the field getting the description and it is handled as result field. 

Formula - the formula field defines your logic which will be applied to every entry in the import parts list when converting to part lists. 

Rule Order - in case of multiple rules, please be aware that they will be executed one after another, the last rule in the sequence has the highest priority. If you are updating the same result column, the last rule will be replacing the values from the previous rules. 

 

 

Keywords: import data rules, data enrichment, expression builder, import data, imported files, part lists, data enhancement