Newsagency Industry Group Electronic Commerce Project

1

Newsagency Industry Group Electronic Commerce Project

File layouts and data descriptions (Release 2. V-9)

This format is to be used for initial tests with magazine suppliers

Released 12 March 1999

Contents

Section 1 / File layout-Delivery Docket / Pages 2,3,4
Section 2 / Codes and Values Tables / Pages 5,6,7
Section 3 / Document process flows / Pages 8, 9
Section 4 / File layout- Sales Information document / Pages 10,11,12
Section 5 / Data Definitions / Page 13, 14

Authorisation

This document has been approved as the revised standard file format for the Delivery Docket document and Sales Information document as originally released in the Software Developer’s Brief, dated 9 June 1998.

Would you now please proceed to implement these changes in your systems so that they comply with our requirements and confirm your readiness to participate with magazine suppliers, for receiving Delivery Docket and sending Sales Information.

Change requests to any part of this document should be directed to John Warner e-mail All users of these documents will be consulted prior to further changes being authorised.

Gordon Toft

Chair

Newsagency Industry Electronic Commerce Group

Section 1

Newsagency Industry Group Electronic Commerce Project

File layout and data descriptions (Release 2. Version 9)

DELIVERY DOCKET FORMAT

The file format for the delivery docket (and for all other electronic commerce documents in this project) follows the same format rules as currently specified and used by H & WT and David Syme Publications for electronic transfer of newspaper home delivery data in Victoria. It is a comma delimited text file FORMAT. This means all values, apha and numeric, are enclosed in double quotes (“) & then delimited by a comma. Null and nil value fields are show as <,””, >. Field sizes specified in the Format column specify the maximum number of characters used in each specific field. In fields containing decimal points, the point is not included in the field size count.

Field / Data Item / Format / Description / Values/codes / Usage

Delivery Docket

/ Maximum Field size / What the data means / Are provided in this column or in separate table
Main Header
A1 / Record No. / 7 numeric / Main header number / 1 / mandatory
A2 / Record type / 1 alpha / Describes record type / “A” identifies main header. See table 1 for list of record types used / mandatory
A3 / Document purpose / 1alpha / Purpose of this document / “D” is used to identify a delivery docket. See table 2 for list of other uses. / mandatory
A4 / Supplier code / 8 alpha / Supplier I/D / See table 3 for list of supplier codes. / mandatory
A5 / Division I/D / 8 alpha / Supplier’s division requesting sales data / Supplier defined / optional
A6 / Supplier Bar code / 20 numeric / Company barcode / EAN supplied / optional
A7 / Supplier ACN / 9 numeric / Company ACN / ACS supplied / optional
A8 / Vendor Code / 15alpha / Identifies supplier / In SuperMarket systems / optional
A9 / Customer code / 10 alpha / Identifies newsagent / As defined by suppliers / mandatory
A10 / Store Code / 10 alpha / For multistore customers / Customer defined / optional
A11 / Date file created / YYYYMMDD / Date file created in suppliers system / mandatory
A12 / Time file created / HHMM / As for date / mandatory
A13 / Version number / 7 alpha / Data structure of version (RxxVyy) / Control of data structure releases / mandatory
Document Header
H1 / Record No / 7 numeric / Document record number / Incremented by 1 for each record / mandatory
H2 / Record type / 1 alpha / Describes record type / 'H' is used to show record is document header. See table 1. / mandatory
H3 / Document Reference / 20 alpha / Unique ref. / Numbered by originator of document / mandatory
H4 / Document date / YYYYMMDD / Date of creation / mandatory

Delivery Docket (cont)

Document Detail
Field / Data Item / Format / Description / Values/codes / Usage
D1 / Record No / 7 numeric / Line item number / Incremental / mandatory
D2 / Record type / 1 alpha / Line item detail / 'D' is used to show record is line item detail / mandatory
D3 / Sub-customer code / 10 alpha / Identifies sub-customer / Is blank for main agent / mandatory
D4 / Publ/prod code / 10 alpha / Product code / Supplier’s unique code for each product / mandatory
D5 / Purchase Order number / 10 alpha / Identifies PO / Retailer PO number. / optional
D6 / Product description / 42 alpha / Product title / Plain text / mandatory
D7 / New Product flag / 1 alpha / Denotes item is new product / See table 7 / optional
D8 / Supplier warehouse location / 1 alpha / Location in supplier warehouse / As defined by supplier / optional
D9 / Sales Check Flag / 1 alpha / To request a sales check for this product issue / “Y” or “N” / mandatory
D10 / Sales information frequency / 1 alpha / frequency for sending sales information / See table 5 / mandatory
D11 / Product Bar code / 20 numeric / Product bar code / optional
D12 / Product extension bar code / 20 numeric / Product extn bar code / optional
D13 / Pack Bar code / 24 numeric / Product bar code / optional
D14 / Pack Quantity / 4 numeric / Items / per pack / optional
D15 / Min order amount / 4 numeric / As defined by supplier / Absolute number / optional
D16 / Author / 25 alpha / Reference / current / optional
D17 / Family / 4 alpha / Title / Tracker / optional
D18 / Class / 2 alpha / list for / codes and / optional
D19 / Category / 2 alpha / description / Table 9 / optional
D20 / Sub- category / 2 alpha / subcategory / Values to be defined / optional
D21 / Publication Freqc'y / 1 alpha / See table 5 / optional
D22 / Issue code / 11 alpha / Unique code this issue / Specific to this issue / optional
D23 / Issue description / 30 alpha / Describes issue / optional
D24 / Edition code / 10 alpha / Newspaper edition code / Specific to newspapers / optional
D25 / Issue cover date / YYYYMMDD / Date on cover / optional
D26 / Issue on-sale date / YYYYMMDD / Date to put on sale / optional
D27 / Recall date / YYYYMMDD / Date returns will be accepted / optional
D28 / Recall week / YYYYWW / Date to remove from sale / optional
D29 / Returns method / 1 alpha / Full or tops to be returned / 'F', 'T' / optional
D30 / Retail price / 6 numeric / 6num2expdec / 0.00 thru 9999.99 / mandatory
D31 / Pack retail price / 7 numeric / 7num2expedec / 0.00 thru 99999.99 / optional
D32 / Wholesale price / 8 numeric / Signed 8num4expdec / -9999.9999 thru
9999.9999 / mandatory

Delivery Docket (cont)

Document Detail
Field / Data Item / Format / Description / Values/codes / Usage
D33 / Sales tax % / 4 numeric / 4num2expdec / 0.00 thru 99.99 / optional
D34 / Sales tax amount / 7 numeric / Signed 7num4expdec / -999.9999 thru 999.9999 / optional
D35 / GST % / 4 numeric / 4num2expdec / 00.00 thru 99.99 / optional
D36 / GST amount / 7 numeric / Signed
7num4expdec / -999.9999 thru
999.9999 / optional
D37 / Subscription Quan'ty / 3 numeric / Signed 3num / -999 thru 999 / optional
D38 / Quantity Supplied / 7 numeric / Signed 7num / -9999999 thru 9999999 / mandatory
D39 / Quantity Supplied qualifier / 3 alpha / How this supply quantity was initiated / See table 6 / optional
D40 / Standard supply variant / 1 alpha / Significant change in supply for this issue / Reason code in Table 8 / optional
D41 / Transaction action / 1 alpha / Action required by customer / See table 4 / mandatory
D42 / Amount (rounded) / 9 numeric / Signed 9num2expdec
Total AUD / -9999999.99 thru 9999999.99 / mandatory
D43 / Payment due Date / YYYYMMDD / Date payment required by supplier / mandatory
D44 / Comment / 40 alpha / Comment field / Plain text any purpose / optional
Document trailer
T1 / Record number / 7 numeric / Doc trailer number / Incremental by supplier / mandatory
T2 / Record type / 1 alpha / Describes record type / For trailer is 'T'. / mandatory
T3 / Document reference / 20 alpha / Same as doc header / mandatory
T5 / Total quantity / 9 numeric / Signed
9 numeric / -999999999 thru
999999999 / mandatory
T6 / Total amount / 10 numeric / Signed 10num2expdec / -99999999.99 thru 99999999.99 / mandatory
T7 / Sales tax amount / 10 numeric / Signed 10num2expdec / -99999999.99 thru 99999999.99 / optional
T8 / GST amount / 10 numeric / Signed 10num2expdec / -99999999.99 thru 99999999.99 / optional
T9 / Invoice delivery fee / 7 numeric / Signed 7num2exdec / -99999.99 thru
99999.99 / optional
Main trailer
Z1 / Record number / 7numeric / Main trailer number / Incremental by supplier / mandatory
Z2 / Record type / 1 alpha / Describes record type / 'Z' is used to identify main trailer / mandatory
Z3 / Customer code / 10 alpha / Identifies newsagent / As defined by supplier / mandatory
Z4 / Total quantity
GRAND TOTAL / 10 numeric / Signed 10 numeric / -9999999999 thru
9999999999 / mandatory
Z5 / Total invoiced
GRAND TOTAL / 12 numeric / Signed 12num2expdec / -9999999999.99 thru 9999999999.99 / mandatory
Z6 / Total sales tax
GRAND TOTAL
(= net amount) / 10 numeric / Signed 10num2expdec / -99999999.99 thru 99999999.99 / optional
Z7 / Total GST amount
GRAND TOTAL
(=net amount) / 10 numeric / Signed 10num2expdec / -99999999.99 thru 99999999.99 / optional

Section 2.Codes and Values Tables

Table 1 Record Types Identifier-Field position A2-all records

Record Type

/

Value

Main Header / “A”
Document Header / “H”
Document Detail / “D”
Document Trailer / “T”
Main Trailer / “Z”

Table 2 Document Purpose Identifier- Field positionA3 -all docs

Document Type

/

Value

Delivery Docket / “D”
Purchase Order / “P”
Returns / “R”
Sales Information / “S”
Claims / “C”

Table 3Supplier Codes- Identifier- Field position A4 -all docs

Supplier

/

Code

RDS / “RDS”
Network Distribution / “NDC”
Gordon and Gotch / “GG”
News Ltd / “NEWS”
Fairfax / “FAIRFAX”
GNS / tba
Hallmark / tba
John Sands / tba

Table 4Transaction Action Identifier

Action

/

Code

Add / A
Change / C
Delete / D

Table 5.Publication and Sales Information Frequency

Used in Delivery Docket in “D” record to show frequency of issue of magazine and frequency of sending Sales Information

Value / Definition / Value / Definition
4 / Every 4 Months / M / Monthly
9 / Every 9 Months / N / Not Applicable
B / Bimonthly (every 2nd month) / O / Others
D / Daily / Q / Quarterly
F / Fortnightly / V / Volume
H / Half Yearly / W / Weekly
X / One shot / Y / Yearly

Table 6Quantity Supplied Qualifier

Qualifier Description

/

Code

Initial supply / MDE
Re-order by customer / MRO
Replacement stock / MRP
Re-order by rep / SRD

Table 7 New Product Flag

Description

/

Code

New code same supplier / X
New supplier / Y
New title / N

Table 8Standard supply variant-Reason code

Reason for variation

/

Code

Seasonal

/

S

Promotion / P
Launch / L
Diminished supply (eg production problem) / D

Table 9Family, Class and Category

These entries allow the newsagent to categorise magazines and books for category management.

Family, Class and sub-category values are yet to be defined.

Category: For magazines, Title Tracker categories are used.

Title Tracker categories are:

01 / Adult / 25 / Humor & Satire
02 / Animals / 26 / Motorcycles
03 / Art, Music, Literature / 27 / Motoring & Transport
04 / Astrology / 28 / Movies, television & Video
05 / Aviation and Defense / 29 / Newspapers
06 / Boating / 30 / Outdoors & Caravans
07 / Business & Investment / 31 / Artworks
09 / Childcare & education / 32 / Racing & Equestrian
10 / Children & Comics / 33 / Real Estate
11 / Computers / 34 / Rural
12 / Craft / 35 / Science
13 / Crosswords & Puzzles / 36 / Sports & Fitness
14 / Camera & Photography / 37 / Teenage
15 / Electronics, Radio & Audio / 38 / Travel & Tourism
16 / Environment / 39 / Water sports
17 / Fashion, Lifestyle & Beauty / 40 / Women's Interest
18 / Fiction & Paperbacks / 41 / Overseas & Other Language Newspapers
19 / Fishing & Hunting / 42 / French Magazines
20 / Food & Wine / 43 / German Magazines
21 / General Interest / 45 / Italian Magazines
22 / Health & Fitness / 46 / Portuguese Magazines
23 / Hobbies & Collectibles / 47 / Spanish Magazines
24 / Home, Garden & Design / 48 / Yugoslav Magazines

Section 3

Document Process Flows- Delivery Docket and Sales Information

The following is a description of the functionality suggested in point of sale software when receiving a delivery docket and relationship with sales information document and other documents e.g. Returns and Claims, details of which are still under development.

Software Developers N.B. It is a requirement for all point of sale systems used in the newsagency industry to track the publication issue code from receipt of delivery into the system, through all sale and return processes.

Notes

1. Magazine supplier sends delivery docket data via Internet.

2. Newsagent system receives data, by automatic mailbox scheduler, into pending file.[1]

3. Agent physically reconciles magazine delivery with delivery docket data

4. Checked items are then transferred to stock (holding) file under agent control. (point and click)

5. Agents screen inputs quantities for home delivery, put away and sub-customers to stock file.[2]

6. Quantity received and quantities input from 5 are transferred to preset the sales check document file.

Sales information document file is preset with,

1. Quantity supplied (net) this outlet ie quantity available for scanned sales this outlet. (H15)
2. Quantity pre-sold ie putaways and home deliveries all non scanned sales (H 16)
3. Quantity returned early (H17)

Scanned sales records i.e. quantity sold, time and date, D 3,4,and 5, from point of sale system are transferred to this file as per sales information schedule table 5 section 2.

7. Sales information document is then sent automatically to the respective supplier, as scheduled, in the next communications session.

8. Returns file is preset with quantities delivered from actions at Note 2, 6 and 11, updated with scanned returns quantities and e-mailed to the supplier.

9 An electronic Claims Form may be initiated for deliveries not reconciled in Note 3.

1. Similarly an Early Returns form may be initiated in conjunction with action at Note 4.

System generated reminder prompts should be used to initiate actions at Note8. To prompt returns from sub-agents, for magazines not replaced by the next issue, a note could be inserted on the invoice to the sub-agent, which is issued during the recall week for that magazine.

Section 4

Sales Information Document

This format is a comma delimited text file. All numeric field s are delimited by commas and all alpha fields are enclosed in double quotes(“) and delimited by a comma. Field sizes are shown as maximum and include decimal places where applicable.

This document is to be initiated by the newsagents point of sale software both automatically, as triggered by a sales flag in the delivery docket, or manually under the newsagent’s control, as required by suppliers.

File layout and data descriptions follows

Field / Data Item / Format / Description / Values/codes / Usage

Sales Information

/ Maximum Field size / What the data means / Are provided in this column or in separate table
Main Header
A1 / Record No. / 7 numeric / Main header number / 1 / mandatory
A2 / Record type / 1 alpha / Describes record type / “A” identifies main header. See table 1 for list of record types used / mandatory
A3 / Document purpose / 1alpha / Purpose of this document / “S” is used to identify a Sales information. See table 2 for list of other uses. / mandatory
A4 / Supplier Code / 8 alpha / Supplier I/D / See table 3 for list of supplier codes. / mandatory
A5 / Division I/D / 8 alpha / Supplier’s division requesting sales data / Supplier defined / optional
A6 / Vendor Code / 15alpha / Identifies supplier / In SuperMarket systems / optional
A7 / Customer code / 10 alpha / Identifies newsagent / As defined by supplier / mandatory
A8 / Store Code / 10 alpha / For multistore customers / Customer defined / optional
A9 / Customer Barcode / 20 numeric / Customer bar code / Supplied by EAN / optional
A10 / Customer ACN / 9 numeric / Customer company number / Supplied by ASC / optional
A11 / Date file created / YYYYMMDD / Date file created in supplier system / mandatory
A12 / Time file created / HHMM / As for date / mandatory
Product/outlet Header
H1 / Record No / 7 numeric / Document record number / Incremented by 1 for each record / mandatory
H2 / Record type / 1 alpha / Describes record type / 'H' is used to show record is document header. See table 1. / mandatory
H3 / Document Reference / 20 alpha / Unique ref. / Numbered by originator of document / mandatory
H4 / Document date / YYYYMMDD / Date of creation / mandatory
H6 / Outlet code / 10 alpha / Identifies sub-customer / Is blank for main outlet / mandatory
H7 / Publ/prod code / 10 alpha / Product code / Supplier unique code for each product / mandatory

Sales Information document ( cont)

Product/outlet Header

Field / Data item / Format / Description / Values/code / Usage
H8 / Product Bar code / 20 numeric / Product bar code / optional *
H9 / Product extension bar code / 20 numeric / Product extn bar code / optional *
H10 / Issue code / 11 alpha / Unique code this issue / Specific to this issue / optional *
H11 / Issue description / 30 alpha / Describes issue / optional *
H12 / Edition code / 10 alpha / Newspaper edition code / Specific to newspapers / optional *
H13 / Issue cover date / YYYYMMDD / Date on cover / optional *
H14 / Issue on-sale date / YYYYMMDD / Date to put on sale / optional *
H15 / Quantity Supplied
Net for this outlet / 7numeric / Quantity available for scanned sale this outlet / mandatory
H16 / Quantity pre-sold / 7 numeric / All non-scanned sales / mandatory
H17 / Quantity early return / 7 numeric / mandatory
Sales Detail
D1 / Record No / 7 numeric / Line item number / Incremental / mandatory
D2 / Record type / 1 alpha / Line item detail / 'D' is used to show record is line item detail / mandatory
D3 / Date of sale / YYYYMMDD / Date of this record / mandatory
D4 / Time of sale / HHMMSS / Time of each sale / Sales event to a second / mandatory
D5 / Quantity sold / 5 numeric / Quantity sold at time/date / mandatory
Document trailer
T1 / Record number / 7 numeric / Doc trailer number / Incremental by supplier / mandatory
T2 / Record type / 1 alpha / Describes record type / For trailer is 'T'. / mandatory
T3 / Document reference / 20 alpha / Same as doc header / mandatory
T4 / Total quantity supplied net this outlet / 8 numeric / Total quantity available for sale this outlet / mandatory
T5 / Total quantity pre-sold / 8 numeric / Total non-scanned sales / mandatory
T6 / Total quantity early returns / 4 numeric / mandatory
T7 / Total quantity sold / 6 numeric / mandatory

Sales Information Document (cont)

Main trailer
Field / Data Item / Format / Description / Values/codes / Usage
Z1 / Record number / 7numeric / Main trailer number / Incremental by supplier / mandatory
Z2 / Record type / 1 alpha / Describes record type / 'Z' is used to identify main trailer / mandatory
Z3 / Customer code / 10 alpha / Identifies newsagent / As defined by supplier / mandatory
Z4 / Total quantity supplied
GRAND TOTAL / 10 numeric / Total quantity all items / mandatory
Z5 / Total quantity early returned
GRAND TOTAL / 12 numeric / mandatory
Z6 / Total quantity sold
GRAND TOTAL / 12 numeric / mandatory
Z7 / Total number of documents
GRAND TOTAL / 3 numeric / Total number “H” records / mandatory

* Note : fields H8 to H14 are shown as “optional ” usage. However the general rule to be observed is that if these fields have been “ filled ” in the corresponding delivery docket or requested by the supplier, then they should be “filled” in the returned sales information document.

Section 5

Data Definitions

The following definitions are provided to ensure correct interpretation of field requirements.

1. General

1. Fields marked ‘alpha’ may be filled with alpha or numeric data or both.
2. Fields marked ‘numeric’ may only contain numeric data.
3. Fields requiring both negative and positive data are marked ‘signed’ followed by a numeral representing the maximum number of numerals allowed. ( not counting signs or decimal points)
4. All decimal places are to be shown as explicit . For example a field format described as 6 num2 expdec is shown as 0.00 thru9999.99. 6 is the maximum field length including the explicit decimal places.
5. A negative quantity will be signed (-). A positive quantity will be implied eg 7 is implied positive.

2. Delivery Docket

1. The term ‘customer’ includes newsagent, ‘sub-customer’ includes sub-agents.
2. ‘Outlet’ has been used to indicate either a main shop, one shop in a multi-store

( chain ) situation or a sub-agent outlet.