Control of MCL File in E-Cat

We have control of the MCL file now -- the problem with J-Con is once you had control - you had to add new lines ... we have been assured that NEW LINES will be updated on our behalf - and our control allows us to fine tune the catalog ( add new X lines or adjusting the priority of lines displayed ).

One EXAMPLE requested by Greg Guyitt is to MOVE the best brake pads to the TOP and move the RED PADS below that.

If you check --it has been done.   Do you like it ?   I would ask that YOU not mess with the MCL file and allow me to keep it as job security ( at least for a month ).  The changes only have to be made ONCE for multi-store ( OK with that :-).  You do NOT have to LOG-OUT to see the changes -- just grab a new catalog look-up.

 
Why is it called MCL file --who knows - that is a name Activant gave it.

New Parts -- it is like an Easter Egg hunt ---

Sometimes new parts from CARQUEST are like an easter egg hunt -- you never know where or when you will find then. Why they have so many holes in their process to inform us - well - who knows -- we have mentioned it ...and yet the process is still like swiss cheese.

For example - a good idea is to every month check the Activant Message Board in J-Con -- using 8-12 then the #8 for message board and you will see the enclosed image (click to enlarge)

So --who knows ANYTHING about the Dorman ABS wire harnesses ? or the MUCH REQUESTED oil drain plugs (in poly bags -- the wheel studs could come in poly bags and use a 'dot ONE ... .1 sufffix ---what do oil drain plugs use ??

The Akebono pads we heard about -- has anyone seen one yet ??

Keep the eyes peeled for 'hints' of new part numbers -- they don't make it easy -- appreciate you feedback.

Oh yeh- Ryan has noticed we LODST the Caliper listing in e-cat -- we have a note on the feedback -- but he is also writing Brian Wiggs directly to see if we can get the fix applied to our stores asap ..... oh boy ... this is usually a problem with the MCL file -the file that controls the lines that show and in what order. At one point we controled our MCL -- but their lack of ability to relay info on new lines forced us to let CARQUEST control the MCL.

Updating MCL file for Activant -order of parts

I was looking at how we added an X line ( Ideal Brake ) to the secondary page ( go have a look and see ) ...when I noticed this .... OMG .... what a mess the first image is marked OLD and has rotors split and the pad order is wrong ....

So I went thru the exercise of trying to remember .... the MCL file is something we have asked to have access for - most CARQUEST jobbers will not know what this is... but it is a messy file to work with as you need to figure out what the sup

plier is ... and then ADD the new and DELETE the old setting ( not just an easy modify one might expect )

Anyways - here is what your brakes look like now -- marked NEW ... the ROTORS are grouped together and the pads are in price order .... I still can NOT do anything about the FRI - RED PADS that link to the new line RDP --we will ask Toronto is they can HURRY UP and delete this redundant listing ... what a pain in the ass...

Click on the images to make larger ....

One More Time -- how we can make E-cat better

Talking with Neil ( from Petes Paints ) on his point .... With the expanded coverage in alignment components through our raybestos chassis it has become increasingly cumbersome looking up suspension components because the standard part number is mixed in with all the offered alignment options. Would it be possible to prioritise these differently or have alignment components pulled out and become a sepereate lookup.Also should "CAA" control arms come up first so that when looking for controlarms they came up at top of page..this might also help if alignment parts cant be moved.

Now - lets pull this question apart and have a look ... the MORE YOU can know--the easier it is to figure out a solution--

Question - is Neil referring to Nex-Gen or the Activant copy of the e-cat? This is important as it takes a different path to fix .... in this case it is a bit of BOTH -- but he is LOOKING at his Activant copy when he writes this ... so lets see what we can do with Activant

- 1) since we control our own MCL file ( click here to see past articles on what MCL is ) we can MOVE BCH from the main page to the

secondary page --from time to time you should look on the secondary page to remind yourself it exists ..... since none of our stores have any BCH this is a no brainer ..... ( or at least I hope there is agreement on this )

2) Neil asked for the control arms to show first ( see image - see how this was done ) - DONE

Now --lets see if there is any further changes ?

On Nex-Gen - this takes longer --I have written Danny Rains and asked him to match the changes we have done on our activant e-cat .... since we do not ( will we ever ??) have control --this change may take a day or so ( but if not done in 10 days -- remind me and I will send the follow up request )

PLEASEZZZE -- try to understand the options we have in e-cat

One last PS to this post ---

when you see a duplicate part number --in this case the RCH RK5331 is shown and part #2 and the 4th part ...the duplication comes from the 3rd part ---the BCH BCK5331 is s

et up to supersede to the RCH part --and as such it shows the part BELOW itself ... notice the S in the image -- that means it is linked the part above .... we will renmove this duplicate when we get the Nex-Gen BCH parts ( as mentioned above ) moved to the secondary page --this has been done in house for our majority of users who are on activant.

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Mitchell1 shop management program & E-cat

Mitchell1 still uses FAST-LINK --- a reminder that our customer has to UPDATE the e-cat MCL file manually … go to Vendor Setup --- click on CARQUEST vendor ---click on “Setup Link” then click on “Update MCL”

This should be done at least weekly we are told by eServices at GPI/CARQUEST. Next year when Mitchell1 finally get the WEB-LINK version this set will be obsoleted.

How will X line parts show

In J-Con we could trick E-Cat into showing a related part by using an '@' in the first part #'s description -- not very elegant but it got the job done. In Exploris we will LINK parts in ALTERNATES ( if you remember our Autologue system from 1996-2003 we had similar alternate logic )

The image (click to make larger ) is just a test to show - linked a 2057 bulb with a spark plug - to show how you can make the alternate show UNDERNEATH the linked part in e-cat. We will be busy linking part numbers like rotors and pads for our stocked X lines next week.

As always - there is another way to do this -- we can have control of our own catalog file ( MCL file ) and can add e-cat and match the X line rotors to an existing line -- the problem here --is that EVERY part # shows --not just what we keep. If a part is NOT in FILE ( NiF ) then pricing shows as blank. We will have to think which is the best way in the long run.

help in verifying new data

Appreciate some help - can you see if the three sections for new e-cat are in deed properly turned on for our e-cat. The two fuel pumps and the Dorman cat's are listed as new in the 8-12 bulletin board section of the j-Con for the new activant e-cat DVD that was loaded last night. Click on the image to make larger. Tell Greg H if these sections do not show in e-cat and we will ask Brian Wiggs in Raleigh ( he controls the MCL control file for what parts of the e-cat show as being turned on )

PCH in Activant E-cat

the NexGen e-cat should change in the next few days -- but since we have control of our own MCL file in Activant --we turned on the Raybestos data ..... note --we originally turned on the "Raybestos" but noticed many parts with the CQ suffix indicating the CQ branded box --so we found what we think is the correct one now ( see image ) and set as Priority #1 -- we deleted and re-added the Moog as priority #2 .... please give us some feedback on issues and problems

Go play -- go try it

Worldpac now in Activant

Just noticed this press release .... CLICK HERE .... Activant now supports Worldpac e-cat ... WOW.

Steps -

1) call help desk and have them turn on MCL control - this file allows you to add and drop line sin your Activant e-cat - see image

2) ADD Worldpac as image show

3) do testing - I see the line - now we will test to see if a stocked part properly prices etc - stay tuned for details -- how do we GET OUR part number to properly show ?? Details at 11.

BRG hub bearings - missing in action

A while back another jobber mentioned that the second ( RED line ) BRG hub bearings were missing from e-cat. My first thought w as the MCL file - the file that tells what lines are turned on and off ( and in what order they display ) was accidentially set to not show == so we tried to contact Brian Wiggs who controls this -- and we called and called.

Today I received a reply back from Doug McIntosh saying that the entire data file for BRG was accidentally erased from our Feb copy of the e-cat -- hmm ... when we get our new March CD/DVD we will have our data back.

If managers want to do an INTERIM patch -- we can add the @BRG 12345 to the BGS parts ... today I wrote an update in the J-Con tips blog -- click on the J-Con link on the left if you would like to see it ....

Mitchell1 discussion board

Here is something we asked for --and got --- so the moral of this storey --if YOU NEVER ASK --how can you make a change for the better --what are you wishing for in a change --- ASK !!!!!

Karl writes .......There's now a separate area for CARQUEST specific discussion on the
Mitchell1 Manager forum.

http://www.buymitchell1.com/managerforum/

Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Karl
-----Original Message-----
From: Greg HENDERSON [mailto:Greg.Henderson@wrenchead.ca]
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 7:02 AM
To: doug.freeman@gpi.com; Karl Coleman; Dougf@autocomlink.com
Cc: John Christie
Subject: Could CQ have it own separate folder inMitchell1 discussion
board?

Hello Doug & Karl
Could CARQUEST have it's own folder within the discussion board at Mitchell1.com?

Case - the reminder for customers to update the MCL file manually on a
regular basis

Just wondering .... It would also allow someone from within GPI to
monitor questions and help as needed??
Regards
Greg Henderson