Before you start

Switching from Email to API

Testing still has to be carried out even for existing approved XML customer in order to send via API. Further details of this can be found in Stage 3 testing mentioned below or click the link to be taken directly to the information: https://visionsoftware.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/VEDI/pages/843907075/Testing+Inbound+EDI#Stage-4---API-Testing

The process is

• If you do not already have a token then Contact your warehouse and request a token to be issued, you will then receive an username and token via email.

• Email editest@visionsuite.co.uk and request the TEST API to be opened for you to test. When ready it will then be confirmed to you that you can send TEST API to the system

• You then should send your inbound orders via email and API, assuming there are no issues your account is set to live shortly afterwards, and at that time you should no longer send in through email.

Modifications to Existing Approval

Any changed whether you have moved site or you wish to add additional order types requires submission of the pre-testing form along with examples of the changes, this should be done by email in the first instance.

If everything looks fine and your current submissions are standing in good order you will receive the modification immediately, where there are issues with the test or ongoing issues with your incoming files then you will be asked to look at those first.

Limits of Testing

We allow for each stage of the testing to be run 5 times for the customer, should the customer fail for the fifth time then Ontech will contact the Vision customer as further tests are charged at £75 per test.

Outbound Files Testing

Generally where the customer exists already within the warehouse we suggest that if the customer wants to test some of the files going to them that they use the live system and have the files enabled from the live system, this can be done in the VCIS system or through your warehouse operator.

In theory your live system files will provide you with a real update of what's happening on the account, the only thing they will not be able to give you is a link to your incoming sales order line number field if you are using this to link the sales order to the order picked or the pre-advice to the goods received.

End to End Testing

Where there is a need for an end to end testing, based on the test files being sent then this can only be carried out when stage 4 checks have been completed and a sales order file can be processed, picked, and then information sent back to the customers relating to what items have been picked.  If you need a full end-to-end test, let us know as early as possible this will have to be agreed by the warehouse, as there is a significant cost involved in running this completely.

Step by Step Guide to Testing

Stage 1 - Initial Check

As you begin testing we will need to know some information, please click and download the form below, complete this and email it back to the editest@visionsuite.co.uk email along with your first test files.

Sales Orders pre-testing form

Open

 

Pre-Advices pre-testing form

Open

What to send

You should send one order of each order type which you ticked on the pre-testing questionnaire.

If you are using different delivery methods then you need to include an example of each delivery method you plan to use.

The optional items on the final page of the pre-information need to be included in the initial test files, not everything is needed on every order but examples of you being able to submit what you need to within those optional fields is essential for smooth operations

Stage 2 - Real Data Checks (Bulk Testing)

Assuming your orders are reaching us and the content is good then we will ask for some real world examples to be sent, it will be a number of orders of each type and for each delivery method and we will ask you to ensure all the optional fields that you plan to use are being used.

You also need to ensure that they are all to differing customers / addresses.

What to Send

You will be asked to send around a proportion of a weeks worth of orders, if your planned incoming number is low then this will be proportionally higher than a customer who has large volumes.

This data needs to be as real as possible, preferably information from live orders you are currently sending out to customers.

If you are sending orders via API you proceed to step 3 otherwise if you are sending via email then you proceed to step 4

Stage 3 - API Testing

Access will be provided to the main system to allow you to send through the API, the system will then respond to your inbound files, as they should be generally good the responses should mainly be positive.

If you can have real orders sent to the API this will speed up the process of the final approval, if not then sending the batch you send with Stage2 is a good starting point.

When you send these API tests and have sent the required number please inform us by email that you have completed and we will review the test inbound messages.

Stage 4 - Approval to use in Production system 

Ontech will liaise with the warehouse and the testing customer to agree on a go-live date, this date will normally be at least 3 - 5 working days after stage 3 has been completed.

An email authorizing you to go live will be sent with any provisions or conditions stated on it, you will only be able to send those orders types you have requested during testing phase, anything outside of this will require further tests.

Once a date has been agreed then the customer would then deal with the warehouse directly for any issues or problems as it is the warehouse who manage the day to day operations of their own EDI system