Conference 7.286::digital

    Digital Services uses the logistics system to search by product and/or
    description when you are trying to identify a part number. Contact your 
    US Field (or country) office at the local level for help. 
    An alternate method is the STARS database which can be accessed by
    obtaining a TIMA account. Again, contact your local area Field office.
    
    Dave

There is also the Online Edited Option Module List (aka 'Dick Best List'
if you are an old timer). You must be a registered user to access it
though.

$ VTX CEO  !takes you to the main screen where you can find out more

Lee

    For software products try using VTX keyword SPD. Once in the SPD menu
    do a PF1 7 for keyword search and type in name then <CR>.
    VTX can be a great tool for gettin information fast when you know some
    of the tricks.
    
    Mary Anne

    
    	This question is one of the hardest I know.  Digital has, at least,
    (3) three different part numbers for every part we carry.  How this 
    company has been able to do business is a tribute to the perserverence
    of those researching these numbers.  We use a Manufacturing number, a
    Sales number and a Customer service number all for exactly the same 
    item.  Without a doubt, this has been one of the greatest sources of
    frustration for many of us in the field.  I wish you luck.
    
    
    Dave 

    forgot to mention: I'm in Europe, so .2 does not work for me Lee, 
    but thanks.
    
    SPD's are fine, so is TIMA, but (being a UNIX guy) what I'm looking for
    is **MUCH** simpler. (besides, due to IM&T limitations about one in 20
    salespeople do have access to EasyNet! ! ! ! 8-(
    
    I think I should elaborate a bit.
    
    I originally came from Philips, which Digital bought some 2 years ago.
    Until July 1'st we more_or_less had separated organizations. But now
    as a complete surprise ;-) we are "real" DECies (or is it
    Digital'ies?).
    
    I'm working in Sales & Software Support, so I just like to make this
    transition as painless as possible for my "customers" (sales).
    
    What I want to do is some simple black box where salespeople put in
    something like "develop" "7000" "OSF" and loo! out comes the part #
    for the OSF/1 developers extensions for the AXP 7000. Would be a
    10-minute hack (in UNIX) if...if... there is a textfile, one line per
    product, starting with the product number (for sales) and continuing
    with the short product description.
    
    any chance?
    
    christoph   (K.I.S.S. is my middle name ;-) 

    one more thing......
    
    no, our salespeople are **NOT** stupid, they just have to do up to several
    bids a day in our market (small and medium accounts, just larger than
    what we sell via DECdirect). So living with the "Digital" way of doing
    is a leeetle bit difficult.....
    
    christoph 

re.5:

I'm in Europe and use the VTX CEO option, although I enter Corporate VTX
before searching using the CEO keyword.

Dave.

    re .7: thanks Dave, still no success.
    
    Oh, well, might have something to do with the decision of some European
    manager that ex Philips/Kienzle Employees are not to be entered into
    the ELF (and probably other) database, since VTX CEO answers that I'm
    not on the record. Sigh. BIG SIGH.
    
    christoph

re.8:

I think you have to register. 

Dave.

    Christoph,
    
    I know you're very serious; but since I do SW Service/Licensing
    configurations in the States, if you're able to come up with a
    magic "box" that can spit out part #s as you described, may I be
    the first to place an order for one? :-)
    
    Karen
    

    the output of VTX CEO might be the basis of my "hack". If I get a
    report done which generates ALL the part# I need. I have to play around
    a bit with it first, though, since I think our network would'nt like a
    mail of ALL (300,000?) partnumbers accidentially... ;-)
    
    A colleague came up with another Idea I'll like to get into:
    
    make an AQS offer containing everything you'll probably ever need, (use
    whatever description you like) format the quote, mail it to you and
    loo! you've got a textfile with all info you need (including prices!).
    
    I just have to check if it takes one week or one year to make the AQS
    offer..... ;-)
    
    keep tuned, if any more ideas come up, your welcome!
    christoph 

    Christoph,

    OLIS (On-Line Information System) might be what you're looking for.
    It contains the System & Options Catalog, Nets & Comms Guide, Sales
    Updates etc and you can search by entering the product name, eg VAX 7000,
    and then view the menus of that product, select the appropriate memory
    if you want to configure a system, or read product descriptions etc.
    It doesn't give prices though, but once you've got part numbers you could
    enter them into PACS (Pricing System).

    I don't know if OLIS is available through Europe, although it is 
    implemented in the UK.  Let me know where you are in Europe and I'll 
    ask a colleague of mine if he can put you in touch with the right person
    to help you, if you want to pursue this route.

    Regards,
    Jane (Quote Support, London)

    Jane,
    yes, OLIS is avaliable here in Vienna, woorking too ;-), and certainly
    suitable for searching for specific "things". But right now, it's only
    suitable for some people and/or applications. As in one of my last
    replies: only few salespeople do have access, but they have to do lots
    of bids. So I'm searching for an easier and quicker way, but maybe I'm
    just setting expectations too high....
    The longer I fool around with the problem I think the previous
    mentioned methode using AQS and "almost anything you need" in one BIG
    bid is what we will use. Sales can then select from the list,
    secretarys can then do the "real" AQS work getting real prices,
    including customer's real name....
    Non-Standard, exotic configurations etc., are then the job of our sales
    support people (oops, that's me;-).
    regards, Christoph

    at least as nice as CEO is the AQS report generator.
    start AQS
    enter the report menu
    select the PACS style report
    enter part numbers incl. wildcards (e.g. QL-%%%%%-%%), fill out all of
    the character positions with % or characters
    and you get nice listings about all matching products.
    even including the CLP.
    FYI, christoph

    
    
    	I could use something like that in Manufacturing to sort the
    difference in parts on the shelf and parts in the catalog. (Same
    physical , different numbers.) How do I go about getting access
    and runtime routines ??
    
    		Pablo
    
                                                                 

    re .14
    
    I suggest you either talk to IM&T or a nearby sales manager to get 
    you access to AQS. AQS is the famous Automated Quote System, but i
    ncludes also a nice feature for reports. Straitforward and VERY 
    (shudder) configurable. Your site probably has an AQS guru as well.
    
    There is also an AQS conference: FDCV14::AQS
    
    But, maybe just what you need, but destroying (some of) my hopes,.....
    
    if one wants a report about RZ26-%% (% is the wildcard character) there
    are **lots** of them! all different part numbers, probably different
    mounting kits etc.
    
    So my dream of a black box spitting out the **right** part# was
    probably a leeetle bit optimistic. But, writing an AQS offer "with
    about everything you ever need" isn't that hard as I thought. I think
    I'll pursue that path.
    
    regards, christoph

    In Singapore VTX, there is a service called the Electronic Price Book
    (keyword PRICE), which allows you to key in a 2-5-2 part number and
    have the prices and descriptions listed. It will sometimes show you
    variants of the products (eg for different mounting cabs). You may or
    may not have an equivalent (prices are in local currencies), perhaps
    you want to also look under VTX ACCESS.

    to all who followed this:
    what we are going to implement is:
    
    1 marketing makes an AQS pseudo offer containing the "important"
      products
    2 IM&T makes a box which generates a MS-EXCEL spreadsheet from the
      data of (1)
    
    this should enable sales to do what they need, even at the customer
    site using a notebook.
    
    if you're interested in the success of this, call me in a couple of
    weeks.
    
    till then, thanks for all who provided input, christoph