Table of contents
When a third-party logistics provider (3PL) receives article or material master data from a manufacturing customer, this data exchange plays a vital role in aligning logistics operations with the product's specifications, inventory management needs, and handling requirements—ensuring accurate, efficient, and compliant supply chain execution.
For more information about Article master guidelines, see Article master transactions.
Create and submit article masters
Perform this task to create and submit new article master. Additionally, buyers can begin work on a article master and save it for completion at a later time.
Perform this task to create new article master and submit them to providers.
- Select the Main Menu
icon. -
Select in the header.
- Select a [MPL Network] from the drop-down in the header.
- Select a (e.g. your entire company or a Link to a specific Partner or internal location) in the header.
- Select the button.
- Select from the left menu.
Partners must have the correct roles assigned if using the Owner's instance of Multienterprise Information Network Tower. - Select .
- Select the New
button. - Enter the article master number in the field.
-
Select the Save
button.The screen refreshes with the saved article master in the draft state and with the required sections populated.
-
Select the Edit
button. - In the Transaction Information section, select Submitted from the drop drown.
- In the Article Master Information section fill in the following fields:
- field – A unique identifier assigned to an article master.
This field auto populates the value entered on the New Article Master screen. - field – The start date of article master.
- drop-down – A brief description stating the purpose of the transaction.
- field – Finished product number associated with the created article master.
- field – A unique identifier assigned to an article master.
- In the Reference Transactions section, select the Add
icon to add reference and fill in the following fields:- drop-down - The type of transaction to reference.
- type-ahead field – The unique identifier of the transaction.
If the value does not match the available options, the value must be entered manually. - field - The date of the transaction being referenced.
- Select .
A new reference transaction line is added.
- In the Client and Provider section, fill in the following fields under Client group:
type-ahead field – The name of the company sending article master. This company is customer of goods. This field pulls from the Owner's company and location master data.
The remaining Client fields are auto populated with the values from the company or location's master data entry. If the name of the company is not present in the Owners master data, the company name must be entered manually.
- field – The address of the particular location.
- field – Any additional address information.
- drop-down – The two-letter country code with country name for this location.
- field – The state or region for this location.
- field – The city for this location.
- field – The postal code for this location's main address.
- field – The company or location's phone number.
- field – The company or location's fax number
- drop-down – The identifier type used for this company or location.
- field – The value associated with the identifier type.
-
In the Client and Provider section, fill in the following fields under Provider group:
-
type-ahead field – The name of the company receiving the article master. This company is supplier of goods. This field pulls from the Owner's company and location master data.
The remaining Provider fields are auto populated with the values from the company or location's master data entry. If the name of the company is not present in the Owners master data, the company name must be entered manually.
- field – The address of the particular location.
- field – Any additional address information.
- drop-down – The two-letter country code with country name for this location.
- field – The state or region for this location.
- field – The city for this location.
- field – The postal code for this location's main address.
- field – The company or location's phone number.
- field – The company or location's fax number
- drop-down – The identifier type used for this company or location.
- field – The value associated with the identifier type.
-
- In the Line Items section:
- Select the Add
icon. At least one line item is required to submit a article master. - In the New Line Items panel, fill in the following fields under Line Item Information:
- field – The number to identify the line item by (e.g. 50).
- field – The name of the product. If the user enters an item code instead, the field automatically displays the corresponding item name.
The , and fields are auto populated with the values from the Owner's product master data entry for the product. If the product name is not present in the Owner's product master data then the product name must be entered manually. - drop-down – The product code type (e.g. IN-Product Code).
- field – The product code.
- field – A brief description of the product. If the description is not present in the Owners product master data then the description must be entered manually.
- drop-down – Code representing the processing function at the line item level.
- switch – Indicates whether batch management is enabled for the article in the master record.
- field – A unique bar code assigned to distinguish and identify the article.
- field – Describes the composition or classification of the material.
- field - The brand associated with the article.
- field - Code that groups related articles under a common family category.
- field – A code used to categorize multiple materials or services that share similar characteristics.
- field – The number of eaches of an item contained within an inner pack or case.
- drop-down – The unit in which the line item quantity is measured
- field – The lead time before the article's expiration date, based on the expiryLeadTimeType, which also helps determine when the article should be locked and no longer available for ordering..
- field - Specifies the class defined in warehouse management that determines the product's lead time.If not provided, the system uses the expiryLeadTimeType and expiryLeadTime to determine the lead time.
- field - Indicates whether the article is received under quality hold or in released (unrestricted) status.
- switch- Indicates whether the article is subject to expiry date control.
- switch - Indicates if the article is eligible for delivery on double-stacked pallets.
- switch - Indicates whether the article requires special handling due to being classified as dangerous or hazardous.
- switch - Indicates if samples are to be taken upon receipt of the article.
- field - The quantity of article samples to be taken if sampling is required (if isSamplesRequired is set to true).
- field - The storage type or class assigned to the article.
- switch - Specifies whether the item can be picked using its base unit of measure.
- switch - Indicates whether the item can be picked as a full box.
- switch - Indicates whether the item is eligible for picking as a full carton.
- switch - Indicates whether the item can be picked as individual units.
- field - The method used to apply serialization to the item.
- field - The legal or commercial name of the customer.
- field - The type of identifier assigned to the customer.
- field - The value of the identifier assigned to the customer.
- field - The name of the supplier’s company or business entity.
- field - The identifier type used for the supplier
- field - The identifier value for the supplier.
- field - The business name linked to the physical site location.
- field - The identifier type assigned to the site location.
- field - The identification value assigned to the site location.
- field - Height of the packaging carton measured in standard units.
- field - Packaging carton width measured in standard units.
- field - The depth of the packaging carton measured in standard units.
- field - The overall height of the item when placed on a pallet.
- field - The overall width of the item when palletized.
- field - The overall depth of the item when palletized.
Select .
The new line item is added to the article master.
- Select a item line row and then select the branch
icon and fill in the following fields under Sub Line Information:- switch – The indicator showing whether inventory adjustments are permitted for the article.
- field – The physical inventory cycle count code identifies an article designated for inventory tracking through the cycle counting method.
- field – The rate at which inventory flows into and out of a warehouse location.
- switch – Indicator that determines whether an immediate cycle count is required when the article's inventory falls below the defined near-zero threshold.
- field – The unit quantity of the article at which the inventory level reaches the near-zero threshold.
- field – Commodity or import tariff code used in foreign trade for statistical and regulatory purposes.
- field – Country where the article was manufactured or originates from.
- field – The value of the weight.
- field – The volume measurement of the article.
- Select .
The sub line information is added to line item.
- Select the line item row drop down to view the sub line information in a table.
- Select the Add
- In the Pricing and Taxation section:
- Select the Add
icon and fill in the following fields:field –The number to identify the line item.
Enter the same value in the field as specified in the Line Items section for consistency and avoid validation issues.field – The name of the product. If the user enters an item code instead, the field automatically displays the corresponding item name. The and fields are auto populated with the values from the Owner's product master data entry for the product. If the product name is not present in the Owner's product master data then the product name must be entered manually.
Enter the same value in the field as specified in the Line Items section for consistency and avoid validation issues.drop-down – The product code type (e.g. IN-Product Code).
Enter the same value in the field as specified in the Line Items section for consistency and avoid validation issues.field –The product code.
Enter the same value in the field as specified in the Line Items section for consistency and avoid validation issues.
- Select .
The new pricing and taxation line item is added.
- Select a pricing and taxation item line row and then select the branch
icon and fill in the following fields under Pricing and Taxation Information:- field – Currency code used for customs-related expenses.
- field – The price specified in the article master record.
- drop-down – The type of pricing used in the sales price catalog.
- drop-down – The two-letter country code with country name for this location.
- field – A system-defined value used to automatically determine country-specific taxes during pricing. Multiple tax categories may be defined for each country.
- drop-down – Defines the output tax applicable to the article during the processing of sales and distribution documents.
- Select .
The new pricing and taxation information is added.
- Select the pricing and taxation item line row drop down to view the pricing and taxation information in a table.
- Select the Add
- In the Packaging Structure Details section:
- Select the Add
icon and fill in the following fields:- field –The number to identify the line item.
Enter the same value in the field as specified in the Line Items section for consistency and avoid validation issues. field – The name of the product. If the user enters an item code instead, the field automatically displays the corresponding item name
The and fields are auto populated with the values from the Owner's product master data entry for the product. If the product name is not present in the Owner's product master data then the product name must be entered manually.
Enter the same value in the field as specified in the Line Items section for consistency and avoid validation issues.drop-down – The product code type (e.g. IN-Product Code).
Enter the same value in the field as specified in the Line Items section for consistency and avoid validation issues.field –The product code.
Enter the same value in the field as specified in the Line Items section for consistency and avoid validation issues.field –The product code.
Enter the same value in the field as specified in the Line Items section for consistency and avoid validation issues.
- field –The number to identify the line item.
- Select .
The new packaging structure details line item is added.
- Select a packaging structure details line row and then select the branch
icon and fill in the following fields under Packaging Structure Details:- field – The total number of layers or tiers stacked on a pallet.
- field – The number of cases typically placed on each tier or layer of a pallet or its equivalent unit of measure for the article's packaging.
- field – The total number of units contained on a pallet.
- field – The total number of units packed in a carton.
- field – The code used to identify the pallet.
- field – The pallet bar code number.
- field – The code used to identify the case or carton.
- field – The bar code number for the case or carton.
- field – The code used to identify the inner pack.
- field – The bar code number for the inner pack.
- field – The height when nested.
- field – The width when nested.
- drop-down – The unit of measurement used for the dimensional value.
- field – The length of the packaging specified at the article packaging details level.
- field – The height of the packaging as defined in the article packaging details.
- field – The width of the packaging specified in the article packaging details.
- drop-down – The measurement unit used for the dimension value.
- Select .
The new packaging structure details line item is added. - Select the packaging structure details line row drop down to view the packaging structure details line information in a table.
- Select a packaging structure details line row and then select the branch
icon and fill in the following fields under Packaging Structure Details:- field – The quantity of an article or packaging unit contained in the next lower packaging level. For example, in a packaging structure that includes pallets, cases, and eaches, this represents the number of cases per pallet; in a structure with only cases and eaches, it refers to the number of eaches per case.
- field – The gross weight of the article including its packaging.
- field – The net weight of the article, excluding its packaging.
- drop-down – The unit in which the line item is measured.
- field – The cartonized picking flag indicates whether the packaging level is eligible for picking directly into a carton, supporting the allocation process that determines which items can be grouped together for shipment.
- field – The bulk picking flag indicates whether the packaging level can be consolidated for bulk picking, allowing inventory from multiple orders to be grouped into larger picks to minimize the number of individual picking tasks.
- field – The minimum percentage of the article's packaging level capacity that must be filled for it to qualify as a threshold pick, typically used to fulfill orders that require less than a full platform quantity.
- Select .
The new packaging structure details line item is added. - Select the packaging structure details line row drop down to view the packaging structure details in a table.
- Select the Add
- In the Comments section, enter any additional comments or instructions.
- To submit the article master:
To save the article master in a Draft state and finish it later, ensure the button is not selected and then select the Save
button in the draft state. Select the button at the top of the screen.
The submit status indicator circle is filled in with green to indicate the desired action upon selecting save.
Select the Save
button.The article master is submitted.
Tips
-
Select the Add
icon, to add a new line item, where available. -
Select the Delete
icon, to remove an individual line item, where available. -
Select the branch
icon, to add a new line item in the inserted table, where available. - New article masters can also be created by selecting the New
button on the Article Masters Details screen for an existing article master.
Complete and submit a saved article master in the draft state.
- Select the Main Menu
icon. - Select in the header.
- Select a [MPL Network] from the drop-down in the header.
- Select a (e.g. your entire company or a Link to a specific Partner or internal location) in the header.
- Select the button.
- Select from the left menu.
Partners must have the correct roles assigned if using the Owner's instance of Multienterprise Information Network Tower. - Select .
- Select the Filter
button to find article maters in Draft state. -
Select the link in the results table.
-
Select the Edit
button. - In the Transaction Information section, select Submitted from the drop drown.
- Confirm the article master details and select the Edit
icon associated with that line item to modify the fields if required. -
Select the button at the top of the screen.
The submit status indicator circle is filled in with green to indicate the desired action upon selecting save.
-
Select the Save
button.The article master is submitted.
Tips
- To delete a article master in a draft state, select the article master number row and then select the Delete
icon on the top of the Search Article Masters screen.
A deleted transaction cannot be retrieved.
Search and view article masters
Perform this task to search for and view the details of the article masters sent or received by clients and providers. Viewing the details of a article master enables clients and providers to quickly access article master information (e.g. the quantity for each line item in an order) in TraceLink without having to search through the actual B2B message.
- Select the Main Menu
icon. - Select in the header.
- Select a [MPL Network] from the drop-down in the header.
- Select a (e.g. your entire company or a Link to a specific Partner or internal location) in the header.
- Select the button.
-
Select or from the left menu.
Partners must have the correct roles assigned if using the Owner's instance of Multienterprise Information Network Tower. - Select .
- Select the Filter
button. - In the Filters panel, fill in one or more of the following fields to filter the results:
- field – A unique identifier assigned to an article master.
- field – The start date of article master.
drop-down – The state of the article master:
- Draft – The transaction is in the draft state.
- Submit – The transaction has been created.
- Processing – The application is getting ready to handle incoming transactions by doing some initial tasks, such as copying the files it receives.
- Processed – The application changes the standard information into a format that is easy to use and specific to your transaction.
- Preparing to Send – The application is getting ready to send out a transaction and is doing some initial tasks, like copying the necessary information for the process.
- Sending –The application sends out business transactions to the buyer or supplier.
- Sent – The transaction is successfully completed and shared with the receiving party.
- type-ahead – Displays only if the menu item is Sent Article Masters in Logistics - Client. The name of the company the article master was sent to.
If the name of the company is not present in the Owners master data then the company's name must be entered manually. - type-ahead – Displays only if the menu item is Received Article Masters in Logistics - Provider. The name of the company the article master was received from.
If the name of the company is not present in the Owner's master data then the company's name must be entered manually. - drop-down – The period of time in which the article master was last updated:
- Today – The transaction was modified within the last few hours.
- Yesterday – The transaction was updated within the past 24 hours.
- Last Week – The transaction was modified in the last 7 days.
- Last Month – The transaction was modified in the last 30 days.
- Last 3 Months – The transaction was modified in the last 90 days.
- Last 6 Months – The transaction was modified in the last 180 days.
- Custom Range – Select a specific period of time that the transaction was modified in from the calendar.
-
Select .
A list of article masters displays based on the filter results.
-
Select the link for the article master from the results table.
The View Article Masters screen displays.
- To view all fields for each line item, select the View
icon on the Details screen.
Reprocess and resubmit article masters
After the article master is submitted, the user might encounter an error and the processed status will be set to Paused With Error. Use the following procedure to resolve any error messages encountered while submitting a article master.
- Select the Main Menu
icon. - Select in the header.
- Select a [MPL Network] from the drop-down in the header.
- Select a (e.g. your entire company or a Link to a specific Partner or internal location) in the header.
- Select the button.
- Select from the left menu.
Partners must have the correct roles assigned if using the Owner's instance of Multienterprise Information Network Tower. - Select .
- Select the Filter
button to find article masters in Processing, Processed, Preparing to Send, or Sending state. - Select link in the results table.
- View the following fields for error in the Transaction Information section:
- Process Status - Displays the status of the submitted transaction.
- Last Transaction Error - Displays the error message.
- Select the Edit
button. - In the Transaction Information section, select Submitted from the drop drown.
- Select the Save
button.
The article master request is moved from Processing state to Sending state indicating that the article master is submitted successfully.
Do not select the button, as it will cause the transaction to skip a workflow state, preventing successful delivery.
If a transaction is successfully sent to a partner but an issue occurs on the partner's side (e.g. in their ERP system), the sender can avoid re-entering all the details by rolling back to a previous workflow state and resending the transaction, thus saving time and effort for both parties.
- Select the Main Menu
icon. - Select in the header.
- Select a [MPL Network] from the drop-down in the header.
- Select a (e.g. your entire company or a Link to a specific Partner or internal location) in the header.
- Select the button.
- Select from the left menu.
Partners must have the correct roles assigned if using the Owner's instance of Multienterprise Information Network Tower. - Select .
- Select a in Sent state.
-
Select the Edit
button.
The state of the article master is automatically moved to Sending state. -
Select the button at the top of the screen.
The submit status indicator circle is filled in with green to indicate the desired action upon selecting save.
-
Select the Save
button.The article master is submitted.
The statues of the article master moves to Sent state.