Every night GM generates a snapshot of all vehicles on order for a given dealer that have moved along the build schedule far enough to generate a new event code. The data is transmitted via DCS2 and can be extracted either directly using an ODBC client connection, or via FTP if the dealer has the Perl scripts or DMSPACK installed on the server. The file contains vehicle configuration data and consignment information for each order. We call the data contained within this file vehicle acknowledgements.
The vehicle acknowledgements software reads the file and places the data for each order in an archive that is keyed by commission number. The commission number uniquely identifies a unit within GM's backend systems, and is recognised by the dealer as it appears on related paperwork. Each acknowledgement in the archive can be viewed and selected for inclusion in the batch update of VSB. Acknowledgements can also be cleared from the batch or placed on hold at the administrator's discretion. The software matches acknowledgements to stock records using the commission number or chassis number. If a match is found in VSB a subset of fields is updated. If an error occurs during the update of the stock record, or if the software has been unable to differentiate between multiple stock records with matching chassis/commission numbers, an exception is generated and the details can be viewed in a dedicated exceptions area. The software creates a marketing vehicle record at the point when a chas sis number is made available.
The software provides facilities for searching and reporting on the acknowledgements archive, and there is an interface to Report Generator, but this may require additional development resource. There are no standard rep-gens for GM vehicle acknowledgements at present.
Note: This instance of vehicle acknowledgements for GM updates a small number of fields for existing records only. We do not have franchise data so we are not able to build or re-configure stock records.
Before you can use the Vehicle Order Acknowledgements interface, you must ensure that the Autoline system is set up correctly. This is normally carried out by, or on advice from, a consultant.
