Da-Lite 2000 item Limit! - D-Tools Forum

08-11-2009, 12:32 PM

I just updated my Da-Lite pricing and thought it would be a good idea to add all the MVP data for the items in my database. I wanted to use Easy Match to ONLY match items in my current database.

I click on Da-Lite then Screens and I get a message "Exceeded 2000 products".

So I guess you now expect me to go to my database and pick out the ~1000 items ONE BY ONE?

So what's the point of having this data if it cannot be used.

-ch

08-11-2009, 01:00 PM

This is so frustrating. To create unique "Model#" Da-Lite was forced to append their Model and Part# field. As a result the MVP data will NEVER match Da-Lite's EXCEL pricing documents. Which means the dealer much choose between accurate pricing and MVP data. I will go with price. It is a shame that their MVP data has been rendered useless by a poorly designed data model.

Note: Every Manufacturer with more than a few hundred parts do NOT have unique Models, they have unique Part#s. Ordering is also done by Part#.

-ch

Bob Pothier · 08-12-2009, 07:44 PM

Well, first of all thanks CH for throwing us under the bus. With EZ Match you shouldn't have to give up MVP data OR pricing as you can link your pricing CSV import to the DaLite items we have.

That being said... I personally (as the Data and Content Manager) have been telling development about this for quite some time and citing this EXACT example of not being able to download DaLite because if these limits. I am not sure what the problem would be with relaxing this limit, but apparently it is something that they are not willing to let go of. I cannot speak for the development team as I am not in that department, but I can tell you that they don't do things that make things harder just because... there is obviously a very good reason for why there is a limit on this and I just don't know what it is. I can certainly take this up with them again and see if they have any other options at this point that they did not have in the past.

SenoS · 08-12-2009, 08:26 PM

This 2000 item limit is something that we will certainly look into.

As a temporary workaround for this issue, you can try this:

1. Open the Download Search interface
2. Click the "Prefereces" link and choose search only on "Type". The Types list for screens is as follows:

Drapery Kit
Fixed
Manual
Mirror
Motorized
Tab Manual
Tab Motorized

3. Search for each Type individually. For "Fixed", "Motorized", and "Tab Motorized" you will still get the message regarding a 2000 item limit so you can then use the MSRP fields to search within ranges until data is returned.

I know that is tedious but that is the only workaround I can think of right now for this.

08-20-2009, 08:54 PM

Bob,

Sorry about the rant! It is just so frustrating to see all this great data and not be able to use in the way you and your team intended. I know this is not easy, particularly with the limitations of the current data model and the inability to control the MVP's approach to data management.

The biggest issue is the need to make sure that whatever "key" field is used by the Manufacturer in their pricing docs is also used in the Model field for D-Tools. As you know, for most of the large Manufacturers they use Part# not Model. This is a real dilemma. To make sure pricing is accurate we have resorted to placing the Part# in the Model field (Extron for example). Unfortunately, when we do this we lose access to the D-Tools data. I know no other way to do this.

-ch

08-20-2009, 09:13 PM

Bob or anyone else listening...

My rant was only for this one Manu, or others that have the 2k limit. The EZMatch process works great for others and is one of the best reasons to use Si5. For the first time in years ALL our pricing data is up to date. In fact if a vendor does not provide Excel or EZip pricing we let them know they will not be receiving any future orders.

Also, by adding a "Date Last Updated" field (CustProp10) to the Excel (csv) Data, we now know the date of the pricing document when the item was last updated. This allows our team to trust the pricing.

Before each price update we set ALL Items for that Manu to "Unapproved". We then run EZMatch with the csv Items set to Approved and the date field as mentioned above. Now the user can trust the pricing since it was matched with an automated process and the Date tells them the date of the pricing document received from the Manu.

Now I just want to get access to all the data you and your team have worked hard to produce. I was a little unfair in my post. I let my frustration get the better of me.

Two things would make this work.
1) Eliminate the 2k requirement
2) Allow the user to choose the Unique Key field(s) for matching (EzMatch). This way I could match Price data on SKU if needed and D-Tools data on Model. Allow the user to chose either Manu-Model or Manu-SKU for updates against the MasterTable or the D-Tools Data.

Then for vendors such as Extron, AMX, Crestron, Shure, ... I could get both price updates and D-Tools data.

I know it is a "hack" but it would solve a LOT of issues.

-ch