OptiCat Load Sheets
OptiCat Load Sheets allow suppliers and receivers to easily and efficiently communicate receiver specific custom data fields that are not accommodated by the industry standard Auto Care Association PIES™ format or to populate your own Custom PIES™ Fields. Load Sheets are ideal for securely handling unique data fields and types such as internal product line codes, receiver specific pricing, unique country codes, direct ship information, buyer designations, and more. 
Load Sheet Features
- Use the file format you prefer! Suppliers use the file formats they are familiar with and OptiCat translate that data into the file formats that each receiver is familiar with.
- Data validation based on the receiver’s custom specifications
- Allows supplier and receiver to each determine the format they use for the unique data
- The unique data is always available for reference as it is resident in the OptiCat portal
- Private data Fields can be limited to only be sent to a single receiver
- "White List" terms that you need to be specific in certain fields.
- Translation of the supplier provided value to that which is desired by the receiver.
- Example: Supplier says the color is “Light Blue” and Receiver wants it to be “Lt Blue” etc…
- The ability for the data receiver to map “Non-Pies” data within a PIES™ file using the PIES™ custom data fields as established with your trading partner.
- The functionality is integrated into the OnBoard and OnDemand portals
Benefits for a Supplier
- Improved efficiency by eliminating manual processes and maintaining separate files for each receiver’s unique data needs
- Maintain this unique data in the file format that works best for you
- Ensure data accuracy with automatic data validations and distributions
- Increase speed to market with data transfers using the OptiCat system, including this unique data, in near real time
- Secure delivery of specific fields to specific receivers
- Set it and forget it – one-time only set up needed, until there are changes in receiver data requirements or validation.
Benefits for a Receiver
- Improved efficiency by eliminating manual file reformatting and loading
- No longer need to communicate load sheet format to all suppliers
- Map supplier load sheet fields to PIES™ XML formats using custom PIES™ field that you agree upon with your supplier
- Translate supplier text to receiver desired text for specific fields; Maintain this unique data in the file format that works best for you.
- Ensure data accuracy with automatic data validations, based on receiver rules, if any.
- Increase speed to market by reducing the time it takes to set up new numbers
- Set it and forget it – one-time only set up needed, until there are changes in receiver data requirements or validation
How Does it Work?
Supplier – As a supplier, you have receivers who require unique product data that is not included in PIES™. With OptiCat Load Sheets, we allow you to create one file that includes your PIES™ data as well as any specific data for each of your receivers. You then use the OptiCat system to tell us which of your receivers should get what fields using our one-time set-up capability. We then have your receivers to tell us what name and format they want the fields to have and we automatically give each of your receivers one file formatted exactly as they need. Both supplier and receiver get to continue to use the file formats that work best for them. A simple one-time set up is all that is needed. Since the OnBoard Load Sheets system has data from across all the data receivers requirements it is able to create only the needed load sheets for each data receiver’s needs and in the data format they prefer. After set-up this is all accomplished by the supplier in the same way deliveries are made with current PIES™ files from OnBoard.
Receiver – As a receiver, you need information from your suppliers that is unique to you and not included in PIES™. You get files from many different suppliers in many different formats. You then spend time to reformat or load them all separately into your system. With OptiCat Load Sheets, you define the name and format of the unique data fields you need. We create those fields, give your suppliers the unique data field requirements, and work with them to add those fields to their data files using our one-time set up. We then have your suppliers populate the unique data using the format that works for them, and then they upload their file to the OptiCat repository. Our system translates their data to your data automatically, and we send you one file that has all the data you need in your defined format to feed your system simply and quickly. A simple one-time set up is all that is needed.