Quote Mirroring is a powerful and flexible method  to export only the data that is necessary to be transferred to another system.  Once this is set up and activated, the exporting of data files happens automatically with no extra effort on the part of the estimator.   This makes the process simple and reliable.

In general, the process of preparing to transfer data from STACK-IT to other systems involves the following steps:

1) Determine what format is to be used in the transfer file.

STACK-IT provides two major formatting approaches and several variations within each of these major approaches. These formatting capabilities make it possible to create simple transfer files, such as for use with Microsoft Excel, to more complex files for large ERP systems.

2) Determine what specific data is to be transferred from STACK-IT to the other system.

In most cases, a simple list of materials for structures contained in the quote file are transferred. Typically the quote identifier, structure identifier, and part number will be contained in the transfer. Other information that may also be desirable to transfer may include price and/or cost.

STACK it makes much more information in the quote file available for transferring to accommodate situations where the information is needed in the receiving system.

3) Determine where the transfer files will be stored.

This is simply a matter of deciding where STACK-IT will save the transfer files for the other system to retrieve them.

4) Develop and/or configure the importing function of the external system to receive the information.

This part of the transfer process is dependent on the capabilities of the system receiving the transfer data. There are a great number of accounting and ERP systems in use and each of the systems has differing capabilities and procedures for importing data. In some cases the importing procedure is simple with limited options, in other cases the data importing capabilities may be complex to configure and activate.

It is typical to have a computer consultant or programmer perform the initial configuration of the transfer process into the receiving system. Once the transfer process has been configured, there should be minimal need for continuing activity from a computer consultant or programmer.

Configuring the Mirror

The Mirror File Configuration screen is accessed opening the Path screen and then clicking the Quote Mirror button.

The process of configuring the Mirror starts with selecting the Mirror Method to determine the fundamental type of export file to be produced. There are two fundamental types, "Block" and "Record".

The Record type file is specifically designed for transferring part lists to other systems. As such it produces a part focused set of information in the export file. This type file is ideal for use with Excel and accounting systems that only need to receive a list of materials. For additional information, click the Record Format link to the right.

The Block type file can contain almost any piece of data contained in a Quote file. This includes anything on the Name screen (job name, discounts, etc.), the Build screen (relationship selections, elevations, etc.) as well as the list of material for each structure. This type is very comprehensive and can contain many different items of information, making it ideal for more complex information transfer needs. For additional information, click the Block Format link to the right.

Each of these file types is available in two versions, the newer v7.7 and the older v7.0. The newer Version 7.7 has some additional capabilities in specifying what information is included and how that data is organized in the export file.

Configuring the Mirror continues with selecting the information to be contained in the export file. The available content will be dependent on the file type selected (Record or Block).

Then the options are selected to identify the delimiters to be used (comma, tab, CRLF, or semi-colon). The units for Imperial or Metric are selected.

Finally the Output Path is set to specify the location where Stack-It will place the export files.

Activating the Mirror

After the Mirror is configured, check the Activate Quote Mirror setting to enable the mirroring activity.

Once activated, each time a quote file is saved (on the Quote screen), a corresponding mirror file will be exported.

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