Batch File Summary Descriptions
This chapter describes the batch files and their usage, and includes guidelines and specifications to help you define and format the batch files. It includes detailed information about the following files:
- Transaction and Customer Import File – Also called the Transaction file, describes a client’s (retailer’s) transactions, and usually contains the transactions for a 24-hour period. The Transaction file includes data about the client’s customer (shopper), the item (product or SKU), and the store or location associated with the transaction, as well as the quantities and amounts.
- Product Catalog Import File - Sometimes called the Product file, this is a complete listing of all products offered by the client. To use TIBCO Reward features that include SKU-based programs or offers, you must supply product data. The Product and Store files are the only complete replacement files at this time. Each time the Product File is loaded, all previous product data is inactivated. Product files can be transmitted daily, weekly, or monthly depending on how frequently your product catalog changes.
- Store Import File - Provides a list of client stores or locations, and may include variations such as web-based retail channels. This data is required for any features that include store- based offers. Similar to the Product File, clients should always transmit their master store list to TIBCO Reward since the latest transmitted file completely replaces the previous.
- Reward Export File – Provides the current list of rewards that are due to be delivered to shoppers for a given period. It includes specific data about the reward and the recipient customer.
- New and Updated Customer Export File - TIBCO Reward extracts all customers whose profile information was updated in the system between the current time and the time at which the previous extract occurred. More specifically, a customer's record is included in the New and Updated customer Export File if there are changes in the following types of information in that customer's record:
- Generic Event Import File - This file allows clients to submit instances of events to be tracked with the Generic Event framework. The file includes new event data such as the event ID, subject, object, master value, and time. A wide variety of information can be passed using the generic event file, including, for example: instances of customers writing product reviews, instances of customers adding items to a wish list or favorites list, data about customer activities captured from social networking sites, and web analytics data about customer activities.
- Email Update Import File - This is not a standard option. Allows clients to update email addresses in the TIBCO Reward database. TIBCO Reward imports this batch file when the email address is the only available identifier for the customer and TIBCO Reward is not the party responsible for maintaining the “system of record,” that is, when the customers’ new and current email addresses are maintained in another non-TIBCO Reward application. In this case, the updated record is imported by TIBCO Reward to update its database. Contact TIBCO Reward for information about using this, and refer to the information in Appendix E, Email Update Import File.
Refer to the following chapter subsections for detailed batch file information.
The particular set of batch files your company provides or consumes depends on your particular TIBCO Reward program. Typically, only a subset of the batch files mentioned above is required, and these files are identified during your onboarding process (when you first define and implement your program with TIBCO Reward). Based on your business needs, your TIBCO Reward Account Management representative designates the batch files that your company needs to send and receive.