GlossaryKind of term: Manufacturing termExport
What is a data export?
Export is writing data from a system to a file, such as PDF, CSV or JSON, that another system or a person can open.
The format depends on who or what opens the file. Common formats are PDF for a document you read or send, CSV for tables you load into a spreadsheet or ERP, and JSON for structured data that software processes. An export is a snapshot: if the source changes afterwards, the file does not change with it.
How does export work in practice?
Without export a quote is often made twice: once in the estimating tool and again, retyped, in the ERP or the quote letter. Retyping costs time and is a source of mistakes, such as a quantity-break price in the wrong column. An export only helps if the receiving system can read its structure: column names, delimiter, decimal separator and character encoding have to match. A spreadsheet set to Dutch or German regional settings usually expects a semicolon as delimiter and a comma as decimal separator; a CSV with commas and decimal points can then end up in a single column or show numbers as text or dates. With the wrong character encoding, characters such as ⌀ and µ become unreadable.
What is export often confused with?
Export is not an integration: an integration exchanges data between systems automatically, on a schedule or when something happens; an export is a file someone takes and loads. In manufacturing, export also means shipping goods outside the EU, with customs and sometimes export controls on dual-use items. Those controls can also cover sending technical data, such as drawings, electronically. That is a different subject.
How do you see export in Blake?
In Blake a quote version goes out as a PDF, and the same version can be exported as CSV and JSON. A new version therefore produces new files.
Frequently asked questions
Which file do I send the customer as the quote?
Usually the PDF: it is meant to be read and kept, and its layout stays the same on any device. CSV and JSON are meant for loading into your own systems, such as an ERP or a spreadsheet.
Why does my CSV open incorrectly in a spreadsheet?
Usually because of the delimiter or the decimal separator. A spreadsheet with continental regional settings expects a semicolon and a decimal comma. Import the file and set delimiter, decimal separator and encoding, rather than opening it directly.
What happens to the export when I change the quote?
The file already made does not change. If you change a quote that has been sent, create a new quote version with its own export, so that every file belongs to one state of the quote.