The process for discontinuing published/synchronized items allows information providers a method to communicate the need to break synchronization for an item that will no longer be sold to the recipient trading partner. Due to the automation of processes for items with a current Discontinued Date, it is very important to follow best practices to prevent unwanted error messages and confusion with your trading partners.
When you populate the Discontinued Date on items that are currently published to trading partners, the best practice is to provide a future date. This notifies your trading partners that the product will no longer be available after that date. It is VERY important that you delete the publication to your trading partners before that future date becomes the current date. When you populate the Discontinued Date with a current date, the item can de-register with the Global Registry. Since items have to be registered to be published, then you could get errors in your Worklist as the de-registration will break the connection. Anytime any further updates are made to the item, error messages will trigger because you have an open publication for an item that is no longer registered, causing a loop of errors as the system tries to make the requested update. By deleting before the date becomes current, you avoid these issues.
Why would you delete the publication for a discontinued item instead of withdrawing it? Some changes require you to Withdraw or Delete your publication before updates can be made. The changes that require you to withdraw or delete the publication include changing link quantities, Quantity of Next Level Items, and adding or changing your item hierarchy.
There are distinct reasons to withdraw or delete a publication based on the GS1 standards. The Publication Delete is used to communicate the intention to permanently stop synchronization on an item hierarchy. This could be for products that are discontinued for example.
The Publication Withdrawal is used to communicate the intention to temporarily stop synchronization on an item hierarchy or to unlink a hierarchy to correct certain attributes on GTIN hierarchies that have been published (i.e., Qty of Next Level Items, Base Unit Indicator, or Special Item Code).
When Withdrawing your publication to make changes that require that action, you are required to wait a full 25 hours after the Withdrawal before you attempt to update the item or hierarchy. Making updates before the full 25-hour process time could require you to start this process over again.
It is a best practice to follow these GS1 guidelines on when to Withdraw or Delete your publications, but it is possible your trading partner may ask for publication deletion and still expect you to update and send again rather than permanently break synchronization.
You can learn more about Withdrawing & Deleting Publications HERE. Please watch the Publication Withdraw or Publication Delete video as well for more guidance.
Where is the Attribute "Discontinued Date" in IM?
How can you tell if your item is registered with the Global Registry (GR)?
In IM, there are different types of item registration. You can see the registration status by searching for and opening an item in the IM GUI. On the far left of the screen, as seen in this image, you will see the Item Attribute Sets window. Scroll down to the bottom of the window and click Item Registration Status. At the bottom of the screen, you will see this box. If the Item is registered, the status will look the same as this one.
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Last update:
05-12-2023
11:49 AM
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