Countries are used in address input and define (in part) some of the address format details – like the wording for ‘state’ and ‘postcode’ which can vary between countries. Along with assisting to define the “rules” for data entry, having a separate and validated input for countries allows Online Advantage to filter reports and provide specific data analysis on activity on a Country by Country basis. This is something that is particularly useful in the Distribution suite for such modules as Sales Analysis.
A full list of country codes are delivered with the Online Advantage software (the list is as per ISO 3166 alpha-2 country codes). As the full list contains around 250 countries, you should select the countries of your suppliers and customers and flag those as ‘in use’. This makes choosing a country in the address input easier since you only choose from the activated country list, not all 250 countries.
The country definition can also contain a list of internal regions within the country (i.e. states, provinces) and that allows for validation of that component of addresses during data entry.
Example
For Australia, the country code is ‘AU’ and Australian addresses contain a ‘Postcode’. For the USA, the country code is ‘US’ and the addresses contain a ‘zip code’. Both countries are divided into ‘States’, the US having 50 States, and Australia having 8 States and Territories.
Minimum Requirements
Use of Countries is required on addresses as it dictates the format of the address input. You need a minimum of one country activated. That country should be the country where you conduct your business i.e. your “home” country.
Changing Established Data
You can activate more Countries at any time and adjust the wording used at any time.
Panel Options
- Standard panel features
- Maintenance
- Views
- Audit – shows an audit of data changes made over time to the country currently being viewed
- Reports
- List Countries
- Country State/Territories