# ERP Data Extract Interface Specification Template

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/erp-data-extract-interface-specification-template
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

A one-page spec for any scheduled ERP extract: source, file layout, schedule, error handling, monitoring and owners.

## Category

erp-operations

## Audience

- ERP analyst
- Integration developer
- IT manager

## Tool

**Kind:** template

**Output:** document

**Fields:**

#### Interface ID

**Key:** interface_id

**Type:** text

**Default:** INT-OUT-014

#### Interface name

**Key:** interface_name

**Type:** text

**Default:** Daily open order extract to planning tool

#### Source system and objects

**Key:** source

**Type:** textarea

**Default:** ERP production database, open sales order lines view

#### Target system

**Key:** target

**Type:** text

**Default:** Supply planning application

#### Transfer method

**Key:** method

**Type:** select

**Options:**

- SFTP file drop
- Network share
- REST API
- Database link
- Message queue

**Default:** SFTP file drop

#### File format

**Key:** format

**Type:** select

**Options:**

- CSV UTF-8
- CSV Windows-1252
- Fixed width
- JSON
- XML

**Default:** CSV UTF-8

#### Schedule

**Key:** schedule

**Type:** text

**Default:** Daily at 05:30 local time, after the nightly MRP run

#### Expected volume

**Key:** volume

**Type:** text

**Default:** 15,000 to 25,000 rows per file

#### Full or incremental

**Key:** delta

**Type:** select

**Options:**

- Full snapshot
- Incremental by change date
- Incremental by key

**Default:** Full snapshot

#### Error handling

**Key:** errors

**Type:** textarea

**Default:** Job retries once after 15 minutes. On second failure an email goes to the support group and the previous file stays in place.

#### Business owner

**Key:** owner

**Type:** text

**Default:** Head of Planning

**Blocks:**

#### {{interface_id}}: {{interface_name}}

**Body:** Business owner: {{owner}}
Source: {{source}}
Target: {{target}}

#### Transfer

**Body:** Method: {{method}}
Format: {{format}}
Schedule: {{schedule}}
Volume: {{volume}}
Load type: {{delta}}

#### File layout

**Table:**

**Columns:**

- Seq
- Field
- Type
- Length
- Required
- Rule

**Rows:**

**0:** 1

**0:** 2

**0:** 3

**0:** 4

**0:** 5

#### Error handling and monitoring

**Body:** {{errors}}

#### Controls

**Table:**

**Columns:**

- Control
- Method
- Owner

**Rows:**

**0:** Row count check against source

**1:** Header or trailer record

**0:** Duplicate key check

**1:** Target load validation

**0:** File naming and archive

**1:** Date stamped name, 30 day archive

**0:** Credentials rotation

**1:** Per security policy

#### Sign-off

**Signatures:**

- Business owner
- ERP analyst
- Integration developer
- Target system owner

**Notes:** Add the real field list to the file layout table after export, or copy it from your data dictionary. Include a sample file with the final specification.

## Content

**Intro:** Scheduled extracts become critical long before anyone documents them. This template captures the details that matter when the job fails at 5am: where it reads, what it writes, who owns it and what happens on error.

**Sections:**

#### How to use the specification

**Body:** Fill the header fields, then complete the file layout table with one row per field. Decide full or incremental load deliberately: a full snapshot is simpler and self healing, while an incremental load is lighter but needs reliable change keys and a way to handle deletes. Export the document and store it beside the job code.

#### Choosing the file format

**Body:** CSV with UTF-8 is the easiest to inspect and the most portable, but delimiters and line breaks inside text fields must be quoted. Fixed width is still common with mainframe and legacy partners. JSON or XML suit nested data. Whatever you choose, document the decimal separator, date format, null handling and character encoding, since these cause most load failures.

**Bullets:**

- Date format such as ISO 8601
- Decimal point and thousands rules
- Quoting and escaping of delimiters
- Header row present or not

#### Controls that prevent silent failure

**Body:** A job that runs and writes an empty file looks successful. Add a row count check, a minimum row threshold, and an alert when the file is late or smaller than expected. Keep the previous good file until a new one passes validation. These small controls prevent stale or empty data from feeding planning and finance decisions.

#### Common mistakes

**Body:** Typical gaps are no named owner, credentials in the script, no archive, undocumented time zone, and extracts that run during month end processing. Decide the schedule relative to the jobs it depends on, such as MRP, cost rollups and period close, not just a clock time.

**Cta:** If maintaining dozens of file extracts is eating your analyst time, we can discuss replacing the simple ones with governed, on-premises query access and keeping files only where partners need them.

**Faq:**

#### What should every extract specification include?

**Answer:** Source, target, schedule, layout, load type, volume, error handling, monitoring and an owner. If a new person cannot find the job, understand its output and know who to call, the specification is incomplete.

#### Full snapshot or incremental?

**Answer:** Start with a full snapshot unless volume forces otherwise. It handles deletes and corrections naturally. Move to incremental when files get large, and then design explicitly for deletes and late changes.

#### How do I test an extract?

**Answer:** Compare row counts and key totals with the source on a sample day, load the file into the target in a test environment, and test failure paths such as an unavailable source or a locked file.

#### Where should the specification be stored?

**Answer:** Next to the job definition or script in version control or your IT documentation system, with a link from the job register. Keep it updated whenever the layout or schedule changes.

## Search terms

interface specification template, data extract specification template, erp integration specification, file interface specification, csv extract specification, integration design document template, erp outbound interface spec

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