TIMSS 6: CUS_ALIAS Table

That the CUS_ALIAS_TABLE is where TIMSS stores the aliases you create for a customer. Important fields in the table are the CUS_ALIAS_SEQ, ALIAS_CODE, and SEARCH_NAME.

The SEARCH_NAME is the alternate name that a user can search for and pull up this customer.

The ALIAS_CODE is a user defined code (the type is ALIAS) that can be used to describe each alias entered in the table. I have

• ALPHA- The name we would use to sort this customer (company) alphabetically. The Joe Smith Foundation, would have an alias of SMITH, JOE FOUNDATION. The Community Foundation of Greater Green Bay would have an alias of GREEN BAY, COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER. Since we store these as alias instead of elsewhere, they can be used when searching.
• MAIDEN- Maiden Name- to store a woman's maiden name
• ACRONYM- Acronym (COF for Council on Foundations)
• ALT-SPELL- Alt. Spelling- SMITH;ROBERT or SMITH;BOB, or we use it when a name has alternate characters.
• DBA- Doing Business As- some organizations use multiple names

The ALIAS_CODE is not a required field, but is very useful for tracking why an alias is used.

The CUS_ALIAS_SEQ is a sequence number and used as a key in the table, each entry getting the next number. However, the alias with a CUS_ALIAS_SEQ of zero is the primary SEARCH_NAME and is the same as the SEARCH_NAME in the customer table. You can not edit this primary alias on the Alias screen (CUS007) and can only change it by changing the customer's actual name.

I had some old converted data where the primary SEARCH_NAME in the CUS_ALIAS_TABLE did not match the SEARCH_NAME in the CUSTOMER table, so that something you might want to check.

Applies to: TIMSS6