Blindata Retail Web Site¶
We are introducing a new website http://retail.blindata.co.uk that allows us to not only create quotes and orders but also work with suppliers who have installed Blindata, as well as work with the Diary (Sales Leads and Appointments for Rep employees).
Currently, we are able to create a sales lead in Blindata Desktop and then sync it to the Retail website where the sales rep can modify it and/or convert it into a quote and sales order.
And finally, it can be sent to the Blindata desktop, where the order can be processed normally.
The set-up process is described below:
1. Ball Software support team will create Web-Service for the Blindata Desktop program.
2. Ball Software support team will create a new department for your company where you will be able to change the settings, create employees and work with your customers.
'FTP Submit Path' is where the sales orders will be submitted, this folder should be added to Blindata > Parameters > EDI Folders.
Usually, we add /Private/ folder that has already been added to your Blindata Desktop Parameters > EDI Folders tab.
3. If you have several suppliers that you want to order from and they use Blindata, then you need to create a supplier record for each of them.
I.e. add a ‘Web Service’ URL, and EDI FTP details where entered purchase orders, and then XML files will be exported for the supplier.
This info is also provided by the Blindata support team.
In our case, WE ('Default Ball S Blinds' company) sell blinds and components (so we are suppliers in the Blindata Retail logic) to our customers.
Therefore, we add our company FTP Folder, which is added to the 'Parameters > EDI > EDI Folders' tab.
The 'Retail' customer is usually is default customer account that is used for the ordering process for new clients.
The login/password from the Retail customer should be the same as in the 'Supplier' record in the 'Blindata Retail' since now, we are supplying products:
4. Add supplier records to a department.
6. Create a new employee.
Department Owner has permission to make changes to their department (company).
7. Create a new employee.
Rep has permission to create sales leads, quotes, and orders for customers.
Add account info for the Rep employee ('Administration > Employees' tab) that will be able to log in to the Retail site.
8. Create a new 'Fitter' employee (if necessary).
9. Create a customer record:
Please note that you can enter information that you have in the 'Retail' customer (in Blindata Desktop).
10. Login into the 'Retail' website as a ’Department Owner’ and check the parameters and system tables.
The logic of the Blidata Retail system tables is quite similar to Blindata Desktop.
There you can find a 'Blind Type', 'Area', 'Post Code', and other tabs that should be filled.
For example, we need to add a blind type, please see below:
As for the price table settings.
The price can be taken from Blindata Desktop, in this case, the ‘Pricing Parameters > Use Own Desktop Prices’ flag should be ticked in Retail.
Price also can be entered directly in Retail:
11. Then synchronize 2 databases:
When everything is done, you can start to work with the Retail website.
1. Create a sales lead in Blindata Desktop for the 'Rep' employee that is marked as 'Remote Agent' in the 'Employee' tab:
2. Move the sales lead record to the 'Rep' (Remote Agent) column and make necessary changes:
3. Check sales lead on the Retail website:
4. Rep employee can convert sales lead into quote/order on the Redtail website:
Please note that if the blind type is marked as 'Bought In' in Blindata Desktop.
Then you can create a purchase order based on the sales order:
But if we don't need to create a purchase order in the Blindata Retail, please follow the sales order processing.
4. A sale order can be submitted and sent to Blindata Desktop:
5. In order to import an XML file, we need to add a mapping record for the customer:
6. Open the 'Order Processing > EDI Enquiry' tab, then click on the 'Check New Transaction' button and 'Import Wizard > Online EDI Orders' tab:
