Enterprise Getting Started Manual: Retail Management

This manual will walk you through the process of setting up your corporate account and policies. As you get familiar with the software, you will see that there are many ways to do things. Select the method that works best for you.

Integrated Framer (IF) Retail Management Enterprise software is a powerful, complete solution for larger businesses. The Integrated Framer Suite of products include IF Visualization (a store selling tool), Retail Management Store (order management and pricing application), Retail Management Corporate (consolidates store transactions and allows for management of policies and processes), Content Management (product and pricing tool) and Production Management (frame production organizing and tracking tool). The Retail Management Corporate software module is designed to manage multiple locations from a central server. Managing locations involves the following functionality:

• Editing Store Information - including name, address, payment types, location bins, tax schedules, e-mail notification, production settings and process stamps

• Editing Employees and Employee Information

• Creating Branding by Store and Region

• Scheduling Promotional Discounts and Programs

• Managing Products and Pricing for the entire organization

As you set up the software, you will see the various areas available to be managed from the corporate server. There is great flexibility incorporated in this application as Wizard strives to offer a complete, seamless solution to manage your business.

Install the Software

You will need to install the RM software on a corporate server. Refer to the document IFS Retail Management Corporate Software Installation Instructions to install the software for your operating system.

Open the Software and Log In

Launch the “IF Suite Corporate Client” and log in. The default login is listed below. As administrator you have control over all functions within the Retail Management Corporate server.

• Default Administrator Login: Administrator

• Default Administrator Password: WizRMS

From the main screen click on Settings.

You will be on the Corporate Setup page. Enter your corporate information here. Along with your address, phone number, etc. you must specify your Business ID - this will be used as a short code to identify the corporate entity within the organization. You can use numbers or letters - it is recommended to keep it short, i.e. “1”, “100” or “Corp1”. Select the default payment types accepted in retail stores.

You can select the branding you would like to assign to the corporate entity here as well. Branding is used to define the personality of a store or region. Brand logos can be added as well as messages that will display on printed material - sales orders, work tickets, e-mail messages, receipts and invoices. Brands can be changed as desired. The entry here is for the corporate brand. Branding will be further described later so for now it is recommended to leave the default as Corporate.

Finally, set your Application Settings. The Store Authorization Passcode is a security code that stores first use when synchronizing the Corporate Server with each Store Server. Use any word or numeric sequence. On the first datasync transmission, the process will stop and prompt for the password. If the correct password is entered, the transmission will continue. If not, the datasync process will terminate and say “validation denied”. Once denied, the datasync process will have to be manually initiated.

The next 2 options are for specifying the main screen displays. The first option is to show sales graphically from the previous day. The next box allows the display of Datasync activity by store location and by transaction or content transmissions.

Business Units

Select a Store

Lists the individual stores that have connected to the Corporate Server.

Select a Region

Shows any regions created at Corporate used to group a collection of stores. As many sub-groups or regions can be created and any store or region can be assigned to another region.
Retail Management allows you to define a hierarchy of businesses, each called a business unit, so that you can declare district, region or single store pricing and promotions. A business unit can be anything, but the concept is that a region is made up of zero or more districts containing one or more stores. So a business unit can be a store, a district or a region. Notice that you do not need to define districts; a region can be made up of stores with or without districts.

Selected Business Information

Individual store information can be edited in this section after the store has been initially installed. The information for the store will be populated the first time the IF Data Synchronizer is run for that store. Any changes will be applied to the store on the next synchronization. You can also choose to deny authorization for data synchronization in this area.

Business Hierarchy

Store/Region Hierarchy

The Store/Region Hierarchy section lists the organization of the stores, sub-regions and regions in a graphical view. Stores or sub-regions can be dragged into assigned regions for easy placement as desired.

Selected Entity Information

Lists the store name and ID. Highlight the store you would like to edit by selecting it, then click on Edit Business to update information.

Specify the default settings for all locations company-wide. This page allows for the setting of default behavior within the application.

Standard opening sizes can be edited here.

Selecting the drop down arrow allows you to edit the ready made frame sizes (outer sizes). This list appears on the standard size selections in the Customer Ticket screen and affects the default Size options available in Mark Up tables used in pricing.

Choose the numbering format desired from the drop down list. The starting letters can be changed to be numbers or letters as desired.

There are several choices under the Application Behavior section.

The first 2 options allow an art condition or art value box to appear on the custom ticket screen. If checked, entry within these spaces can be made required by checking the Require Art Condition and Art Value buttons. Required entry of fields will have a star appear next to the input fields on the Custom Order Ticket screen.

A maximum Art Value can be entered - a person with the proper assigned permission will be required to override acceptance of this value in the custom ticket screen.

Requiring Art Description is recommended - checking this box will require an art description to be entered.

If you want the Discount button to be visible on the Custom Ticket screen, check the box. Applying discounts is still possible but must be selected using the Options Menu>Add Discount to Ticket.

When setting up new Customers, the next 3 buttons provide options for acquiring certain information. Select the phone number, address or e-mail information as desired. A star will appear next to these input fields when selected.

The next 3 buttons refer to a quick sale custom ticket process provided in Retail Management. The software refers to this process as a Walk in sale. There are situations where a customer comes in and wants to order something custom (i.e., a piece of glass). It is a sale that will be completed while the customer waits, so certain normal restrictions may not be desired. Check the box to allow this process to be available (it will appear on the main IFRM screen at the store level and activate a box on the Custom Ticket screen). Label the process any way you want (call it Walk In or Quick Sale, etc) and check the box to relax the screen restrictions selected earlier for standard custom tickets (all starred fields). Using this process also sets the Due Date to the current date, defaults the customer to the Walk In and allows for auto-invoicing and pick up to complete the ticket workflow. This allows the sale to be completed very quickly.

Check the Enable Verify step if you want a third party to verify orders after they are taken. This step is required for use with the Production Management module.

Locking the price is useful if minor changes are made to orders where the customer will not be charged (i.e., substituting a mat, minor adjustments to size, etc). If selected, a New Total button appears below the Tax button on the Custom Ticket screen. If not selected, the ticket price will change whenever a change is made.

The last button allows you to set the time periods quotes will remain in the system. Deleting old quotes will keep your viable quotes more manageable.

In this section you can enable corporate (enterprise) functionality.

If you want to use IF Retail Management software’s POS functionality, check the first box. If there is a central POS system employed in the organization, you may want to not check this box - the payment screens, taxes and any references to invoices will be disabled and not appear within the workflow.
When using IF Production Management, this section sets the default framing selections for an off-site production facility used in the Verify step of the Store workflow.

The Message Queue is a file that records transactions sent via the Data Synchronizer application. This file can quickly grow to a large size - checking this box and assigning the number of days you would like to keep Message Queue data is specified here.

If you want to charge a minimum number of feet for mouldings, enter the footage in the box provided. This option will be useful if you offer closed corner frames.

The next box allows for integration with a 3rd party POS system - an additional column is added to the Ticket & Search screen in the Store system to track payment information as transactions are completed in the POS system. The label box configures the column name.

The standard image file located on the C: Drive by default may exceed the computer’s capacity - this feature allows you to assign the images to a different location that has more capacity for large image files.

The last 2 buttons allow for corporate control of location names at the Stores. The first button allows the corporate office to assign locations (i.e., art bins). The second button eliminates any locations added at the store level - these store locations are deleted on each synchronization with the corporate office.

Localization

This section defines items such as units of measure and the phone number format.

Locations

Here you can define the name and description of ticket locations within the stores (i.e., art bins or carrier bins assigned to a ticket). Locations are assigned by ticket, not by individual components. This information is sent to the stores if Sync Locations to Stores is checked in Corporate Settings.

Stamps

Define graphical icons for common event types. Stamps are visible on the Ticket & Search screen as they are used.

Category

Select the desired category for the current icon by clicking the button next to the desired category. The following choices are available to help define the stamp process characteristics that work with the way you do business.

No Category Association

Select No Category Association if the stamp does not involve one of the primary framing categories - moulding, matboard, glass or mount (i.e., Call Customer).

Stamp Product Component from Ticket
Select Stamp Product Component from Ticket to create a stamp that is limited to a specific product identified within one of the available categories. If the “Limit products to category” is checked, only the specific SKU’s associated with that category will be available for selection. If the box is not checked, all of the SKU’s used in the ticket will be available.
Stamp Category

If the stamp only needs to be defined by the category (and not the SKU), then select “Stamp category”. Using the drop down box, select the category you want to associate with this stamp (SKU’s are not considered with this selection).
Capture new ticket location

This option allows a location to be entered when stamping a process on the workstation screen. If it is not selected, the location box will not appear on the workstation. Since location tracks the ticket, processes that involve the art or backing, may need the new location option available to them.

Promotions

Promotions are scheduled discount programs. IF Retail Management software allows management to enter various sales promotions involving discounts well in advance.

Promotion Options

Click on Add New Promotion to create a Promo Code to identify a new promotion. The Promo Code can include alpha or numeric characters.
The buttons below Promo Code are used for existing promotions or to cancel an entry. Clone Promo is used to create a new promotion by copying the set up of an existing promotion and then changing the name or other characteristics as necessary. The feature makes creating new promotions fast and easy.

Select the Edit button after highlighting an existing promotion. This feature allows for adjusting the characteristics or name of a current promotion.
The Cancel button removes any entries made. To delete a promotion, highlight the desired promotion and click the Remove Promotion button at the top of the page.

Promotion Data

Description - enter the full description of the promotion.

Assigned To - enter the business unit the promotion will be assigned to. It can be a specific store or group of stores (region or sub-region).

Start Date - enter the date the promotion is desired to begin.

End Date - enter the date the promotion is desired to end.

Auto-apply - checking this box makes the promotion automatically applied to a ticket. If there is a sales discount to be given on every transaction, then click this box. If the box is not checked, the promotion will be available in a drop down list in the discount screen as a ticket is being created. Predefining promotions removes the discount permission requirement for sales people that do not have such permission - they can select from the drop down list and apply a discount at any time.

Discount characteristics - exactly like the discount screen used within a ticket. Apply a discount to an entire ticket by specifying a percentage or dollar amount (use the arrow next to the entry box). Or, specify a discount for a specific frame component - select the category item and specify the discount (percentage or dollar amount) for each item created. Selected items will be displayed in the box below.

Starred fields are required when creating new promotions.

Printing

Defaults

This section determines the default printing settings for the store paperwork. The software allows great flexibility with regards to what prints and how.

Work Tickets are designed for in-store production purposes - this paperwork is not designed to be given to customers. Sales Orders are designed for customers. There are 2 format styles available - Summary and Itemized. Summary tickets do not show the components selected within the ticket - all other information is available. Itemized tickets display each SKU selected including pricing within the ticket.

Art Tickets are available only if the IF Production Management software is used as part of the Verify step at the store level.

The first check box eliminates pricing information to be printed on the Work Ticket. Many people do not feel production people should know how much a particular order is charged to a customer - if this is the case for your business, check this box.

The second check box allows the salespeople to choose, on the fly by ticket, what Sales Order format they want to provide the customer. If the box is not checked, the sale person at the store will only be able to provide the default format designated.

Walk In Tickets

This section allows for default set up if Walk In Tickets are used (check the box if the Walk In process is turned on). Select the quantity of copies printed and the Sales Order format.

Receipt Printer

This section allows the configuration for receipt printers or cash drawers used. Please refer to the list of supported hardware available with Retail Management.

Branding

Branding is the identification of a product, service or entity by use of advertising, distinctive design, policies, verbiage and other means. Set up the store branding information in the Branding section. Several different brands can be set up for whole regions, sub-regions (divisions) or individual stores. Brands can be for different store names used within the same organization or for communicating special messages or promoting seasonal messages (different looks based on time of year, special events, etc.).

Selected Brand Information

Branding is used to define the personality of a store or region. Brand logos and custom messages can be added that will display on printed material - sales orders, work tickets, e-mail messages, receipts and invoices. Click on Add New Brand button at top of screen to create a new brand. Create and use as many brands as desired.

If no branding is created, the software creates a brand called Default Brand.

Use the Clone Brand button after highlighting an existing brand to copy the characteristics of the existing brand to a new brand. This allows creating new brands to be easy and fast. The Edit button allows for changes made to existing brands. The Cancel button removes entries made within the screen. If you want to delete a brand, use the Remove Brand button at the top of the screen.

Brand Options

Enter a brand logo - the format should be as .jpeg. The ideal store logo is in the shape of a horizontal rectangle, and will be proportionally sized to fit the defined area. More specifically, the store logo will look best (that is, not stretched) when the ratio of width to height is 3.8:1 (e.g., 1140 x 300 pixels).

Printed Footers and Email Templates

Select from the drop down box to view the footer that will print on the associated form. Enter text as appropriate for each form. There is no limit to the amount of text entered, just be aware that long footers will create additional pieces of paper as the excess wording will carry over.

Employees and administrators, their roles (permissions) and assigned locations can be defined in this section. There are two tabs - the first is a listing of current employees. The second is the specific employee record screen.

To add a new employee, click the Add New Employee button at the top of the page. The Edit/New Employee Record screen will appear - at a minimum, all of the starred fields must have an entry. Make sure a Role and business unit are assigned to an employee.

If you would like to delete an employee, click on the Remove Employee button. An employee that is deleted will be removed from the Employee List but is still in the database. This preserves historical data that incorporates a deleted employee.

Roles

These are groups of permissions for any given job category. The system administrator has permission for all actions and cannot be edited (all boxes are checked). A role with no permissions has no boxes checked. As many roles as desired can be created.
To create a new role, click the Add New Role button at the top of the page. To delete a role, click the Remove Role button.

A person assigned a role that does not allow a permission must have someone with the permission to override and complete the transaction or process. The system records override authorizations for management review.

Defines the current connection settings for the Corporate Server. If other servers are available, they will be visible here. If a separate Content Server is used (i.e., Wizard’s Content Server), that connection string would be input here.

Call Wizard Technical Support for additional information regarding this screen.