BP to BP Questions / Clarification

[Ashley]

Hi Rich - thanks for this update

We have just started using the BP to BP facility. I didn't realise the system would create a new order in the Master site, I assumed there would be only one order with the original order number (distinguished by prefix if necessary) which would be displayed in both order managers. This has a few knock-on effects and inconsistencies which I would like to understand.

When the confirmation email is re-sent from the master site, the email seems to come from the master site domain, rather than the slave site. Is this a bug or is it by design? - I would have assumed the logical behaviour would be for this to trigger an email from the slave site.

Will it be possible to release deferred payments from the master site? We haven't tried this yet.

Could we have what you're calling the 'channel number' displayed in the order manager and also be searchable?

When viewing and printing the invoice (which we use to send out the goods) it shows that of the master site - this would need to be the slave site as we would want the branding and contact details to be different for different sites.

I'm not sure if I have got the wrong end of the stick on this feature or if these are just bugs to be ironed out.

Regards, Ashley.

[Simon - AS]

We too would be using this if the invoice printing for orders from the slave site showed the slaves logos etc, can this be achieved?
Thanks
Simon

[Rich]

When the confirmation email is re-sent from the master site, the email seems to come from the master site domain, rather than the slave site. Is this a bug or is it by design? - I would have assumed the logical behaviour would be for this to trigger an email from the slave site.

All emails get sent via the slave site, but you're right in that the resend function currently uses the master site's version. This is due to not having an API equivalent to take this action. I'm guessing this only applies to orders where the customer has mislaid the order confirmation, or requested that the order be changed.

Will it be possible to release deferred payments from the master site? We haven't tried this yet.

Yes, extensive development was done to make this work the same way as if you were on the slave site.

Could we have what you're calling the 'channel number' displayed in the order manager and also be searchable?

It is displayed in the Order Manager, but if you haven't signed out and back in since you've had an order then you won't have seen it yet. We'll need to make it searchable, but there is a filter at the top of the page.

When viewing and printing the invoice (which we use to send out the goods) it shows that of the master site - this would need to be the slave site as we would want the branding and contact details to be different for different sites.

At the moment, the invoice on the slave is not visible on the master site - again, there is no corresponding API function for this. However, the customer will have a copy of the invoice from their order confirmation email already.

[Rich]

We have just started using the BP to BP facility. I didn't realise the system would create a new order in the Master site, I assumed there would be only one order with the original order number (distinguished by prefix if necessary) which would be displayed in both order managers. This has a few knock-on effects and inconsistencies which I would like to understand.

It's worth mentioning that all order management and fulfilment software works by importing the order on the remote channel into the central order management system. The same will apply to eBay and Amazon orders, placed on those channels and imported as a duplicate into the Bluepark Order Manager.

You then end up with two sets of order numbers. There's literally no other way to do this.

[Rich]

I've just had a thought for solving the issue with different invoices - how about a field in the Channel Editor for "custom invoice HTML"? You can then put in exactly what you use on the slave site, and orders from that channel can use the correct HTML (and order number).

How does that sound?

[Fields of Blue]

I've just had a thought for solving the issue with different invoices - how about a field in the Channel Editor for "custom invoice HTML"? You can then put in exactly what you use on the slave site, and orders from that channel can use the correct HTML (and order number).

How does that sound?

That sounds Good, would the same be true of dispatch notes controlled from the Master but using slave domain?

[Ashley]

I've just had a thought for solving the issue with different invoices - how about a field in the Channel Editor for "custom invoice HTML"? You can then put in exactly what you use on the slave site, and orders from that channel can use the correct HTML (and order number).

How does that sound?

Hi Rich, this would do it, I think. We would need the Channel number to be a variable.

[emj]

Am I right in saying then that if a customer places an order on the slave site they will see an order number (e.g. IN2021) but when they receive a order shipped email from the master site, they will get a different order number?

[Rich]

Am I right in saying then that if a customer places an order on the slave site they will see an order number (e.g. IN2021) but when they receive a order shipped email from the master site, they will get a different order number?

No, that's not correct. When you ship or complete an order from the master, the order processing function happens on the slave and all emails are sent from there. For this reason, they see the correct order number, the one they received when they placed the order.

The discussion above relates to RE-sending the order confirmation email via the master's Order Processor, or just printing out the invoice on the master.

[KayJay]

It's worth mentioning that all order management and fulfilment software works by importing the order on the remote channel into the central order management system. The same will apply to eBay and Amazon orders, placed on those channels and imported as a duplicate into the Bluepark Order Manager.

You then end up with two sets of order numbers. There's literally no other way to do this.

This is slightly off topic but as you touched on it here I wanted to say that I believe Amazon doesn't allow their merchants to send their own notification emails, it has to be from Amazon's email system alone. It would be a right pain when it came to bulk ship orders as we would need to suppress the dispatch email coming from the BP system for Amazon orders only.

I'm mentioning this now while the API is new in case you weren't aware in advance of the Amazon integration. I know we are a long, long way from it being a live thing.

[Rich]

This is slightly off topic but as you touched on it here I wanted to say that I believe Amazon doesn't allow their merchants to send their own notification emails, it has to be from Amazon's email system alone. It would be a right pain when it came to bulk ship orders as we would need to suppress the dispatch email coming from the BP system for Amazon orders only.

I'm mentioning this now while the API is new in case you weren't aware in advance of the Amazon integration. I know we are a long, long way from it being a live thing.

But that's what I'm saying - the slave site sends out the email, not the master. In your case, the "slave site" would be Amazon.

The master site is "remote controlling" the processing of the order on the slave site.

[KayJay]

But that's what I'm saying - the slave site sends out the email, not the master. In your case, the "slave site" would be Amazon.

The master site is "remote controlling" the processing of the order on the slave site.

Great! I mistakenly assumed that as the order was generated into BP then it would send the email ie not treat Amazon as the slave.

[Rich]

Hi Rich, this would do it, I think. We would need the Channel number to be a variable.

This has been done now, posted in Latest Updates:

It has become clear that some clients using the multi-channel feature require any invoices printed on the master site to reflect the order number and branding of the slave site. This is now possible via the new Company Options tab in the Channel Editor.

To make setting up as easy as possible, there is an option to populate all of the fields automatically from the slave site's company information. In order to make this possible, we have created a new "company" resource available via the API.

[Simon - AS]

Spot on thank you Rich, just tested this and it works perfect for us. Just one thing to clarify, if we need to delete an order on the master site, should this update to reflect on the slave? When I deleted my test purchase on the master it didn't do so on the slave.

Apart from that, brilliant thanks!

[Rich]

Spot on thank you Rich, just tested this and it works perfect for us. Just one thing to clarify, if we need to delete an order on the master site, should this update to reflect on the slave? When I deleted my test purchase on the master it didn't do so on the slave.

Apart from that, brilliant thanks!

The delete operation is not intended to affect the slave, you'd have to delete it on both sites.

The best course of action for an order you wish to delete is to cancel it, leaving an audit trail if you need one.