POS

The Price evaluation rules for an EAN barcode with the price add-on have been updated to the BISAC standard. These changes allow the EAN price add-on to encode prices from $100.00 to $499.99.

General  New Search fields

Three new search fields have been added to the system, Product Query, Product Item Query, and Customer Query.

Searching with these fields are similar to using the corresponding Product List, Product Item List and Customer List fields. The queries, unlike the lists, are dynamic since they are evaluated when executed.

• The queries, unlike the lists, are dynamic since they are evaluated when executed.
• Queries are selected, created, and edited when needed. Lists must be created and saved before they can be used.

Text Message Interface

Texting has been added to [i]merchant using a third party product called Twilio. The Twilio product provides the telephony tools needed to send and receive text messages from the [i]merchant application. The initial integration within [i]merchant supports outgoing text messages, to customers.

A subscription to Twilio is required to use this interface. The subscription provides an account ID and Access Token which is required by [i]merchant. Each user account also has at least one Twilio phone number which is used for texting. The account credentials and phone information will be entered into [i]merchant to enable the Twilio interface.

The Twilio web site for information and sign up is available via the [i]merchant interface menu. Interfaces > Twilio, Login/ Sign up, or from the Tools > Options general tab.

Before sending a message, [i]merchant will validate the customer contact method settings to make sure text messages are allowed. If allowed, the message will be sent to the mobile phone that is on file for the customer.

Text messages can be entered and sent to customers from the [i]merchant locations listed below.

• Customer Finder
• Customer Order Finder.
• POS finders
• The customer context menu.
  • This is the menu you see when right clicking in a grid that contains customer.
• The Interfaces > Twilio menu has options to send a message to any phone number, a specific customer, or to customers on a customer list.

System Options

• The General tab has fields for enabling and entering the Twilio account and phone number information.

Customer Properties

• The Mobile phone number on the customer’s primary address is the phone number used when texting from [i]merchant.
• Empty or invalid phone numbers are ignored.
• A send Text Message tool bar button was added.
• A Contact Method field was added.
  • Since the customer screen is user designed, the field must be added to the design by the user in order to see and use the field.
  • The settings are Any, Never, Email Only, and Text Only.
  • New customers are set to “Any”.
  • Customers on file have been set to “Any” when the release was installed.
  • The field is used as a filter for selecting customers.

Customer Order Properties

• The header page has two new fields, Preferred Notification Method, and a Text Phone number.
• When adding a new customer order the Preferred Notification Delivery method will default based on the customer contact method value of the customer.
  • Never = None
  • Email Only = Email
  • Text Only = Text
  • Any  = Telephone
• The Preferred delivery method is used to select the orders when creating notices.
• The text phone field is the phone number [i]merchant will use when texting order notifications.
  • [i]merchant defaults the customer’s mobile phone number on new orders.
  • If a different number should be used for the notice override the default.
  • Erase the phone number or change the preferred delivery method if a text should not be sent.

Customer Order Notifications

• The Notification Method selected on the form is used to create notices. The Preferred Notification Method entered on the customer order should be used to select qualifying orders.
• Text notifications are sent to the text phone number entered on the customer order. If the phone number is empty or not valid, the notice will not be sent.
• The customer contact method associated with the customer is not checked when creating notices. The customer order will have defaulted correctly based on the customer preferences.  

Globally edit customer

• Options to globally edit customers with and without review have been added to the global edit menu.

Physical Inventory

• The initial physical inventory selection form does not include the old completed inventories.
• A Cancel Inventory option was added to the Manage Physical Inventory process screen.
  • Use this option to remove an inventory that was started, but never completed. Probably a test inventory.
  • Canceling does not update any inventory records. Items that were counted and imported will be retained in case the inventory is restored.
  • The inventory status must be Open or Verified in order to cancel an inventory.
  • Once the update process has been started the inventory cannot be canceled.
• A canceled inventory can be restored from the Manage Physical Inventory Process screen.
  • The status will be reset to Open when the inventory is restored.