GC.CART — back office

GC.CART is the back-office software for GC.Platform. It is used to manage orders that come through GC.CATALOG or GC.CATALOG Mobile, and serves as an integration layer for ERP systems when needed.

To log into GC.CART you need a GC.AUTH account with the appropriate permission set in GC.AUTH. GC.CART can be downloaded from:

• Production version
• Stage version

Preparing GC.CART for use in a B2B context

Creating a user in GC.AUTH

To log into any part of GC.Platform that requires authentication, a user must be created in GC.AUTH. Users can create themselves on the GC.AUTH portal specific to the tenant (for the GearCode tenant that is https://auth.gearcode.eu, but for your tenant it will be different — most likely something like https://auth.your-company.com). After selecting Create account, a new user fills in all required fields. Depending on the GC.AUTH configuration, it is also possible to create users via Google, Microsoft or Facebook accounts.

After creating an account, an activation link is sent to the user's email. The user clicks the link and is then enabled in GC.AUTH. A GC.AUTH administrator can also enable the user in the Users panel and set permissions there. Remember to set the user as "User is active".

What is the relationship between a User (identity from GC.AUTH) and a Buyer (or Customer) from GC.CART? A User from GC.AUTH gives identity to GC.Platform components. In GC.CART this User is linked with a Buyer (or Customer), which represents its business role.

The automatic flow for matching a User with a Buyer in GC.CART works like this:

• The User goes to the GC.CATALOG site and logs in.
• When the User is on the GC.CATALOG site for the first time, a matching Buyer record is created in GC.CART.

The Buyer (or Customer) record is where orders are connected. Discounts can be set on the Buyer record, and a B2C (default) or B2B flow can be set. This default workflow automates the B2C flow and can be extended by operations in GC.CART, such as:

• creating a Buyer (or Customer) manually;
• adding or changing the Users related to a Buyer, which enables a situation where many Users order goods as a single Buyer (or Customer, which in B2B is a company).

If many buyers are linked to one user, remember to set a default buyer — important when different buyers have different discounts.

Buyers and users

• Users — individuals who establish themselves in GC.CART by logging into the catalogue through GC.AUTH.
• Buyers — business identities that are set up in GC.CART and linked to users.

How can buyers be defined?

To add a new buyer, press the green tile with a plus. The buyer window appears, where you define the buyer status as B2B or B2C. You can also set a buyer as "B2B — intra-community buyer — VAT rate 0%" — such a buyer is always charged VAT = 0 (net equals gross). For B2B buyers, fill in the Number in ERP field — a unique number used to pair the buyer with ERP systems and to apply discounts. Note that "Number in ERP" is limited to 40 characters.

After filling in all fields, save the data by pressing the green floppy disk. Once saved, you can link a user to the buyer by pressing the green plus in the bottom part of the window.

How can users be defined?

To see users or link them with particular buyers, go to Shop / Users and you will see the list of users. To link a user with a buyer, press Edit the indicated entry. A window appears where you select the buyer the customer will be linked to. If a customer is linked to many buyers, remember to choose Select as default — this user will buy products with the properties set for the default buyer (e.g. discounts).

B2B2B number

If a site using GC.CART serves customers in B2B2B mode — so that the final customers' orders land in the system with the designation of a B2B2B master buyer — such a buyer must be defined. Go to Dictionaries / B2B2B Numbers and add the name and number of the customer whose number the order data should include.

Then, under Shop / Buyers, define this B2B2B number for specific buyers. As a result, when any of the defined end buyers makes an order, the B2B2B master buyer number set for them also appears on each order.

Parameters of a shop

Go to Program / Parameters to set the basic settings connected with communication with customers, e.g. data shown in emails.

Here you fill in:

• Company name and webpage name.
• Admin email address — your address, where copies of emails sent to customers can be sent.
• Email address — the address your emails to customers are sent from.
• Email sender — the sender name shown in your emails, e.g. old24.com store <[email protected]>.
• SMS sender — your name shown in messages sent to customers.
• Time shift — the default time in GC.CART for orders and changes is UTC. To set one hour ahead, enter 1; to set one hour back, enter -1.

There are also settings connected with verifying stock availability and stock prices — set them according to the conditions agreed with the software developers.

Setting delivery costs

1. Defining countries

To set delivery costs, first define the countries you want to ship to. Go to Dictionaries / Countries:

When you click Add new entry, a window appears where you define the code of a given country/region and its name in the selected language. You can define countries such as Poland, USA or UK, but you can also define regions if you do not want to define hundreds of countries separately.

In the example below, some countries are defined separately and a region "European Union" is also defined (including Germany, France, etc.). "United Kingdom" and "Rest of the world" are defined too, but their names are not visible — because they were defined only in Polish. To make them visible in English, edit them in English and enter the English name (for example, click Edit and write "Rest of the world" in the empty Name field).

2. Setting delivery costs

Go to Dictionaries / Delivery and payment / Delivery options to define the cost of transport for a particular country/region.

When you select Add a new entry, a window appears with fields like below:

You define the cost of transport for each target country/region separately. The name of the option should be defined in all target languages so each customer can see it when choosing delivery. You should also define the code of the delivery option, the country/region where it is used, the time of realisation (from–to), etc. After saving, the detailed information at the bottom of the window can be defined.

To set amounts in particular currencies, those currencies and VAT rates must first be defined. In this picture VAT is 0%, which is why the net value equals the gross value. You can also define a free-delivery threshold, above which no delivery fee is added. Selecting Collection points for option lets you define delivery options for collection points.

3. Collection points

Go to Dictionaries / Delivery and payment / Collection points.

To add a collection point, select the plus icon. A window opens with fields to fill in. The most important things are to fill in the collection point code correctly and to specify its sorting (the first pickup point should be marked as 001, and so on). In this tab, also indicate the form of payment (card/cash) and select the active status.

After saving, the lower part of the window becomes active, where you can edit the working hours and delivery options for the point. You can also set the order of countries and collection points in the box below.

Can you define different delivery options for different products?

Yes. For example, one product can be sent by courier, to a parcel machine, or picked up in person, while another is available only by courier and in person — that is, it cannot be delivered to a parcel machine.

To begin, in your product management program define the attributes/criteria that distinguish the different forms of delivery. For customers who use GC.MDM, for example, you can distinguish delivery forms by defined criteria — see the example below. A criterion "Acceptable forms of transportation" was created there, with three values: CURIER, PACKBOX and PERSONAL COLLECTION. Each product has this criterion linked and defined accordingly.

How do you combine these criteria from your data-management program (GC.MDM) with GC.CART so that you can select only specific transport options? First, go to GC.CART / Parameters and define which attributes you use to determine delivery. Separate successive attributes with commas.

Then, in Dictionaries / Delivery and payment / Delivery options, you can specify different delivery types for a country. To use the attributes shown above, include them in the Attributes window. In the example below, the delivery type "Inpost parcel machine" is defined with a lead time of 1 to 3 days for payment in advance. To include only products that can be sent to a parcel machine, specify the "PACZKOMAT" option in the Attributes window.

For an order to be sent to a parcel machine, all products in it must have the "PACZKOMAT" criterion filled in the data-management program. If at least one product lacks it, the entire order cannot be delivered to a parcel machine.

Currency and exchange rates

Each website must have at least one basic currency set in GC.CART. More currencies are set when a website offers the possibility to show prices in different currencies. To define currencies, go to Dictionaries / Currency.

One basic currency should be set as Basic; others as Other. The basic currency is the one used to set exchange rates from.

Exchange rates

To define a new exchange rate, click Add new entry and add the rate. You do not have to remove old exchange rates — when you add a new rate, the system uses the newest one.

Manufacturers

Particular manufacturers can be defined for particular discounts. If you want a manufacturer to be used with the discount option, import it from your database and add it to your list of manufacturers in GC.CART. Go to Dictionaries / Manufacturers and click Add new entry. A small Manufacturers window appears where you write the manufacturer's name — remember to write it in capital letters. Click OK and the manufacturer is added if it was found in the appropriate database.

If you are not sure how to spell a manufacturer, choose the green button next to the entry field. A "Search manufacturers to import — Choice" window appears. Write part of the name and press Enter to get the list of matching manufacturers from the database. Select the right one and click OK to add it to your list.

Setting discounts

To set discounts, go to Shop / Discounts.

Discounts can be set in three contexts, which work in this hierarchy:

• for a particular buyer;
• for a particular manufacturer;
• general discount.

Suppose discounts are set simultaneously: 5% on buyer EDUEDU, 10% on manufacturer TRW, and a 20% general discount.

Buyer EDUEDU buys TRW brake discs with a base price of €100. What discount applies — 5%, 10% or 20%? Since the buyer discount is the most important in the hierarchy, EDUEDU is subject to the overriding 5% discount and pays €95, despite the 20% general and 10% TRW discounts.

So when would EDUEDU buy these TRW discs for €80 (the general discount)? If there is no individual discount for EDUEDU and no discount for the TRW manufacturer, then any buyer, including EDUEDU, gets the 20% general discount and pays €80.

How to set the discounts?

Go to Discounts and click Add new entry.

A window appears where you enter the name, value and status of the discount, and specify who it applies to.

In the case below, the discount applies to all buyers (the "All buyers" box is ticked) and all manufacturers (the "All manufacturers" box is ticked). After clicking Save, the discount is active.

How do I set a discount for a particular manufacturer? Leave "All manufacturers" empty, tick "All buyers", and press Add new entry. Then select the manufacturer from the list and click OK, or click Add new entry, enter the manufacturer's name in capital letters, select it, and click OK.

How to set up a discount for a single buyer? As above, fill in the name, value and status; tick "All manufacturers" but not "All buyers". Saving such a discount opens the lower part of the window, where you click Add new entry and select the buyer(s). This is the discount with the highest hierarchy, so setting a discount for a particular buyer omits other general or manufacturer discounts.

Pay attention to the Number in ERP field: every buyer with the same "Number in ERP" is assigned the defined discount. So if you assign a discount to a buyer with "Number in ERP" 000000, any other buyer with 000000 is subject to that discount.

It is also possible to create a discount where a selected User has a specific discount on a selected Manufacturer. In this case, save the discount value and set it as active; then, in the lower part of the window, define the User and the Manufacturer separately.

Importing discounts

It is possible to import discounts instead of defining them manually. Go to Shop / Discounts and select Import. Then select a file to import (it does not require a specific name) that contains discounts according to a scheme.

The header always has three positions separated by semicolons: CUSTOMER_ID;MANUFACTURER;DISCOUNT. Example combinations:

;;20            All buyers get a 20% discount on all manufacturers
10401;;30       Buyer with "Number in ERP" 10401 gets 30% on all manufacturers
;BOSCH;35       All buyers get 35% on the Bosch manufacturer
10401;BOSCH;40  Buyer 10401 gets 40% on Bosch

Prices and availability management

If you have this type of permission set in GC.CART, you can manipulate prices and availability with a CSV/XLSX import. Go to Shop / Article management / ERP articles.

You will see the Import box, which lets you import files with defined prices and availability rules.

To set the files correctly, see the Data formats documentation.

Availability at local branches

If you have local branches storing goods, you will want to sell your stock first rather than ordering all wanted items from your supplier. For example, if someone searches for 5 sets of brake pads A888A8 and you store 4 of them in your local branch, your goal is to sell those 4 first and then order the 1 missing set from your supplier. GC.CART lets you manage this.

First, define your local branches. Go to Directories / Branch in route and add them. Importantly, mark them as local branches so they are shown as "Local branch: Yes".

Then, in Shop / Parameters, tick the setting "Do not send quantities available at local branches".

Then load your availability files showing availability at local branches (an availability.csv file prepared according to the Data formats documentation). When you start to see your local availability in the catalogue depends on the settings and arrangements made when implementing the store.

How to check that an order has some items taken from a local branch instead of being ordered from your supplier? Go to the Orders tab, click the order, open the order items tab, and click the magnifying glass. The Order item window shows the quantity ordered and realized. If something was taken from your local branch, you see those amounts in the Quantity available locally tab.

In the example, 5 sets were ordered: 4 were available locally and 1 was available within 48 hours, so only 4 items were ordered this time, all locally.

Creating and sending messages when an order status changes

Message templates

To send messages to customers about changing order statuses, templates for such messages need to be defined. Go to Dictionaries / Message templates and click Add new entry.

A window appears in which you define the following fields:

An example of a completed template looks like this:

What will the message sent from this template look like? Go to a sample order and click the Messages icon.

How to fill in the message template? In the Content field you type the message content in HTML. It can be a simple standard message with tags taken automatically from the order, such as order number, customer name, order date, etc. The message can also be more graphically attractive and contain your banners. The good-looking banners shown have the resolution: Top Banner 720×150 px, Bottom Banner 720×206 px. Using this width ensures the message scales correctly on most devices.

What do the statuses mean, and what messages can be sent in a given status?

A message may be sent to the buyer automatically as a result of a change in the order status. The status that triggers the message is defined in the "Sent for orders in status" field. To send messages manually, do not set any status in the template.

• D — Waiting for confirmation — used when manual communication with the customer takes place; e.g. when out of 10 ordered products only 3 are available: "Do you confirm the order for these 3 products?" In practice this status is rarely used for messages, because availability issues are usually solved when ordering on the website.
• E — Accepted by the client — the order in a given quantity has been confirmed by the customer. Some companies send a confirmation here: "Thank you. We have accepted the order."
• F — Awaiting payment — some companies inform customers: "We are now awaiting payment", and may send the account number. Many companies simply redirect the customer to the online payment page, so no message is needed.
• G — Paid / In progress — the company informs the customer that payment was successful, e.g. "Thank you for paying for order X. We will let you know when the goods are shipped." The statuses D, E, F, G change based on what the customer has done on the page (confirmed, accepted, paid, etc.).
• X — Cancelled — the company informs the customer that the order was cancelled.
• Z — Completed — the company informs the customer that the order was successful and has been completed.

The X and Z statuses are changed by the operator from the shopping-basket application, not by the customer. They do not need to be defined unless the company wants to inform the buyer by email about cancellation or completion.

Resources for templates:

• Tags you can use when creating templates in GC.CART
• Example message template — download

Orders

To check order details in GC.CART, go to Shop / Orders.

What is the Orders tab for? Here you can check the correctness of an order that comes from the online store. The Orders tab contains all information about the order: ID number, Created on, Date of last operation, Order status, etc.

Some important columns, such as Created on and Date of last operation, can be sorted.

In the header of the Created on field you can filter by date:

• to see only orders created on 2023-05-01, enter =2023-05-01;
• to see only orders newer than 2023-05-01, enter >2023-05-01;
• to see only orders older than 2023-05-01, enter <2023-05-01.

How can I view the details of a selected order? The view in GC.CART has two parts: 1. the upper part with the order headings and statuses, and 2. the bottom part with the order details.

In the upper part, order statuses can be changed manually (e.g. an order can be cancelled by clicking the appropriate button), and you can send a message to the user who created the order. To edit the details, select the order and click Edit the indicated entry. The bottom part contains four tabs: Order items, Order (with details such as shipping data, payment, buyer data), Attachments, and Order history (showing the date and time of status changes and who made them if done manually).

How do I resize the top or bottom window? Grab the arrow shown and drag it to get the desired look.

How can I add or remove an item from a particular order? Select the order, click Edit the indicated entry in the upper part, and use the Order items tab in the bottom part. To remove an item, select it and click Delete the indicated entry. To add a new item, click Add new entry.

A window appears where you write the name of the item to add. Write its name and press Enter (or the green search button) to search the database. Select the item and click OK at the bottom to add it to the order.

Offers

Some companies, instead of plain percentage discounts for different customers, prefer to work with lists of full offers set for different buyers. Offers can be sent in an offers.csv file, and a second file, CUSTOMERS_TO_OFFERS.CSV, can be used to assign buyers to offers.

The assignment of an offer to a particular buyer can be edited in GC.CART.

Handling the CUSTOMERS_TO_OFFERS.CSV file. This file defines which user is associated with a particular offer. Importing new offers does not require sending it. (CUSTOMER_ID is the same field as "Number in ERP" in GC.CART.) If you want to replace all relationships between buyers and offers, upload a new CUSTOMERS_TO_OFFERS.CSV file — this removes all previous relationships, and only the links from the new file remain.

Import / export of offers

The window shown above appears when you click Import. The top row downloads the offer file; the bottom row downloads the file linking buyers to offers. Selecting the bottom button removes any current links between buyers and offers, and only the links you import now remain.

Import/export works globally, regardless of which offer is selected when you click Import or Export. The Export key exports all used offers. When importing with Update offers checked, all already-loaded offers are copied and existing offers are updated from the file. When importing with Replace offers checked, offers in the imported file replace those in the database — e.g. if "Offer 2" is in the file, the existing "Offer 2" is deleted entirely and replaced (links remain the same).

Add new, Edit and Delete apply to a single line (a single offer).

You can manually add a new offer, edit a selected offer, or delete it. Deleting a specific offer also removes that offer's links to buyers.

Items

The Items function is used when editing an order and adding a particular item to an already-created order manually. When you edit an order in GC.CART, this tab opens and the selected item is added to the order.

Reviews

Go to Shop / Reviews to accept or reject your customers' reviews.

Data formats

See the Data formats documentation.

For Inter Cars customers — exporting orders to an Excel file for import into ICKO Offers

In ICKO, to import an order you first create a new offer and then, after entering the details, choose Order Import from a file. An offer created this way can be sent as an order.

How to export an order from GC.CART? In the Excel file (*.xlsx) the first two columns must be: Item index (first column) and quantity (second column). To set the columns this way, drag the headers of those two columns into the first two positions (e.g. click the left mouse button on the "Item index" header and move it to the first position from the left).

When this is ready, export the order items by right-clicking any product in the order and selecting Export / Export to xlsx. This creates the Excel file that can be imported into ICKO offers.