Enhanced integration between MarketDirect StoreFront and an MIS is available if you purchase a license for Fulfillment in MarketDirect StoreFront. Fulfillment orders are orders for products that already exist (known as non printed products in MarketDirect StoreFront) – in contrast to print orders that result in jobs being produced according to print specifications provided by a buyer.
What follows is a summary of key aspects of MIS integrations and fulfillment in MarketDirect StoreFront.
Warning: Be sure to refer to the integration guide for your MIS to understand what you must configure in the MIS for fulfillment to work, as well as to understand the workflow when fulfillment items are ordered. Not every MIS supports fulfillment.
● Fulfillment (non printed) products are created and managed in the MIS, not in MarketDirect StoreFront. (Although you can create non printed products in MarketDirect StoreFront, they will not be integrated with an MIS.)
● Once MarketDirect StoreFront is integrated with the MIS, the non printed products are imported from the MIS into the MarketDirect StoreFront product catalog.
● Product icons (thumbnails) and detail images imported from the MIS are displayed on the appropriate pages on the site, but you cannot edit them in MarketDirect StoreFront. (Large product icons are handled in MarketDirect StoreFront, however.)
Note: Since you cannot edit images from an MIS in MarketDirect StoreFront, and MarketDirect StoreFront does not scale images, be sure the images that you provide are the correct size. To find out the recommended size, in MarketDirect StoreFront look at the product details for a non printed product, click Edit under Product Icon or Product Details Image, select Upload Custom Icon, and note the recommended size.
● The product name comes from the MIS, and cannot be changed in MarketDirect StoreFront. (If you change the name in the Display As field for the product in MarketDirect StoreFront, it will revert back to the name that came from the MIS the next time products are updated on the site.)
● If the MIS sends a product ID (SKU), it cannot be edited in MarketDirect StoreFront (it is view-only).
● All pricing for products comes from the MIS, and is captured in MarketDirect StoreFront on an MIS site level price sheet. This price sheet and all pricing for non printed products imported from the MIS are view-only, and cannot be edited in MarketDirect StoreFront.
● When a buyer orders a non printed product that was defined in the MIS, MarketDirect StoreFront communicates the order information to the MIS.
● When an MIS non printed product is ordered, the MIS updates MarketDirect StoreFront with the quantity on hand.
● When the MIS tells MarketDirect StoreFront that the status of a line item in a fulfillment order is "Shipped," MarketDirect StoreFront marks those line items as shipped. If the shipment is partial, the MIS sends a status of "Shipping" to indicate that more will be shipped later, and the line item is left open in MarketDirect StoreFront. The order status is changed to Completed only after every item has a status of "Shipped."