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Modules:LoyaltyManagement/Configuration Manual

Contents

Introduction

This article explains how to configure the module Loyalty Management. It assumes the reader knows how to configure Openbravo Commerce Platform and other entities like payment methods.

As it has been mentioned before, this module needs to be integrated with a third party (Loyalty Program's Vendor) and thus customizations will be required on top of this module, to adapt it to the selected program. Hence, this module provides the skeleton and necessary structure in the backoffice with that purpose.

The idea is that customer accounts (with the points balance) are managed in the vendor's platform, so rewards can be earned from different retailers and sent to the vendor's platform to be accumulated/redeemed in a single point. Vendor's rules for accumulation and redemption are replicated in Openbravo to be able to earn and redeem points in Web POS under the Loyalty Program rules. Additionally, it is also possible to check the customers balance systems from Web POS by means of online webservices and identifying the customer's account by reading the customer's loyalty card.

The following sections will describe how to configure all the necessary and common entities to all loyalty programs.

A new entry in the menu has been added for all Loyalty windows:

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Loyalty Program Configuration

First thing to configure is the Loyalty Program, where we will declare all details of the program we are integrating with. The information here configured is first of all general info and second information regarding Accumulation and Redemption. Navigate to Loyalty Program window and create a new record following these guidelines:

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Sponsorship Definition

This window serves to gather different accumulation rules under a common activity o sponsorship. so they can be all grouped under the same sponsorship. The sponsorship has a relation with the business partner that sponsors the rule, but this is defined in Rules for Accumulation, so different rules can have different business partners, but same sponsorship.


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Rules for Accumulation

Create all accumulation rules as needed using the dates fields to set up the validity, so a historic can be kept for a specific rule if needed. There are two different type of rules: generic or non generic. Generic rules are the ones applying to all products of the assortment. Non generic rules will only apply to the product specified in the definition.

The way rules are applied in Web POS is as follows: all valid rules for the given date will be applied in cascade. Example: let's say there are two rules defined, one generic and one non generic for Alpine Poles product. A customer buys 1 quantity of Alpine Poles, that means that both rules will be applied and the result of summing the points earned for both rules will be the total of awards earned after the purchase.

Each accumulation rule needs a sponsor, that is the business partner sponsoring the points earned (so the retailer can invoice him for that).


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Rules for Redemption

Same way, rules for redemption need to be defined, where basically a conversion rate and valid dates need to be specified. Hence, when customer wants to pay with the loyalty program a specific amount, the currency will be converted to the loyalty currency with the specified conversion.

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Assign Loyalty Program to Stores

Navigate to Organization window, and select the store where you want to assign the Loyalty program you just created.

In Web POS Formats group of fields, select the new templates for printing receipts:

Create a new record under Loyalty Manager tab:

Loyalty Management respects organizational hierarchy, that means that if a group of stores (under the same node) share the same Loyalty Program, you can assign the program at the node in the higher level and thus not having to assign it one by one per store. However, if you had an old program in one store, and decide to assign one at a higher level, you will need to clear cache to see the changes in Web POS.

Bulbgraph.png   Even the system allows you to assign more than one loyalty program per store, Multi-Loyalty Program is not supported currently in Openbravo.

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New Payment Method for Redemption

In order to redeem points, that is, pay with the Loyalty Program, a new payment method will be required.

This article assumes that the reader has experience creating payment methods for Openbravo Commerce Platform, otherwise check the following wiki article [[2]]. You will need to create previously a new payment method, the one in the example has been named Miles Club.

POS Terminal Type Configuration

Navigate to POS Terminal Type window, and for VBS POS, create a new record under Payment Method tab called Miles Club to be used for redemption:


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POS Terminal Configuration

Naviagte to POS Terminal window and for VBS-1 create a new record under Payment Method tab:

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Security Preferences

Some preferences need to be configured in order to use loyalty functionality:

Communication with External Systems

It has been mentioned that this module it is meant to be integrated with an external system where to request customer's balance or redeemed certain quantity of awards when paying a ticket.

Each integration will be different so there is no standard structure provided by Openbravo, nevertheless, we show in this section how it could be developed to guide the reader to develop something similar.

The idea is a window to declare all communications with the external system. In the example there are parameters for web service (URL, user name, password, id, etc) and other parameters for an FTP Server used to send a daily file with the accumulated points in Openbravo (IP, port, username and password).

Additionally, a child tab can be included to register all webservice issues, saving the Request and Response to be able to track the error afterwards.


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