Can my customers still place orders on WebShop if my ERP is offline?
Purpose
To explain how and when orders can be submitted to WebShop if your ERP is offline.
Introducing terms and concepts used in this article
Term | Definition |
|---|---|
B2C customer | a cash customer who signs up for a web account on WebShop who has access to some customer self-service options, such as viewing their order history, maintaining a list of favourite products and saving delivery details. |
B2B customer | a credit customer who has an account on your ERP system. |
Enterprise resource platform (ERP) | a collection of your critical business operating systems, such as product, stock levels, financial, customers, suppliers and so on that run on the same platform. |
More information
You would like B2C customers to browse Aphix WebShop and place orders, even if your ERP system is unavailable. The Order Logging feature allows your customer to continue to place orders on WebShop even if your ERP is offline. This gives you time to resolve any issues you may be having with your ERP.
When your ERP is offline, your customers won't notice anything different in how they browse or place orders in WebShop; once their order has been placed, they will get a message indicating that their order has been placed successfully.
What about my B2B customers?
This is where things get complicated since different things happen depending on whether your B2B customer is logged into their WebShop account when your ERP goes offline.
If the B2B customer is logged in, then
they can place orders for products that are already in their cart. These orders are logged and can be resubmitted when your ERP is back online.
they do not have access to product pricing or other functionality that requires real-time access to your ERP.
If the B2B customer is not logged in, then
they can not place orders; rather they will get a message requesting them to try again later.
they do not have access to product pricing or other functionality that requires real-time access to your ERP.
Read What steps can I take when my WebShop or SalesRep is offline? for more information on this.
In the background, the order is logged with a status of "error" in Aphix Management Interface, and you receive an email that there is an issue placing orders into your ERP. The email has a subject of Order not placed. It contains the customer's reference number, phone number, email address, customer delivery address, payment type and order details.
What do I do if I get an Order not placed email?
Re-establish a connection between your ERP and Aphix Digital Platform.
Once the connection has been re-established, you can either:
Click "Resubmit this order" to place the order in your ERP.
Click "Archive this order" to save the order without placing the order in your ERP.
Read our article for more information about order status and what they mean.
Key points
Using the Order Logging feature, your customers can continue to place orders even if your ERP is offline
If it has a status of Error, there was an issue placing the order. Resubmit the order, and if the error remains, contact Customer Support for help.