Mandalay CS 3.2Product Management in Mandalay CS3PricingEnterprise Administration and Site Based Pricing

Enterprise Administration and Site Based Pricing

The purpose of this article is to outline the functionality which is available when Enterprise Administration mode is invoked in Mandalay CS.  Enterprise Administration supports site based management of product pricing, as well as client category price management.  This allows the management of distinct product prices per site or per client category.  It is controlled by the introduction of permissions to separate the some of the user administration rights per site (product & pricing), as well as site related data filters, and site data administration controls, all of which are unique to Enterprise Administration mode

  • Site based product price management - by Enterprise or by Site (or Site Group)
  • Client product price management
  • User Permissions -  Product name and product price related administrator permissions by Enterprise or by Site (or Site Group)
  • Enterprise or Site Based Data administration - Toggle between Enterprise level data administration or by Site (or Site Group)

Subscription Costs

Enterprise Administration is a licensed product of Mandalay CS, please contact your Mandalay Sales Representative for a quote.

Enterprise Administration - is it required?

Most business scenarios that require different pricing, can be handled without Enterprise Administration mode.  Enterprise Administration adds a layer of complexity to the Mandalay CS environment and requires a competent and adequately trained Administrator to manage.  If you require guidance to understand if Enterprise Administration meets your business needs, then please contact Mandalay Support Desk on [email protected].

Work around examples:

  • Site based product pricing - Using Site Based Selection.  

It is possible to manage site based pricing by using different product names for each site by including the site id at the beginning of the product name (E.g. LF_Green Waste, TS_Green Waste), setting the different prices against the products, and then enabling Site Based Selection to the respective sites.  This will result in only the specified product appearing in Ticketing at that particular site.

  • Client category pricing - Using Contracts.  

It is possible to use "Contracts" to create a unique rate, and then assigning the contract to the specific clients.  When using this method it is recommended to ensure that each vehicle is correctly assigned to the corresponding client, and that the client has an "Alert" set up against them to prompt the Ticketing Operator to select the associated Contract.

 

Overview

  1. User permissions - Site based user administration rights. Manage the user administration levels per site
  2. Site Management -
  3. Enterprise Data Administration - Understand how to mange the data for the different Sites or Site Groups
  4. Product Pricing - Site & Site Group Based - Create a unique product price per site or per site group.
  5. Product Pricing - Client Price Category - Manage client category pricing via the "Client Pricing" Tab
  6. Reporting

1. Users Permissions

Before it is possible to commence setting up pricing, it is necessary to give user access permissions to the Data Administrator.  Once Enterprise Administration mode is invoked, in the"Users" Tab of Mandalay CS Administration, there will be the following Groups and Permissions available for selection:

  • User Group: "Enterprise Administrators"
  • User Permission: "Site Management"
  • User Permission: "Enterprise Management"
  • User Permission: "Client Product Price Categories"

The other permission which is required as part of this article, is the User Permission: "Categories", this should be part of the standard Data Administrator rights.

Managing Users - for guidance on the management of Users, Permissions, and User Groups please refer to the Users Section of the MandalayCS User Guide - Administration

  • A user must have both "Site Management" and "Admin" (or "Admin View only") permissions enabled in order to display the "Site Management" tab.
  • By default, the Enterprise Administrator Group only has the Mandalay CS Admin as a member, in order to access the permissions to manage the Enterprise Administration functionality, a user will need to be added to this group.

2. Site Management

In Non-enterprise Administration mode, company details are managed in Mandalay CS Configuration Manager. Once Enterprise Administration mode is invoked, a new tab called "Sites" will be available in Mandalay CS Administration.  The "Sites" Tab allows for the management of company details per site, as well as the functionality to set up Site Groups for the purpose of setting pricing at a group of sites.

2.1 Site Details

Site information can be maintained by an authorised user, by following the process below:

1. In Mandalay CS Admin, go to the "Sites" tab

2. Select the required Site

3. If required, the following information can be edited:

  • Site Name
  • Site Tax Number (ABN)
  • Site ID (Read only if transactions have been applied against site)
  • Site Debtor Number
  • Site Address Lines 1 to 3
  • Site Phone and Fax

4. Select "Apply"

Notes:

  • Global Field - Site synchronization - This data is a global field and will synchronize back to the local site POS PC.
  • Ticket Templates - Caution should be used when updating this information, as the data fields are used to populate the Ticket Templates for transactions.
  • Site ID - If the site does not have any transactions applied, then it is possible for the Site ID to be changed here. When the changes are saved, the application will update any locations, site distributions and system properties to the new site id.
  • The "Site Group" field will be available in Enterprise Admin versions of Mandalay CS.  Refer to the sections below 2.1 Site Group, for procedures on managing site groups.

2.2 Site Based Data Administration User Permissions

If it is required that Data Administrator access is restricted to specific sites, then users can be assigned either Enterprise, Site specific, or Site Group access via Site Based Selection in the "Users" Tab.  The linked article explains this process.

The rules of each admin levels are as follows:

  • Enterprise -  The user is linked to all active sites.
  • Site Group - The user is linked to all sites within the site group.
  • Site  - The user is linked to the site.

Once site based Data Administrator restrictions are in place, that Data Administrator will only be able to see data relating to their site, this includes visibility to any filters.

Data Administration restrictions apply to the following areas:

  • Product names - if a product name exists at all sites, Enterprise level permissions are required to change the name.  If a Product has Site Based Selection enabled, then the corresponding Data Administrator must also have Site Based Selection enabled against their User  - otherwise the product will be locked for editing.
  • Site details - it only possible to edit the site details with the corresponding site based user permissions.
  • Product price - the same restrictions on the Product Name applies to these data fields.

User Groups and Site Distribution

In Non-Enterprise versions of Mandalay CS, user groups cannot be distributed to sites. To allow for easier management of site distribution for users, User Groups in Enterprise versions of Mandalay CS will allow site distributions. Any member of this group will inherit the site distribution of the group. For example, a “Queensland Administrators” user group could be created, and given access to the “Queensland” site group. All users placed in the “Queensland Administrators” group would be given access to the Queensland Enterprise level. A user can also have specific sites or groups allocated as required

The current Admin access level will also reflect the entities that the user is able to edit for entities under site distribution:

  • Users
  • Cartage
  • Clients
  • Carriers
  • Products
  • Contracts
  • Vehicles
  • Payment Types
  • Sites

Access to edit entities will be restricted to the ownership of the entity. The entity ownership is reflected in the highest level that the site distribution is set.  

For example, this product is distributed enterprise wide, and ownership is at the enterprise level, so can only be edited with Enterprise Level access:

In this example, the ownership is set at the site group levels, so can be edited by users with QLD or WA group administration access.

Note: The exception to this is the Product Pricing and Client Price Categories. For example, the Product may be owned at the Enterprise level, but the site administrators are able to set the Price at the site level. Likewise for the Client Price Categories, the client may be owned at the Enterprise level, but the Client Price Categories can be updated at the Site level by a site administrator.

2.3 Site Groups

It is possible to group sites so that pricing can be managed at the group level.  For example, this would suit business cases where there was a regional pricing structure across a number of sites - QLD based pricing and NSW based pricing.  The process involves 2 mains steps, initially it requires that a new category is set up in the "Categories" tab, and secondly that the sites are individually assigned to that category on the "Sites" tab. (The section on Enterprise Data Administration Levels will explain how to manage the price.)

Step A - Create the new Site Group as a Category

"Site Group" will be available as a new "Category Type" in the "Categories" tab.  In order to set up a new Site Group Category, follow the steps below:

1. In Mandalay CS Admin, go to the "Categories" tab

2. Select "Add"

3. Enter the details of the new Site Group Category:

  • Enter the Name: <<Site Group Name>>
  • Select the (Category) Type: "Site Group"
  • Enter the Code: <<Enter Site Group Code, if required>>
  • Enter any additional notes, as required.

4. Select "Apply"

This "Category" can then be used in the "Sites" tab to create a "Site Group".

User Permissions - Category Administration - A user will require the "Categories" permission in order to create new site groups as needed.

Step B - Create a Site Group

1. In Mandalay CS Admin, go to the "Sites" tab

2. Select the Site you wish to add to a Site Group

3. Use the "Type" drop down to select the required Site Group category

4. Select "Apply"

This "Site Group" can then be used in the "Products" tab to set a "Site Group Product Price".

 

Notes:

  1. Site to Group is a one-to-one: A site can only be a member of one group.
  2. User Permissions - Enterprise Administration: The "Site Group" can only be set by a user with Enterprise Level permissions.

3. Enterprise Data Administration

This section explains how to manage the data administration between the different sites.

User Permissions - Security around the level and sites that a user can access within Administration are discussed in Section 1.

3.1. Administration Levels

When a user logs into Administration, they will be able to define which level they wish to manage. A control will be available at the bottom of the Administration program to allow the administrator to adjust the level they are managing.

 

 This control will present either a tree list if multiple levels are available to a user or a fixed list if only specific sites are available. Each node sets the current session’s administration level.

The session levels are colour coded for the level of control, so red at enterprise level, amber at a site group, and green at a site.  This provides an additional visual cue is shown for current level of administration:

3.2. Filtering on the Enterprise Administration

The Filter option is used to allow the administrator filter the data on the tab to only show data that relates to that Administration Level.

For example, with the User list, and a site selected, all users are still shown.

Selecting the Filter option will filter the User list to show the Users which can be edited at this level:

  1. Select the Site Administration Level
  2. Apply the Filter
  3. The User List is reduced to users configured to that site
  4. The Sites list is also filtered

3.3. Administration Level Changes

When the administration level is changed, the following will occur:

  • Check for unsaved work. If there is, then it prompts the user and stops the change process.
  • Refresh the Site Lists to reflect the hierarchy visible for the selected level. For example, Changing from Enterprise to a site group in the session level, the site list will change from displaying the full hierarchy to the site group and contained sites:
  • If the Filter option is checked, refresh the administration lists based on the definition in section
  • Set the pricing context for products and client pricing based on definition in section 6.1  

Advanced Search - Site Filtering

The existing site filtering available through Advanced Search will still be available.  It is a simple mechanism of allowing the operator to view a list ((eg the User List), at the selected site, to mimic what set of items would be available in Ticketing. The following article has instructions on how to use the Advance Search filter.

4. Product Pricing - Site & Site Group Based

The Administration level controls are used to manage which site or group of sites that the product price will apply.

  • Enterprise level
    • Pricing behavior will be the same as the existing version of Mandalay CS. All prices will be considered the default pricing for the enterprise.
  • Site Group level -  Inherited Pricing - If no specific pricing has been set 
    • The enterprise pricing rules will be displayed as read only.  
    • A label in red will indicate that the current price is inherited from the Enterprise level.  
    • The Add button will not be provides.
    • The Override button will be available to allow the price to be overridden at the site group.
  • Site Group level - Specific Pricing
    • Pricing behaviour will be the same as the existing version of Mandalay CS
    • A "Revert" button will be provided to allow the price to be reverted to the inherited Enterprise price
    • The red label advising of an inherited price will not be shown.
  • Site level  - Inherited Pricing - If no specific pricing has been set  
    • The site group or enterprise pricing rules will be displayed as read only. Enterprise pricing will be shown if no specific pricing for the site group.
    • A label in red will indicate that the current price is inherited from the Enterprise or Site Group level.  
    • The Add button will not be provided.
    • The Override button will be available.
  • Site level - Specific Pricing
    • Pricing behaviour - will be the same as the existing version of Mandalay CS
    • A Revert button will be provided to allow the price to be reverted to the inherited Enterprise pricing.

Override Button - The override button is used allow a new price to be set that overrides the parent level. It will do the following:

  • Prompt user if they wish to copy the pricing from parent.
    • If the user selects Yes then the pricing rule is copied to the current context which can then be edited.
    • If the user selects No then no pricing rules are set and new pricing can be created.

Revert Button - The Revert button clears the current level, and pricing is reverted to the parent level.

5. Product Pricing - Client Price Category

To provide further distribution of pricing for a customer it’s possible to set price categories for specific products against a client by using the "Price Category" field in the "Client Pricing" tab.

5.1. Client Price List table

The client price list is populated with all products, with various filter options available.  The price list will present rows that include the following fields:

  • Product Name
  • Product Code
  • Price Category
  • Price
  • Contract
  • Favourite

Below is an example of a Price List Row:

Text cut off? Hover over any fields with text that is hidden and a pop up will display the full contents of the cell.

5.2. Price Category

The grid column will display both the price category and an annotation indicating the source of the price category.  This cell will be a searchable dropdown box that presents the current Price Category applicable for this customer at the current administration level. Default Price category will be shown if nothing has been specifically set.

Changing the Price Category against the Product -

The Administrator can change the price category by selecting a new price category from the dropdown list and then applying the change. If the price category was originally inherited from a previous level, then changing the category will setup an override of the inherited price.

A description of the current price based on the price category and admin level will be shown.

Note:

  • Apply - Once the product price category has been updated, the price displayed for this record will be read only until the changes are applied. This will avoid getting in context issues where the user will have no means of clearly seeing which price category and product price is being updated.  
  • Revert - To revert to the parent value, simply clear the selected Price Category and click Apply to save the changes.
  • Hover - To reveal hidden pricing details, hover over the field.

The grid columns will display both the price category and an annotation indicating the source of the price category:

  • Italics - If the font is italic, the price category is inherited. If not, it is specific for the specified client/product and enterprise level
  • "Client Default" - The price category is the client default price category the current enterprise level
  • "Client Default for Enterprise" - If you are viewing for Site or Site Group, and the price category is the enterprise client default price category
  • "Client Default for <Group Name>" - If you are viewing for a Site, and the price category is the parent site group client default price category
  • "Enterprise"  - If you are viewing for Site or Site Group, and the price category is the enterprise client product price category
  • "<Group Name>". If you are viewing for Site, and the price category is the parent site group client product price category

Changing the Product Price

Clicking the Price will display the full price display, and allow the price to be edited directly( or just viewed if the User isn't authorsed with the appropriate Product Price user permissions).

Price changes - From the Client Pricing tab, the authorised Admin User can make changes to the price at the current administration level for the product and specific price category in the relevant client price row.

5.3. Contracts

If there is a valid contract for the client and the product at the current admin level, then it will be indicated in this field.  

Viewing the Contract

  • Double click the contract check box - This will open the Contract view.
  • User Permissions: Contracts - the user performing this action requires the Contracts permission set against their corresponding User Group.

5.4. Favourites

If this box is checked, it indicates that this product is linked to the client as a Favourite.

Favourites - Enterprise Level permissions required - Favourites are not distributed across admin levels, so they can only be managed at Enterprise Level. If a site administrator needs to set a product as a Favourite they will need to contact an enterprise administrator to make the correction.

5.5. Price List Filters and Controls

Above the client price list will be section for controlling the following:

  • Default Price Category - For the current administration level
  • Price Season selection
  • Filtering options  - For the price list

There are several options available for the price list:

  • Season - Select the pricing season that the prices are applicable to. (This will default to the current calendar price season.)
  • Site - Select a specific site to filter the product list and show only the products available to this site. (This will also be automatically triggered if the user selects a site in the Admin Session Enterprise Level control. Eg: Killaloe)
  • Product - A free text search which will search either the product description or product code for a matching substring
  • Product category - Show products of a specified category
  • Has Contracts - Show only products for this customer that has customer contracts
  • Has favourites - Show only products that are favourites for this customer

5.6. Default Price Category

The default price category for the client is presented in the drop down. It will use the current Administration level to determine with category to show:

  • Enterprise - This is the default price category for the enterprise.
  • Site Group - If no default price category is defined at this level then the enterprise level is shown.
  • Site - If no default price category is defined at this level then the site group level is shown or Enterprise if nothing at the site group level.

The Administrator can change the default price category by selecting a new price category from the drop-down list and then applying the change. If the price category was inherited from a previous level, the price category displayed will be italicized

Changing the category will setup an override of the inherited price. Reverting to the inherited price category will require that the user select the blank entry in the default price category list and apply the changes.

Once a default price category change has been applied then the Client Price list, the user should refresh the tab to reflect this change.

If there is a valid contract for the client and the product at the current admin level, then it will be indicated in this field.