Template:FoodclubManual:SourceCoordinators

For Source Coordinators

Get source-admin access for your source on your regular food club user ID

• Source-admin access can be granted by the following members: club coordinator(s), membership coordinator
  
• With source-admin access, you will get additional buttons in your toolbar for sources which you have access to
  • ORDER PROCESSING- used to view the final order sent to the source, perform invoices processing and generate invoices for the order placed, as well as, archive the order after the drop.
  • SOURCE ADMIN - used to update the Source Home Page with new information about the source, as well as, update the Final Order shipping, delivery, and contact information.
  • GLOBAL ADMIN - used to update the Welcome Email sent to new members, as well as, the Nourishing Connections Food Club Login Page. Source-admins do not see this.
    

Common instructions

When in doubt about something, ask your club coordinators

• They like questions, and actually learn from them.
• It's also better to deal with problems preventatively, rather than after they occur.

Get informed

1. Keep up with the source's products and prices. This usually means frequently checking the source's website or subscribing to their newsletters.
   
2. If the source web site supports RSS feeds, subscribe so that you can be aware of changes.
   • Look at the very bottom of the website home page - in the footer you'll see an orange swirling icon
   • Click the icon to "subscribe"
   • An RSS viewer is already built-in most browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer and Firefox.
   • In Internet Explorer, if you click on your Favorites (the Star), you'll notice there are 3 tabs labeled, Favorites, Feeds and History. If you click on the "Feeds" tab you'll see your new RSS feed listed there. When you click on it in the Feed list, you'll see the latest articles without having to go to the website. Every time a new article is posted, it will automatically appear in the RSS Feed.
   • If you use Firefox, RSS Feeds are treated just like bookmarks. They will appear in your Bookmark list with a symbol just like the one above (it may not be bright orange).
   • You won't receive any email when you subscribe to an RSS feed. RSS feeds are offered by many websites and are there for your convenience. You can delete them just like you delete any Favorite or Bookmark.
3. Try to have personal contact with the source.
4. If you notice database errors, please e-mail the database administrator.

Subscribe to SOURCE Forum

1. Each SOURCE product coordinator must subscribe to the SOURCE forum and check them when new messages are posted to stay abreast on all SOURCE updates.
2. The forums will be used to discuss all pertanent information for the SOURCE, such as,
   • Any issues with setting up new accounts with the SOURCE
   • Coordinating regional SOURCE ordering, payment reimbursement, pickup, etc...
   • Lessons learned on what is working well, and what isn't
   • ...
3. To subscribe to the forums, following the directions at the top of the main forums page.
   

Inform food club members

1. Update the informaiton which appears on the source home page, make your suggestion in the SUPPORT forum for your source.
2. Use the forums and wiki to communicate with others as well
   

General Comments

1. When the user places an order, the price of the item in their shopping cart is the item price in the database at the time they placed the order.  If we updated the database, their cart will still have the old price.  If they want to see the correct price reflected in their cart (which is not necessary), they would have to delete the item and reenter it
2. The first time (in the cycle) the administrator goes to invoice processing, they read the current prices in the database, and will get the correct price for each member's invoice.   If the database prices change after an initial round of invoice processing, it is necessary to re-read database prices while performing invoice processing.
3. As long as product codes don't change when the database it updated, things can be worked out when there are database changes.  If product codes change, it is best to delete everyone's order and have them re-enter their orders.
4. Source coordinators work their way down the Order Processing row of buttons, e.g. the buttons are in chronological order

Update Final Order Invoices Headings

• This just needs to be done once when you first take over the source
• Update all final order delivery, shipping, product coordinator, and company contact information.

1. • Select a source from the drop-down box at the top of the screen.
   • Go to 'Source Settings'
     • Scroll down to the 'Information displayed on the Final Order' section.
     • Update accordingly.

Open the order

1. Double check to make sure the database is accurate.
2. Unlock Order - If the order is not yet unlocked, select the source that you with to unlock from the drop-down selection box, and click the "Unlock Order" button on the 'Order Processing' row.
3. Email the group to announce that the [SOURCE] order cycle has OPENED and that the [SOURCE] will be closing at X:XX on Sunday.

Close the order

1. Lock order -- If the order is not yet locked, select the source that you wish to lock from the drop-down selection box, and click the 'Lock Order' button on the 'Order Processing' row.
2. Email the group to announce that the [SOURCE] order cycle has CLOSED.
   

Send in the order

• Please note, that you do not have to send in the order the day the cycle ends, typically you will send the order in the next day.

1. Check order for reasonableness.
   • Go to the 'Group Order' - Select the 'Group Order' link at the top of the page.
     • If the order involves splits, make sure they make sense, for example:  Someone might order 2 cases of olive oil, when they probably meant to do a split request for 2 bottles of olive oil.
     • If some are "close", you might want to fill the split and put it as an 'extra' on the "extras table". Order the extras using the administrator id. This will make it clear (hopefully) that they are extras.
       • To 'fill the close splits', go to the 'Splits' page by clicking the 'Splits' link at the top of the page, and select 'request a split' for the items that you want to fill.  When you are done filling close splits, go back to the group order by selecting 'Group Order' on your 'Personal' option row at the top of the page.
2. Once the Group Order looks 'ok', proceed to the Final Order.
   
3. Click the 'Final Order' link at the top of the page.  The 'Final Order' link will be on your 'Invoice Processing' function row. 
   
4. If the Final Order contact, delivery, shipping, and/or product coordinator information is incorrect, update accordingly. See Update Final Order Invoices in Help for instructions.
   
5. This is the final order that you will be emailing/calling-in/faxing/etc... to the source.
   • To 'Email the Final Order' to the source, on the 'Final Order' page, go to File->Save Page As and save the final order as '[INSERT SOURCE NAME] Final Order'.  Make sure that the 'Save As File Type' is HTML Only.  Save the final order to your computer.  This will be the final order that is attached to your email when emailing your order to the source.
     
     • When you submit the final order by e-mailing, please ask for a confirmation e-mail.
     • Verify Order, see 'Perform Invoice Processing' Instructions. Our total should match the total that the source gives you.
   • To 'Call In the Final Order', while on the phone with the source:
     • Verify Order, see 'Perform Invoice Processing' Instructions. Our total should match the total that the source gives you.
     • Ask the supplier for free samples. They are usually happy to send them since it will probably help to increase their business.
     • Ask the supplier for any literature they have about their products or their company. We don't want to kill trees, but sometimes a catalog or a brochure telling about the product is useful.
     • Be sure to tell the company that you do not want your name rented, loaned, sold or shared with other entities, even affiliated companies.
     • Verify shipping/delivery information. Any food item to be shipped should go UPS. FedEx and USPS irradiate.
       
     • Verify billing information.
       
6. If shipping is additional, always pick the cheapest shipping option. If the source may not come in time for the drop date, please consult with the club coordinator(s) as the best way to handle the situation.
7. Double (and triple) check the ship to address. This is often the cause of errors. If the address is an apartment or building, please include apartment and suite numbers.

If your order is being picked up by someone else at another location

• Send your final order to the person doing the pick-up so that they don't forget any items.
  

Perform Invoice Processing

The overall goal at the end of invoice processing is to ensure that you, the source coordinator, are being charged exactly what we are 'charging' our members in our foodclub.org database.  So, if the grand total on our system is different from the final total the source provides you, then you need to identify what those variances are, either by talking to the company and/or reviewing the invoice that has been emailed to you.  This is where you are able to update the order in our database to account for those variances, such as, out-of-stock items, price changes, shipping/delivery fees, etc...

Please note:  If you emailed the order to the source, you will be able to verify the order using the confirmation email you receive back from the source.  Hence, you may be able to perform invoice processing the day you place the order, depending on when you receive a confirmation email from the source. If the order is placed by phone, it is recommended to balance while you are on the phone with the source.

The following steps will be done on the 'Invoice Processing' page.

• Select the source from the drop-down selection box.
• Click on the 'Invoice Processing' link at the top of the page on the 'Order Processing' function row.

If the database has been updated since some of the orders have been placed:

1. Reread prices from database.

If necessary to make split substitutions:

1. Click the split row on Splits as admin, which takes you to the Split edit page.
   

Check and Apply Taxes:

     *Please note that most items will NOT be taxed.

1. Check to see if any of the items are taxed. If some of the items are taxed, the tax can be applied now, during "Invoice Processing".
   • If all items are taxed, click the 'Toggle Tax On All Items' link to the right of the page.
   • If only certain items are taxed, under the 'Apply Tax' column, click the check boxes for the items that are taxed
     

Check For 'Out-Of-Stock' Items:

1. If an item did not come in due to an error with the order and/or beign out-of-stock, click the check box under the 'Out of Stock' column next to the item that did not come in.

Check For 'Returned for Refund' Items:

1. If an item was returned for a refund, click the check box under the 'Returned for Refund' column next to the particular item.

Verify All Item Quantities Were Ordered

1. The 'Do' buttons under the 'Separate by Item' column allow you to break an item apart into separate rows for each single quantity of the item. This would be useful in situations, such as, part of the item ordered being out-of-stock, or part of it being returned for refund, or some quantities of the item having different prices than others.
   • By clicking the 'Do' button, you will be able to update the item to reflect necessary changes.
     

Verify Prices:

1. Verify prices - if the prices on your confirmation email and/or invoice received with the order are different than what is on the source 'Invoice Processing' Page, do the following:
   • Enter the actual price in the 'Actual Price' field for the items with different prices.
     • This may occur if the items ordered in the database do not reflect the current month's 'Sale' prices. Hence, we update the prices to reflect the sale prices before printing the invoices.

If necessary add shipping fees

• Please note:  Before adding shipping fees in the system, ensure that all other invoice processing has been done (out-of-stock items identified, changes in product prices, etc...) and that the total cost in our system matches the total cost the PC is being charged (minus shipping fees).  This will help in troubleshooting, to know that the system was reconciled before applying the shipping costs.

Prorating shipping charges according to weight

• If Total dry weight appears on the invoice processing page, you can (almost automatically) prorate the shipping charges to each member based on the weight of the items they purchased. (see screenshot below)

[[File:]]

• To do so, you will need the following pieces of information (found on the shipping invoice), the TOTAL SHIPPING COST and the TOTAL DRY WEIGHT.
• Go to the Invoice Processing page.

1. Use the TOTAL SHIPPING COST and TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT to calculate the 'Dry Item Shipping Rate' on the Invoice Processing page.
   • 'Dry item shipping rate' = TOTAL SHIPPING COST/TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT
2. Verify that the 'Gross dry ship weight' for each item is complete.  Sometimes the system will prepopulate these fields.  Verify that they are correct, and that all items on the invoice processing page have a 'Gross dry ship weight'.  You can do this by one of 2 ways:
   • Get the weights from the shipping invoice, or
   • Weigh one bottle/jar/etc... of each like product to determine the 'Gross dry ship weight' for each product.  You will NOT need to weigh the entire case of items.  Just one product of each item ordered.  The system will calculate the total weight of the case based on the weight of a single product.
   • Enter the 'Gross dry ship weight' for each product into our system.
   • IMPORTANT:  The 'Gross dry ship weight' is in pounds.  Please ensure that you are working in pounds and not ounces.  Use the following conversion.
     • If given the weight in ounces, do the following calculation to convert it to pounds:
     • GROSS DRY SHIP WEIGHT (IN POUNDS) = WEIGHT OF PRODUCT IN OUNCES/16
     • Quick Reference Table:  Ounce to Pound conversion:
       • 0.5 oz = 0.03125 pounds
       • 1 oz = 0.0625 pounds
       • 2 oz = 0.125 pounds
       • 3 oz = 0.1875 pounds
       • 4 oz = 0.25 pounds
       • 5 oz = 0.3125 pounds
       • 6 oz = 0.375 pounds
       • 7 oz = 0.4375 pounds
       • 8 oz = 0.5 pounds
       • 9 oz = 0.5625 pounds
       • 10 oz = 0.625 pounds
       • 11 oz = 0.6875 pounds
       • 12 oz = 0.75 pounds
       • 13 oz = 0.8125 pounds
       • 14 oz = 0.875 pounds
       • 15 oz = 0.9375 pounds
       • 16 oz = 1 pound
3. Check the 'Total dry weight' at the bottle of the Invoice Processing page to ensure that it matches the TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT on the shipping invoice.
   • If the two weights are not the same, verify that the 'Gross dry ship weight' is correct for all products.
   • If the 'Gross dry ship weight' is confirmed/correct for each product, the difference may be the weight of packaging materials.
   • Adjust the 'Dry item shipping rate' accordingly to get the 'Total dry weight' to match the TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT on the shipping invoice.
   • To do so, do the following:
     • Determine the PACKAGING WEIGHT:
     • PACKAGING WEIGHT = TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT - 'Total dry weight'
     • Then, subtract the PACKAGING WEIGHT from the TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT to get the TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT NOT INCLUDING PACKAGING.
     • TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT NOT INCLUDING PACKAGING = TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT - PACKAGING WEIGHT
     • Then, determine the 'Dry item shipping rate' to cover the cost of the entire shipment including packaging
       • New 'Dry item shipping rate' = TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT NOT INCLUDING PACKAGING/TOTAL SHIPPING COST
       • Enter this new value in the 'Dry item shipping rate' field on the Invoice Processing page.
       • Verify that the 'Total dry weight' = TOTAL SHIPMENT WEIGHT
       • If the same, you're done!

Prorating a fee according to dollar amount spent

1. Fixed fee / Grand invoice total for the source = x
2. Put x in All-user percent fee (this is on the INVOICES page) - do not round. Even through it looks like the number got truncated, it did not.
3. Put description of fee in comment box.
4. Click Add all-user percent fee

Click the "Save prices entered" or the "Save Prices Entered and Show Invoices" button.

• This will take you to a page where you can add shipping/transportation fees.
  • If the order has a shipping and handling charge, it is usually divided evenly among those who have ordered for that source. If it doesn't divide evenly, the extra pennies can be added onto the largest order.
    
  • If there is a transportation fee, it is often a percentage of each person's order
    

Send invoices to all users before the drop

• Often it is nice to send a custom message with the invoice, just click 'E-mail invoices with above custom message'
  
  

When the order arrives

1. Select the source from the drop-down selection box.
   
2. Perform Invoice Processing again.
   
3. Either click "Save Priceses Entered and Show Invocies" button at the bottom of the 'Invoice Processing' page, or if you did not have to perform invoice processing again, you can go straight to the invoices, by clicking the 'Invoices' link at the top of the page on the 'Invoice Processing' function row.
   
4. Invoices will have been generated from performing invoice processing for all orders (which should have already been done, if not see Perform Invoice Processing . 
5. To view the invoices for all member's orders, scroll down the page on the 'Invoices' page.
6. To add any shipping and/or delivery fees, use the 'All-User Fixed fee' box and/or 'All-user percentage fee' box and click the appropriate 'add fee' button to add the fees to all invoices.
7. Balance (Total from the source invoice should match member invoices)
8. Print Invoices. Click "Printer friendly Summary Page and Individual Invoices" and print it using your browser's print command. This will print each person's bill on a separate piece of paper
9. Sort prior to the meeting if at all possible
   • For large orders, it is usually best to use "Group Order" to sort products. "Group order" can be sorted by column headings to make sorting even easier.
   • For orders involving splits, the "Group order" is used to see how a given split should be divided
10. Possibly email members when the invoices are ready. You may want to include information about pick up such as who to make their check payable to.

If you get exta items

• If they are just samples (small sizes that will not sell for any money), they may be given to those in the order or given to food club members who would like them.
• If they are actual products that can be sold...
  • The products should be sold at the same price which members must pay if they order them. The money made from this will go to the general food club treasury.
  • If this is a regional order, and the source sends one extra product, it will go to the chapter with the biggest dollar order. If the source sends two products, and their are two chapters involved, one product will go to each chapter.

At the drop

1. Bring orders and source summary page to the meeting.  If you can't be there on time, please drop the products off early or have someone else bring them to the meeting.  If you are running late, please call the host site.
   
2. Collect checks
   
3. Hand out the order and have members check their order for accuracy.
4. Have members initial the master order to signify they have checked their order and it is good.

After the drop

1. Balance (checks received should match member invoices)
2. If the source requires prepayment...
   • The checks go directly to the person who charged the amount
3. If the source will accept individual checks after delivery...
   • Mail checks in one envelope the day following delivery
   • Label envelope clearly
     • The front of the envelope should include "Attn: [name of contact]"
     • The back of the envelope should say "Re: [day/date] order from "food club name"
4. If the source requires one check from the group after delivery...
   • The day after delivery take the individual checks for deposit, and write one check from your personal account.
     • In the memo section of the check, write "food club name" and the order/invoice number
   • Label envelope clearly
     • The front of the envelope should include "Attn: [name of contact]"
     • The back of the envelope should say "Re: [day/date] order from "food club name"
5. Archive order- (Should be done within a few days after delivery. If the order is not archived by the next order cycle, your source will appear on the invoice summary for the next round and this is not what we want.)
   
   • Users have come to expect that they can see their current invoice under "invoices" until the time that they pick up. For this reason, archival is done the day after delivery.
     
   • Occasionally a check comes in after the drop date.  Some source coordinators perfer to wait to archive the source until all payment is received.
     
   • Archival steps
   1. Go to any foodclub page for your source
   2. Select "Archive Order" and confirm your intent when asked.
   3. Select wether you want to unlock the order after archiving or keep the order locked.  If you know the database is up to date, the order can stay unlocked and members can be allowed to start the new order cycle. If the database changes weekly, lock the order until the database for the next cycle is ready
   • Anything that goes into the archive can be viewed with "Archives"
     

Regional sources

• These are sources where a single food club chapter does not have enough orders to meet the minimum order for the source. Usually two food club chapters will pool their orders together to meet the minimum order for the source.
• Steps
  1. One chapter takes the lead
  2. Each chapter opens their respective source
  3. Each chapter closes their respective source
  4. All chapters e-mail their final order to the lead. Using the forums is always best as there is a record.
  5. The lead puts each chapters final order into their chapter's order - usually with a dummy id created for this purpose
  6. The lead computes invoices, and e-mails the amount owed to the non-lead chapters. If the invoice is received on-line, that should be e-mailed to the non-lead chapters as well. This is done as soon after the products are received as possible. Sometimes problems arise and the most time we have to work them out, the better.
     
  7. The non-lead chapters must then brake down the invoices for individual members and do their own invoice processing. Double checking each other's invoices is always a good thing.
  8. The lead coordinator is responsible for having items at a designated point at a designated time, so that the transportation to the non-lead chapters will work.
  9. If your source is being picked up by someone, send them an e-mail telling them exactly what to pick up. When your transported source arrives, be there for pick up and sorting.
  10. The non-lead chapter will usually send one check to the lead chapter after delivery - It's possible the non-lead chapter will have to send the check sooner if the lead chapter coordinator will be out a significant amount of money.