Chapter 80: E-Commerce Catalog Requests

Purpose: The EC_CAT_REQ job, started through Working with E-Commerce Job Control (EJCT), creates a catalog request when the customer enters a request on the web storefront. The main purposes of this job:

• receive and process catalog requests for sold to or individual customers.

• create the sold to customer or individual customer if the customer does not exist.

• update the sold to customer or individual customer if the customer information is updated.

Additionally, if the response_required field is 1, the system sends an E-Commerce Catalog Request Response message back to the web storefront.

Duplicate catalog requests: If the Edit for Duplicate Catalog Requests (E46) system control value is set to Y, the system checks for duplicate catalog requests, based on match code. If a duplicate catalog request exists, the system does not create the duplicate catalog request. However, the system will still send an E-Commerce Catalog Request Response Message (CWCatreqResponse) back to the web storefront.

E-Commerce catalog requests in error: If the E-Commerce Catalog Request Message (CWCatRequest) contains an error, the system places the catalog request in the Catalog Request Interface file. You can correct the errors using the Working with the Catalog Request Interface (WCRU) menu option.

CTI Telephone Scan file: If you create a new sold to customer or new individual customer in an e-commerce catalog request and the Use Computer Telephony Integration (F26) system control value is set to Y, the system creates a record in the CTI Telephone Scan file.

In this chapter:

• Customer Creation/Update Logic in E-Commerce Catalog Requests

• Creating/Updating Sold To Customers in E-Commerce Catalog Requests

• Creating/Updating Individuals in E-Commerce Catalog Requests

• E-Commerce Catalog Request Response

• E-Commerce Catalog Request Message (CWCatRequest)

• E-Commerce Catalog Request Response Message (CWCatreqResponse)

Customer Creation/Update Logic in E-Commerce Catalog Requests

In addition to creating a catalog request, the E-Commerce Catalog Request Message (CWCatRequest) allows you to create or update a sold to customer and/or individual customer.

Creating/Updating Sold To Customers in E-Commerce Catalog Requests

Creation sold to logic: If you receive a catalog request from the web storefront for a customer that does not exist, the system creates a new customer.

If the Edit for Duplicate Catalog Requests (E46) system control value is set to Y, the system checks for duplicate catalog requests, based on match code. If a duplicate catalog request exists, the system does not create the duplicate catalog request. However, the system will still send a catalog request response back to the web storefront. See Checking for Duplicate Catalog Requests.

When you create a new customer through the E-Commerce Catalog Request Message (CWCatRequest), the system creates the new customer in the Customer Sold To file. The current and original mail type fields are set to C (catalog request). If the Track Customer History at Entity Level (F89) system control value is set to Y, the system also creates a Customer Entity record for the entity associated with the source code.

Opt in/opt out flag: If the catalog request received from the web storefront does not contain a value in the bill_to_opt_in flag, the system defaults the setting of the Default Opt In/Opt Out Flag (G97) system control value.

Update sold to logic: If the catalog request is for an existing customer and the value of an existing field changes, such as the Email address field, the system updates the customer. See Chapter 28: Creating and Updating Sold-to Customers (WCST).

Customer ownership: You can create or update customer ownership records for the sold to customer using the CustOwnership element in the E-Commerce Catalog Request Message (CWCatRequest). Customer ownership allows you to capture and confirm information about the products a customer currently owns or previously owned.

The system looks at the Company, Customer #, and Ownership ID fields in the Customer Ownership file to determine if the customer ownership record on the catalog request is a new record or updated record.

• If the company, customer number, and ownership ID values on the catalog request match a record in the Customer Ownership file, the system updates the Active flag, Entry date, Confirm date, and Description fields for the existing customer ownership record.

• If the company, customer number, and ownership ID values on the catalog request do not match a record in the Customer Ownership file, the system creates a new customer ownership record for the sold to customer.

If a value is not defined for the cust_own_ID field, the system creates a customer note indicating the customer ownership record was not created/updated: Missing Ownership ID: Ownership Description. The system does not place the e-commerce catalog request in an error status because of customer ownership errors.

Note: If the catalog request contains errors, the system places the catalog request in the Catalog Request Interface file. You will need to correct the errors in the Working with the Catalog Request Interface (WCRU) menu option. If this happens, the system does not retain the customer ownership information when you correct the errors and reprocess the catalog request.

See Working with Customer Ownership for more information on creating and updating customer ownership records for a sold to customer.

Creating/Updating Individuals in E-Commerce Catalog Requests

The Enable Catalog Request at Individual Level (H81) system control value controls whether you can specify an individual on a catalog request. This system control value must be set to Y to enter a catalog request at the individual level; if this system control value is set to N, the system places catalog requests containing individual information in an error status in the Working with the Catalog Request Interface (WCRU) menu option.

Creation sold to logic: If a new individual is defined for the sold to customer on the catalog request message, the system creates the new individual for the customer in the Customer Individual file, using the next sequential number. The individual’s Original mail type and Current mail type will be C, the Mail and Rent flags will default from the sold to customer’s, and the Mail code will default from the Mail flag.

Update sold to logic: If an existing individual is defined for the sold to customer on the catalog request message, the system updates the individual’s address, mail flag, and opt-in/opt-out flag if you have changed them.

E-Commerce Catalog Request Response

The response_required field in the E-Commerce Catalog Request Message (CWCatRequest) indicates if the system sends anE-Commerce Catalog Request Response Message (CWCatreqResponse) back to the web storefront.

Note: The e-commerce catalog request response message is available for XML messages only, not name/value pair messages.

• 0, blank, or a value other than 1 indicates a catalog request response message is not sent to the web storefront.

• 1 indicates a catalog request response message is sent to the web storefront.

The catalog request response message indicates the company, customer number, and optionally, individual number, used to create the catalog request.

• The customer_number in the catalog response message identifies the sold to customer on the catalog request.

• If the customer_ number is 000000000, the catalog request did not process correctly and needs to be corrected through Working with the Catalog Request Interface (WCRU).

• If the system created a new customer, the customer_number identifies the newly assigned customer number; otherwise the customer_number identifies the existing sold to customer.

• The individual_number in the catalog response message identifies the individual on the catalog request.

• If the individual_number is 000, an individual is not associated with the catalog request.

• If the individual_number is 000 and the customer_number is 000000000, the catalog request did not process correctly and needs to be corrected through Working with the Catalog Request Interface (WCRU).

• If the system created a new individual, the individual_number identifies the newly assigned individual number; otherwise, the individual_number identifies the existing individual.