Information Systems:Web Orders Feature Request

Overview

As of August 2017, it has been 9 years since Web Orders was refreshed. There is thus a lot of room for improvement, both functional and aesthetic, front-end and back-end. This page is a pinboard for potential features, and general musings on the modernization of Web Orders.

Wanted features

These are not in order of priority and they are not official requests. They're simply my musings. norwizzle (talk)

• AJAX notification banner for recently placed POS orders to reduce reliance on email order confirmations, which look like garbage. Stores are logged into Web Orders all day. It would be nice if, upon a page load (or upon some user activity), a check is done for any POS orders submitted for that store in the last 2-3 hours, and a banner is displayed if that order is processed successfully or has any exceptions. Preferably, clicking the banner would bring up an aesthetically-pleasing (read: comprehensible) order confirmation. Sheila implemented an area in Web Orders where you can already see the same order confirmation as what is emailed as a PDF, but user adoption has been very low. Unsurprising, as the user must consciously know and want to check for POS order status through Web Orders.

• AJAX notification post-login and on cart page for under-minimum POS orders. This would serve customers (non-shareholders), so it may be a lower priority, but the value in this is to curtail calls/hotlines Customer Service has to deal with regarding held orders.

• Bootstrap, modern CSS framework for a more responsive site. Currently, HTML tables are being used to implement design, which is soooo 1931.

• Clearer error messages and error message placement i.e. modal or notification banner
• Dialog boxes for confirmations and input (i.e. missing pharmacist number, or "Submit this order?")

• Change password and reset password self-service, using WebSmart mail function. Who calls to reset a password these days?

• Better self-service user administration (interface and functionality). Make user permissions/authorities clearer to the admin/user i.e. display list of allowed/not allowed functions.

• Dynamic display of order cut-offs. Place their cut-off time at the top of the page, depending on their account type (shareholder/non-shareholder) and time of day. It would just be another thing that can only provide value to shareholders. Sort of how Amazon has "Delivered by tomorrow if placed in 5:05 min". Our cut-offs are static and an SLA governs our contract with carriers. It's a chance to flaunt our level of service.

• Perhaps Apache mod_rewrite should be used for simpler and more meaningful URLs (https://orders.unipharm.com/cart rather than https://orders.unipharm.com/uw_cart.pgm+long_string_of_garbage). Not a big deal or priority, and needs to be explored for feasibility.

• Have a page in user profiles that they can use to fill out what email address they want statements, invoices, debit notes, order confs and general correspondence to go to. When there is a change on that page for a SH or a CU, Accounting and CS get an email showing the changes.

• A long time ago JohnT wanted to have pictures for all items, not just HHC. There was a project for this going back many years but it was never started.

• JohnT also wanted a way for Web Orders to generate a web page link that would show the tracking for a shipment by Loomis or the other carriers. The CDW website can do that for orders that have been invoiced. The site has an external link to the carrier that shows the status of the shipment.

• A lot of the customized reporting pages that Sheila built really need some polish. You can call it OCD all you want but having menu items and columns and pull downs all in lower case letters is kinda shabby and it looks unprofessional, so I think this is a low effort thing that can easily be improved.

• The reason codes in the claim form should be in alphabetical order

• It may be difficult for some people to search for invoice numbers and input them into a claim form. You need 2 windows to do this at the moment and some non-tech savvy people may not know how to do that. Some easier way to input the numbers into the claim form is needed.

• It would be very helpful if the regular cart could notify the user if they are putting in a PO number that they have already used in the past. I don't know what error checking there is right now but this would prevent some frustration with new stores or new users to Web Orders

• In the regular catalog the Vendor search box should behave the same way as the Class search box with a pull-down menu of available vendors.

• The convenience of browsing through item classes found in Maintenance -> SRPs should also be implemented in the general catalog (so that users can add to cart when browsing a list of items in an item class).

• A customer brought up an idea of a notification system for stock availability. The idea was extrapolated into a grander discussion about a general notification system based on inventory monitors (e.g. stock alerts).

• Carts expire after 30 days. Some situations call for long-sitting carts. Saved carts would be a nice feature, but users should be also generally be alerted if their carts are about to expire.

• Claim Form History, Claim Inquiry