Information Systems:Electronic Ordering

Background

There are two primary ways of ordering from uniPHARM: Web Orders, and POS Orders. This section discusses the latter. POS systems are proprietary software (with complementing hardware, in some cases) that communicate with uniPHARM to place orders and, in some cases, retrieve invoices. Most POS systems communicate via FTP, while some send orders via email. For the store, a POS system is a way to do inventory management, as quantities can be managed for each product and thus automated ordering can be set up based on levels of stock. While Web Orders allows for convenient on-demand ordering, POS systems are becoming more and more popular for stores that want better control, automated ordering, and insight into their inventory.

Setup Instructions

Upon acquiring a POS/PMS system, either the POS vendor (most cases) or the store will request for credentials to be able to connect their software to our system. Most of the configuration is related to FTP connectivity, as email connectivity (where applicable) is pre-configured. The major steps in setting up a store for FTP Orders connectivity are as follows:

Create folders on the Mail server

Using remote desktop or Windows Explorer, navigate to the C:\FTPOrders folder on Mail. Create a folder for the store using their account number as the folder name. Within this folder, create another folder with the name of the POS ('assystpos', 'assystrx', 'kroll', 'ranger', etc.).

For example, Northview Pharmacy (12345) uses 2 systems (one for front store and one for pharmacy management):

C:\FTPOrders\12345\ranger\

C:\FTPOrders\12345\kroll\

Within these folders, create invoices, orders and orders\archive. This results in:

C:\FTPOrders\12345\ranger\invoices

C:\FTPOrders\12345\ranger\orders

C:\FTPOrders\12345\ranger\orders\archive

Generate Serv-U account

Make an FTP account for the store in Serv-U. When creating the account, the username by convention is the store/customer number. A random password is automatically generated. Important: These details need to be logged into the spread sheet titled "FTP Order Accounts" on Superserver, as once the password is created, it cannot be retrieved (you can only generate another password). Specify these additional settings:

• Home directory should be set to the folder that contains the invoices and orders subfolders i.e. C:\FTPOrders\12345\ranger
• Ensure Lock home user in directory is checked.

Set Permissions and Virtual Paths

Under the Directory Access tab, set the following permissions:

(R) - Read, (L) - List, (W) - Write, (D) - Delete, (E) - Execute, (C) - Create directory, (N) - Rename, (I) - Inherit

C:\FTPOrders\12345 - R, L, I

C:\FTPOrders\12345\ranger\orders - W

C:\FTPOrders\12345\ranger\invoices - W, D, N

C:\FTP Root\catalogue\bc-share - R, L (Use bc-nonsh if this is a Customer.)

Virtual paths are folder aliases that point to a specific folder when using a relative path name i.e. /invoices. It is only really required when you allow users to navigate away from their root directory (home folder). Since we lock users in their home folder, the only virtual path we need to establish is the catalog folder:

C:\FTP Root\catalogue\bc-share %HOME%\catalogue C:\FTP Root\catalogue\bc-share %HOME%\catalog

The second rule accounts for the alternate spelling of catalog that may be used during initial store setup.

IBM i configuration

FTP configuration on the i involves two files - one to retrieve order files from our FTP server (mail), and one to write invoices to the same server. A record will need to be added to both files for each store setup:

1. In Extensions, use menu option 22 - Work with UWD IT Tools and 30 - FTP connections
2. Add the records below by using menu options 4 and 5. F10 within DFU adds a new record

4-Order FTP Configuration

Name:                   Cust12345                                          
Description:            Northview Pharmacy                                 
FTP Server:             ftp.unipharm.com                                   
FTP User ID:            ftporders               <-- The i uses the same account for all stores to access their folders on the FTP server                           
FTP Password:           visionit525                                        
FTP Directory:          12345/ranger/orders     <-- Double-check this folder to make sure it's the same as the one you created on the FTP server                           
FTP Archive Directory:  archive                                            
M=Move D=Delete N=None: M                                                  
Transmission Source:    FTP                                                
Customer # Type:        UWD                                                                       
Ext 1:                  X12                     <-- Use KRO for Kroll, DAT for AssystPOS/AssystRx, X12 for DCS/Ranger                 
Ext 2:                                                                     
Ext 3:

5-Invoice FTP Configuration

Partner:       12345                                              
Order Source:                                   <-- Leave blank to set as the catch-all i.e. all other invoices sent to this POS
Description:   Northview Pharmacy - Default                       
FTP Server:    ftp.unipharm.com                                   
FTP User ID:   ftporders                                          
FTP Password:  visionit525                                        
FTP Directory: 12345/ranger/invoices            <-- Double-check this folder to make sure it is the same as the one you created on the FTP server.

Creating a second account for a second POS system (if necessary)

Should a store request setup for a second POS/PMS system, follow the steps above with these additional changes:

1. Make their second Serv-U account unique by appending a letter to the end of their username e.g. 12345K, for a Kroll installation.
2. Append the same letter when creating new records in the Order and Invoice FTP configuration on the i e.g. 12345K and Cust12345K
3. Create the necessary folders, see instructions in section Create folders on the Mail server

POS Systems used by uniPHARM customers

This section details previous experiences and general notes about the various POS and PMS systems that interact with uniPHARM. With the exception of WinRx, on-site I.T. staff have no access to the software, so the following information is the result of over-the-phone troubleshooting experience and dealing with the technical support departments of these companies.

Telus AssystRx/AssystPOS (formerly Tricomp)

• There are stretches of time where some stores place orders that never reach our system. They may or may not get an order confirmation (most of the time they do not), but there is also no seeming error on their end, leading to the frustrating experience of not receiving an expected delivery the next day. To date, the exact cause of this is unknown, but it is suspected that the Pharmanet connection is the culprit. See Pharmanet for explanation

Ok a few things to clarify here..
 - The Assyst app relies on the routing as defined on their Unix server..site does not run Assyst Rx-A or POS on a Windows server. Yes..they have windows wkstns, and they are using some

Windows based mail application to receive their email replies..the confirmation emails...but the orders outbound to Unipharm originate from the Unix server.

 - The routing the email order will take follows whatever is defined on Unix server and in this case, since the Pharmanet path is the server's Default gateway with no other

Static routing defined....ALL traffic from the Unix server is presently going out the Pnet path. This is NOT something defined within the Assyst application per se...but is at the Unix level.

 - To alter the path when a customer is using both Assyst RX-A and POS...and therefore needs to send claims to Pnet from the same Unix server, it is common to leave the Pnet path as

The default, and if other destinations should have or must have a non-Pnet path such as their alternative HS router, then we would ADD static routes to the Unix server redirecting that traffic Via the alternate gateway. IN this example, if we wish to keep the Unix server sending Pnet /RX related traffic out Pnet path, and only intervene to have Unipharm destined order emails Go out thru hsrouter, we would add a route on Unix server like: /etc/route add mail.unipharm.com 192.168.0.2 ( where 0.1 is the def GW Pnet path, and 0.2 is the hsrouter path ).

 - This routing is not application or protocol specific...it would send anything destined to mail.unipharm.com out this hsrouter path after such a setting got applied. 

This would also remain in place thru any Unix server reboot as it gets added into server startup scripts that execute every time server is rebooted.

 - As Norwin pointed out, such routing decisions could not be applied by the Dlink 1024 switch as it is not a Layer 3 ( routing capable ) switch, so the only places to 

Apply and control routing here are directly on the Unix server itself, or depending on what the actual "router" units are that are installed in this network, on the routers themselves. Some routers can support having "static"routes added into them, others can not.

        Don

Pharmacy Management Systems (PMS)

--norwinu (talk) 10:17, 13 July 2015 (PDT) To my limited understanding, a PMS has the functionality of a POS, in that it is able to place orders from uniPHARM, but it also manages the dispensing and inventory of pharmaceuticals.