Customer Accounts Online

[Ginnys Attic]

I have done this kind of thing recently. There are a lot of problems with the way Actinic handles its orders, with respect to its offline nature. My solution, was to upload the data to a database, and then let customers log in.

Trust me when I say that its more complex than it initially looks.

I dont think that an Actinet plugin is out of the question for the management of such a backend, but not at the moment. There are many more pressing matters to tend to.

I was wondering if this sort of functionality would maybe appear from within something like Actinet. Seems to me you would have a fair few customers willing to purchase the software if such functionality for our customers were available

I can't get past level 14 either, darn x-box lol.

Any tips on how to get past level 12?

[Chunkford]

They can be served with different prices, different payment methods and do not need to fill out the checkout process are the first 3 that spring to mind. Plus sections can be completely hidden from normal customers etc.

Can the account login be use so they can retrieve a save order placed by us?

What i mean is, can we create a account, we log into their account. Create a order for them. Inform them that there order has been created, so all they have to do is log into their account, check the order and then pay?

Paul

[DeDanan]

Hi All,
I have been looking at a work around for this as follows:
1. Importing data into Quick books
2. Transfer required data to Alpha5 database server edition via
QOBC license from Flexquarters
3. Upload alpha5 database providing a customer login.
This will allow customers to view (not edit for security reasons) their accounts.
This is not as simple as 1,2,3 and I have not done it yet but I think it is doable this way.
Anyone tried it this way?

Also one of the "example" websites on the Actinic US website had this feature, I forget the name of the site but they sold plumbing / builder supplies.
Regards
Jim

[leehack]

Can the account login be use so they can retrieve a save order placed by us?

What i mean is, can we create a account, we log into their account. Create a order for them. Inform them that there order has been created, so all they have to do is log into their account, check the order and then pay?

Paul

Not a chance. Orders details can only be saved in a cookie on the users machine. Only way you could do what you want is to hijack their browser and do it for them.

However V9 now has an offline ordering facility which looks good, perhaps that would be a better proposition.

[Chunkford]

Not a chance. Orders details can only be saved in a cookie on the users machine. Only way you could do what you want is to hijack their browser and do it for them.

However V9 now has an offline ordering facility which looks good, perhaps that would be a better proposition.

Thanks for the reply. I shall inform the boss, and look into v9

[lazyeye]

Almost certainly in a few years time, actinic will need to go online database in some way, but i don't see you getting this kind of functionality for quite a while.

this how a bad initial design decision can affect a product's future. Choosing the keep the database offline is limiting.


I'm not for the de facto creation of a account for each customer (as is done on most commercial websites) but rather to leave that decision up to the customer. One could, for instance, first ask the customer if he/she/it would like to create an account and then proceed accordingly.

[Goz]

this how a bad initial design decision can affect a product's future. Choosing the keep the database offline is limiting.


I'm not for the de facto creation of a account for each customer (as is done on most commercial websites) but rather to leave that decision up to the customer. One could, for instance, first ask the customer if he/she/it would like to create an account and then proceed accordingly.

I don't think that a retrospective viewpoint on a matter of product positioning is helpful. The decision taken by Actinic to develop the product as an off-line database will have been driven by factors that are not applicable in today's world. The design decision was, I think, correct at the time.

Of course, choosing to keep the database offline is limiting - SOTBO - but valid at the time and still has many benefits now.

I'm really not sure of the point of your post. It drags up a 10 month old thread and IMHO doesn't add anything meaningful to that debate -other than to reiterate that it would be nice if we had on-line customer accounts... and history..... and a good number of other things that an online database will bring