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A user can browse the anonymous site, add items to a cart with quantities and using RRP - when they get to the checkout pages and either provide login details or create a login - they will transition seamlessly to the logged in shopping site.  The cart on the anonymous site is passed to the logged in site and becomes a sales order that is awaiting payment or fulfillment (depending on the customers terms).  Any credit card payments are managed via the logged in site.

External Shopping Sites (eg Shopify or Magento or others)

Where you use an external shopping site consider the following development may be required

1. External sites are an integration
   1. Processes in either system can push data to the other system as a step - ie as it happens
   2. Batch process can request or push data to other systems regularly - ie every 15 mins
   3. Integrations typically involve many touch points leading to more possible points of failure and related expense
   4. We recommend avoiding external shopping sites - however we know not all customers will follow that advice
2. Available stock feed will be required regularly to update the site and should lie about the stock levels
   
   1. Example 100 in stock, 50% of sales via website, 100 will last 4 days at normal sale levels and take 5 days to restock, Tell website there are only 50 in stock
3. May want customer credit notes to be made available on the website
   1. Requires current unallocated amount - not just credit note amount
   2. Recommend batch update > then a live check in order checkout
4. Orders may be picked up or may be pushed in
   1. Pushing orders uses XML via gRPC and is the most modern integration method
   2. Orders may be paid or part paid requiring a payment to also be created
   3. Orders will have to pass validation checks prior to picking, Address, stock available, stock known etc.
5. Customer information will be required in both places
   1. Option 1 - changes pushed from website to our system and from our system to website as they happen or in batch
   2. Option 2 - update addresses on debtors as orders flow in
6. Customer login may dictate customer setup
   1. Business customers with multiple stores may require each store to login and not see other stores details
      1. May require parent child relationships (100% owner set on child) in SaaSplications with Child debtor set to "Invoice my Parent".  Hence orders will be on child accounts but invoices will all be in the one parent account.
7. Specialist products or processes can be managed across the systems
   1. Eg items that can be split into smaller components
   2. Configuration products
   3. Repairs
   4. Bulk returns with internal inspection processes
   5. others as defined required by each business
   6. Note that the more processes being integrated the less likely an external integration is the best solution.

Logged in Shopping

Once a user has logged in - all information is provided by our server.  This makes it easy to provide customer specific pricing, promotions, products, terms, invoice and payment history etc - any information about the customer can be provided.  For example - if the customer has a partially completed unsubmitted order they can open it and continue adding to it then submit it.

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