Overview
This article outlines the basic steps that a new user of SEOM should follow after purchasing the program. This article is intended to be a general guide, not a step by step cookbook, and refers the reader to other sources of information for more detailed instructions, such as our Web site, the Knowledge Base, or the User Guide.
Another overlooked resource is the Quick Start Guide, which is distributed in the program installation folder, normally C:\StoneEdge\Documentation, or it can be found in the Knowledge Base under Additional Resources.
What’s Next?
So, you’ve purchased SEOM and are anxious to get the program up and running. Here are the steps that should be taken, in the most common order, to ensure the smooth installation and setup of the program:
- Review the system requirements and make sure that your hardware meets or exceeds those specified on our Web site.
- Review the system requirements for the software that is needed for SEOM to run. Make sure that those components are installed and have the latest maintenance available from the vendor applied. For instance, Microsoft Access is a requirement. View the system requirements page to determine supported versions of that software, and review the Microsoft Software book in the Knowledge Base to find any special requirements or instructions for your version of MS Access. Make sure that those instructions have been completed prior to installing the program. It is also advisable to review any Knowledge Base articles that pertain to the operating system that is installed on each workstation that will run SEOM.
- Become familiar with the features of the Shopping Cart or Carts used with SEOM. Have all credentials available before beginning the installation of the program, as that information is needed when executing the Setup Guide.
- Have your credit card gateway credentials handy, as that information can also be entered when executing the Setup Guide.
- Decide if inventory should be tracked by SEOM (system parameter CheckInventory).
- If items will be drop-shipped, review the parameters in the Drop Ship parameter group.
- Install SQL Server, SEOM, and the PM. Follow the instructions in the Implementation Guide.There are also two Knowledge Base topics that provide images of the process when installing in a single workstation environment or in a networked environment.
- Run through the Setup Guide to configure the minimal program settings and import data.
- Familiarize yourself with the program by viewing the order, product, customer and supplier data that was imported. Review the Knowledge Base article, Processing Orders. This article is a general reference and may not suit the flow of every user’s business. It is possible to perform some of the steps in a different sequence to meet your needs.
- Configure the shipping software you will use, either an internal or external solution, according to the directions in Knowledge Base.
- Once you have been able to import and ship orders successfully, you may want to investigate other program features that were not covered in the Setup Guide, such as Status Updates and Real-time Inventory Synchronization, which depend on the capabilities of the shopping cart system.
- If you want to track inventory at the attribute level and your shopping cart does not provide a unique SKU for each combination of a product’s attributes, use SEOM to Build Sub-SKUs.
- Email templates can be customized.
- Explore the Multi-Order Processor, Purchase Order system, or other advanced program features. Refer to the Knowledge Base for additional information.
- Setup maintenance procedures to compact the store data file (MS Access databases only), and backup the store data file, as well as the Custom Reports Database and Email Templates folder.