The Parameters menu selection under Tools is home to the parameter settings in [i] Merchant. There are other ways of getting to the parameter programs, but everything is housed in the Parameters program as a convenience tool.
To access the Parameters program:
Select Tools-Parameters from the [i] Merchant Desktop. A Parameter list screen appears. This lists all of the parameter programs at your disposal. Scroll through them to choose whichever parameter program you want to access (by double-clicking on it). Note, you can only select one parameter from this list at a time. If you have selected one parameter and have its screen open, the system will not allow you to select another parameter from the list until you close the screen for the already-selected parameter.
There are essentially two types of parameters listed here: basic parameters that contain only codes and descriptions, and more layered parameters that contain codes and descriptions as well as additional elements.
Following, there is a general description of the basic parameters. For a description of each layered parameter, just click on the appropriate link below.
When you access a basic parameter program, the Find screen will appear. All existing records for the selected parameter will appear in the grid at the bottom of the screen, unless you choose otherwise. Each record will display a code and description.
|
Important: |
The default mode in [i] Merchant is for all parameter records to display in the grid at the bottom of the Find screen once a parameter has been selected. However, you have a choice in terms of which parameter records should display.
The "Prefill Finder With" option is chosen on a parameter-by-parameter basis. You need to set it up for each parameter, if you desire. Changes made to the "Prefill Finder With" selection will occur after you back out of the Find screen and then reenter for the applicable parameter(s). |
To select an existing parameter record, simply double-click on the code/description you want (or highlight the record and click on the Properties toolbar icon). The Properties window for that record appears. This is where you maintain the code and description.
At the Properties screen, if you want to alter the code and/or description, key in the desired changes, and then Save and Close out of the screen. This will take you back to the Find screen. From here, either select another parameter record or Close out. Once you Close out of here, you will be taken back to the Parameter list screen.
To create a new code and description:
From the Find screen for a particular parameter, simply click on the New toolbar icon. The Properties window displays for the parameter record.
Key in the code and description in the appropriate fields, then Save, and exit out of Properties. That's all there is to it. The new record is now created.
To delete a code and description:
Select the record you wish to delete from the grid at the bottom of the Find screen. The Properties window appears.
At the Properties screen, select Edit-Delete from the menu at the top of the screen. A prompt asks you if want to delete the record from the system. Click on "Yes."
Layered parameters are more complex, as they include more information than just a code and a description. Here is a list of some of the layered parameters in [i] Merchant. To read more about a specific layered parameter, simply click on the link...
When you are through with the Parameter list screen, simply click on the "x" at the top right of the Parameter list screen to exit.
The Administration menu can be reached by selecting Tools-Administration. There are seven choices under the Administration submenu: PC Settings, Designers, Database Maintenance, Credit Cards Not Authorized, Inventory Change Log Inquiry, and Security. Designers leads to a futher submenu, from which you can either choose Screen Designer , Column Designer , or Label Designer. PC Settings is where you set up and maintain your PC information within [i] Merchant. Database Maintenance is where you can run a Keywords Builder to allow you to use Keywords in product searches, run Database Utilities programs as needed, establish the parameters for the Database Maintenance Scheduler, do an Author Merge, Recycle Balance Cards, and do global editing on products and POs. Credit Cards Not Authorized deals with PC Charge credit card transactions that did not go through at the POS, but need to be authorized at a later time. Inventory Change Log Inquiry allows you to call up selected products and view their onhand adjustments (via sale, return, transfer, etc.) over a desired date range.
When you first access the PC Setting program, the Find PC Setting screen will appear, where you can either find an existing PC on your [i] Merchant system, or add a new one..
To add a new PC to your [i] Merchant system:
At the Find PC Setting screen, click on the New button in the toolbar. A New PC Setting window displays. In the Devices field, select the PC from your network to add to the [i] Merchant system. Simply click on the arrow to the right of the field and scroll through the list. All PCs on your store network should appear; then click on the one you want to add to the system. It will appear in the Devices field.
Next, click on the Next button in the New PC Setting window. You are immediately transported to the PC Setting Properties screen, where you then set up the information for this PC.
Important:
Each PC that runs [i] Merchant--both registers and nonregisters--must be licensed. If you have met your license count, you will not be able to add any more PCs to your [i] Merchant network (for example, if you have only licensed five PCs under [i] Merchant, and then attempt to add a sixth onto the system, the system will block the attempt). If you need to license more PCs with [i] Merchant, please contact Computac Customer Service.
You can, however, remove a PC from the [i] Merchant network, which will reduce your license count by one. This frees up one space for a new or different PC to be added back to the [i] Merchant network. This is a good practice if you don't need to add PCs, but would rather replace old PCs with new ones, for example.
Every PC that you wish to include in your [i] Merchant network must be added here in PC Settings. If you do not add a PC to the [i] Merchant network, it will not interact with the system.
The PC Setting Properties screen is where you set up and maintain the PC's information within [i] Merchant. There is an assortment of fields.
The PC Name field automatically fills in with the network name of the PC. There is no reason to change this, though when adding a PC to [i] Merchant, you can if you want. Once you have added the PC to the system and then visit the Properties page again, the Network Name field is grayed out and inaccessible.
In the Register field, select from the available Register IDs within your system by clicking on the binoculars icon to the right of the field, or by pressing F3 while your cursor is positioned in the field. The Register ID program screen appears. From here, select the Register ID you want. If you need to add a Register ID first, you can do that once you access the Register ID program.
|
Note: |
If the PC you are adding to [i] Merchant is not going to serve as a register, then simply leave the Register ID field blank. |
Please note, all of the following fields deal with peripheral equipment that will be used with the register you are setting up. With the exception of the Pin Pad Com Port, Barcode Printer, and Report Printer fields, each of the following fields needs to be OPOS (Open POS) compliant. That essentially means that, aside from the two aforementioned printers, all of your peripheral equipment must be compliant with OPOS. If it is not, it will not be able to function within [i] Merchant.
Each of the following fields has an arrow to the right of it. When you click on the arrow, a list of all applicable equipment for that field appears. Simply click on the piece of equipment you want and it will appear in the field. If you do not intend to use the PC as a register, many of these fields can be ignored. If you do plan to use it as a register, ignore all fields that pertain to equipment you don't have or that is not OPOS compliant (with the exception of the Pin Pad Com Port, Barcode, and Report Printer fields).
In the Barcode Scanner field, select the barcode scanner you want to use for the register, if applicable and if OPOS compliant. To activate the selection, check the Use box to the right of the field.
In the Signature Capture field, select the credit card capturing signature device used at this register, if applicable and if OPOS compliant. To activate the selection, check the Use box to the right of the field.
In the POS Printer field, select the receipt-slip printer to use at the register, if applicable and if OPOS compliant. To activate the selection, check the Use box to the right of the field.
In the Pin Pad Com Port field, select the Com Port number that will be used by the pin pad device, if applicable. To activate the selection, check the Use box to the right of the field.
In the Magnetic Swipe Card field, select the credit card reader at this register, if applicable and if OPOS compliant. To activate the selection, check the Use box to the right of the field.
In the DisplayPost field, select the display post for this register, if applicable and if OPOS compliant. To activate the selection, check the Use box to the right of the field.
In the Barcode Printer field, select the label printer this register will use. To activate the selection, check the Use box to the right of the field. If you leave the field blank, [i] Merchant will select the default printer for this PC.
In the Cash Drawer field, select the manner in which the cash drawer is connected to the register PC, if applicable and if OPOS compliant. To activate the selection, check the Use box to the right of the field.
In the Cash Drawer 2 field, select the manner in which the second cash drawer is connected to the register PC, if applicable and if OPOS compliant. To activate the selection, check the Use box to the right of the field. If you want to activate this field, be sure that you have Drawer Management set up for your store.
In the Report Printer field, select the general [i] Merchant printer for this PC. To activate the selection, check the Use box to the right of the field. If you leave this field blank, [i] Merchant will select the default printer for this PC.
In the MICR field, select the MICR reader to use for this register (to read check numbers), if applicable and if OPOS compliant. To activate the selection, check the Use box to the right of the field.
In the Print Receipt Logo at . . . % of bitmap field, key in the percentage of bitmap desired. This controls the size of the bitmap printed on the POS receipt printer header. The default is set at 100%.
The Using Touch Screen field is a checkbox field. If the box is checked, the touch keypad will be active at the POS. The touch keypad comes into play upon selecting a tender at the POS. The touch keypad allows the POS clerk to enter values in any tender field (such as Drivers License number in the Check tender) at the POS using a touch keypad on the computer screen--as opposed to using the keyboard.
Please take note of the "Test Devices" button in the toolbar at the top of the PC Settings window. When you click on this, the POS Device Tester window appears. From here, you can click on each menu choice to test it without needing to run the cash register.
When you are finished filling in all applicable fields, click on the Close button at the top of the PC Settings Properties screen. The system will prompt you to save your changes.
If you want to build a Keywords search engine within your [i] Merchant database, you will need to run the Keyword Index Rebuild.
From the Tools-Administration menu, select Database Maintenance-Keyword Index Rebuild. A message box pops up, telling you that this Rebuild will take some time. If you want to back out, click No here. If you want to proceed with the Keyword Build, click Yes. The process should only take a few minutes. Once the process is complete, the system will let you know with a message.
Once you've run this process, you will be able to search for products using two different Keywords searches: Contains All Words, and Contains Some Words. You will select either of these as the search criteria in a Product Find screen.
Contains All Words is just what it says. The title you are searching for will need to contain all the words you key in (minus the list of excluded words--more on that in a second). However, the keyed-in words do not need to be in the correct order.
Contains Some Words is primarily meant to run a search on a single keyword. For example, if you would like to see a list of all titles with the word "red," key in "red" here. This differes from "Description" as a search tool, because Description is a "starts with" search. With the Contains Some Words search, the word you key in can appear anywhere in the title, and the search will list it.
Some words are excluded from Keywords searches in [i] Merchant. They are as follows:
the letters "a-z"
as
an
and
for
not
of
on
or
the
to