As mentioned in the previous article that covered Edge Numbering Systems, customers are identified in the database by customer ID. When a customer is added in a multi-store environment, the store at which he or she was entered will be part of the customer ID, but The Edge allows access to all customer records in all stores. This shared customer base provides seamless customer service.
For example, if a customer buys an item in one store, it can be returned in another. For items that are housed in one store, they can be transferred to another store. In another example, a customer may drop off a repair at one store, and you can transfer it so he or she can pick it up at a different store. Processing this pick-up is possible because The Edge tracks the record in a synchronized database.
As described in The Edge User Guide, customer records can contain a variety of contact information. If a record is created in one store, it can be found using the Customer Find feature in another store.
Credits/Balances/Pickups/Payments
Credits, balances, pickups, and payments can be managed from any store. You can even ship items to be picked up. A customer could buy something and return it to the other store or buy gift cards and use them at another store.
Accounts Receivable/Statement Generation
With customer records being shared between stores, a single customer may have receivable balances originating from multiple locations. Running receivable statements or reports for a single store may not show an accurate balance. Do not specify a store number when running any kind of statement or balance report.
Statements and Aging must be managed from the headquarters store (usually store #1 or 0).
Marketing and Postcards
Because customer records are synchronized between all stores, you can see how customer sales vary from location to location. For marketing based on purchase history and patterns such as amount spent, by vendor, etc., we recommend managing marketing campaigns from a central location, without a store filter, to ensure that customer criteria produce accurate results.
The postcard program was designed to be run from a central location. By default, multiple stores share a single postcard account. If you have multiple stores, and you want to have separate postcard accounts, (e.g., you want your postcards to have different return addresses), contact postcards@ajsllc.com to discuss this special configuration.
A scheduled task will automatically run only in the store where it was created, even though the scheduled task definition will be transferred to the other stores.