You'll use the items under 'Definitions' on the main menu to tailor QuickFill to the needs of your own business. It is here, for example, that you define company and publication names, control pricing and other publication policies, set up promotional offers, and define the codes that track the effectiveness of those promotions. You may have already become familiar with some of these definitions when you created an initial publication (see How to create a publication, for details).
The items you'll use most frequently are at the top of the 'Definitions' menu where you can access them most easily. Under each of the first three items on the menu—'Marketing', 'Renewal', and 'Billing'—submenus appear. You use the items in these submenus to define your marketing, renewal, and billing efforts. You'll change these definitions—or create new ones—fairly often.
As you begin to establish your definitions, we suggest that you begin at the bottom of the 'Definitions' menu with 'Users' and work your way up to 'Marketing'. Why? When you get to the items at the top of the menu, you'll be asked to select tables or codes—for the publication name, for example—that you've previously defined. By working your way backward (or upward), you'll have the critical definitions you need—ones you'll change infrequently, if at all—when you get to the top of the menu. Think about creating these definitions in the same way you'd think about constructing a house. In both instances, you need to begin by building a firm foundation.
The Definitions menu offers the following commands:
|
Marketing |
|
|
Marketing plans are used to link a set of tracking codes (defined within the marketing plan definition screen or the tracking code definition screen) together to make up a promotional campaign. | |
|
Each new order entered into QuickFill must have a tracking code. The tracking code is a unique code that helps to identify the promotional piece and list from which an order originated. You should define a tracking code definition for each promotional piece/list combination as well as for some standard means by which orders are originated (i.e., gift subscriptions, drift orders, complimentary subscriptions, etc.). | |
|
Offers are used to indicate the possible terms (number of issues) for which customers may subscribe as well as the prices of those terms. You should define an offer for each term (i.e., one-year, two-year, etc.) for which a customer may subscribe. In addition to indicating the term and price in the offer definition, you may also specify premiums available (if any), whether or not free issues are included, and the timing for the first invoice. The offers that you define are used for both new orders and renewal orders. | |
|
If you have offers for which you offer premiums (such as books, calendars, etc.) to those who subscribe, you should define a premium code for each premium that you offer. The premium code should then be linked to the offer to which it applies. The premiums that you define are used for both new orders and renewal orders. | |
|
Used to define the mailing lists to which you have sent—or plan to send—direct mail promotions. If you define tracking codes for each promotion you send out and link the list to which you mailed to the tracking code definition, you will be able to report on the effectiveness of your mailing to a particular list. | |
|
Marketing package definitions are used to record the contents that make up a package for a promotional piece as well as the cost of the package. | |
|
By defining and using channels, you can indicate the means by which a new order was generated. Channels are also used to indicate the means by which renewal orders are generated—In this case, they are referred to as renewal channels. | |
|
Renewal |
|
|
The renewal series definition determines the timing of renewal notices as well as the package and offers to be used and to whom each notice should be sent. Each order must be linked to a renewal series. | |
|
Renewal effort definitions allow you to specify the package and offers used to make up a single renewal effort. | |
|
Renewal package definitions are used to record the contents that make up a package for a renewal effort as well as the cost of the package. In addition, the renewal package definition determines whether standard or mail-merge renewal notices will be produced and whether the notice for a particular effort will include a credit card block. | |
|
By defining and using channels, you can indicate the means by which a renewal order was generated. Channels are also used to indicate the means by which new orders are generated—In this case, they are referred to as marketing channels. | |
|
Offers are used to indicate the possible terms (number of issues) for which customers may renew their subscription as well as the price of those terms. You should define an offer for each term (i.e., one-year, two-year, etc.) for which a customer may renew their subscription. In addition to indicating the term and price in the offer definition, you may also specify premiums available (if any), whether or not free issues are included, and the timing for the first invoice. The offers that you define are used for both new orders and renewal orders. | |
|
If you have offers for which you give premiums (such as books, calendars, etc.) to those who subscribe, you should define a premium code for each premium that you offer. The premium code should then be linked to the offer to which it applies. The premiums that you define are used for both new orders and renewal orders. | |
|
The messages that you define are used for both bills and renewal notices. | |
|
Requalification sources are used to indicate the means (i.e., wrapper, reader service card, etc.) by which a subscriber was requalified. (This definition may only be accessed from the audit system.) | |
|
Billing |
|
|
Billing series definitions determine the timing of bills as well as the package to be used for each bill, the billing effort at which an order will become suspended for non-payment, and to whom each bill should be sent. Each order must be linked to a billing series. | |
|
Billing package definitions are used to record the contents that make up a package for a billing effort as well as the cost of the package. In addition, the billing package definition determines whether standard or mail-merge bills will be produced and whether the invoice for a particular effort will include a credit card block . | |
|
The messages that you define are used for both bills and renewal notices. | |
|
Label Splits |
|
|
Label split tables are used to define the criteria by which you would like your issue labels to be broken out and printed separately from the main body of issue labels. | |
|
Label split codes are used in label split tables to define groups of labels that must be broken out and printed separately. | |
|
The issue table is used to keep track of each publication's publishing schedule. | |
|
Publication definitions are used to set forth the subscription fulfillment policies that govern each of your publications. The information in the publication definition is used when transactions or updates are processed. | |
|
The company definition is used to record information about the companies that own your publications. | |
|
Service code definitions can be used to designate a type of media for subscriptions sold with accompanying diskettes, or to represent a level of service (i.e., e-mail, fax, courier, etc.). | |
|
Cancel reason code definitions can be used to denote the reason a customer requested cancellation of a subscription. | |
|
Used to define the subscription agencies with which you do business. QuickFill will calculate the discount for an agency order based on the rates you enter in the agency definition. | |
|
If any of your publications are subject to sales tax and you want QuickFill to calculate sales tax, you must define a tax rate table. If you want QuickFill to automatically assign tax rates based on country and postal code, you must also define a tax jurisdiction table. | |
|
If any of your publications are subject to tax and you want QuickFill to assign tax jurisdictions based on customers' country and postal codes, you must define a tax jurisdictions table. You must also define a tax rate table. | |
|
If any of your publications are mailed at the periodical class postage rate and you want QuickFill to produce a periodical class zone report, you must define a zone table. | |
|
If any of your publications are mailed at the periodical class postage rate and you want to be able to take advantage of in-county and intra-SCF discounts, you must define a county and SCF table in addition to a periodical class zone table. | |
|
The foreign countries table is used to define four-character country codes for all countries. | |
|
The zip code table is used to define the range of zip codes that are valid for each state. | |
|
Use the 'Address matching' screen to specify the duplicate detection method that you would like to use. Your selections will apply to all of your publications. | |
|
The preferences definition is used to specify options that apply to all of your publications. For example, you use the 'Preferences' screen to choose how you want to display dates. | |
|
Access to the system can be limited by defining user names and passwords for each person who will be using QuickFill. |