StoreAutomator Order import Channel
StoreAutomator has a built-in Order Importing channel that is capable of receiving orders from an FTP or API source. With help of this module you can import any order to your account for processing. Once the orders are imported you have multiple options with what you can do with them, which are delineated in the workflow diagram below.
The first option is, you can forward them to an ERP system via the “Order Export Channel” module, which runs on FTP or SFTP protocols and the second option is to forward them to your “Shipping Solution” for processing via Shipping Module (API). Both modules run in real time mode, meaning when an order is received by StoreAutomator it is forwarded to its target within a minute or so.
The second part of order forwarding consists of receiving a tracking number for this order or a tracking number for each line item in the order. Once this is done the order's status will be switched to “Shipped” or “Partially Shipped”and sent back to the source channel. There are also inbound and outbound carrier mappings that can be done to match carrier, shipping service, and service level data coming from the source channel and going out to the ERP channels.
Order import channel can be coupled with a generic feed channel to send product data, price and quantity updates to the source channel via FTP or SFTP protocols. Please refer to this article for more information.
How to set up Order Import Channel
Order Import Channel can be set up from Settings>Channels> Add Channel selecting Order Import Channel from the list, providing a channel name and clicking the create button. This is a regular channel so select this channel as active to do its settings. The most important setting is the connection settings, Channel Settings>Connection Settings, click there.
Here you can select one of your predefined connections and set up the FTP folders, depending on your FTP directory structure. If you cannot see any connections in the drop down list, then you must add an FTP connection from Settings>connections. Please refer to this article to obtain more information regarding adding a connection.
The directory structure must have a main folder and an archive folder, as the StoreAutomator system is set up to grab the file and after processing it, moves it to a different folder, with this way the main order folder is always empty, while the archive folder contains all other orders.
The second most important setting is to set up templates for both order import and tracking export, to do this go to Channel> Channel Settings>Template menu.
This channel comes with its default templates already added to Settings>Templates. These templates are the default ones and also selected in the Template Menu, as seen in the picture.
You can change the template mapping by editing the template in Settings>Templates and edit that template.
The third setting is enabling order download and setting up tracking updates, this is located at Channel>Channel Settings>Common>Orders tab; enable both “Enable Order Download” and “Enable Tracking updates” and you are good to go.
If you are using the StoreAutomator native FTP server, the order downloader module works immediately after receiving a file in the FTP. If you are using your own FTP server, the order downloader module works every 15 minutes and checks if a new file was uploaded to your FTP site.
After sending a file to the FTP site, StoreAutomator will catch the file and process it. After the process results can be seen in the History section which is located at Channel>History. You can check if your feed returned any errors, or you can download the feed.