GNM_RCS_System_Interfaces_FS

• 1. .Introduction

     1. Purpose

The Rights and Contributors System is used to manage GNM’s rights in its published content, and to manage payments to contributors who supply content.

RCS sends data to and receives data from a number of other systems as part of this processing. This document outlines those interfaces.

• 1. Scope

This document is intended as a high-level document outlining how user accounts are managed in RCS and SLM. It is not a detailed functional specification from which the system could have been developed.

Separate Technical specifications document the implementation of these functions.

• 1. .System interfaces

RCS has the following interfaces with other systems, briefly described below:

• 1. Web content interfaces

There are two interfaces that fetch details of content published on the website:

• 1. R2 interface

This will be phased out when the API interface goes live, as the latter has more content.

This is an XML feed and is managed by database jobs.

• 1. API interface

This new feed will replace the R2 feed in due course as it uses the API and is richer in content.

This is also an XML feed and is managed by database jobs.

• 1. Print content interface

RCS extracts meta-data from the Text Library (the TLIB schema on the same database) so that it has a full list of content published in print to be rights managed and paid for where appropriate.

• 1. Oracle AP interface

There are multiple interfaces with Oracle Accounts Payable:

• 1. Data sent to Oracle AP

• • Supplier interface

  • New and changed supplier details are sent to Oracle AP. RCS owns the master of this data.

  • Bank accounts required interface

  • RCS advises Oracle AP which suppliers still need bank details in order for payment instructions to be sent to Oracle AP.

  • Invoice interface

  • Payment instructions are sent to Oracle AP for Suppliers who have been setup in AP.

  • Cancellation instructions

  • Where an error is identified or a payment needs to be cancelled an instruction is sent to AP – either directly to the AP system, or in the form of an email to someone in AP.

• 1. Data received from Oracle AP

• • Bank details notifications

  • Oracle AP notifies RCS when a supplier’s bank details are setup, or removed.

  • Self-bill notifications

  • Oracle AP notifies RCS when a supplier’s self-bill status changes.

  • Tax position notifications (Form 1099 for IRS in USA)

  • Oracle AP notifies RCS once a supplier’s Form 1099 tax position is known.

  • VAT notifications

  • Oracle AP notifies RCS whenever a supplier’s VAT position changes.

  • Invoice status notifications (Invoice paid; Hold area status; Cancel/reject)

  • Oracle AP sends change of status notifications to RCS relating to payment instructions received from RCS. These include the amount paid, currency, and date.

• 1. Oracle AR interface

There are multiple interfaces with Oracle Accounts Receivable:

• 1. Data sent to Oracle AP

• • Customer interface

  • Details of new customers and their billing contact details are sent to Oracle AR, at which point Oracle AR takes ownership. SLM retains ownership of other contact details and any peripheral data.

  • Invoice instruction interface

  • Invoice instructions are sent to Oracle AR: these may or may not advise that prepayment has already been taken. Oracle AR then raises the appropriate paperwork (invoice/receipt).

• 1. Data received from Oracle AP

• • Customer change messages

  • Oracle AR notifies SLM about changes to customer records so that SLM is kept up to date.

  • Payment receipt data

  • SLM queries a view of payment receipts information to identify when a customer has paid the licence fee(s) they owe. This is used as a trigger for the payment of royalties, and controls the royalty amount paid.

• 1. Oracle Payroll interface

Payment instructions are sent Oracle Payroll in csv file format in the days preceding the payroll deadline to ensure monthly salaries include any amounts owed.

• 1. Oracle HR interface

A view of Oracle HR employee data is used to compare differences in the data held in Oracle HR with the corresponding data held in RCS. Oracle HR is considered the master, although manual checking is also done.

• 1. Octopus interface

The Octopus database is accessed by the processes that load content data into RCS. This interface is required to get the image IPTC header which is very useful when trying to identify the supplier of an image if is not already obvious.

• 1. PicDar interface

The PicDar library is invoked online by users so that they can see the data associated with an image in PicDar. This is reliant upon RCS having the unique PicDar URN for the image.

• 1. WorldPay integration

WorldPay is integrated into the request and licencing screens within SLM. Customers are asked to pay for their first licence in advance, and only then are they offered credit terms.

End of Document