GNM_SLM_Order_Letters_TS

• 1. .Introduction

     1. Purpose

The document GNM_SLM_Orders_FS.docx is the functional specification that describes what business functions SLM supports in relation to syndication Order processing.

This document is one of a set of technical specifications that provide details of how those functions are implemented in RCS.

• 1. Scope

This document focusses on the letters that the system can issue in relation to customer requests. The entry of a new request, on-going order processing, the issue of licences, and reporting are covered in separate documents.

This document is intended as a high-level technical document outlining how the relevant business functions are implemented in terms of software modules.

Importantly, this document does not aim to provide the level of detail that would be required in a programming specification in areas such as program structure, detailed business rules, data integrity, validation, locking considerations, data security, and calls to/from other software modules, performance considerations, and so forth.

For details of program logic and coding, the reader should refer to the program files themselves.

• 1. .Letters issued

A described in a separate document about Order processing SLM can issue a variety of different letters to facilitate the processing of syndication licencing requests.

All of the letters can be triggered by users from the Pending sales screen or the Review a customer’s requests screen. The following sub-sections give a brief description of these letters, with examples where available.

• 1. Prior approval request to contributor

This letter notifies the original contributor that GNM would like to syndicate their content, but requires their prior approval before the sale can be completed. This letter is only relevant for those contributors who have agreed the non-aggregate syndication right with prior approval.

This letter is produced by an Oracle Report called rcs_ordr_011.rdf

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• 1. Forward enquiry to contributor

If GNM does not have the right to syndicate an item of content then the request will be cancelled with the “Insufficient rights” reason. The request is then forwarded to the contributor so that they might follow up the sale opportunity directly.

This letter is produced by an Oracle Report called rcs_ordr_012.rdf

• 1. Cancellation letter

Where a request is cancelled a letter can be issued to the customer identifying the reason the request was cancelled.

Letters are not issued if it was the customer who cancelled the request, or if a quote has expired.

This letter is produced by an Oracle Report called rcs_ordr_013.rdf

• 1. Royalty advice to contributor

If a sale has been made, and the fee has been collected, then a royalty fee may be due to the original contributor. This will depend on who owns the copyright in the content (GNM or the contributor) and whether a royalty percentage was agreed for non-aggregate syndication.

This letter advises the contributor that they will be receiving a royalty fee.

This letter is produced by an Oracle Report called rcs_ordr_016.rdf

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• 1. Quote reminder

If a quote has been issued to a contributor the system can also issue a reminder. This will hopefully prompt the customer to respond to the quote and confirm the sale.

This letter is produced by an Oracle Report called rcs_ordr_017.rdf

• 1. .Sending letters

     1. Automatically sent letters

If the recipient of a letter (a customer of contributor) has an email address then the system will automatically send the letter to them as an email attachment.

This is done using the technique for emailing reports that is described in the software techniques document.

All letters that the system sends are automatically stored in the database against the request, and can be displayed in the browser from the Pending sales screen and also the Review a customer’s requests screen by way of the Correspondence history window.

• 1. Manually sent letters

Where the customer or contributor, as appropriate, does not have an email address, the letters must be manually printed and posted. This can be done from the Welcome screen by choosing one the following menu options:

Syndication → Syndication letters

Syndication → Someone else’s letters

The first of these options generates all the letters relating to requests that the current user is dealing with. The letters are produced in batches of the same type, as each is generated by a different report, and each batch (or PDF) is displayed in the browser.

The second option is to print someone else’s letters – for example if they are not in the office. From this menu option a List of values if displayed showing how many letters each person has waiting to be printed; the user then chooses whose letters they wish to print:

Upon selecting a user from the list that user’s letters are generated. Again this is done in batches, as before, and the batch is displayed in the browser.

After each PDF is generated the user is asked whether they successfully printed the PDF. If they confirm that they did then each item of correspondence will be marked as “sent” in the database; otherwise it will be left as “unsent” so that they can be printed again.

End of Document