Post-Installation Checklist
Here are some key settings to review after installing Prism and joining the enterprise. Note: This is not meant to be a comprehensive list as each retailer's specific needs will differ.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Log Files |
Log Files RILOraInstaller.exe_[timestamp]_PrismLogs.log |
| Localization | Prism includes built-in UI translations for most of the world's leading languages, including: English, Spanish, Dutch, French, German, Chinese, Russian and Japanese. You can easily switch to a different language via the Retail Pro button in the lower right-hand corner. Select Language from the Prism menu. |
| Database and Network Protection | You should have secure servers, applied required virus protection, intruder detection, power backup and UPS systems. In addition, the servers should be in a secure physical environment. Here are some best practices to follow for general database protection:
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| Connections and Profiles | Before a Prism server can send data to another database, whether for initialization or day-to-day replication, it must have a connection to the server on which that peer database in installed. Define connections and profiles in the Admin Console > Connection Manager area. |
| Workstation Settings and Hardware | For those workstations that are connected to POS hardware like a printer, EFT device, line display, or cash drawer, you need to configure the hardware settings in the workstation record. Go to Admin Console > Node Preferences > Node Selection and drill down to the desired workstation. |
| EFT Configuration |
To run EFT transactions like credit card transactions in Prism, you must select the correct processing gateway in preferences. The preferred providers are:
Define EFT settings in Admin Console > Node Preferences > Transactions > EFT > General |
| Custom HTML pages | Retailers often like to customize the Prism html designs to incorporate the retailer's coloring scheme, fonts, logos, etc. You can create customized versions of Prism html pages and, when placed in the correct folder, Prism will reference the custom html page instead of the default html page. |
| Grid Formats | In the Grid Formats area of preferences, you can customize the columns that are displayed (or available for display) when Prism shows a list of records. If you have certain columns that you want to be sure are displayed and visible on grids, you can edit the default settings. |
| Assign Document Designs to Documents | When a user prints a receipt or other document, the print engine by default uses the design assigned in preferences (the user can select a different design at run time). You can assign a specific document design to each document type. This ensures that receipts, vouchers and other documents always use the correct design when a Print operation is performed. |
| Customize Document Designs | Use DocumentDesigner.exe to create custom document designs. You can add a corporate logo or other information to the design. As part of planning the deployment, custom document designs may have been created, especially for documents such as receipts. You can launch DocumentDesigner.exe from the ...\Program Files (x86)\RetailPro\DocumentDesigner folder. |
| Merchandise and Customer Images |
There are two main types of images displayed in Prism: Merchandise and Customer. |
| Tax requirements | Prism supports several tax methods, including standard sales tax, multi sales tax, VAT and multi-VAT. You can also configure various options depending on the selected tax method. |
| Tender Requirements | In the Tender Requirements area, you select which tenders are allowed when taking payment, giving change, or returns. You can also enable tender rounding. |
| Currencies and Exchange Rates | If foreign currencies are accepted, you can set up currencies and exchange rates between currencies. |
| Price Levels | Each Price Level represents a complete set of Inventory prices. |
| Discount settings | You can set a different Max Discount % for each item in Inventory. You can set a Max Discount % and Max Accumulated Discount % for individual employees. The Max Discount % applies to manual discounts. The Max Accumulated Discount % applies to all discounts on a transaction (manual discounts, promotions, etc.) |
| X/Z-Out Report options | Different retailers have different needs when it comes to daily sales reports. In Unstructured mode, users simply enter the closing total and the system reconciles the closing amount with the days sales totals. In Structured Mode, users must first open a cash drawer and count the money in it. At the end of the shift or day, the user must count the money and the system will reconcile the closing amount with the days sales totals. Other options, like requiring a "blind close" are also available. |
| Reasons | Reasons are short explanations for why a certain POS action is taking place. For example, when manually applying a discount, a user will be prompted to select a reason for the discount. When adjusting inventory quantities, users are prompted to select a reason for the adjustment. |
| User-defined fields | User-defined fields enable retailers to create their own fields to store data specific to their business or industry. If you have data types that don't fit neatly into any of the default fields including with Prism, create user-defined fields. UDF fields are available in Inventory, Vendors, Customers and Employees. |
| Item and Customer Lookup | You can look up items by a variety of fields. Typically, UPC is used to look up fields, but you can choose a different value, if desired (ALU, Description 1-2, Item No, Lot No, or Serial No). |
| Scheduled Tasks | If you have scheduled tasks that need to run, you can set them up in the Scheduler area of Tech Toolkit. |
| Password policies | You can configure various password-related settings in Prism, including requiring strong passwords and requiring users to change passwords after a certain number of days. |
| ALU and/or UPC Sequences | You can enable sequence numbering for ALUs and/or UPCs. When enabled, the next available sequential ALU or UPC will be used when a user adds a new item to Inventory. |
| Document Sequences |
It is important to plan and configure the number sequences to be used by various documents. You can define a separate starting sequence number for each document type. You can define sequences at the Subsidiary level (sequence number is used by all stores in the subsidiary), Store level (sequence number is used by all workstations in the store), or Workstation Level (each workstation uses its own sequencing level). We recommend that you only create documents in Prism (not both Prism and RIL).
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(For more information about installing Prism, see the Prism Getting Started Guide.)
Notes
Preferences
- Lookup Method is set to UPC (only) by default. You can also select ALU and/or Description 1.
- Tax Method is set to Sales Tax by default. Change to VAT if needed.
- Price Levels are copied to Prism from RIL Prism Management. Verify and modify for Prism if needed.
- Tenders must be explicitly set for Take, Give, Return, etc. (Node Preferences > Transactions > Tenders > Tender Requirements). If tender rounding is used, those instructions must be configured, too.
- Exchange Rates (and denominations for individual currencies) must be configured in Global Preferences.
- Reasons, Fee Types, UDF Fields, POS Flags are copied to Prism during initialization. Verify that the settings were replicated correctly.
- Document Sequence numbering level (Sub, Store, or WS) is set in Node Preferences > Sequences. You then set the starting sequence numbers in the Subsidiary, Store, or Workstation record.
Employees
- Verify employee store assignments. To create transactions, the employee must be assigned to the store. You can verify store assignments in the employee record.
- Make sure employees have been replicated. Assign employees to groups and verify permissions.
- Verify any key settings that are used like Employee Max Discount %
Customers
- Verify customer records replicated from the POA to each store.
- Verify any key settings that you use like customer discount %, tax area, store credit, user-defined fields, etc.
Subsidiary Settings
- Verify the subsidiary's assigned Price Level, Base Currency and Season. Verify exchange rates if using foreign currencies. (Admin Console > Preferences & Settings > Node Preferences > Node Selection: Edit Subsidiary record).
- If defining document sequences at the subsidiary level, set the starting document sequence numbers. (Admin Console > Preferences & Settings > Node Preferences > Node Selection: Edit Subsidiary record).
Store Settings
- Verify the store is assigned to the correct subsidiary and has the correct Tax Area and Price Level assigned (Admin Console > Preferences & Settings > Node Preferences > Node Selection: Edit Store record)
- If defining document sequences at the store level, set the starting document sequence numbers (Admin Console > Preferences & Settings > Node Preferences > Node Selection: Edit Store record).
Hardware
- Install the necessary drivers for the hardware device on a Prism workstation and connect the hardware device.
- In the Workstation record > HAL Settings, edit settings for the specific hardware device type as needed. If you have connected the device but don't see the device listed in HAL Settings, right-click the Proxy icon in the taskbar and select Reload Hardware Config.
- For printers, adjust the Print Actions in Hardware > Print Preferences, if needed.
Replication
- Install servers in top-down order, starting with the root authority ("PrismHQ").
- Configure Preferences and Permissions at PrismHQ before installing POAs and joining them to the enterprise.
- Make sure each non-root server points to the correct POA.
- Verify a connection exists each pair of servers that need to communicate. Make sure the appropriate profile is assigned to the profile in each direction.
- Generate a server identity file and save it for later use if the server crashes or has to be reinstalled.
- Make sure a unique Controller Number is assigned to the installation in Tech Toolkit before joining the enterprise.