Online Tutorials
This page contains online tutorials. These tutorials show you each step in a number of different processes. Instead of just reading about how to build a report, for example, you can watch one being made.
To view video tutorials, install the Adobe Flash software. Enable the browser plug-in or add-on as needed.
New! Using Proc Files Tutorial Proc Files are automated procedure programs that combine a series of DDMS text-based procedures into a single operation. Proc files automate work that a DDMS user would otherwise do manually. Many procs are scheduled to run on a regular basis. Common examples include running reports and updating files, day-end procedures, and month-end procedures. However, there are special cases when you want to suspend this schedule. For example, when you close your books at year-end, you may wish to suspend day-end and month-end procs in favor of doing them manually, so that you can then complete year-end procedures at your convenience. This animated tutorial demonstrates how to: manually inactivate a proc file, temporarily suspend a proc file, and reactivate a proc file. See also: Procs Like a Pro (pdf)
Year-End Spot Check Tutorial This animated tutorial shows the screens to check so that you can be sure your year-end figures are properly zeroed out and journals are properly updated. This spot check should be done after completing year-end and general ledger procedures and before you resume business. If any item does not check out, contact your DDMS Support team for help before the start of any business. See also the one page recap, Year-End Spot Check (pdf)
New! Refiguring Contracts When item list prices and dealer costs change (usually at quarter end or from vendor pricing updates), you should also update the corresponding consumer price, gross profit percentage, and discount percentage on contracts. This video shows you 1) how to properly set the figure type on a contract to keep the consumer price constant, and 2) how to refigure the new gross profit based on updated cost of inventory, and the new discount based on the current list price. See also: Refiguring Contracts in (ET) To Protect Margins (pdf)
New! Refiguring Customer Price Plans When your dealer costs and customer prices change, you want to be able to update customer contracts and price plans. You can calculate new values based on the line's figure type. You have the option to refigure an entire price plan, or selected lines of a price plan as needed. See also: page 26 of Customer Price Plans (pdf)
New! Deleting Prepay Orders In this video, we'll show you how to delete a Status 6 Prepay Order from Order Entry that has already been billed to the credit card. Suppose you create a prepay order that includes backordered items, and bill the customer for 100% of the order. When the order is completed, the system updates Accounts Receivable and the customer's credit card. If you later delete a backordered item, you must also refund the customer. You can give the customer's account a credit, give a cash refund, or credit the original card for the amount.
New! Adding Custom Items in ECinteractive Part 1 of 3 How can you sell items online that you carry in your back-end database, but that your wholesaler does not include in its Web content? ECinteractive allows you to specify the kind of detail Web shoppers expect for these items in your Custom Catalog: you can specify item images, long descriptions, manufacturer name, search keywords, pack content, and product attribute icons. You can even copy details from the vendor catalog for your custom items, or override the vendor details. This video tutorial, part 1 of 3, shows you how. See also: Setting Up Custom Items and Catalogs in ECinteractive (pdf)
New! Building Custom Catalogs in ECinteractive Part 2 of 3. Once you've added items and their product details into the Custom Product Management dashboard, you're ready to build the Custom Catalog. In this video, you'll learn how to map custom items to a custom catalog, and authorize a catalog to be synchronized overnight for use with your enhanced content provider (ECP). This video tutorial, part 2 of 3, shows you how. See also: Setting Up Custom Items and Catalogs in ECinteractive (pdf)
New! Voiding Accounts Payable Checks Voiding an Accounts Payable (A/P) check restores the amount due for an invoice, debits cash and cash discount accounts, and credits accounts payable. This video tutorial shows two methods of voiding such checks and discusses your options after voiding them. See also: Voiding Accounts Payable Checks (pdf)
New! Setting Up HON Direct for Office Supply Dealers In DDMS® Version 8.25.1 and higher, office supply dealers who have a direct account with HON can buy hundreds of furniture items direct from HON. Learn how to update your DDMS Item Database with HON Direct items and pricing, and set up appropriate parameters, database records, and default settings to transmit purchase orders and receive acknowledgements via the PSN .See also: Setting Up and Using the HON Direct PSN for Supply Dealers (pdf) and the announcement, Buy Furniture Direct from HON via PSN.
New! General Ledger Drill Down Tutorial DDMS General Ledger stores all your posting details, and the G/L History window gives you fast, flexible access to all of it. You can start at the broadest levels, and "drill down" to the smallest details: Limit by account major, account minor, invoice, order, batch, or date range. Search posting history among accounts receivable, accounts payable, journal entry, machine, or payroll sources. Print a report, and export to Excel. See also: page 33 of General Ledger (pdf).
Updated! Using ProductPro and FurnitureAdvantage Programs Items from S.P. Richards ProductPro™ and FurnitureAdvantage™ are special-order items that are not stocked. Delivery may take longer, and items may be marked as "ships in 2-3 days." This program allows you to offer a more extensive variety of products than what is usually in stock. Learn how to set up your system to take advantage of these programs. See also the documentation.
New! Using Contracts and Laundry Lists in ECinteractive (pdf) This brief video demonstrates how to use contracts and laundry lists in your ECinteractive Web Storefront. Assigning contracts from your back-end system allows you to control the pricing that is seen online by those who log in under certain accounts. You can even use contracts to limit the selection of items your customers see, for example, when governmental organizations, contractors, or large business accounts are limited to purchasing items that meet specific sourcing requirements, such as AbilityOne. See also the documentation.
Building Item Usage In Order Entry History, the Item Usage tab lists detail about specific items on an order, including what and how much your customers have bought. Before viewing this Item usage information, you must build the P-USAGE file. We recommend that you build this file monthly, using the DDMS Utilities program on your system server. It is a dedicated procedure, which means no other processes or users should be running DDMS while this utility is running. See also the online help.
Converting Item Lists to Laundry Lists Laundry Lists are a useful tool for selling commonly purchased items — especially with Web storefronts like ECinteractive. One of the best ways to create a laundry list is by converting from an existing customer contract, quote, or sales history. In this video, watch how it is done.
Creating a Laundry List This brief video demonstrates how to set up and use laundry lists. Laundry Lists can automatically display in Order Entry, to allow your salespeople to view each customer's frequently purchased items. It makes it easier to provide upselling and cross-selling opportunities, and better customer service when your staff is on the phone with your customers.
Setting Your Purchasing Vendor Your quarterly O/PUS® multi-vendor database load updates the pricing for your Item database. You can then maximize your purchasing power using a combination of tools to set primary purchasing vendor. Some dealers base their purchasing vendor based on volume incentives using the (+IL) tool. Others base it on the lowest price and/or best rebate percentage, using the (+IZ) tool. In this video, watch how it is done. See also the O/PUS Toolbox documentation on setting purchasing vendor with (+IL), (+IZ), or (+IT).
Correcting Item List Price Variances Every quarter, you update the pricing in your Item database using the O/PUS® multi-vendor database update. However, if the list price for the selling unit of measure in your Item record varies too much from the expected list price in the O/PUS database, the SIMPLE wizard cannot update the item automatically, and logs the item in a report. This brief video demonstrates how to correct these list price variance exceptions manually every quarter, so that O/PUS can update your database properly. It's easier than you think. See also Correcting List Price Variances after Loading O/PUS (pdf).
Substituting Items on Orders This brief video demonstrates how to substitute items on orders. The status of an order, and whether the item is already on a purchase order, can limit whether substitution is allowed. See also online help.
Adding Items to Existing Orders This brief video describes how to add items to an existing order in Order Entry. See also online help.
Changing Tax Percentages When customer Shipto sales tax rates change, create a new tax district, while you retain old rates for credit or reporting purposes.
For text-based, see the original Specifying Tax Information for Groups of Customers Use the (+A) screen to make mass changes to tax districts.
Downloading the Latest Software This 2-minute video shows you how to download your software updates from the ECi Customer Support Portal (https://support.ecisolutions.com).
Customer Support Portal Features This 10-minute video shows you how to log in to the ECi Customer Support Portal (https://support.ecisolutions.com) for secure access to your support tickets. You can create new support request tickets, attach files such as screen shots or partial logs and reports to help troubleshooting, and add notes to a Web conversation to more efficiently track messages related to a ticket. You can also look up the status of your company's support tickets, as well as software issues we've turned in to Development for you.
ECinteractive Guided Tour This five-minute video discusses all the features your customers need to start shopping — account security (including the new 6-character password and security question and how to reset), catalog browse and search, quick order, favorites, machine matching, news, checkout approvals, and history. To display this streaming video on your site (both the ECinteractive and Dealer Station families, see Displaying the Guided Tour Streaming Video (pdf).
Creating Your Own Reports Learn to build your own reports with Report writer. See also the documentation.
Specifying Stock Classes for Groups of Items Use the (+W) screen to make mass changes to stock classes.
Placing Orders Learn to place orders in graphical Order Entry.
Changing Orders Changing entire orders and individual line items in graphical Order Entry.
Deleting Orders Deleting entire orders or line items in graphical Order Entry.
Verifying Orders Verifying orders in graphical Order Entry.
Crediting Order Returns Finding and crediting orders when processing customer returns in graphical Order Entry.