People can be very creative at finding solutions to problems they face. These solutions can come in many forms and I often find it interesting and intriguing to hear about these ideas. The same is true for users in the book and subscription world. During the 2021 user conference, we asked for input on possible changes to the book and subscription products that would help provide solutions to some of their daily challenges. We received terrific information that we turned into a survey and asked conference participants to vote for their top enhancements. Below are the top items you all selected and an explanation of each that we plan to make available over the next 10 months.
There are common features between the book and subscription products as well as features specific to each product. We will first cover the common features and then break out into product specific features.
Common Features:
- Synchronize logins: This request is to provide a solution to help manage logins for those users that are still required to access the windows client. While this made the list, it’s possible there are technical challenges that prevent us from being able to provide a solution.
- Guest checkout: This enhancement is to provide a guest check out option for consumers using e-commerce. Consumers will be able to skip the account creation process, complete their delivery details and move to making a payment.
Book Features:
- Backorders: For this feature, we would provide the ability to adjust payment details on an order with a backorder status. This could include changing an order paid by credit card to be paid with a different credit card. In addition, this could include the ability to change an order paid by a credit card to be an invoiced order.
- Migrate Day end process: There are a number of steps included in the daily end of day process. This change will update that process to streamline the entire workflow and move the process to the web client.
- Order history: Users have asked for an order history audit trail that will include a date/time stamp and user details for order events.
Subscriptions Features:
- Imports: This request is to improve on the existing subscription import process. This does include moving the process to the web client and providing the ability to automate imports.
- Month end reports: We will be updating and migrating month end reports to the web client. This is similar work to what we did for the earned and deferred reports previously.
- Month end posting process: Coupled with the previous item, we will be updating and moving the month end process to a menu location on the web client.
Product changes generally fall into different benefit buckets. In some cases, they will make someone’s life easier because it minimizes the effort required to complete a task. In other cases, the change offers additional functionality that could drive new revenue. Finally, some changes are meant to provide a different user experience to consumers.
The enhancements that made the cut list fall into each of these categories. However, it’s clear to me most of them will make users work life easier. Given the number of jobs/hats most people wear in their jobs these days, it shouldn’t be a surprise those same users are asking for features to help reduce their burden.
We’ve listened and are ready to help. Stay tuned for future releases as we work towards preparing and deploying solutions to the requests you’ve made.