What's changing with Merchandising & Proposals?
Curating and enriching product data is the most time-consuming challenge of scaling any vendor-direct dropship relationship. That's why RevCascade is proud to announce that we are releasing a new set of free tools that will increase the efficiency of trading product data so that you can launch new products faster and increase sales!
We've taken our existing proposals platform, added some new features, streamlined the workflow, and simplified the user interface -- we can't wait for you to try it! RevCascade's new merchandising tools are available inside our Onboarding application (which will now be referred to as the "Onboarding & Merchandising" application).
What is the Onboarding & Merchandising application?
If your company completed onboarding with RevCascade after November 2017, then chances are you have some experience with the Onboarding application (you probably used it to setup users, warehouses, and your integration preferences). However, if you completed onboarding prior to November 2017, then the application will be brand new (but you'll still use your existing RevCascade login credentials).
The onboarding application is hosted at the following URL:
https://onboarding.revcascade.com
Please note that this application is different than the Orders & Transactions console that you might use to process orders and shipments. The Orders & Transactions console will not be moving and can still be found here.
What is a proposal and how do I submit a proposal to a Seller?
RevCascade uses a "proposal" system to help suppliers (i.e. You!) & sellers agree on merchandising assortment and costs. Proposals are small sets of items from your catalog that usually fit within a single department that you "propose" to the seller. A merchandiser within the seller's organization will review your proposal and decide whether to "approve" or "return" your proposal for updates. If the seller approves your proposal, your items will be listed for sale on the seller's website!
It's called a "proposal" because the seller doesn't always accept ALL of the items that are contained in the proposal. It is possible that some items aren't a great fit for the seller for a variety of reasons. So sometimes, a seller may remove certain items from your proposal before approving the remaining items.
To create a proposal, first login to the Onboarding & Merchandising application and login with your existing RevCascade credentials. In the navigation bar at the top of the page, you should see a new link labeled "Merchandising". From there, follow the instructions on the screen and you should be up and running quickly!
What is a department?
If you followed the steps above, you'll pretty quickly arrive at a step that asks you to select a department. Generally speaking, a department is very much like a category. You must select a department first because the product rules vary by department. For example, the product attributes required to sell a piece of furniture are different from the attributes required to sell a pillow.
Please note: each department might have a different product template. If you've submitted a template in the past, please double check to make sure you are using the most recent template from the department.
Your seller is responsible for the department list, so if you have any questions about what products qualify for a specific department, please contact your seller.
What happens after I submit a proposal?
After a merchandising representative at the seller's organization receives your proposal, they may choose to:
- Accept your proposal as-is.
- Mark items that need to have certain attributes fixed.
- Remove certain items from your proposal, but accept all others.
- Decline your entire proposal.
Be on the lookout for email notifications that announce when there have been important changes to your proposal.
What happens to my proposals that were in progress prior to this announcment?
You will need to continue work directly with your seller on any proposals that were started before this announcement. Unfortunately, the older proposals are not compatible with the new system.
I process orders, shipments, & invoices -- how does this affect me?
Proposals are used exclusively by merchandisers. So, if you're on the orders, shipments, & invoices side, then don't worry - this announcement doesn't affect you.
What if I have more questions?
If you have any questions, please contact support@revcascade.com.