Subs list maintenance

A name or code to be used to identify this Subscription List (Sub List) is required.   This name usually relates to the title being subscribed to and if the title comes in a number of formats like CD, tape, hardcover, softcover, etc. a Subscription List for each one of these titles needs to be created.  This is not the ISBN set up on the Title Masterfile but rather a similar code to easily identify the products being supplied.  The actual ISBN can be used as a Subscription List Identification if it is the company preference.  To denote the format options, the same core number can be used with a suffix of say C for CD and O for On-line, etc.  This Sub List ID code can be a maximum of 8 alphanumeric characters.

For example:  SIMC for Simms Court Practice

In Release Run Management, if a specific Subscription List is required the List Id can be entered.  Leave the field blank to select all Subscription Lists.

When releasing subscription orders, enter the Subscription List to be used for the release.  Multiple Subscription Lists can be used with one Product List.

There are 5 levels of analysis available on each Subscription List. These analysis levels can be used in the initial selection screen to display only those subscription lists belonging to the range entered. These classifications are a means of grouping Subscription Titles or Lists for reporting purposes. The way Subscription Lists are grouped is normally in the same way as the title has been classified.

For example, level 1 could denote the division of the company.

For example, level 2 could be used for the type of product within a division of the company.

Or another example of the use of this level of the subscription hierarchy could be codes relating to Titles to facilitate Title Grouping.  If products are split across Subscription Lists according to the format in which they are produced, to report on a specific Title no matter what the format, a Title Group would be selected.

The medium in which products are available could be important reporting criteria.

A Term Type code is used to indicate the subscription interval. This is expressed as a number of months, a number of updates, a number of issues, a number of parts or a number of pages. It really only applies to Pay In Advance subscriptions and defines what the customer has paid for, in advance. For example: 12 months or 6 parts or 1500 pages or 1 Issue.

Other parameters relating to the Subscription Term Type are whether or not the Term is Event based or Time based.

Event based could include despatching updates or issues of a volume or pages of a publication as and when they are made available. The publications are sent and paid for at the same time. This would apply to Pay As You Go subscriptions. An Event based Term Type such as Page or Part is only flagged as an event and the Term Type is not applicable.

Time based is when issues of a publication are sent out on a regular basis for a period of time. Time based would be an anniversary Pay in Advance type of subscription. For example a Term Type of Half Year is a time base in months and the number of months is 6. So every 6 months a release 16 could be due. The Term entered is also used as a revenue recognition period length.

If renewal notices/invoices are to be sent out at a specific time, the actual date when the paperwork is to be produced is to be entered in the next field and no lead time is required.

This is only applicable to a PIA Fixed Charge Method.

The current billing cycle and the last part issued within this billing cycle are recorded in these two fields.

For example when a release is processed for an event based subscription, the issue number dispatched in the release is stored here. This issue number increases with each new issue released.

When all issues for the cycle have been released, the cycle number increases to the next cycle.

So for example, the entry in the Cycle field is 1999, the year in which the cycle starts. If the subscription starts at the beginning of the year the issue number is 1. When the issue number is 12, the Billing cycle increases to 2000 as the Subscription Term was for 1 Year.

If the subscription is for a number of pages, the Cycle number can be entered as 1. The Term Length indicates the number of pages to be received on this sub list before a new cycle is created.The entry made on the Product List determines how to increase the cycle. When a new subscription is established, the current part number of a volume.

Enter the number of moratorium days applied to new subscribers to the list. This is a period of time, usually immediately following a new sale, where customers are not charged for issues or updating material normally involving a charge or where payment is suspended for a period of time.

The actual moratorium period is usually dependent on the subscription title involved and is for Pay As You Go subscriptions only.

The start of the moratorium period is based on the Subscription Start Date allocated when customers are registered on the Sub List via the Order Maintenance function. If a moratorium does not apply, leave this field blank.

Moratorium discount rate is the percentage of price reduction applicable for moratorium period. If it is a no charge moratorium, the discount rate is 100%. If a Moratorium does not apply, leave this field blank.

This field is used to indicate if the subscription is paper based or an on-line subscription. For online subscription, you will need to specify on the order the online access type, which is defined in Control file TMSSM/SL-OLAT.

If media type is ONL=Online then the charge method must be set as C=”PIA Anniversary” and subscription term be set with a time based term i.e. Month, Year, etc.

Y= allow consolidation (order merge) of this order with any other order meeting the same criteria.

N= merging orders is not allowed.

If orders are to be merged, this must be taken into account when designing stationery layouts.

Orders merge with the auto freight flag of Y, or with an auto freight flag of N (if all other merge conditions apply). Orders with an auto freight flag of ‘M’ do not merge. The auto freight flag is set in the customer masterfile.

The code selected here determines how to manage any backorders when a Subscription List is released. A customer could have an overriding requirement and this is setup in the Orders Maintenance section of Sub Lists. Subscription backorders go through the normal sales backorder release process.

A=Only accepts backorders for those titles which have not yet been published.

B=Only accepts backorders for order to orders.

C=Only accepts backorders for those titles which have not yet been published and order to orders.

D=Only accepts backorders for those titles awaiting release.

N=Does not accept backorders. If the ordered stock quantity is unavailable at the time of order entry or a bulk run, the order is not processed and is considered a lost order.

O=Only accepts one backorder for the selected title and customer. The system deletes all existing backorders found for the selected title and customer.

Y=Accepts backorders. Stock is automatically backordered if insufficient or no stock is available at the time of order entry.

This field is part of the Subscription Order Release selection.

In Subscription List Maintenance, whether a Picking Slip is to print immediately or not is recorded. Depending on the type of bulk run being processed, this flag can be changed. For a release dispatching ISBNs, this flag should remain as No as the warehouse should be left in charge of releasing picking slips as and when they choose to. For a renewal run, immediate documents can print, as this has no impact on stock movement. Yes to print immediately or No immediate print.

Enter the freight rate or value for a Manual freight charge basis. If the Freight Charge Basis previously entered was F for Fixed, enter the fixed amount. For example: $3.50.

If Weight was selected as the Freight Charge Basis, enter the dollars per kg here.