Use the hyperlinks on the left to access the different forms for marinating information in your database.

Following are descriptions of what these forms are used for and how to use them. But first I'll explain to you the structure of your database and how things relate to each other.

PRODUCTS

The products that you sell are organized into categories and sub-categories. A product can belong only to a single sub-category. For example a Polar Heart rate monitor belongs to the sub-category "Heart Rate Monitors" which belongs to the category "Blood Pressure and Stethoscopes".

Each product is also associated with body parts. Unlike sub-categories, a product can be associated with many body parts, just as a single body part can have many products associated with it.

Within your shopping system a customer can find the product they are looking for easily. We have provided search methods that are easy to use and relatively fast to ensure that a customer will not get frustrated and quit.

Ways to search:

1. Catalog Index
   The catalog index resembles a catalog index from a printed catalog. It is organized by Category. Each category has a list of sub-categories beneath it. When you click on a sub-category a new page will load in the browser showing a list of all the products that belong to that subcategory.
2. Search by Item #
   This is only available to wholesale shoppers. When in the shopping portion of your site, on almost every page, located in the left column you will find two option buttons and a text box that you can type in. To find an item # or many items with a similar item #, first make sure that the "By Item#" option is selected (indicated by a black dot). Then you type in the item # or portion of the item # that you are looking for and click the "find" button. If the number that you typed in is valid, meaning that products with that item # exist in your database, then a new page will load listing the items that were found.
3. Search by Keyword
   This is available to everyone. The concept is the same as searching for an item # except that this searches the descriptions of your products to find the items containing the text that you type into the text box. You can search by multiple words by separating each one with a space. Try it! Type in the words "Chair" and "Wheel" in that order and see what happens.
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5. Navigation through categories
   In the Maintenance section only you could navigate your way to products by clicking the Category Maintenance link in the column on the left, then by choosing one of the categories in the list on the next page. Then on the following page, on the right side of your screen there will be a list of all sub-categories. By selecting one of the sub-categories you will be presented with a list of products. Select one of the products listed and you will find yourself in the Product Maintenance page for the product that you chose. Here you can change the values and properties associated with that product like price, description, sale price and which body parts it's associated with. Along the way I'm sure you have noticed that on each page you also have the ability to add, edit and delete the categories and sub-categories.

1. Body Parts
   In the Product Maintenance page you will have the ability to associate products with many parts of the body. Each of those body parts will have a corresponding check box. Unless you add the body parts to the database you will not have the option to check it off. The Complete Medical Inc. core catalog of products that comes with the site will start you off by including all of the body parts that are already associated with many of those products.
2. Brand Names
   You might want to associate brand names to your products. Keep in mind that just like categories and sub-categories if a brand name doesn't first exist, you will not be able to associate a product with it.
3. Customers
   You can add, edit and delete retail customers by clicking on the customers hyperlink in the column on the left.
4. Companies
   You can also add, edit and delete wholesale customers by clicking the companies hyperlink. However, since there can be multiple buyers for each company you have the ability, once on the Company Maintence page, to add, edit and delete buyers of that company. Don't worry! If you don't know all of the buyer's names you can just let them do it. In the wholesale shopping portion of your website, your customers are presented with a form that allows them to enter their own company information. There, they can also add the buyers that they want to place orders on your web site.
5. Employees
   Adding employees to your database allows those individuals to access this portion of the site. When your site is set up for you for the first time, one person will have administrative access, which means that he or she will be the only one who can get here. That person must then add other employees so that they can help enter data into your database.
6. Payment types
   Since the methods of payment are different for each company you can add or delete the payment types that you accept. Remember, when you add a new payment method (type) you also must add a picture to your "images" directory on your web site. These images and payment types will appear in the final step when a customer places an order. Your database is initialized with 4 payment methods and 4 pictures. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.
7. Shipping Methods
   Similarly, you can also input your own shipping methods. This will allow a wholesale customer to select the method of shipment that suits them best.