Channels 2.0 FAQ

  • Will Channels 2.0 Replace the original Channel Listings functionality?
While this is planned in the long term, no timelines for this have yet been announced. Both areas of Channel Listings will continue to be supported until further notice.
  • What does the 'Orders Confirmed' checkbox do?
If this checkbox is ticked, then only confirmed (paid) orders will be visible in the [ Channel | Imports ] screen. If left unticked, the screen will also show unconfirmed orders (ie. the customer has placed an item in their basket, but has not checked out/paid yet). All orders will appear in the Sales Invoice Manager; however, it will not be possible to process unconfirmed orders through SIM.
  • There is a checkbox called 'Don't import Orders' in the [ Channel | Detail | Setup ] screen. Considering that's what Channels 2.0 is used for, why wouldn't I want to import orders from my channel?
This checkbox is ticked by default when creating new channels, and is only usually required during initial setup. Once initial order filtering has been done, this checkbox should remain unticked.
  • How does Channels 2.0 cater for orders with different weight bandings & associated couriers?
Although it is possible, there is no need to set up a specific courier in the Channels 2.0 screen. The settings currently active in your Courier Bandings will be applied when the sales order is imported. You can set a generic courier and then have it reassess on import, which should see Khaos Control evaluate on the usual criteria of weight and value. Note: to evaluate on weight, this data must already be included against the stock item in Khaos Control.
  • Is it possible to carry out any kind of Channels 2.0 setup myself?
While the Projects team will assist with your initial setup, it is feasible for you to set up or amend channels if you feel confident to do so. Enter your Shopify credentials directly into your test system.
Note: If you decide to take this route, ensure that extra care is taken not to send notifications to your customers)
  • Can we merge Shopify stock records/descriptions/levels with those on Khaos Control prior to import?
Theoretically yes, via bulk import. If the data can be extracted from Shopify into a .txt or .csv format then it is possible to import stock levels, update descriptions etc either using import tools or SQL. Note that for this to be done, the Projects Team would need to know the SKU in Khaos Control. Speak to your Project Controller during the initial order import for clarification.
  • How are payments made to the bank through Shopify?
Khaos Control doesn't register payments from Shopify; orders are shown as paid on import. Bank details should be arranged on Shopify side via Sage, Paypal or some other Payment service provider.
  • How often will Khaos Control communicate with the channel to import orders, or update the channel's available stock levels?
It could be done daily, or as often as every 10 minutes. The Projects Team can customise the frequency based on your requirements during the initial setup.
  • I can't see Shipping Notification updates showing on my channel(s)?
We send up Order Statuses (Shipping Notifications) from Khaos in blocks of 100 at a time. This number of statuses may include information for multiple channels if applicable to your setup.
The process is done this way to efficiently handle large amounts of information between Khaos Control and the respective channel(s).
It may be the case that a particular order you processed recently and are now looking at on the channel wasn't included in the first block of information sent and you should allow the system to update the channel a couple of times before being concerned anything is wrong.
  • What triggers the Shipping Notification update from Khaos Control to the channel(s)?
When you move your orders through Sales Invoice Manger (SIM) stages, this prompts Shipping Notifications to be sent to the respective Channel. Note the 'trigger stage' in SIM does depend on the specific channel in question.
For example:
Amazon: Shipping Notifications are triggered when you move your sales order passed Issue.
Shopify: Shipping Notifications are triggered when you move your sales order passed Shipping.
  • Can the channel be configured so that Shopify shows more stock than is currently available? (I want customers to think I have more products available for sale than I actually do.)
Unfortunately this option isn't supported. However, you could manually set an arbitrarily high stock level on your Shopify site for the item in question, and remove that item from the Channel's stock listing.
  • Can the system be configured to import orders with non-matching totals into a manual hold sub-stage, rather than the main Manual Hold stage?
Unfortunately orders can only be imported into the Manual Hold stage. They would then need to be manually moved to a different sub-stage by the user.
  • How will we be notified of updates?
Any new or updated features regarding Channels 2.0 should be outlined in system updates as you receive them. In the event that a new feature appears unannounced, please get in touch with Support.
  • How many times will Khaos Control automatically attempt to import an order before giving up?
The system will make 6 attempts automatically; after that, orders will need to be imported manually.
  • What new features are due to appear in Channels 2.0?
Apart from performance improvements, there are no plans to include any new features in the short term. As new features appear later on they will be communicated via the What's New Wiki page. In the event that a new feature appears unannounced, please get in touch with Support for details.

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