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General Overview
What is Loyalty Genius?
Loyalty Genius (LG) is a hosted loyalty analysis and promotion tool. Its main
function is to help our clients analyze their customer’s buying behavior and create
targeted marketing promotions that capitalize on them. This function is
accomplished by loading the retailer’s POS data (customers, products and
transactions) into the LG system, providing a set of analytical tools and ultimately
sending out direct-to-consumer promotions.
Many POS systems offer customer loyalty modules that contain customer
tracking and basic reporting; Loyalty Genius augments the functions already
installed and allows the retailer to turbo-charge their customer loyalty initiatives
by offering extensive analytics, promotional libraries and direct to customer
marketing support.
What is the purpose of this document?
The purpose of this document is to introduce the process for integrating a POS
system with Loyalty Genius. This document should contain enough information
for the decision makers to decide the most effective way to integrate with Loyalty
Genius. Once the decision is made the next step will be for the actual integrating
team (the developers) to work with Living Naturally’s Engineers at a more
granular and technical level. Developers will receive a Developer Kit with
XML/XSD examples, a validation utility, and a readme file with additional
information about the Loyalty Genius interface.
The LG integration is a straight forward project with an average core
development time of three (3) days. The primary task is to write a data adapter
that will take the POS data and extract it into the Loyalty Genius format. Living
Naturally will provide the needed support for developers during the whole
process. Lastly, developers will work with Living Naturally’s Quality Assurance
Lab to “certify” the Loyalty Adapter.
How Does LG and the POS Work Together?
Loyalty Genius uses a Web Service to consume XML files containing POS
Customer, Product and Transactional Data. The client portion of the web service
will be provided by Living Naturally. The only deliverable needed from the POS
Partner is an application/process that has the ability to schedule the automatic
creation of the three (3) XML files;Customer, Product, & Transactions on
a daily basis. Each day when these files are created Living Naturally’s web service
will deliver them to the Loyalty Genius System.
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Non-Windows System
For POS systems that do not use Microsoft Windows the adapter must make the XML files
available to a Microsoft Windows client. This is either done by moving the completed XML files
to the Windows machine, or by providing network access to the files on the non-windows
machine(s). The Microsoft Windows machine that runs the Web Service must be able to have
full control of the xml files and be given the proper access to be able to move, copy and delete
the files.
It is a requirement that all Loyalty Genius customers have a Microsoft Windows machine
available.
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Deliverables
Executable
A command line executable that will extract the POS data and format it into the
three (3) required xml files. PROD.xml,CUST.xml,Tran.xml
Requirements Overview
When calling the executable we must be able to specify;
• Number of Days to extract. Default is Three (3)
• The ability to Filter Customers and Transactions only signed up to the LG
Program. (Card Number Filter)
• Extracted files should be extracted to the same directory with the same file
name(s) over writing the previous file(s). Living Naturally’s Web Service
will manage files. Ideally the file names and paths are also configurable.
• After creation, files must be closed to allow read/write actions against
them.
• All data must be XML encoded and the encoding must be enforced.
• Fields not native to the POS schema that are required fields in Loyalty
Genius will need to be mapped dynamically with some sort of configuration
file.
• Adapter must have proper error and fatal exception handling. Ideally all
errors should be logged to a text log and executable self recovers and/or
shuts down clean.
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Additional Considerations
• System must have a constant connection to the internet.
• System must be able to scan, store and associate a 14 digit Code 128
Barcode with the customer record.
• There must be a data relationship between all three files.
• Must identify which versions of the POS exists and what versions the
integration is compatible.
• System must have storage space for 30MB – 50MB worth of files.
• System must have memory to support the extra demand from the
extraction and uploading process.
Developers: Please be sure to get the latest information from the SDK readme.txt file.
XSD Layouts for XML Files
Customer File
Product File
Transaction File