Follow the onboarding checklist
The checklist keeps things transparent and accountable
Onboarding sucksless than you think.
Give us 60 days
to go from zero to live. We can move faster if your team is as excited as we are.
Every step is outlined below
and identifies the team or person accountable and estimated time for completion.
Training is free
for the whole team, and it's unlimited.
Every step of our onboarding plan is outlined below. Your case might skip or add some steps here and there. But for the most part, this is what you can expect when going from zero to live on Hello. We'll start with our summarized checklist, then show each step in detail, along with the accountable party and estimated time to complete. When onboarding begins, we create a shared document to track progress and keep everyone on the same page. These steps do not need to be done in this order (for the most part).
60 days to go live
Kickoff
Day 1
Checklist
Along the way
Go live
Day 60
Here's the summarized onboarding checklist, followed by a more in-depth look. When each of these steps are done, you're live 🚀
1. Create your store in Hello
Party accountable: Team Hello
Time to complete: 5 mins
We need your store’s public email address, phone number, physical address, store name, and the email address of a primary admin user. This is fast and easy. If you pop a frozen burrito in the microwave, and then start this setup process, it will be finished about the same time as your burrito.
2. Fill out credit card processing application
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 20 mins
Credit card payments on Hello happen securely through Card Connect, a First Data company. We give you a simple application to get the process in motion, but the processing relationship is strictly between you and Card Connect. They’re easy to work with and have very competitive rates.
3. Order credit card machines
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 20 mins
Credit card machines are delivered pre-programmed with your merchant ID directly to your store. They take up to three weeks to prepare and ship, so getting them ordered early on in the process avoids a bottle neck down the road. As soon as your account is set up with Card Connect, your machines can be ordered.
4. Verify receipt printer models on hand and order if necessary
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 45 mins
Since Hello is 100% web based, receipts need to print over a network connection using our web printer extension. Your printer might already be capable of this. We recommend the Epson TM-T88VI M338A or other Epson model if epos / web printing is available.
5. Begin campus data integrations (courses, enrollment, FA)
Party accountable: Hello Team + You + Campus IT
Time to complete: Varies / multiple cycles
This step is not difficult, but between start and finish it normally takes the most time because of reliance on campus IT departments to schedule a conversation, connect to our SFTP, verify files, etc. So it’s important to get this conversation started early. Depending on your operation, our file exchange process with campus typically looks like this: 1) You send an introductory email to your campus IT team, and include the Hello team. 2) We explain to the IT team which files we’re looking for. These are standard files which are already being created and provided to your current point of sale. Depending on your operation, they may not all be needed. The files we receive are: • Courses • Student enrollment • Financial aid The files we send back are: • Charges to financial aid We provide credentials to drop initial test files into our SFTP. Normally at this point it’s best to put together a 15 minute call with campus IT to make sure they’re clear on the data we need, how they’ll provide it, and how they’ll pick up the data they need from us. 3) Campus IT drops initial files into the SFTP. 4) We review the files and reply to Campus IT with any questions we have or changes that need to be made.^^This process continues until everyone is clear. 5) We drop our financial aid charges file into the SFTP and campus IT verifies it is correct, or sends back for revision. 6) We agree on the cadence of file transfer and we’re done.
6. Adoption integration (Verba Collect)
Party accountable: Hello Team + You + Verba
Time to complete: Very little time in several short cycles
If you’re managing course materials, collecting adoptions is key to the entire operation. Unless you'd prefer to enter adoptions manually (manually means either input one at a time or use our templates for uploading), Hello imports adoptions from Verba Collect. Their application is often free and helps faculty submit adoptions accurately and on time. If you already have a Verba account, this is easy. We’ll provide your store information to your Verba / Vital Source rep and get your credentials to make the connection. If you do not have an account, but plan to use Verba Collect, you’ll need to set up an account so we can make this connection.
7. eBook integration with Vitalsource
Party accountable: Team Hello + You
Time to complete: A few minutes each in short cycles
Our eBook integration is easy and seamless, but you will need an account with Vitalsource. If you already have an account, we simply input your API keys into Hello and we’re off done. If you do not have an account, we can put you in touch with a primary contact there to complete the agreement and sign up process. With your eBook APIs in place, you'll have an unlimited shelf, with ebooks available both online and at the register with seamless deliver to students in both cases.
8. Set up the control room
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 2 hours
The Control Room module contains foundational information and rules to operate your store. It’s here that you’ll enter: • Users (employees) • Suppliers • Tax rates • Financial reporting categories • Payment accounts • Sourcing rules • Retail rules (like return policies, etc)
9. Stand up website
Party accountable: Team Hello + You
Time to complete: 10 mins
Your website can either continue using the same domain it does today, a new domain of your choosing, or become a subdomain of our primary eCommerce domain (studentstore.com). Simply tell us what domain your bookstore site will reside on. If it will be a subdomain of our eCommerce domain, there’s nothing more for you to do. If it will use the same domain you use today or a new domain, it takes a little more planning. We’ll give you a temporary URL to build and test your store, and when it’s time to go live, we’ll provide records which you’ll give to whoever controls your domain. They’ll paste the records into DNS manager and your domain will begin to point at your new store.
10. Build website
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: Give yourself a day or two :)
Building, modifying, and managing your website is simple, and always accessible to you. No code required. This step comes before building products because your products will belong to web categories. Head into the Control Room > Web Settings to do the following: • Create web categories • Set shipping prices and options • Set minimum inventory quantities • Add imagery, banners, store information for the footer • Input social media links • Write your legal pages (rental return policy, terms of service, privacy policy, etc.) • Add custom pages • Overall have a kick-butt good time building your site
11. Import historical course material catalogs
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 2-8 hours
You can import historical terms and course materials into Hello. Download the template from the term builder inside the catalog. This exercise will take a varying amount of time depending on how many terms you have to import, whether you already have them in an importable file format, etc.
12. Import textbook pricing
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 2 hours
Once you have catalogs loaded into the system, you have the option to import textbook pricing. You can allow the system to price books based on rules (percentage of list, etc.). But you may have pricing already developed. If so, simply head to the control room > rules page to import.
13. Import gift cards from previous system
Party accountable: Team Hello + You
Time to complete: 45 mins
This reads as step number 13, but in reality, we'll do this almost dead last. If you have gift cards from your legacy system, we’ll upload them so they can be used in Hello. We provide a simple template for you to enter your card numbers and current balance. We bring those numbers and balances into Hello and viola. *Note, these cards cannot be re-loaded, but they can be spent to zero. If a customer with a legacy card wishes to increase the balance, simply sell them a new gift card out of Hello.
14. Import customers
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 1-2 hours, maybe more depending on legacy data retrieval
Although you can’t import customer transaction history into Hello, you can and should import customer profiles. Head to the customer module and click the plus button > import. You’ll find instructions and a template to get started. Customer profiles get into Hello in three different ways: • Historical customer profile imports • Enrollment imports from campus • Live transactions either in-store or on the web
15. Build or import products and services (non-textbooks)
Party accountable: Team Hello + You
Time to complete: Likely a few days back and forth
There are two ways to go about getting products into Hello. The cleanest way is to simply build your products by hand in the system. This ensures you have only exactly what you need in Hello, and can leave behind years (maybe decades) of old useless data. The trade off is this takes time. Alternatively, you can export products from your existing system, bring them into our template, and import them into Hello. We lay all of this out with instructions in the product module. Because of the varying size and shape of product data, we often help with this step. Expect a couple days of back and forth to align everything.
16. Set up registers and safe
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 3 hours
You’ll set up each lane and input printer settings and credit card machine IDs to make them live. Beyond registers alone, you’ll set up a safe, and if you’d like, a bank. The bank isn’t a real connection to your bank. It’s another register that the safe transfers funds in and out of. This creates a clean chain of custody for your cash, should you decide to do it this way.
17. Set up departments
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 30 mins - 3 hours
If you work with only a few departments, this will be fast. If you have hundreds of department accounts, well, it will take longer. Importing departments is the same as importing customers. Head to the Customer module, click the plus button, and choose department to add a department. If you have a lot, and would rather import them, choose the import function.
18. Test transactions on the web
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: Give yourself a couple hours
With products loaded and website built, it's time to test transactions on the web. Go buy yourself some clothes, books, and anything else that catches your eye. ‍ If you plan to take financial aid on the web, give your customer profile a line of credit to use at checkout. Build some coupons to use on the web to get the full experience. ‍ Explore your customer account online once you’ve placed a few transactions so you’ll be familiar with what your customers will see. ‍ Watch for those confirmation emails to come through and make sure everything is to your liking.
19. Test web order fulfillment
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 30 mins
With some fresh orders in your web orders module, it's time to smash that fulfill button. Lots of variations here. Fulfill for shipment with tracking. Fulfill in-store pickup. Fulfill into multiple boxes for large orders. Cancel items. Add items. Plenty of fun. And as always, check those emails to make sure you're digging the communication.
20. Test cash transactions in store
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 1 hour
With your registers set up, it’s time to test transactions from every angle. Starting with cash. Buy books, general merchandise, services. Head into the transactions module to view transactions, re-print receipts, etc.
21. Test credit card transactions in store
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 1 hour
Same scoop with credit card transactions. Buy books, general merchandise, services. If you're renting books, nows the time to test rentals. Ensure that the transactions are going through and that the funds are being captured in your Card Connect account as expected. Head into the transactions module to view transactions, re-print receipts, etc.
22. Test department and other AR charge (FA) transactions
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: 1 hour
Now that you’re getting good at transactions, start testing your accounts receivable payment types. Charge to lines of credit. Charge to departments. Run your AR Activity report to see how you’ll submit these charges to campus. As always, we’re around to walk you through all of this.
23. Do physical inventory (or import it)
Party accountable: Hello Team + You + Campus IT
Time to complete: Varies / multiple cycles
With your textbooks and merchandise in the system, and with test transactions under your belt, it’s time to do inventory. Our physical inventory module is clean and easy and provides feedback loops that even allow you to perform inventory with the store open. Having said that, for initial setup, we recommend keeping the store closed.
24. Open store 🤩
Party accountable: You
Time to complete: You're already done
That’s it. Hang the shingle and open the doors! Your website and store are ready to roll 🚀.
Keep everyone on the same page
Visibility reduces log jams and keeps everyone headed thesame direction
Go live
Before you know it you'll be transacting on Hello
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