DotApparel connects your ERP instance to many different online platforms, we have partnered with most of the leading platforms to help drive your omni-channeling offering. Our solutions are a middleware that syncs different things from products, inventory, orders, customers, rewards, loyalty, gift cards, coupons and much more, along with a range of other features.

The solutions offer an easy-to-use interface to view and configure data without having to write custom code. Our standout feature is Mappings which allows you to map data from one format to another, and route them to their intended destinations (e.g. if you want to map a new Shopify tag, or metafield using ERP attributes).

DotApparel solutions are hosted on a Google Cloud product called Firebase. This platform is designed to be more stable, scalable, and powerful than traditional server hosting. It is built using a serverless approach, which means that it automatically scales up and down based on usage, eliminating the need for manual scaling.

Serverless, essentially means there is not a server running 24/7 which makes it more cost-effective. This approach is the same as what larger products like Netflix and Spotify use, making it a reliable and proven option for hosting middleware.

Apparel21

Apparel21 is a leading ERP solution designed specifically for fashion, footwear, and accessories retailers. It streamlines business operations by integrating point of sale (POS), inventory management, customer data, and supply chain processes. The platform is widely used by brands to manage their entire retail lifecycle, from product development and stock control to sales reporting and customer engagement. With built-in industry-specific features, Apparel21 enables seamless management of omni-channel retail operations, supporting everything from store sales to online orders and logistics, making it a trusted choice for the fashion industry.

Harmony

Harmony is a versatile ERP platform offering comprehensive solutions for retailers and wholesalers seeking robust integration across their supply chain and retail operations. It manages a wide range of business functions, including inventory, order processing, financial management, and customer relationship management (CRM). Harmony is particularly known for its reliability in syncing product data, managing orders, and ensuring real-time inventory accuracy across various sales channels. Its adaptability allows retailers to maintain a cohesive omni-channel strategy while ensuring efficient back-end processes, making Harmony a strong contender in the retail ERP landscape.

For the last decade, we've specialised in crafting omni-channel solutions that create efficiency, increase conversions, and improve customer experience.

Over time we had developed and launched over 30+ custom ERP integrations. We found that each integration took time and we were repeating the same thing over again. So for us, creating DotApparel was the next step.

Why Our Clients Love DotApparel

Extensive features: Products and images, customers, orders & fulfillments, stores & inventory, gift cards, loyalty & rewards

Zero-code configuration: Attribute mapping tool to shape ERP references and custom data into tags and metafields

This guide contains everything you need to know about DotApparel. It includes steps for installation and information to get you confident in understanding how the app works end-to-end. Whether you're a manager or coordinator, this guide will help you get the most out of DotApparel.

If you're interested in a demo of the app or more training,

DotApparel connects a Shopify store to a Retail API. Each Shopify store needs its own DotApparel app, which is called an "instance" and needs a separate project created within Google Cloud.

As explained in our Creating a Google Cloud account guide, DotApparel runs in a dedicated Firebase project. A single Google Cloud account can have many Firebase projects created. We will usually ask for a staging and production project so that we can test the DotApparel solutions before moving it to production.

This section shows all the possible return mapping reasons that ERP is configured to accept. Reasons must be pre-configured in ERP before DotApparel can complete the return mappings configuration.

This is where we save the URL of the ERP Retail API. We need these details to allow Shopify to connect to your ERP instance.

We offer a number of addtional modules that can be enabled within your instance to futher enahnce the base offering by providing a more omni-channel feature set to your customers.

Our aim is to help you get started with our app and make use of its features for smooth integration between your ERP and Shopify.

DotApparel Core is a middleware that syncs products, inventory, orders, customers and many others thing back and forth between your online store and your ERP.

With the DotApparel app, you can control how information from your ERP is displayed in Shopify. This is done through "mappings", which are templates and rules that you can customise. DotDev will set up the initial mappings based on your preferences, but you can always make changes yourself within the app.

Ignore sync

Skipping inventory sync for specific products or SKUs

Inventory buffer

Set inventory buffer for specific products or SKUs

Keep items sold out

Set inventory to ZERO in Shopify for specific products or SKUs

Unlimited inventory

Set unlimited stock for specific products or SKUs in Shopify

Example: all products in the Pokemon collection set inventory to ZERO

Order errors & how to resolve them

If you need further assistance, please reach out to DotApparel Support using the in-app support widget.

Shopify offers a built-in feature which will be utilised for this integration. When Shopify captures an order, it assigns a level of "risk" to the order which indicates whether further investigation should be made before dispatching the goods.

Shopify will be configured such that payments are not captured by default, only authorised. A will be created such that when an order fraud risk is acceptable, the payment will be automatically captured.

If the order risk is unacceptable, the payment will remain in an authorized state, the order will be tagged with a fraud tag and an email sent to the store email address. A saved search will be set up in the Shopify admin to enable the retail team to easily see these orders.

Only orders which have a captured payment will be synced to ERP.

In the case that an order is erroneously marked as fraudulent, it can be synced simply by capturing the payment in the Shopify admin, which will trigger a fresh webhook to the integration.

Example: all products in the 7-Day collection have UNLIMITED stock.

Example: skipping inventory sync for all products with style code BMF2224

This section presents an inclusive list of customers featured in the customers CSV export. Merchants typically integrate both online and in-store customer data into the customers CSV export. Consequently, this list will show all available customer profiles.

This section will display all the crucial settings for your DotApparel instance. It is advised to exercise caution while navigating this section within the app.

System Alerts provides helpful error notifications and guidance for resolving issues, ensuring smooth operations for your team.

It's important that all tasks, especially orders, flow through to the ERP. However, this is not always the case. If something has failed, all issues are collated in one place. We've made information around alerts much more actionable and insighful so that it's easier for you and your team to resolve it with minimal reliance on developers.

View our detailed FAQs here

DotApparel can help you enable many omni-channel features such as Gift Cards, Click & Collect/Find Instore, Returns (Loop), Rewards, and Shopify Markets.

Simply raise a support ticket and provide the following information:

• Which feature(s)

• Desired launch date

• Desired Shopify store(s)

So, you want to integrate a new marketplace such as Amazon, Catch, Ebay, The Iconic, etc. You can set this up yourself by referring to the instructions here. Alternatively, we can help you set this up. Simply raise a support ticket and provide the following information:

• Which marketplaces(s)

• Desired launch date

• Desired Shopify store(s)

Please note, the marketplace needs to already be connected to Shopify for DotApparel to sync it to Apparel21.

We love it when merchants provide context and actionability in a support ticket. This allows our support team to focus on solving the problem quickly and efficiently, ultimately leading to a better customer experience. Here’s a bad and good example:

This section shows all orders that have been placed online. Each line item represents an order.

Next to each order, you’ll see the sync status and the fulfilment status. "Posted" means that the order has been successfully synced to ERP.

There are three fulfilment statuses, and these statuses are automatically updated as soon as the next sync run has been completed. This fulfilment sync runs every hour.

• Unfulfilled

• Fulfilled

• Partially fulfilled

View more details about the order

You can click on each line item to display the data associated with each order. On the left, is Shopify data. On the right, is ERP Request data which is the data that is sent through to ERP from Shopify.

This data is very useful for debugging any order issues with ERP. They'll usually ask for an "Order Payload" in which case, you can simply copy this yourself by clicking Show XML in the ERP request XML section.

This section allows you to configure additional order sources. External apps and marketplaces can be added here which means that DotApparel is helping those orders to flow through to ERP.

Adding a New Order Source

1. Click on Add New Source.

2. Select the desired order source from the dropdown menu.

3. Fill in the required details and apply the appropriate mapping template for these orders.

Dependancy: Integration via Direct API

Some third-party apps and marketplaces offer direct API integration via Shopify, enabling read and write access between Shopify and the platform. Here's an example:

Configuring the order integrations section

Before our team can configure a new order source, our team will need to review a sample order to set up the source identifiers, along with the merchant ID and card type (which are used for other regular orders).

Once our team has configured this, we handover to the merchant for review and confirm that the order is appearing in ERP as expected.

Mandatory

• Sources - Where the order is from, distinguishing between marketplaces and Shopify orders

• Label - The name of each config

• Identifier source field

Most likely needed

• AP21 Payment Merchant ID

• AP21 Payment Card Type

Optional based on specific needs

• Country code - Useful if posting orders using a different country code.

• Default Email address - Handy if posting orders using a guest email.

• ERP Person IDX - Useful for posting orders using a guest AP21 person ID.

Example of Qantas Marketplace order configuration

A Shopify tag qantas is automatically to Qantas orders by the Qantas API integration.

In the screenshot above, orders from the Qantas Marketplace are automatically tagged with qantas

Through the qantas tag, DotApparel Core identifies these and then syncs them into ERP, ensuring that the respective Email Address, AP21 Person IDX, Payment Merchant ID, and Payment Card Type are included in the order details.

This process gives merchants the flexibility to enrich order data from third-party platforms, differentiate them in ERP, and achieve accurate reporting.

If you’re already using a third-party returns app, you can also leverage the Returns feature in DotApparel which will show the list of refunded orders. This section displays the information associated with all orders that have been approved to get returned.

Set up return reason mappings

DotApparel offers a flexible option to map return reasons between Loop Returns and ERP, enabling enhanced return reason reporting in ERP.

To configure the return reason mappings, follow these steps in your DotApparel admin:

1. Navigate to Returns > Mappings.

2. Under the Return Reasons section on the right-hand side, click "Add new return reason".

3. From the "ERP return reason type" dropdown, select a reason from the provided list.

At DotApparel, we’re committed to providing fast, reliable, and transparent support for all our partners.

This document outlines our agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs), detailing how we prioritise, respond to, and resolve issues based on their impact to your business.

🔺 Priority Levels and Response Times

🤝 Contact & Support

For any questions about this SLA or to discuss an ongoing issue, please reach out to your

Customer Success Manager directly.

Any payment that's accepted in your Shopify store will also need to be configured in both the ERP and DotApparel Core.

Common Payment Gateways

• Afterpay

• Paypal

• Shop Pay

• Gift card (Shopify gift cards only)

Customers can also pay through an ERP Gift Voucher. This also needs to be setup before hand. Visit this page for more info:

When an order is posted to the ERP, it will work its way through the system and then on to your warehouse for dispatch. When the warehouse dispatches the order, the tracking number for the shipment will find its way back to the ERP as a “consignment note” on the order line items.

DotApparel checks posted orders once per hour, to see if they have had a consignment note added to any of the line items. If a new consignment note is found, then a Shopify fulfilment is created, with the connote attached as a tracking number. This will trigger Shopify to send an email notification to the customer, noting that the items have been dispatched and a link to the courier tracking page.

Configuring carriers

To ensure that Shopify provides the correct tracking link for the consignment note, you should map each of your ERP carrier codes to a carrier that Shopify understands. This prevents Shopify from trying to guess the carrier from the format of the tracking number, which is often incorrect.

Carriers can be configured on the settings page, where you will see a list of each of the carriers you use and the associated ERP carrier code.

In most cases, you can select a well-known carrier from the “Shopify tracking company” field, and Shopify will automatically generate the tracking page URL. However, in cases where Shopify does not recognise a carrier, you can manually define the template for the tracking URL, such that the URLs are correctly formatted in the customer dispatch emails.

1. Step 1: Issue is discovered

2. Step 2: If you notice a system alert, simply navigate to the alert within the app to find instructions to solve it. Alternatively, you can refer to our detailed FAQs for more info.

3. Step 3: If our FAQs don’t cover the issue you’re experiencing, you can contact us through the in-app support widget. We’ll get back to you within 24 hours but if it’s urgent, it’ll be much sooner than that.

In the DotApparel app, you'll see a Support widget. Raise a ticket directly here to get in touch with our team for help. .

Access your tickets using our support portal

View all tickets in our support portal:

If you haven't already done so, make sure to register for a support portal account to access your tickets. Simply Sign up to create an account.

If you'd like to view all of your historical tickets (resolved or closed), simply click on this button.

This section presents an inclusive list of orders featured in the orders CSV export. Merchants typically integrate both online and in-store orders data into the orders CSV export. Consequently, this list encompasses all available orders.

Each line item in the list corresponds to a specific order and is accompanied by its sync status. A "Complete" status indicates that the order has been successfully synced with Klaviyo. By clicking on an order, you can view the raw CSV and Klaviyo data specific to that order.

It’s important that all new products are first created within ERP and then marked as web active. Once that step has been completed DotApparel can detect these and then sync into Shopify with the correct linking between platforms. When this process is not followed, important information like pricing, inventory and order syncing will not function as DotApparel will not be aware of any products created directly within Shopify. When a product is created in Shopify, DotApparel will leave it unpublished. This means that you can see the product in the Shopify admin area and update its attributes where necessary, but it will not yet be available for purchase by customers.

When you have added any missing attributes to the product and are happy that you wish to make it public, you will need to using the button in Shopify.

Inversely, when wishing to make a product unavailable to customers (it is retired), you will need to unpublish the product from Shopify using the button in the Shopify admin.

This process means that you can precisely manage when products are available and unavailable on the website whilst managing your product content at your own pace.

DotApparel keeps your Shopify store in perfect sync with your ERP through a series of automated tasks. These syncs run like clockwork. Some in near real-time, others at scheduled intervals to ensure your store always reflects the latest data.

What Gets Synced?

Several key types of data are synced between your ERP and Shopify throughout the day:

• Products

Example: all products in the Tees category set inventory buffer to 2

The Dashboard is the first screen you will see as soon as you go on the app. It will show every task that’s running behind the scenes. Here are the definitions of each section:

• Orders posted: Total # of orders that have successfully synced to ERP since DotApparel was first turned on

• All tasks: Shows all tasks (uploads to Shopify and downloads from ERP). This is displayed in one sequential list

This section is a list of all the products that DotApparel is aware of. It excludes any products that pre-existed before the implementation of DotApparel and any product archived in ERP.

Manually sync product updates so they appear online

The download task in DotApparel automatically fetches your products from ERP every 24 hours and uploads any changes to Shopify. But if you make a change in ERP and want it to update immediately, you can manually run the task.

To do this, go to the products section and click Products > Download from ERP

DotApparel is exclusively installed on , a cost-effective and secure cloud computing platform. Here is a diagram that shows the connection between two brands running our DotApparel Core solution connecting ERP into Shopify, one of which has two regional stores. We can see that each of the DotApparel projects sits within a single Google Cloud account and it gets its data from the ERP database.

This section shows all the customers that have been created through the online sales channel. This can happen in three ways:

• Customer signed up to create an account

• Customer signed up to join the newsletter

• Customer places an online order

For merchants offering in-store returns for online orders, DotApparel supports automatic refunds through Apparel21 POS. This process ensures refunds are correctly mapped and processed in Shopify without manual intervention.

Step 1: Onboarding

• Complete [Merchant]

Customers

Once the preferred frequency is determined by the merchant, the timings in Apparel21 must be configured accordingly. This automated scheduled process operates seamlessly in the background, where the SFTP service, integrated with the DotCustomerHub app, efficiently exports the necessary files and promptly triggers the import task into Klaviyo.

Based on the determined schedule, the 2 CSV files containing Apparel21 customer and order data are uploaded to the SFTP of each DotCustomerHub instance and then instantly flow through to Klaviyo. Customer attributes are synced to a Klaviyo profile with a matching Apparel21 email. If a matching profile is not found, a new profile is created.

Experience a new level of efficiency and responsiveness with automated system alert notifications. Seamlessly stay connected and informed at every turn, ensuring you're in the know the moment errors arise.

How to set up notifications

Manage your alert preferences by navigating to the settings section. A simple checkbox and your email address are all it takes to activate this feature. Once enabled, you'll receive comprehensive alert details directly to your inbox.

When a system alert is generated, an email notification is automatically sent from to the configured recipient email.

The Dashboard is the first screen you will see as soon as you go on the app. It will show a log of every task in the last 7 days. Here are the definitions of each tab:

• All tasks: Shows all tasks that have successfully imported into Klaviyo. Please note, logs will be cleaned every 7 days.

• Failed: Shows any task that has unsuccessfully synced into Klaviyo. Failed tasks may already be resolved so this view is simply here for historical reference. Most failed tasks will be related to invalid data in the CSV files. While rare, failed tasks will be stored in the SFTP which will allow the DotDev Support team to further investigate. Once resolved, DotDev will re-upload the failed tasks to ensure that any data is up-to-date in Klaviyo.

Merchants who have an in-house Apparel21 expert have the capability to independently configure the Apparel21 exports. Nonetheless, there are certain steps in which our involvement is still necessary. Please refer to the details below:

Setup Process

• Provide the SFTP details for the instance

Apparel21 Gift Voucher: A voucher triggered by Apparel21, featuring a voucher number and a 4-digit pin. Redeemable both in-store and online (). This voucher can only redeem dollar ($) amounts, not a percentages (%) off.

Coupon: The term that Yotpo will typically use to refer to a discount. Here at DotApparel, we use the term "Voucher" to denote the same concept.

Shopify discount code: You can create codes for a dollar value discount, a percentage discount, a buy X get Y discount, or a free shipping discount. Customers can enter discount codes online during checkout. Existing discounts can be updated and managed from the Discounts page in Shopify. Please note that these codes are not redeemable in-store via Apparel21 POS.

DotApparel Loyalty is a middleware that syncs loyalty data, and imports customer information between Apparel21 and the Yotpo Loyalty platform. This solution gives full visibility of the loyalty and rewards program across both platforms and allows customers to redeem rewards points, both in-store (via POS) and online.

This guide aims to help you get started with our app and make use of its features for smooth synchronisation between Yotpo Loyalty and Apparel21.

What are the Benefits?

Yotpo Loyalty is a great alternative to the Apparel21 Rewards module. By using Yotpo Loyalty, there won’t be a need to enable the Apparel21 Rewards module.

Automations

Data Sync

Data sync automation provides a greater flexibility in controlling the data sync from the app to Klaviyo. Merchants now have the ability to control when the data is synchronised to Klaviyo.

Show some love to loyal customers for connecting with your brand, not just for spending money. Whether you're utilising the Yotpo Loyalty app, Apparel21 Mailer or another ESP (i.e., Klaviyo or Salesforce Marketing Cloud), emails empower you to build a deeper and more meaningful connection with your valued customers.

Here are a few example of rewards emails:

• Reward Received

• Points Reminder

1. Confirm Front-end Requirements: The merchant initiates the process by confirming their front-end requirements.

2. Select Loyalty Module: The merchant collaborates with the Yotpo team to choose appropriate loyalty modules and configure them to match their needs. These modules may have some default styling options.

3. Custom Front-end Development: In cases where the default modules have limitations or don't fully meet the requirements, custom front-end development is performed. This involves creating tailored solutions for specific design or functionality needs.

Introduction

DotApparel stands as a leading SaaS application seamlessly integrating ERP systems with Shopify and other leading platforms, offering a robust, scalable solution for Apparel21 retailers. Our commitment to security and data integrity is paramount, utilising Google Firebase's comprehensive suite of tools, including Auth, Functions, Hosting, and Firestore. This overview outlines the security measures and protocols incorporated to ensure the utmost security for our users.

Secure Authentication

DotApparel utilises Firebase Auth to manage user sessions and authentication, supporting various methods, including email and password, third-party providers, and phone authentication.

Key features include:

• SSL/TLS Encryption: All authentication activities are conducted over secure connections.

• OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect: Standard practices for third-party authentication.

• Token Management: Securely generated and managed tokens for authenticated sessions.

Serverless Architecture

Leveraging Firebase Functions for serverless compute ensures secure, scalable, and efficient backend code execution. Key features include:

• Isolation: Each function operates in its own isolated environment to minimise unauthorised access.

• Automatic Scaling: Ensures performance under any load, enhancing reliability and security.

• Integrated Security: Functions seamlessly work with Firebase Auth and Firestore Security Rules.

Cloud Hosting

Firebase Hosting provides fast, secure, and reliable web hosting with a global CDN, automatic SSL certificate provisioning, and HTTP/2 support. Key features include:

• SSL by Default: Ensures all content served over the web is encrypted.

• Secure Deployment: Integrated with Cloud Build for secure and automated deployments.

Realtime Database

Firestore, a flexible and scalable database, includes security features for fine-grained access control. Key features include:

• Security Rules: Configure read/write access to collections and documents.

• Data Encryption: Encrypt data in transit and at rest for confidentiality.

• Audit Logs: Integration with Google Cloud's operations suite for monitoring and auditing.

Apparel21 Integration

DotApparel integrates securely with Apparel21 ERP through its Retail API, implementing the following measures:

• Static IP and Whitelisted Access: Configured static IP addresses and whitelisted access for authorised connections.

• VPN for Developer Access: Regulated developer access via VPN for additional security.

• Encryption and Authentication: Industry-standard protocols like TLS ensure data security during transmission, with robust authentication mechanisms in place.

Shopify Integration

DotApparel ensures a secure integration with Shopify through the Shopify Admin API, adhering to best practices:

• Access to Shopify Admin API: Secure storage of access tokens for explicit authorisation.

• Rate Limiting and Monitoring: Adherence to API rate limits and continuous monitoring for risk mitigation.

• Shopify App and Platform Security: Compliance with Shopify's requirements, including OAuth 2.0 for authentication and adherence to data handling and privacy standards.

Setup [Merchant]

Create your Google Cloud account and Firebase projects on paid Blaze Plan. Please note to ensure that your project is not downgraded at any point, it is mandatory that billing details are added at the time of Project creation. If you need help, reference our Google Cloud & Firebase Setup guide.

Provide Firebase access

• Firebase Production project

• Firebase Staging project

• Invite [email protected] an owner.

Provide Apparel21 access

• Retail API URL and logins

• Whitelist VPN IP (46.102.153.187)

• Whitelist Solution Static IP (provided once the Firebase project is created)

Provide platform access

• Core (Shopify)

  • Provide URLs for us to request collabrator access

  • Approve request and grant store access

Installation & Configuration [DotApparel]

Once the steps above have been completed, we will commence on the the installation and configuration. To kickoff this part of the project we'll have an onboarding call to run through a reference sheet and collection all the information we need.

During this phase we'll setup, configure and deployment your solutions ready for testing.

Testing [Both]

We will conduct various testing scenarios and only proceed once each one has been successfully passed. Subsequently, our Customer Success Manager will provide your team with a Google Sheet containing the required testing scenarios which you will need to complete.

We will both work through this phase until both sides are comfortable your solution has been configured correctly and we are ready for launch.

Once final approvals has been given we'll conduct a launch planning call and discuss how this will play out, specifics around data migration and any down time if required for front-end changes.

Launch [DotApparel]

Upon successful completion of all testing scenarios, we will initiate the necessary steps to deploy your solution into your production environment, as agreed upon for the go-live day and time.

Pre-launch

• Any required frontend changes deployed

• Data migrations and syncing processes completed

• Final checks and testing before go-live

• Launch your DotApparel solution

Post-launch

For merchants using existing custom solutions, we will keep these running for around one more month to process any remaining data. Afterward, we will arrange to terminate your old solution (this should also stop services since they’re no longer needed at this point).

Launch [DotApparel]

All our support in handled through in-solution widgets and also through our dedicated [email protected] inbox. We have a dedicated team in Australia that monitor throughout each day and aim to adhere to our set SLAs.

During the post-launch hyper-care period we also monitor your solution using the dashboard and help to resolve any configuration issues or things that might arise.

We also have urgent support available after hours by calling 1800DOTANZ.

DotApparel's Markets and ERP Multi-Currency Integration empower merchants to effortlessly connect their Shopify Markets to multiple ERP APIs. This feature allows for seamless synchronization of product pricing in different currencies, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information for customers across various markets.

For further information: Shopify Markets

Configuring Shopify Markets and ERP API

Downloading Markets from Shopify

1. Click the Refresh Markets button in the settings form.

1. You'll be able to see the Shopify Markets that are available in the app.

Update Market and ERP Mapping

Once Markets are downloaded from Shopify, we are able to configure the Market and API connection in the app.

1. Click one of the Market from the list (i.e. Australia).

1. Configure the additional country code for the ERP API.

1. Tick the "Post markets orders to regional ERP API" if you'd like to receive the orders in the market's currency. (Default to the store currency)

1. Click the Update Market button to save the configuration.

Manual Tasks

An automation task within DotApparel downloads the product prices from AP21 on a daily basis and automatically uploads the fixed prices to the respective Shopify Markets. Apart from automation, the app also offers certain actions that enable users to execute tasks as and when required.

1. Upload fixed prices for a particular market

1. Reset the price list for a particular market

1. Download all product prices from ERP

1. Upload all fixed prices to Shopify Markets

DotApparel can integrate with the Rewards module in ERP, enabling merchants to offer an enhanced shopping experience for their customers. With this integration, customers can easily earn and track loyalty points, view their rewards status, and even make purchases online while earning points towards their rewards.

How it works

DotApparel retrieves rewards account details for a given customer by providing their email address.

If a customer does not already have a rewards account in ERP, the endpoint can automatically create a new account and proceed with it. However, this functionality must be enabled in the app's settings.

Types of Rewards Data and how they sync

• Customer tier status: DotApparel retrieves the "status" from ERP. DotApparel doesn't calculate the spending, or control the tier rules as that's all handled by ERP.

• New customers: DotApparel creates a person record for new accounts signed up online.

• Existing customers: DotApparel attaches online order history to an existing person record.

FAQ for Rewards

Is it possible to tag a reward profile to allow for rewards-specific marketing whilst the marketing status for all other marketing emails is false?

DotApparel does not handle marketing emails, but it does apply tier tags to customers to enable the email marketing platform to trigger transactional flows. Merchants need to configure the flow and request the email marketing platform to make reward-specific emails "transactional" so that the subscribe status of customers is ignored.

Rewards product SKU and discount application title

It may be necessary for the front-end to locate Shopify rewards products by their SKU number. These products will require discounts to be applied to line items using Shopify Script, and it's important to ensure that both the rewards product SKU and discount application title are consistent with DotApparel.

While both the SKU and title can be customized in DotApparel settings, we suggest using the following conventions:

• Rewards product SKU: LOYALTY_REWARD

• Discount application title: Reward Redemption

View inventory levels per SKU

Access real-time in-store levels per SKU by going into Products > Search for the product > Click on the product > Select variant

Get your stock in the right place with DotApparel

For merchants managing multiple locations and fulfilling online orders like Click & Collect or Ship from Store, staying on top of inventory accuracy is essential. That’s why DotApparel offers intelligent inventory buffer options to protect stock levels, prevent overselling, and keep your operations running smoothly.

Here’s what you can do

1. SKU-Level Buffers: Apply specific buffers to high-demand SKUs to ensure availability.

2. ERP Attribute Buffers: Define rules by product type, such as:

   1. “Core” & “Seasonal” → Buffer of 1

   2. “Outlet” → Buffer of 3

How to apply inventory buffers

We highly recommend utilising the store location option via DotApparel Core -> Locations as it enables easier tracking of the inventory buffer. Though applying inventory buffers on an SKU level via the inventory mapping tool is still a feasible option, we advise keeping track of them closely.

SKU level

Go to Inventory section. This section has two tabs:

• All: Each line item represents an individual SKU. You can click on each line item and set up your desired inventory buffer on an SKU level or view the inventory for each SKU.

• Inventory buffer: This is a list view of all the inventory buffers that have been applied on an SKU level.

By selecting any SKU listed, a pop-up window is opened for editing the inventory buffer for that specific SKU.

Inventory mappings

To configure inventory mappings, navigate to Inventory > Mappings. For more information and detailed instructions, please refer to the .

Store location

Go to Settings > Shopify locations > Select Location

Apply your buffer in the Location Buffer field or ERP Store A field

Want to see your changes to Inventory Mapper & Inventory Buffers instantly? Do this:

1. Apply inventory buffers in the DotApparel app.

2. Stop the 5-minute inventory sync (and ensure all previous inventory sync tasks are completed).

3. Download all inventory from AP21.

4. Reset the cache.

Terminologies

Ship From Store (SFS)

Generally, Ship From Store is a fulfilment strategy that allows retailers to utilise their physical stores as additional distribution centres for fulfilling online orders. Instead of shipping products from centralised warehouses or distribution centres, retailers can leverage their store inventory to fulfil online orders and ship them directly to customers.

Web Stores and Web Inventory

When we make a request to the StockChanged endpoint (Retail API), Apparel21 returns to us a list of what they call "stores". However, this "store" isn't necessarily a physical store (or warehouse). You can configure in the Apparel21 backend which stock locations and pools contribute to a particular "store" which is how the Web Stores work.

Please note that these are "stores" over the Retail API, but they're actually groupings of various warehouse and/or store locations in the backend, to form the stock counts which go to the website.

The Web Inventory refers to the total amount of available inventory for sale on a website. Typically, this includes the inventory stored in your warehouse. However, with the Ship From Store feature, you can also include the available stock from your physical stores. For instance, you can have a designated "store" such as Web Sales, Online Store, or Web Store, where the stock number is calculated by adding up the inventory from your warehouse and all the stores that are enabled for SFS.

SFS with Shopify and DotApparel

DotApparel only integrates the Web Inventory with a Shopify location to facilitate the SFS feature. All other processes will be managed by the ERP. This means that DotApparel will continue to send online orders as normal, and Apparel21 will decide if an order will be shipped from a physical store based on the configured logic or rules.

Are any changes required in DotApparel?

In essence, there will be no changes unless the Web Store is modified. As previously stated, your ERP representatives will need to set up your Web Stores and Web Inventory in the ERP backend. This will guarantee that the inventory counts from the WEB Store already include the store inventory. For example, if the inventory number of Product A was 3 in the warehouse and 2 in Retail A, without SFS, the total inventory number from your WEB store would be 3. However, with SFS, it will be 5.

Are any changes required in Shopify?

No. Since the Web Inventory has been configured in the ERP, the Shopify inventory also includes the floor stock available in your physical stores. Let's say that Product B is out of stock at the warehouse but there are 2 units available at Retail B. With SFS, in Shopify, there are 2 units available for purchase on the website. When customers purchase them, the orders will be sent to the ERP by DotApparel and then they will be processed by the ERP according to the SFS configuration.

What is the process to get started?

1. Contact your ERP representatives and discuss your requirements to enable SFS.

2. Agree on the locations(stores) that will be included in the inventory pool (Web Inventory).

3. Let us know when you plan to launch SFS and also if the existing Web Store will be used or new Store ID provided.

4. Schedule your configuration change with the ERP and confirm that date and time with us.

This table presents the default product mapping values within DotApparel. In the absence of any explicitly defined mapping rules, DotApparel will employ these values as the default settings.

We are excited to introduce a new feature in the app called "Mapping Translation Tables" that will greatly simplify the process of adding translations for Shopify attributes. With Mapping Translation Tables, you can now easily create and manage translation mappings, allowing you to provide localised and meaningful representations of attributes to enhance the user experience for your customers. Whether you need to map category codes to descriptive names or convert abbreviations to full words, this feature has got you covered.

Key Features of Mapping Translation Tables:

1. Easy Setup: Merchants can add a new "translation table" from the app. Each table is identified with a unique ID, such as "cat_codes_to_category."
2. Add Rules: Within a translation table, merchants can add rows consisting of "from" and "to" values. This allows for defining the translations between the original values (from) and the desired translated values (to).
3. User-Friendly Interface: The interface for managing translation tables is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, even with a large number of rows. Merchants can add translations one at a time or in bulk using a textarea input, with each translation on a separate line and separated by commas.
4. Search Functionality: Merchants can search within a translation table to quickly find a particular translation they are looking for.
5. Edit and Remove Translations: Translations can be easily edited by clicking on the "from" or "to" value within a row. Additionally, merchants can remove translations by clicking a delete button associated with each row.

Using Translation Tables in Mapping Tool:

Once a translation table is defined, merchants can utilize it in the existing attribute mapper. Within the attribute template, merchants can specify a particular lookup translation table and output the translated "to" value. The syntax for this is as follows:

In this syntax, "translation_table_id" refers to the ID of the translation table, and "attribute_to_lookup" is the attribute used to find the corresponding "from" value.

If a table entry for the "from" value is not found, the raw "from" value will be outputted into the template.

Example Usage:

Let's consider a scenario where a translation table named "cat_codes_to_category" has been created to map the category reference codes from the ERP to more meaningful words for display on the storefront. This translation table aims to provide a user-friendly representation of categories. For instance, it maps "BBY" to "Baby," "ACC" to "Accessories," and "PNT" to "Pants."

To utilize this translation table in the mapping tool, we can use the following template:

In this case, the translation table "cat_codes_to_category" is referenced, and the attribute "references.category.code" is used as the key to look up the corresponding translated value. The output in the template will be the translated category name based on the mapping defined in the translation table.

Sync Refund Data for DotApparel Customers & Loyalty

You can now sync refund data into your CRM and Yotpo Loyalty. This enables the loyalty engine to process refunds and adjust loyalty points accordingly, ensuring accurate customer tier statuses.

Additionally, importing refund data into your CRM offers a comprehensive view of customer orders, allowing you to set up targeted email communications based on net purchases.

Sync Gift Card Data for DotApparel Customers

Import eGift card data into Klaviyo to create email flows to remind their customers of outstanding Gift Card balances before they expire.

DotApparel Customers now available for Endear

We are pleased to announce that DotApparel Customers can now integrate retail customer and order data into Endear, a CRM designed for in-store clienteling.

Notification from Klaviyo

For merchants using DotApparel Customers, you may have received a notification from Klaviyo regarding the retirement of their on June 30, 2024.

Our team has recently updated to Klaviyo's latest API version, ensuring all API calls are functioning correctly. We are not using the legacy v1 or v2 APIs, so you can disregard this notification from Klaviyo.

Refund Online Orders In-Store

Enhanced auto-refund feature allows items originally purchased online to be refunded in-store.

Editable Order Payload

To address any orders not accepted into Apparel21 due to Shopify data issues, such as "Address Line 1, 53 is too long," you can efficiently resolve these by simply hovering over the affected line item and editing the address/name accordingly.

Reallocate Shopify Fulfillment Locations

When you upload orders, DotApparel Core will now automatically double-check if the Shopify location matches the Apparel21 location. If they don't match, our solution will fit it for you behind the scenes, ensuring smooth order processing. This helps prevent errors and ensures your orders are fulfilled accurately and efficiently.

Customer Mapper

Now Supporting Gift Wrapping

Mapping Tool

Now Supports UpdateIfEmpty Flag

Added Support for List Metafields

Global Stock Buffers

Implemented a global stock buffer per size which applies across the region (all locations). Allows merchants more control over inventory buffers on aggregated stock quantity grouped by style-colour-size

Sibling metafields

Enhancing sibling metafields to includes product images and min/max prices.

Inventory Endpoint

New Cached Version

Sync COGs with “cost per item”

Sync COGs for product variants from Apparel21 to Shopify’s “cost per item” field. Easily compare the price you paid for the item with the buyer’s price and get an idea of how much profit you’re making.

Overview

Once your instance has been fully configured both within the app and your Apparel21 instance, the data sync will remain disabled until the merchant is satisfied that all data is correct. Our team will sync 5-10 Customer profiles for your review along with the corresponding Apparel21 CSV export for reference.

How do I review?

• Your Apparel21 CSV file will be provided upon handover and is the source of data. We have synced a number of profiles to a specific list in Klaviyo which will be provided in comms directly from your Customer Success team.

• You will be reviewing that each value in the Apparel21 CSV file matches that mapped to the Klaviyo Customer Profile.

• Order data will be recorded as events (when applicable) on the customer profile.

What if there is an error or missing values?

• Incorrect data or values

  • If you discover any discrepancies or errors in the data or values, notify us

• Ensure how to use the data

Everything looks correct, what next?

• Correct data & values

  • Upon notification and approval that the merchant is satisfied with the data mapping, the automated data sync will be enabled

  • This indicates that our solution is officially active and performing automated data syncs

• We recommend going live first thing in the morning, early in the week

• Monitoring

  • Our support team we will be monitoring for one week after enabling the automated data sync

  • This monitoring period ensures that the integration is running smoothly

Data Cleanup

• After the one-week monitoring period, we will enable the Data Sync Cleanup task, we'll notify you once this has been enabled.

• The Data Sync Cleanup task will clean up any legacy processed data files, this task will run once every 2 weeks.

Please follow this process to ensure accurate syncing of data between Apparel21 and Klaviyo using DotApparel Customers. If you encounter any issues, feel free to reach out to or use the in-app support widget for assistance.

AusPost Returns offers a streamlined returns process, allowing customers to generate labels and track returns easily. Integrating DotApparel Core with your ERP automates return management, reduces manual errors, and updates stock levels in real-time. This improves efficiency, enhances customer experience, and provides better inventory visibility for merchants.

Pre-requisite to enable AusPost Returns

Responsibility: Merchant

To enable return creation in AP21, we need to configure a webhook URL in Loop Returns' admin.

1. Install and configure the Australia Post Shopify app

   • Ensure the app is installed on the relevant Shopify store and basic setup is complete.

2. Contact Australia Post support

   • Request that they enable webhook subscriptions for your account (required for DotApparel to receive return events).

3. Notify the DotApparel team

   • Once webhook access is granted, let our team know so we can proceed with configuration.

4. Provide ERP Return Reasons

   • Please share your ERP’s standard list of return reasons. These will be mapped into the Core app.

Example:

Configuration: Performed by DotApparel once prerequisites are met

1. Enter Australia Post API credentials into the Core app

   • Our team will retrieve these details from the AusPost app in your Shopify admin:

     • Company ID

     • API Domain URL

May, 2024

Sync products between the Klaviyo Catalogue synced for Shopify and Apparel21 data. It involves retrieving Shopify products via API, and matching barcodes.

• Placed In-Store Order

  • Contains the transaction details and the various products within that

• Ordered Product

  • Contains only the one product

April, 2024

customers.csv

If privacy is null (not set) set privacy = 0

The privacy field now has three states.

• 1 = Privacy Ticked / unsubscribe

• 0 = Privacy unticked (was ticked) / subscribe

• Null = Privacy never ticked / default is unsubscribe but can be modified to set as "subscribe" depending on the company's privacy policy

March 23, 2024

orders.csv

Conversion of SALE_DATE to ''YYYY-MM-DD"T"HH24:MI:SS+11:00'' format.

The date and time of the transaction will reflect as the date of the event in Klaviyo. The +11:00 at end represents the timezone.

Example: 2018-12-27T12:30:00+011:00

Feb 8, 2024

orders.csv

• Product REFs

• Markdown: Y / N

• Dispatch Store ID + Dispatch Store Name

• Dispatch Order Number

customers.csv

• Person REFs

Jan 25, 2024

Scheduled Exports from Apparel21

A scheduled job needs to be configured in Apparel21 in order to bulk export customer and order data into an SFTP service, that we we will provide. It is mandatory that customer data should always be uploaded first, with a delay of 30 minutes then followed by the upload of the order data file.

To best understand what will need to be configured in Apparel21, please reference the below Customer & Order sample files. Apparel21 will need to be configured in order to automatically export CSV files, alongside the frequency of the export task.

Once the sample files have been confirmed by the merchant, the scheduled jobs must be set up in Apparel21 to export the CSV files and upload them to the provided SFTP server. Apparel21 supports this natively so if you do not have a team member who is across this, you can either:

Frequency of Scheduled Syncs

The frequency of scheduled jobs is determined by the merchant. While many merchants opt for a daily sync, certain brands that send post-purchase emails may require more frequent job runs, even as often as every 30 minutes.

File Naming Convention

It’s important to note that for our solution to process the uploaded CSV files, a particular naming convention needs to be followed when uploading files to the SFTP server.

Examples

New Loyalty Sign-Ups

When a new customer signs up, their info is taken from Apparel21 and either put into Shopify or added directly to Yotpo. This makes sure that no matter where they shop, their data is saved to Yotpo. It means customers can earn and use their loyalty points whether they're in the store or online.

Yotpo Tiers

When it comes to syncing Yotpo tiers, DotApparel is consistently working behind the scenes, constantly "listening" for changes in a customer's loyalty status. Additionally, the app assists in updating the customer with vital information, such as their current tier status and tier expiry date.

Rewards Redemption

DotApparel Loyalty provides customers a way to redeem their accumulated loyalty points through Apparel21 Vouchers which can be used both in-store and online.

Apparel21 Gift Vouchers ($ Off)

Customers with accumulated loyalty points can choose to redeem them for Apparel21 Vouchers. The process involves retail staff assistance, customer sign-in/sign-up on the loyalty program website, voucher generation through the DotApparel Loyalty app, and voucher redemption at POS. This option allows customers to receive unique vouchers with specific discounts or benefits, which can be applied in-store or online.

Setting up rewards in Yotpo Loyalty

When setting up Direct Rewards in your Yotpo Loyalty account, make sure to select the coupon type Custom Reward

DotApparel Loyalty only supports the "Custom Reward" coupon type. This is because redeeming these custom rewards will not generate Shopify discount codes, preventing customers from accidentally redeeming rewards and receiving benefits twice.

Additional fields required

To utilise additional attributes from Apparel21, please follow these steps:

1. Inform the support team using the in-app support widget.

2. Ensure that your Apparel21 instance is updated with the new fields.

3. Configure the CSV file format to include the newly added fields. Let us know if you would like our Apparel21 consultant to do or if you would like an in-house Apparel21 expert to action this instead.

4. In the app's section, we will configure the new field.

Syncing Errors

While instances of failed syncs/jobs are expected to be rare, should you encounter any, we kindly request that you raise a support ticket for prompt assistance and resolution.

Changing or Migrating Servers

You may encounter the need to update or migrate servers. To ensure a smooth transition and avoid disruptions, please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Kindly inform our team at least 7 business days in advance if you plan to change or migrate servers.

• Merchants will incur a one-time fee of $540AUD which covers the efforts required to maintain seamless data syncs.

Consequences of Non-Notification:

• Failure to inform our team about server changes may result in the failure of in-store data syncs to Klaviyo. To rectify this, an Apparel21 specialist will be needed to reinstate scripts.

• The reinstatement process removes any scripts previously set up, and scripts are crucial for scheduled jobs exporting CSV files to the DotApparel Customers app.

Q: In the event of a sync failure, will the fix retroactively update customer data for those who were not processed during the time the issue persisted?

A: No, an Apparel21 Specialist will need to generate a new bulk file for the missing period. We also require the exact date range needed for backdating data.

What else can we support with?

Apparel21 consultant

If merchants don't have an Apparel21 expert in-house then they have the option to have their Apparel21 exports configured by our experienced Apparel21 consultant.

Customer data clean-up

Should you wish for us to align the Apparel21 privacy status with Klaviyo and other platforms, please note that this involves additional data cleanup efforts and will result in an additional one-time fee of $500.

Rewards Redemption

• When converting points to rewards, Apparel21 Coupons (% discounts) is currently unavailable. Only Apparel21 Gift Vouchers ($ discounts) can be redeemed.

• Customer-initiated rewards redemption:

  • Requires front-end customisation for Yotpo's "Redeem" Online Module

  • The front-end effort is estimated at just 15 minutes. We've already developed the script and module, making it usable for merchants that opt for this rewards redemption approach. All the front-end team needs to do is clone and attach the module to a Custom_Reward. It's crucial to set all Yotpo coupon types as Custom_Reward to ensure that Apparel21 Gift Vouchers are triggered.

Shopify Plus

• Apparel21 Gift Voucher redemption at checkout must be possible. Either through DotApparel Core or another Apparel21 Connector. The Shopify store must be on Shopify Plus. .

Emails Containing Apparel21 Gift Voucher Details

• Merchant can choose to trigger emails that contain Apparel21 Voucher details via:

• Apparel21 Mailer = Email styling will be required which is around 4 hours effort

• Klaviyo = Dependancy is that DotApparel Customers is already live and giftcards.csv is configured

Yotpo Loyalty cannot trigger reward emails via their native Klaviyo integration as it cannot surface the Apparel21 Gift Voucher number and 4-digit pin. Therefore, the native Apparel21 Email service or DotApparel Customers but be selected instead.

Apparel21 Gift Voucher Setup

• The merchant will need to set up another Apparel21 Gift Card for Yotpo Loyalty. Apparel21 must set this up for the merchant and their lead time is 1-2 weeks so must be notified upon loyalty program finalisation. It is the merchant’s responsibility to liaise with the Apparel21 team and request the necessary creation of Apparel21 Gift Voucher(s)

Our aim is to help you get started with our app and make use of its features for smooth synchronisation of the customer and order information into Klaviyo.

DotApparel Customers is a middleware that syncs in-store customer, order and rewards data from Apparel21 such as joined store location, in-store order value, loyalty tiers and so much more. With more data in Klaviyo, email communications can be personalised and targeted to help merchants convert even higher.

What are the Benefits?

In your ERP, there are four possible approaches for configuring customer records. It’s essential to review your current setup and decide the best approach based on how you want customers to flow into your CRM and manage subscriptions.

If you’re managing multiple brands within a single ERP instance, it’s crucial to separate your customer records and have a clear way to identify which brand each customer interacts with. Additionally, you’ll want the ability to track whether a customer has opted in to receive communications via email, SMS, or both for each brand.

Example Scenario

Consider a customer named Jane who signs up for email updates at an Aje store and, on a separate occasion, subscribes to SMS updates at an Athletica store. To handle these nuances, choose a customer setup that aligns with your desired brand and subscription tracking.

Customer Setup Options

The "Translations" feature greatly simplifies the process of adding translations for Klaviyo attributes. With Mapping Translation Tables, you can now easily create and manage translation mappings, allowing you to provide localised and meaningful representations of attributes to achieve your specific requirements in Klaviyo. Whether you need to map category codes to descriptive names or convert abbreviations to full words, this feature has got you covered.

Key Features

Easy Setup: Merchants can add a new "translation table" from the app. Each table is identified with a unique ID, such as "country_name_to_country_code".

Add Rules

Markets in Shopify

Shopify helps merchants expand their business to a global audience, sell to multiple countries, and scale internationally. With Shopify Markets, you can configure multiple languages, international pricing, market-specific domains and subfolders, and more. By creating localized shopping experiences, merchants can better expand their business internationally.

Reference:

The solutions offers a powerful "Mapping Tool" feature that provides you with complete control over mapping rules, allowing you to effectively utilise the data available in your CSV files. With this feature, you can configure specific Klaviyo attributes using the data from your source CSV files, giving you the flexibility to tailor the syncing process to your exact needs.

View and Adjust Mappings for Customers, Orders and Rewards

Key Benefits

Data Utilisation: By leveraging the "Mappings" feature, you can make the most of the data contained within your CSV files. You have the ability to extract and map specific information to relevant Klaviyo attributes, ensuring that your customer and order data is accurately synchronized.

The sync works by linking Yotpo's loyalty program with Apparel21 (POS) through the DotApparel API. This integration lets Apparel21 use Yotpo's complete loyalty program features, replacing the old Rewards module in Apparel21.

New Loyalty Sign-Ups

• New Customers from POS: Customers can join the loyalty program when they're at the store. New customers from Apparel21 sync through to Yotpo Loyalty via DotApparel API. To make sure that new customers signing up for loyalty programs in stores experience minimal delays, we've set up a process to sync the updated customer data

Step 1: Onboarding

• Complete [Merchant]

Approach #1: Automated Reward Redemption

Automatically issuing and redeeming custom rewards based on customer milestones, providing instant Apparel21 Vouchers.

The process of manually selecting rewards is not applicable in this approach. Merchants must have already configured , wherein Yotpo automatically issues and redeems relevant custom rewards when customers achieve specific milestones, such as tier upgrades or anniversaries. Customers instantly receive the voucher in this automated process.

The Auto-Refunds Feature enables transaction refunds using Shopify Payments. With this feature, merchants can easily sync ERP refunds back to the Shopify Payments orders. This functionality is specifically designed for Shopify Payments, as other payment gateways are already integrated with the ERP. This guide will walk you through the steps to initiate transaction refunds within DotApparel

The benefit of the feature

The main advantage of this feature is the streamlined refund process for Shopify payments. Here's how it benefits merchants:

1. With this feature, merchants no longer need to handle refunds separately in both the ERP and Shopify. Instead, merchants can process refunds exclusively in the ERP, saving time and effort.

2. When merchants process a refund in the ERP, the payment status of the corresponding order in Shopify will be automatically updated. This sync ensures that the payment status is accurate and up to date in both systems without manual intervention.

How to set up Auto-Refunds

The configuration generally includes 3 main steps:

Step 1: Set up a new return reason in ERP.

This step requires the merchant to set up the new return reason on their end. The new return reason can be anything such as Shopify Refund but should be a unique reason to avoid potential coupling issues with existing ones.

Step 2: Select the Return Reason in DotApparel.

1. Open the DotApparel app and go to the settings page.

2. Locate the Refund section, and choose the newly created return reason.

3. Ensure that the auto-refund functionality is enabled.

4. Save the changes.

Step 3: Enable Fulfilment Automation in DotApparel.

1. Within the settings page, navigate to the automation section.

2. Find the option to enable fulfilment automation and activate it.

3. Save the changes.

How the Auto-Refund works

Every Auto-Refund workflow consists of 3 main steps:

• Step 1: The merchant returns one or multiple items in the ERP

• Step 2: DotApparel downloads the updated orders from the ERP

• Step 3: The refunded orders are processed in Shopify

Step 1: The merchant returns one or multiple items in the ERP

After an item is refunded in the ERP, it must be assigned a specific return reason designed for auto-refunds. In DotApparel, a pre-defined return reason ID is established to identify eligible items for auto-refunds. To trigger the auto-refund process in Shopify, the following conditions must be met:

1. The ERP OrderDetail (line item) status should be marked as "Returned".

2. The return reason ID assigned to the refunded item in the ERP matches the pre-defined return reason ID in DotApparel.

Step 2: DotApparel downloads the updated orders from the ERP

DotApparel is running an automation task to regularly download the most recently updated orders from the ERP. By default, this task occurs once per hour, ensuring the system stays updated with the latest order information.

Once the orders are downloaded into DotApparel, the system proceeds to evaluate each order's eligibility for automatic refunds in Shopify. DotApparel checks various criteria to determine if an order can be automatically refunded within the Shopify payment gateway. If an order meets the necessary conditions for automatic refunding, DotApparel lists the refund requests within the app for merchant review and processing.

Step 3: The refunded orders are processed in Shopify

Once an order is processed in DotApparel, the corresponding items are immediately refunded in Shopify. DotApparel communicates with Shopify's refund functionality, initiating the refund process for specific items.

Upon successful refund in Shopify, the "refund notes" section within the order will be updated with a reference ID. The reference ID format is as follows: "Reason: '[ERP Refund] - ref: 4a00e8e1-cd94-46f8-9090-f5d9f9e4107b'". This reference ID serves as a unique identifier and enables merchants to easily locate and view the ERP refund details within the DotApparel app.

In the event of any error during the auto-refund process, DotApparel promptly displays an error message. The order associated with the failed refund is labelled as "Failed to refund" within DotApparel, indicating that the refund was not successful. Merchants can review the specific error message in DotApparel to identify the cause of the failed refund and take appropriate action, such as manual refund processing in Shopify if necessary.

Limitations

This section highlights the limitations of the auto-refund feature in DotApparel and its integration with Shopify. It covers scenarios where manual refunds in Shopify, third-party payment gateways, and gift card payments are not supported.

1. If an order has already been refunded manually in Shopify, the auto-refund process in DotApparel will be halted to prevent duplicate refunds. Merchants are required to manually process the refund in Shopify for such cases.

2. The Auto-Refund only supports Shopify Payments. Any other third-party payment gateways are not supported for auto-refunds through DotApparel. Merchants using third-party payment gateways will need to handle refunds directly within their respective payment gateway systems.

3. The Auto-Refund feature does not support refunds for orders paid with gift cards. In cases where an order is paid using a combination of gift card and Shopify payment, only the portion paid with "Shopify payment" can be refunded through Shopify. Merchants need to process any gift card refunds separately, outside the auto-refund process.

Aside from pulling product attributes from the ERP, the DotApparel app is also able to source product images from AWS S3 buckets, and Cloudinary. The task to download product images runs once per day and will scan the image source for any images which match a particular naming convention, before uploading them to the relevant products in Shopify.

Configuring Image Storage

To attach your Image Storage (i.e., Cloudinary) to DotApparel, simply click “Settings” in the app, and scroll down to the Images section. Here, you will need to provide your API credentials which are available from the Image Storage's dashboard. When complete, the app will automatically begin scanning Image Storage for images on a daily basis and uploading any images it finds into Shopify.

Image Integration Options

You can choose the type of image integration you need to suit your needs:

• Create Only This option adds new images to your Shopify products without affecting any existing images. It’s ideal when you want to upload images for newly created products while leaving images for existing products unchanged.

• Create and Replace (Most Common) This is the most commonly used integration method. It adds new images to your Shopify products and updates existing images with the latest versions. If you frequently update product images, this option ensures all images are current without duplicating existing ones.

• Create, Replace, and Delete This method not only adds new images and updates existing ones, but also removes any old images that no longer correspond to the product in your image repository (e.g., Cloudinary). This option is useful for maintaining a clean and accurate image library, ensuring only relevant images are linked to your products.

Naming convention

For DotApparel to find the right images for each product in Image Storage, the image file name must contain the same style code, and colour code, followed by an optional position.

{styleCode}_{colourCode}_{position}.jpg

With this convention, if we had three images for a product with a style code ABC, colour code BLUE, then we might upload the following images.

1 ABC_BLUE_1.jpg

2 ABC_BLUE_2.jpg

3 ABC_BLUE_3.jpg

In addition to the style code and colour code, merchants can incorporate other metadata in the file names such as product names. It’s important that no matter what naming convention you choose, it’s consistent in Image Storage.

Automatic Image Sync for New Shopify Products

We have streamlined the image sync process so that when a new product is added to Shopify, DotApparel Core will automatically check for any matching images using the product’s unique style code. If there were previous failed attempts to sync the images, the system will reset those failures, ensuring the product’s images are included in the next round of automated daily syncing.

Enabling Product Create Webhooks

For this to work, make sure the Product create Shopify webhooks are enabled:

1. Go to Settings in your Shopify store.

2. Navigate to Shopify webhooks.

3. Ensure the Product create webhook is enabled.

4. Click Refresh webhooks

Manually Trigger an Image Sync

As long as a correctly named image is stored in Image Storage, DotApparel Core will automatically sync the image to the corresponding Shopify product during the next daily image sync. However, merchants may want to take manual action to sync newly added images instantly.

This can be done through a manual image sync trigger which is a 2-step process:

1. Download from storage

2. Upload to Shopify

Pricing for Cloudinary

While our merchants who leverage the Cloudinary integration typically opt for the Plus plan priced at $89 USD per month, the Free plan is available for those who wish to explore it. However, it comes with a 30-day free credit allowance, capped at a maximum of 25 monthly credits (equivalent to 25GB of image storage).

Your choice depends on the number of images and image size. To ensure a seamless image integration without interruptions, we highly recommend the Plus plan.

About the platform

Google Cloud is a cloud computing provide providing various resources like services, databases, security, various APIs and real-time reporting to businesses and developers. Firebase is a product by Google that focuses on providing a managed platform for web application development that offers solutions for authentication, storage, functions, databases and monitoring.

To begin your DotApparel setup, you should configure your Google Cloud account, then set up your Firebase projects so that we can deploy the DotApparel solution in an environment you control.

Managing your account

You own the account, and we manage it for you. Once you have created your account and projects, it's your reposnsibility to manage the billing side and addressing and related emails you receive. We handle the setup, maintenance, configuration, alerts, monitoring, reporting and deployments for you.

A single Google Cloud account can have many Firebase projects created, and all will be billed together under one invoice from Google Cloud. So you will be charged directly by Google for your usage of resources, while the subscription for our solutions are paid to DotApparel. The fees charged by Google Cloud will go up and down each month, depending on actual usage.

Usage and ongoing costs

It is difficult to accurately determine this as there are several factors that will impact the monthly costings. To help provide an indication, over 90% of our merchants are paying less than $200 USD per month for their Google Cloud usage. It can be as low as $50 USD per month for a solution that's not using features that require additional API calls such as live inventory lookups.

Important to note, we have seen the monthly cost spike as high as $1,000 USD but this is not common and again, it will be impacted by the use of API calls and the scale and traffic or size of data we are handling for you.

Usage for Google Cloud services will be based primarily on the number of customers, orders, products (colours and sizes), and features in use.

Reasoning for multiple projects

Multiple Firebase projects for each solution instance allow for easier management across security, logging, alerting, and deployments. This architecture enables "rolling deployments" across lower-risk brands. Since our solutions are fully serverless, there is no cost impact on maintaining multiple Firebase projects as charges are usage-based only.

Creating your account and projects

Create your Google Cloud account

If you already have a Google Cloud account, then you can use your existing account. Otherwise, here are the steps to creating a Google Cloud account:

1. Navigate to

2. Click “Get started for free” in the top-right.

3. Login with a Google account or create a new Google/Gmail account if required.

4. Follow the instructions to enter your company information and payment details.

Create your Firebase project(s)

For each of your instances you must create an individual Firebase project. Within each of these projects, an “instance” of the DotApparel app is installed, follow these steps to create a project:

1. Go to and log in with your Google Cloud

2. Click "Add project" in the top left corner.

3. In the "Project Name" field, enter [Brand Name] DotApparel [Solution] [Region]. For example, if your brand is called Acme and you are adding support for your AU website, enter "Acme DotApparel Core AU."

4. On the next step, uncheck the "Enable Google Analytics for this project" checkbox.

Upgrading to a paid account

If you have just created your Google Cloud account, you’ll be enrolled to a free 30-day trial. To ensure that your service is not interrupted, you should immediately upgrade the account to a paid billing account (Blaze plan). You will still retain your trial credits, but it means that when the trial runs out, your payment method will begin to be charged without interruption.

See a helpful guide with step by step instructions here:

Supported features

The following features are currently supported by DotApparel Core

• Products

• Inventory

• Orders

• Fulfillments

• Marketplace

• Images (via S3/Cloudinary. No native image integration from Harmony)

• Customers

Coming soon

• Gift Cards

• Refunds

Connection

A keyword should be configured along with URL, username and password. These should be available in the reference sheet, otherwise can be retrieved from merchant/FBS team.

Products

Harmony price fields settings are used to determine which field should we use for original/markdown price from Harmony response.

Orders

Freight options

• Carrier code: Determines which carrier the order should be shipped with (i.e. Aus Post, StarTrack, etc.)

• Freight stock item namekey: This is configured in Harmony by FBS & merchant and is required as part of the order payload. This should be available in Reference sheet or can otherwise be retrieve from FBS/merchant.

Click & Collect orders:

Current implementation also enable C&C order posting. If merchant enables new pick up location it they need to inform us to update the settings:

However, Harmony requires shipping address field to be populated in order payload so we also need to add a dummy value for this via order mapping.

Harmony specific values

These are constant values that should be readily configured for each brand, and are required as part of order payload. These should be available in reference sheet or can otherwise be retrieved from FBS.

Fulfillment warehouse will be overridden for click and collect order (Local pickup), which will use the warehouse namekey that’s configured in the settings

Marketplace order can also override these fixed values, specifically:

• Agent zone

• Originated warehouse

• Payment merchant ID

• Payment card type

These make sure that order placed via marketplace can be processed against different payment information and fulfilled by different warehouse within Harmony.

Mappings

Most of the mappings are similar to what’s currently available to Apparel21. However there are a few areas that are specific to Harmony:

Orders

• By default, Harmony uses capitalisation for all order information (names, addresses, etc.)

• altOrderNumber: alternative order number mapping, only used for marketplace order.

Once DotApparel Customers is installed, we will provide the SFTP server information to the merchant, including host, username, password, and port number.

• /test: Files saved here are for testing, we will review these during setup.

• /pending: New files that are waiting for processing.

• /processed: Files that have been processed.

• /bulk: Files saved here will not undergo automatic processing. Instead, it will exclusively generate new customer profiles in Klaviyo without performing updates to the marketing preference.

Multiple Klaviyo Connections

This feature allows users to establish and manage connections to multiple Klaviyo accounts from within the app. Each connection is uniquely identified by a user-defined name, Klaviyo private key, and corresponding file directory.

Initial Setup Instructions

1. Navigate to the app's settings page.

2. Click on the "Add new connection" button to create a new configuration.

3. Give the connection a meaningful name that reflects the Klaviyo account it represents. For example, "Klaviyo AU" or "Klaviyo NZ."

4. Obtain the private API key for the corresponding Klaviyo account. Enter this key in the provided field to enable data synchronization with Klaviyo.

Configure Settings

Customers

1. Primary Key* The primary key is a unique identifier for each customer in your CSV file. It could be any value that is unique for each customer, such as a customer ID. During the configuration process, you will be prompted to specify the name of the primary key column in your CSV file.

2. Email Column* The email column represents the column in your CSV file that contains the email addresses of your customers. It is used to map the email field in Klaviyo.

3. Phone Column The phone column represents the column in your CSV file that contains the phone numbers of your customers. It is used to map the phone number field in Klaviyo.

Please note that these column names should match the actual column names in your CSV file. Make sure to provide accurate column names during the configuration process to ensure proper mapping between your CSV fields and Klaviyo API fields.

Orders

1. Primary Key* The primary key for orders is a unique identifier for each order in your CSV file. It can be any value that is unique for each order, such as an order ID or transaction ID. During the configuration process, you will be prompted to specify the name of the primary key column in your CSV file.

2. Customer Reference Key* The customer reference key is the customer identifier that you have configured in the customer CSV configuration. It allows you to link the order data with the respective customer data. For example, if you have used "customer ID" as the primary key in the customer CSV configuration, you would enter the name of the column that references the"customer ID" in the order CSV configuration.

Ensure that the column names provided during the configuration process match the actual column names in your CSV file. This will ensure accurate mapping between your CSV fields and Klaviyo API fields for order data.

Purchase ERP Vouchers Online

The purchasing of a voucher works much like any other product in the ERP. The difference is that on the product detail page, the customer is presented with a form, which captures additional information to pass on to the ERP with the purchase. These attributes are stored as line item properties in Shopify, which are then passed on to the ERP.

In the DotApparel settings section, you will find a gift card section, which allows you to define a Shopify SKU pattern, alongside the type of gift card and the ERP SKU. This allows you to configure a product in Shopify, which has multiple variants to represent each voucher amount, but map all the SKUs to a single voucher SKU in the ERP.

How the integration works

DotApaprel utilises Loop's webhooks to create a return in ERP whenever a customer initiates a return through the customer portal, allowing the customer to receive store credit upon processing the return request. The store credit is then seamlessly converted into a gift voucher, which ERP directly sends to the customer.

Basically, the flow looks like this:

1. The customer starts the return process in Loop.

What is The Wishlist?

The Wishlist is a tool that enhances the customer experience by enabling users to create and manage wishlists on your e-commerce store. It provides an easy way for retailers to capture shopper details and preferences, both in-store and online, and automatically generates personalised marketing campaigns that build engagement and drive sales.

DotApparel collaborates with Loop Returns and AusPost to automatically generate return authorisations in your ERP when customers initiate returns through the returns portal online.

For Loop Returns, DotApparel Core enables merchants to preserve revenue in ERP through instant exchange orders and transfers refunded store credit to the ERP gift voucher seamlessly. AusPost does not currently have the capability to do instant exchanges or refund into a store credit.

Choosing between Loop and AusPost

Merchants can choose between AusPost Returns and Loop Returns, both of which integrate seamlessly with DotApparel Core. Here’s how they differ:

Set up return reason mappings

DotApparel offers a flexible option to map return reasons between Loop Returns and the ERP, enabling enhanced return reason reporting in the ERP.

To configure the return reason mappings, follow these steps in your DotApparel admin:

1. Navigate to Returns > Mappings.

2. Under the Return Reasons section on the right-hand side, click "Add new return reason".

3. From the "ERP return reason type" dropdown, select a reason from the provided list.

4. In the "Source return reason pattern

The merchant perspective

Once the integration is fully set up and operational, it will function automatically. However, merchants may still wish to monitor the process and address any potential issues. To do so, they can access the Returns section in the DotApparel app.

This section serves as a comprehensive list of all returns known to DotApparel, including any return requests that existed before the implementation of DotApparel. This feature ensures smooth tracking of all returns, without any critical ones being overlooked.

The Returns section has four tabs:

Returns sections in the app

• All returns: Each line item represents an individual Return order received from the Loop webhook. By clicking on each line item, merchants can access detailed information about the return order.

• Return suspended: This tab displays a list view of all Return orders that were not created in the ERP due to API errors.

• Need review: This tab provides a list view of all Return orders that require issuing a gift voucher to the customer, but the voucher order has not yet been posted to the ERP. This might occur if the return was requested before the implementation of DotApparel. Merchants need to review the voucher information, including person ID, email, and amount, before manually triggering the voucher to the ERP. Merchants may also need to verify if the gift card refund has already been processed during the integration migration.

Return order statuses

As return orders progress or change status, DotApparel will attach different tags to each order, indicating its current state. The following tags may be associated with a return order:

1. Return posted: This tag is applied immediately after a customer submits a return request to Loop, confirming that DotApparel has successfully created a return in the ERP. Applies to Loop, AusPost

2. Return suspended: This tag indicates that DotApparel encountered an issue and could not create a return in the ERP, often due to API errors or other reasons. Applies to Loop, AusPost

3. Return received: This tag indicates that the return might have been processed before the implementation of DotApparel, resulting in DotApparel logging the record without taking any further action. Applies to Loop, AusPost

FAQ

How can I resolve a return order when it’s labelled as “Return suspended“?

The "Return Suspended" status mainly occurs when DotApparel encounters issues while attempting to create a return in Apparel21 due to API errors. This situation is rare, and it can generally be easily resolved by retrying the task. However, if you come across this issue, please don't hesitate to contact us for further assistance.

What errors could lead to a return order showing “Need review“?

Several factors may result in a return order being marked as "Need Review":

1. The return order was processed before the implementation of DotApparel21 or was handled by a legacy integration during pre-migration.

2. Progress encountered an API error during the return process.

3. The order was previously or partially refunded to a gift voucher, and another gift card refund may be issued from other resources. In this case, DotApparel suspends the progress to avoid the risk of issuing a gift card twice to the customer.

What happens if the customer selects the option to refund to the original payment method where a gift card was used? Will they receive a new gift voucher? Applies to Loop only.

Yes, when a customer chooses the "refund to original payment method" option in Loop, but a gift card was used for the original payment, the customer will receive a new gift voucher from ERP. This is necessary since the previously used gift card is no longer available for the refund process.