Release note 12.3

It is now possible to create criteria automatically for products that are being created or edited using the multi-product grid. In the administration tool, the loading pop-up for this grid offers two new options :

• The first check box allows you to activate an “Automatic criteria” option. If this box is ticked, columns with names beginning with “CRITERION_” (see new grid template) will be analysed and products given criteria accordingly.
• The second check box allows you to “Delete old criteria” for products. If the box is left unticked, the grid will only add new criteria without deleting the old ones. If the box is ticked, the old criteria for products (limited to the criteria set up in the grid) will be deleted and replaced by the new criteria.

The new template includes new columns dedicated to criteria creation. The codes for the column headings must be in the format: CRITERION_crit1. “Crit1” being a distributor criteria code in the administration tool. Several columns of this type can be added to the grid.

CRegarding cell “values”, you must indicate the criteria value/values for the product criteria you have created.

Here are the possibilities available :

• You can indicate one or several criteria values separated by commas (e.g. val1, val2).
• You could indicate a “child” criteria value (meaning a child in the criteria tree diagram) by indicating the file path to follow in the tree diagram separated by full stops (e.g. val1.val11.val112).
• If the criteria value does not exist in the tree diagram of the administration tool, it will be created automatically, as well as all the relevant tree structure.
• If the same product is given different criteria values in the grid and a given “CRITERION_” column, the product will be given both criteria.

Please note that the loading pop-up tells the user the number of criteria that will be automatically created in the grid.

A new section called “additional information” has been added to the package sheets. This section allows you associate a Type/Code/Label list with a package.

The list of “Types” to display can be configured. This additional information can be entered using the multi-product grid or administration tool.

1/ Use

Unlike the distributor criteria, which are based on a values reference record defined in the “Configuration” section of the administration tool, the codes/labels for additional information are unrestricted. While this information is intended to be displayed or used in a variety of ways, it is not intended to be used as part of the search services.

Additional information is also useful to replace some of the technical information that was previously entered in the package editorial sheet (using an enriched editorial template).

2/ Editing the multi-product girl template

New columns have been added to the multi-product grid so that you can enter the additional information. The column heading corresponds with the type of additional information. There can be as many columns as there are types configured. For each type, a code and a label can be entered. This allows the “additional information” fields (mentioned earlier) to be filled in automatically when creating a package. Please note: similarly to other package technical fields, these fields are only taken into account at the time of package creation.

A hotel operator extranet has been created in the Orchestra platform.

It allows hotel operators to create a supplier account so that they can personally manage their hotels in the system. Access to the extranet is usually through a B2C website with a link that invites hotel operators to register, or using a dedicated email address.

1/ Login

The login page allows people who already have a supplier account to sign in. If this is not the case, there is also a blue button that provides access to the account creation page.

2/ Registration

The page to create a supplier account contains a registration form to fill in. The hotel operator must enter their information. Once the form has been filled in and the terms and conditions accepted they will receive an email to confirm their registration.

They will then be able to sign in through the login page and gain access the extranet home page.

3/ Home page

The home page provides a summary of all the hotel operator’s hotels in a table that can be filtered and sorted. If this is their first connection they will only be able to create a new hotel.

Each hotel has a status from the following list :

• Draft: This is the initial status when the hotel operator creates a hotel. This status remains until the hotel operator has submitted their hotel to the distributor by clicking the “submit” button.
• Pending validation: Once the hotel has been submitted to the distributor it receives this status. The distributor can then choose whether to validate the hotel or not.
• Refused: If the distributor does not want to validate the hotel it will receive this status. The hotel operator can then make changes and submit the hotel again.
• Pending publication: If the distributor has validated the hotel it will receive this status. The hotel operator can then edit the rooms, rates and stock for this hotel.
• Published: The final status signifying that the hotel is now visible in the distributor’s catalogue.

The actions available for a hotel are different depending on its status. The three possible actions for a hotel are :

• Edit the editorial: This allows you to change/complete/correct the general and editorial information for a hotel.
• Configure: This allows you to manage the rooms, rates, promotions, services and stock for the hotel.
• Delete: This allows you to delete a hotel.

4/ Page for creating/editing a hotel

There a five stages in creating a hotel.

The first stage includes the hotel’s general characteristics. To identify the hotel the operator must choose a unique code. Once the code has been chosen, it cannot be modified. Until this stage has been completed it is impossible to go to the next stage. Once the main information has been entered it is possible to complete the other stages in any order, or even to ignore some stages. Each stage that is entered is automatically saved when the hotel operator passes to the next stage. Consequently, an operator can start entering hotels without being obliged to finish them. They can pick up where they left off later.

Entering information comprises the following stages :

• General hotel description,
• Main image and slideshow,
• Rules of the establishment,
• Cancellation conditions.

5/ Rates management

From the “Pending publication” status onwards, the hotel operator can access rates management for their hotel. The operator has access to all rates management functions for the hotel and can manage :

• Calendars,
• Rooms,
• Rates,
• Services,
• Stock,
• Promotions.

6/ Distributor validation process

For a hotel operator to sell their hotels through a distributor, the latter must have validated each of the hotels. As we saw earlier, the hotel can be given several statuses which indicate its state of advancement. When the hotel operator decides to submit their hotel, the distributor will then either validate or refuse it. To do this, two new actions are available in the “Hotels” tab of the administration tool :

• The “Validate” icon allows you change the status of a hotel to “Pending publication”. The hotel has not yet been published by the distributor but the hotel operator is allowed to enter availability information.
• The “Refuse” icon tells the hotel operator that the distributor does not wish to sell the hotel. The hotel operator then has the possibility to revise their hotel information sheet and submit it again.

Please note that when a hotel has not been submitted yet, the validation status shows a grey icon.