Merchant portal guide

1Quick start

Four steps and you have an order in the system.

1. Log in and enter the roof size in the calculator on the left.
2. Check the parts list that builds itself on the right.
3. Adjust anything you need to, then choose delivery or collection.
4. Press Place this order, add your PO number and confirm.

Nothing is ordered until you press confirm. You can play with the calculator as much as you like before then.

2What this is

This is the Plytech merchant portal. It is the same roof calculator customers use on the website, with two differences that matter to you.

• Everything is priced at your account rates, not retail.
• You can turn a quote straight into an order without ringing through.

The calculator works out the whole kit for the roof you describe. Membrane, adhesive, trims, tape, primer and the rest. You do not need to remember what goes with what.

3Getting logged in

Your account is set up for you and arrives as an email invite.

1. Open the invite email and click Set your password.
2. Choose a password of at least eight characters and confirm it.
3. You are logged straight in. Next time, use the login page with your email address and that password.

You stay logged in for two weeks on the same device unless you log out.

Forgotten your password

Click Forgotten your password? on the login page and enter your email. A reset link arrives by email and is valid for one hour. Your old password keeps working until you use the link, so nothing breaks if you request one by mistake.

Changing your password

Use Change password in the top bar. Changing it logs out any other device that was signed in as you, which is useful if a laptop goes missing.

4Building the roof

The calculator on the left works in three steps.

1. Shape and size. Choose a rectangle or an L shape, then enter the measurements. Everything is in metres. A roof entered in millimetres gives a wildly wrong answer, so the tool warns you if a number looks too big.
2. The edges. Tell it what happens at each edge of the roof. A wall, a trim, a gutter and so on. The diagram updates as you go so you can check it matches the real roof.
3. Extras. Add anything else the job needs, such as pipe boots, drains or extra adhesive.

The parts list on the right updates on its own as you change things. There is no calculate button to press.

5Reading the quote

Each row is one product. You get the description, the code, the quantity, the price for one unit and the price for the line. Lengths are shown in metres.

Under the list you get the net total, the VAT and the total including VAT.

Two price lists

The buttons above the list switch between:

• My account prices. What you pay.
• Merchant list prices. The standard list price, handy when you are quoting your own customer and do not want to show your buying price.

Switching the view does not change what you are charged. Orders are always processed at your account prices whichever list is on screen.

6Changing the quote

The calculator gives you a starting point. You can change it.

• Change a quantity. Type over the number in the Qty box. Per metre products go up in tenths of a metre, everything else in whole units.
• Remove a line. Click the cross at the end of the row.
• Add a product. Use the search box under the list. Type a code or part of a name, then click the product you want. It is added with a quantity of one, which you can then change.
• Start again. Click Reset changes to go back to exactly what the calculator worked out.

A quantity you type stays put while you carry on working. If you go back and change the roof size, the calculator recalculates that line and your typed figure is replaced, because the roof it was based on has changed.

7Stock

Lines are checked against live stock. If something is running low you get a note against that line saying we will confirm the lead time.

This never stops you ordering. Two reasons for that:

• Cut lengths are cut from full rolls when your order is picked, so a low figure on a per metre line usually means nothing at all.
• Plenty of items are made or brought in to order and carry no stock figure.

If anything genuinely needs waiting for, we tell you when we process the order.

8Delivery or collection

Above the quote there is a Delivery and Collection switch. It does two things.

• Collection removes any delivery charge.
• It marks the order as a collection so nobody books a van for it.

Delivery charges

A standard delivery charge of £25 plus VAT is added to orders below the free delivery figure for your account.

• Free delivery over £600 net.

The quote tells you which side of the line you are on, so you can see when adding a little more takes the delivery off.

9Hiding prices and printing

Hide prices

The Hide prices button clears every price off the screen. It is there for when someone is stood next to you and you would rather they did not read your buying prices. It only affects your screen and it is remembered on that device until you switch it back.

Print or save as PDF

The Print / save as PDF button produces a clean copy of the quote with the Plytech heading, the date and the roof size. The calculator and the buttons are left off it.

To save it rather than print it, choose Save as PDF as the printer in the print box that appears.

Printing always shows the prices, even when Hide prices is on. If you want a copy with no prices, save the PDF and remove them, or ask us for a customer facing version.

10Placing the order

Press Place this order and a box appears asking for a few things.

1. Your PO number or reference. Required. It goes on the paperwork so you can match it up later.
2. Delivery address. Pick one of your saved addresses or enter a new one. Tick the box to save a new address to your account for next time. On a collection order this step disappears.
3. Delivery instructions and notes. Optional. Anything the driver or our team needs to know.

Press confirm and you get an order number on screen and a confirmation email with the full list.

Your order arrives with us as a draft for a person to check. We confirm it in the usual way, and that is when stock is committed and lead times are confirmed.

11After the order

Your orders in the top bar lists what you have placed through the portal, with your PO reference, the date and the total.

This list covers portal orders only. Anything placed by phone or email is handled the way it always has been.

12If something looks wrong

A few things that come up.

• The parts list is empty. The roof size has not been entered yet, or the page needs a refresh.
• A price looks wrong. Ring us before ordering. Prices come straight from your account, so if one looks odd it is worth a check.
• An item says it cannot be ordered online. That product is not set up for online ordering. Ring it through and we will sort it.
• You cannot log in. Use the forgotten password link. If that does not help, call us and we will send a fresh invite.

Call 01392 454810 or email sales@plytech.co.uk.