Step 1: Allocate a cost to product and delivery options

Each option in a product or delivery options configuration has a "cost" attribute. This attribute specifies the amount by which a cost estimate is incremented if a customer selects that option. For example, you can assign a different cost to each paper stock option allowing you to charge more per sheet for heavier stock.

Allocate a cost to product configuration options

If you have not already done so when you configured your products, allocate an estimated cost to each product configuration option.

  1. In the Operator interface, in the bottom left corner of the screen, click Settings.

  2. Click the Products tab.

  3. Configure the cost attribute for each option as required. See below for some examples.

  4. Click Save or Save and close.

EXAMPLE

In this example, the paper cost for single sided documents is calculated (based on the formula specified in the cost script), as:

cost per sheet of paper * number of pages

If the number of pages in the documents is 40, the order cost would be 40 * cost per sheet.

Product configuration file

New Order form (white paper)

If a customer selects A4, White, 80gsm as the Paperstock, the Printing Costs for a 40 page document would be 40 * $0.02= $0.80

New Order form (blue paper)

If a customer selects A4, Blue, 80gsm as the Paperstock, the Printing Costs for a 40 page document would be 40 * $0.03= $1.20

For Binding options, you can use a combination of costs in your calculation based on the options that a customer selects. You might want to have a base cost for the labor involved in each type of binding, and also a variable cost for the binding option sub-attributes selected by the customer.

EXAMPLE

In this example, the base cost for Comb binding is $2.00. There is also an additional charge of $1.00 if the Binding Edge is Long, or an additional charge of $0.50 if the Binding Edge is Short. In the cost script, you would specify that the total binding cost is calculated as follows:

binding option cost + binding option sub-attribute cost

Product configuration file

New order form

If a customer selected Comb binding with a Binding Edge of Long, the total binding cost would be ($2.00 + $1.00) = $3.00.

You can also perform more complex calculations, such as charging a different amount for binding depending on the number of pages to be bound, for example $2.00 for binding up to 50 pages and $3.00 for binding more than 50 pages. This is done through the powerful cost script engine. For more information, see Step 3: Create or change a cost script.

Allocate a cost to delivery options

If you have not already allocated costs to your delivery options:

  1. In explorer, navigate to the following folder:

    <Job Ticketing install path>/job-ticketing/config/rooms/room<number>

  2. In a text editor that supports syntax highlighting and JSON parsing (for example, ATOM), open:

    delivery-options.json

  3. Configure the cost attribute for each option as required.

  4. Save the file.

    TIP

    Make sure you save the file with the extension .json and NOT .txt.

You have now added costs to your products and delivery options and are ready to create some costs scripts.

 

Next Step: Step 2: (optional) Set up draft products for testing