Online Ordering: A Comprehensive Guide
2 Table of Contents Introduction... 3 Getting Started... 4 Entering the Online Ordering System... 5 6 Logging into the Agency Intranet... 5 Agency Intranet... 6 Placing Orders... 7 11 Selecting Your Order Type... 7 Viewing the Inventory... 8 Searching Inventory Lists... 9 Adding Items to Your Shopping Cart... 10 11 Completing Orders... 12 15 Selecting Delivery Dates... 12 Adjusting Items in Shopping Cart... 13 Adding Free Produce... 14 Submitting Your Order... 15 Tracking Orders... 16 Using Order Management... 16 Appendix A: Order Types... 17 Appendix B: Online Ordering Contact Information... 18 Appendix C: FAQ s... 19 21 Glossary 22
3 Introduction Welcome to online ordering with the Food Bank For New York City. This guide will provide you and your staff with all the information you need to successfully navigate the Food Bank s online ordering system, which offers access to our inventory 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This document offers very specific instructions on every step in the ordering process, as well as important reminders and tips from the trainer. The online ordering system is web-based and can be accessed anywhere internet is available. Because the online ordering system updates multiple times a day, it gives our members the most up-to-date information on what food is available to order. Online ordering is the most efficient way to order food through the Food Bank. Before getting started it is important that you know a few key points. 1. There is a 25 case minimum order for dry goods and a 10 case minimum order for frozen orders. 2. In order to use the online system your program must be in good standing which includes: a. Not having any holds b. Having a successful site visit in the past 24 months c. Ordering regularly for each member program d. Following all other stipulations outlined in your member agreement 3. You must provide the Food Bank 5 business days between the time you place your order and when you request delivery. 4. Once you submit an order you cannot edit or cancel an order online. We hope this guide is a valuable resource for your program. We are grateful for your continued partnership in ending hunger in New York City. Sincerely, The Food Bank For New York City
4 Getting Started Gaining Access to the Online Ordering System 1. Call or email the Food Bank at help@foodbanknyc.org or 212.566.7855 and ask to speak with a member services representative. 2. Request an online ordering registration form to be emailed or faxed to you. You can also access the registration form and other information on the agency intranet at http://www.foodbanknyc.org/go/agency-intranet. 3. Submit the completed registration form via fax, mail or e-mail.* Once you have registered, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to the address you specified on the form. This email will contain your temporary password. *Please ensure all information is complete and legible. System Requirements 1. Access to a computer that has Microsoft 2000 or higher 2. E-mail address that is accessed regularly 3. Reliable internet access 4. Compatible web browser Only Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher is compatible with the online ordering system. Netscape, Firefox, Safari, Chrome and others should not be used to access the online ordering system as you will encounter errors. If you wish to download Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher versions, use the following link and follow the instructions: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. Compatible Web Browsers Internet Explorer Incompatible Web Browsers Netscape Firefox Safari Google Chrome
Entering the Online Ordering System 5 1. Go to the Food Bank s home page: www.foodbanknyc.org 2. Scroll halfway down the page. On the right, you will see a brown box labeled Agency Intranet Login with two blank fields. 3. 3. Type in your User Name (EFRO/Program #) 4. 4. Enter your Password 5. 5. Click Go
6 Agency Intranet 1. Once you log in you will be redirected to the Agency Intranet. You will know you are logged in because you will see Order Now on the upper right corner of the page. The Agency Intranet is a section of the website exclusively for Food Bank members. Here, you can access information on many topics including: Online ordering Grant opportunities Workshops and events calendar Expanding your services Health and nutrition E-Newsletters FAQ s Contact information for key departments 2. Click on the large orange box titled... This will bring you to the online ordering welcome page:
7 Placing Orders: Selecting Your Order Type 1. In order to place an order you MUST FIRST select your Current Order Type, located at the top of the online ordering welcome page. 2. To select an order type click the down-facing grey arrow at the top-center of your screen. Your order type specifies which type of order you want to place. Order types include but are not limited to: TEFAP TEFAP Ref/Frozen Donated Food Bank Wholesale HPNAP 3. Once you have selected the order type you d like to shop for and it appears in the rectangular Current Order Type window, you MUST click the Go button to the right of the grey arrow. IMPORTANT REMINDERS! 1. If you do not click the button you will not order from the correct order type and you risk being billed for any food you order. 2. You must place separate orders for each order type. If you would like to place TEFAP, HPNAP and Donated orders on the same day you must order from each inventory separately. To change order types simply select a new order type and press.
8 Placing Orders: Viewing the Inventory 1. Once you press you will see three green bullet points. The first will say Your current order type is set to. This is your visual confirmation that the order type has changed. Always look for this confirmation. 2. Click on Browse Shopping List, on the left side of the screen, under Main Menu. Tips from the Trainer: You can access a printerfriendly inventory by selecting Printable List from the Main Menu. Since the inventory updates regularly items may be unavailable if you place your order long after printing the list. 3. After you click Browse Shopping List you will be taken to the Inventory Search Screen where you can decide how you would like to view the selected inventory.
9 Placing Orders: Searching Inventory Lists All inventory lists can be viewed in one of four ways. Each search option has its own advantages and there is no right or wrong way to search. The four ways are below: Item Code: If you know the item code of a product enter it here and you will see the product associated with that code. Show All: Press the Show All button to view all products on the inventory list in alphabetical order. Item Name/Description: Type an item name or category like corn, cereal, milk, etc., to view all products with that word in the description. Review Shopping List: You may view the inventory list by selecting the categories listed here. Tips from the Trainer: If you are new to the online ordering system using the Show All option is recommended for ease of use.
10 Placing Orders: Adding Items to Your Shopping Cart 1. Once you select how you would like to view the inventory you will be taken to your main shopping page where you will select the items you would like to order. There are several important things to pay attention to here, including grant balances, product information and entering food quantities into your virtual shopping cart. If this is a positive number you have grant dollars. If this is a negative number you have grant dollars. Enter the number of cases you would like to order. The maximum number of cases you can order. How much one case of product costs. Once you have entered a quantity you MUST press Add To Cart for the item to save. The weight of each package and number of packages in each case. Tips from the Trainer: 1. When ordering TEFAP, the case price will show a dollar amount even though the products are FREE. To ensure that you are ordering from TEFAP, check that under Grant Available and Current Cart Value with Grant Applied it reads N/A All TEFAP products are free of charge. If you do not see this you are NOT in TEFAP. 2. To speed the ordering process, you can enter the number of cases of all items you want and click Add To Cart at the end. Add To Cart will add all items to the shopping cart at once, so you don t have to individually add each requested item.
11 Placing Orders: Adding Items to Your Shopping Cart 2. After you have entered the number of cases you would like to order, select Add to Cart 3. Once you click Add to Cart a dialogue box will appear confirming what items were placed successfully into your cart. If items were not added to the virtual cart the reason for the error will be explained here as well. 3.Once you have added all the products you want to order for the selected order type, proceed to the check out screen to complete your order. There are two ways to get to the check out screen: check out on the right, or Shopping Cart on the left.
12 Completing Orders: Selecting Delivery Dates 1. The virtual cart includes three main sections. The Shopping Cart lists the food items you selected. Delivery information is where you schedule the date and time of delivery. Ignore the Delivery Site Contact Information box as it is not currently functioning. 2. There are 5 steps to complete the Delivery Information box. 1. Select Delivery Date by clicking on the calendar icon to the right of the blank field. 2. Select between Morning or Afternoon delivery for your first date. 3. Select Delivery Date 2 for your second choice delivery date. 4. Select between Morning or Afternoon delivery for your second date. 5. Click Update Header. IMPORTANT REMINDER! All delivery requests must be at least 5 business days from the date of the order. The Food Bank cannot guarantee delivery of orders that do not adhere to this policy. ** If there are specific one-time delivery instructions that will enable the Food Bank to deliver the order more efficiently enter them in Delivery Instructions. If your program has long-term delivery preferences, please email us at help@foodbanknyc.org.
13 Completing Orders: Adjusting Items in Shopping Cart When you have selected your delivery dates you have the option of editing your order in the shopping cart. 1. You may increase or decrease the quantity of any item in your shopping cart by simply clicking on the number you would like to change, deleting it and replacing it. Once you select your new quantity you MUST press Update Lines. 2. To delete an item from your shopping cart, click on the red X in the left column and the item will disappear. Tips from the Trainer: It is very important to remember that when you make changes to the shopping cart you must always press Update Lines to save your changes. 3. If you would like to start over or you don t have time to complete your order, you can delete all the contents of your cart by selecting Clear Cart.
14 Completing Orders: Adding FREE Produce The Food Bank offers FREE fresh assorted produce with every order.* To receive free produce just complete these three easy steps: 1. Select Add Free Produce, located under the shopping cart, left of the Clear Cart button. 2. Once "Produce" appears in your shopping cart, enter the maximum number of cases you would like to receive under "Order Quantity." 3. Once you have selected number of cases of produce you would like, you MUST select Update Lines to save the changes. *Produce deliveries are based on availability, so you may receive less than the requested quantity. You will not receive more than the number of cases requested.
15 Completing Orders: Submitting Your Order Once the delivery information has been entered successfully, adjustments to your shopping cart have been completed, and produce has been selected, it is time to submit your order to the Food Bank. 1. Double check that all order information is correct. 2. If all information is correct select Submit Cart. This will send your order to the Food Bank for processing. 3. After pressing Submit Cart your confirmation number will appear beginning with PO. Please make note of this number and use it when referencing your order with logistics or member services. IMPORTANT REMINDER! Once you submit your order you CANNOT use the online ordering system to alter, edit or cancel your order. If you need to change or cancel an order only a logistics associate (212.991.4708) can assist you. It is imperative that you check your order to ensure accuracy before you submit it for processing.
16 Tracking Orders: Using Order Management Once you have placed your order we recommend that you immediately go to Order Management to ensure that your order was submitted correctly. Select Order Management under the Main Menu on the left side of the screen. Order Management allows you to access detailed information about every order you have ever placed. The orders are organized with the most recent first, and include all order types. By clicking on the order reference number you can see all the details of each order. Printable versions of all orders are available by clicking the printer icon in the first column. Once you complete your order make sure the order appears on the top line, that the total price and total case weight do not read 0 and status does not say Rejected. New: Order just created. Order Status Explained Sent to Food Bank: Order has been sent from the online system to the Food Bank. Received and Processed: Order has been received by the Food Bank and is being processed for delivery. Rejected: There is an issue with the order and it was cancelled. Call 212.991.4708. Invoiced: Order has been delivered and invoice has been processed.
17 Appendix A: Order Types The Food Bank has many order types and each is associated with specific inventories and costs. Moreover, some order types have restrictions on the amount and frequency a program can place orders. You will only see the order types your program is eligible for and awarded. Detailed information on the primary order types offered by the Food Bank is below.* TEFAP - This is FREE product from the USDA. Please note that the dollar value that appears will NOT be charged to your program. Rather, it allows the Food Bank to keep track of the value of the order. - Only available for Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens and Shelters. - Can be ordered once every 5 business days. HPNAP / EFSP / CITY COUNCIL - These order types draw funds from a Food Bank line of credit your program will have a specific dollar amount to spend. - Programs must apply to receive these government funds. Only available for Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens and Shelters. FOOD BANK DONATED - Very low cost products donated from various sources (10 18 cents charged per lb. to cover shipping and handling) - Available for ALL Food Bank members. - If you do not have a grant you will be responsible for payment of product. Once invoiced you have 30 days to pay. - Can be ordered once every 5 business days. WHOLESALE - Products offered below market prices. - Available for ALL Food Bank members. - If you do not have a grant you will be responsible for payment with a check on delivery. * Please note: Occasionally order types are created for specific grants. Every time your program receives a grant from the Food Bank an award letter will be sent to your agency s contact. The order type and the total grant amount will be specified. All award letters should be kept on file.
18 Appendix B: Online Ordering Contact Information Register for an online ordering workshop: trainings@foodbanknyc.org Request an online ordering shopper registration form: Mabis Chase mchase@foodbanknyc.org 212.566.7855 ext. 2264 Questions or concerns on an order ALREADY submitted: 212.991.4708 212.991.4709 Questions or concerns about navigating the online ordering system: David McCoy dmccoy@foodbanknyc.org 212.566.7855 ext. 2246 IMPORTANT REMINDERS! You must place orders for each feeding program separately. If you operate a soup kitchen and a food pantry, you must sign in with each program s unique User Name (EFRO#) to place an order for that program. Please note that different food products are available for the different program types (for example, TEFAP for soup kitchens is different than TEFAP for food pantries). You must complete every order from its separate order type. Programs can place an order from one order type (for example, Food Bank Donated) immediately after they submit another order type (for example, TEFAP). Separate orders placed in the same week will be bundled together and sent in one delivery.
19 Appendix C: Frequently Asked Questions What is my User Name? Your User Name is the same as your program ID, or EFRO (Emergency Food Relief Organization) number for example: 89999. Remember that if you have more than one program (i.e. a food pantry and a soup kitchen) you MUST log in separately for each program, using the respective program number and password. I forgot my password to the online ordering system. What do I do? 1. Click Shoppers under Password Lookup in the Agency Intranet Login box on the lower right side of www.foodbanknyc.org. 2. Enter your User Name (EFRO #) in the Forgot Password box that pops up, and then click Email My Password. Your password will be emailed to the address you have on file. I entered a quantity less than the maximum order quantity and I received an error message. What do I do? If your error reads You exceeded the maximum order quantity for one or more items, please adjust the quantities for the errored items you have received this error because there are already items in your shopping cart. Go to your shopping cart and press the "Clear Cart" button, located to the left of the "Submit Cart" button. Please note that if you do not submit an order the items will remain in your shopping cart until they are cleared or you submit the order.
20 Why does the TEFAP order type list prices for each item? Within the TEFAP section, the "unit price" reflects the value and not the cost of each item. All TEFAP products are always free. Why do I see an "N/A All TEFAP orders are free of charge on my TEFAP account" message? All TEFAP recipients show an "N/A" under grant amount and grant remaining because TEFAP is not a traditional grant program. Food that is allocated to your program is not allocated based on an amount of money. If you need to track the value of TEFAP product received, please use the invoices provided at the time of delivery and/or the records available through the Order Management section of the online ordering system. I'm not ready to order right now. Can I just see what is available? Simply log in to the online ordering system and go to the order type for which you want an inventory list. (For example, select "TEFAP" and click "Go.") Then choose Printable List from the menu on the left side of the screen. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the yellow print button. The list is easiest to read when printed in "Landscape" mode. If you want to view the inventory list for another order type, just repeat these steps. Remember that the list is current as of that day and should be used immediately. Since the printable list is from a live inventory the accuracy of the list diminishes as time goes by. My computer is slow and it takes a long time to place an order. What should I do? If you are using dial-up internet service, the connection can be slow. Many digital/cable providers offer high-speed internet service that is easy to use and costs the same or less than some dial-up services. If you have an older computer, it may not have enough free disk space or memory to work properly. Many computers have easily installable extra memory cards. You may also want to consider purchasing a low-cost, Internet-ready computer through Per Scholas. Visit their website at www.perscholas.org or call 718.991.8400.
21 The grant available on the online system does not match my records. What do I do? There are few reasons the numbers may not match: 1. Items ordered may have been rejected and as a result your grant was not charged. This will result in a larger balance than you would have in your records. 2. An order you have placed has not been invoiced. Your grant amount on the online ordering system will only be updated when you take receipt of the product. ** Please remember to keep all of your grant award letters and your invoices as they will most accurately reflect your current lines of credit and grant balances with the Food Bank. Is there a minimum order quantity for delivery? There is a 25-case minimum when placing a dry (non-frozen) order. The 25 cases may contain a variety of products (for example: 7 cases of rice, 8 cases of milk, 10 cases of beans, etc.), and may be made up of several separate orders (for example, a 15 case TEFAP order and a 10 case Wholesale order) but there must be a minimum of 25 cases TOTAL in the order. There is 10 case minimum when placing a frozen order. Why has my order been rejected? There are a few possible reasons orders are rejected: 1. Your program has not fulfilled the 25-case minimum requirement. Remember that dry (non-frozen) orders must contain, at minimum, 25 cases of food. The Food Bank truck will not make deliveries that do not meet the 25-case minimum requirement. 2. Your program has not waited the appropriate number of days between placing orders. Remember that you must wait 5 business days between placing TEFAP and Donated orders. Other orders may be placed as needed. 3. Your program is on hold. Contact agency relations at 212.566.7855 to learn why your program is on hold and how to resolve the hold. 4. You have overspent your grant. 5. You did not provide the Food Bank with an appropriate time frame (5 business days) for us to deliver your order. 6. You have exceeded your credit limit the maximum outstanding amount of money you can owe the Food Bank for orders. If you wish to increase your credit limit, please send a letter to Vice President of Agency Relations and Benefits Access Carlos Rodriguez detailing your requested credit limit and the reasons why you would like it to be increased.
22 Glossary Emergency Food Program: A food pantry, soup kitchen or shelter that serves the general public meals or pantry bags. Intranet: A private computer network for an organization s members; differs from the internet because it s not open to the general public. Inventory: The list of products in stock. Each Food Bank order type has a specific inventory including food and/or other products. Line of credit: Amount of money extended to an organization for spending. Food Bank grants are awarded in lines of credit which your program can use to order food. Order type: Each Food Bank grant corresponds to one or two specific order types. For example, if you receive a HPNAP Wholesale grant and have a freezer you can order from the HPNAP Wholesale and HPNAP Wholesale Ref/Frozen order types. Each time your program is awarded money the Food Bank will tell you which order types to use. Shopping cart: The section of online ordering that lists all the products Web browser: The program used to access the internet (e.g. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.). Only Internet Explorer is compatible with the Food Bank s online ordering system.