Multi-Site capabilities are an integral part of CounterPoint, enabling a CounterPoint Hub and one or more CounterPoint Satellites to operate independently during the day, and synchronize nightly by efficiently exchanging information. CounterPoint configurations are available for Multi-Site Hubs, Remote Store Satellites, and P.O. On-the-Go laptop systems.
Polled Multi-Site processing is an alternative to WAN Operations (see WAN/Workgroup Option).
At each Satellite, as part of the normal end-of-day process, Multi-Site gathers and compresses the day's sales activities, purchasing/receiving activities, transactional activities, and any database changes into a Satellite transmission file. Nightly, the Hub polls each Satellite and retrieves its transmission file. (Alternatively, the satellites can call the Hub.)
At the Hub, Multi-Site consolidates the individual Satellite files and prepares a packet for transmission to the Satellites. This packet contains only the information that has changed, thus minimizing the amount of data that is transmitted. Packets include data changes due to activities such as sales, returns, receivings, and transfers, along with new inventory items, price revisions, new and changed customers, customer address changes, email messages, etc.
The Hub then polls and updates each Satellite. In the morning, every store is up-to-date with current information, and the Hub has complete and current accounting information for all stores. Logs documenting all overnight activities are created automatically at the Hub and the Satellites.
All of this is done unattended, overnight, with no operator intervention. CounterPoint provides batch and event controls to prevent duplicate and skipped transmissions. The Event History report presents the key events that take place in your Multi-Site system in a chronological order. The Operations Status report tells you whether your daily operations took place as expected, allowing simplified monitoring of historical activity.
Automatic change detection is built into virtually every data file. This means that CounterPoint can quickly and reliably identify every record that has changed and transmit only changed records during overnight processing.
In a Multi-Site system, each site is an independent
CounterPoint computer system, eliminating the need
to rely on a dedicated communication link. The main
location is a Hub configuration, with built-in support
for some number of Satellites.
Capabilities are built into CounterPoint to simplify the
implementation, monitoring, and maintenance of a
multi-location system. Multi-Site utilities synchronize the
Satellites with the Hub, and provide summarized or
detailed reports of the contents of the transmission files
and the overnight activity logs.
Multi-Site includes BLAST software for high-speed, error-correcting
communications. BLAST allows automatic
polling, automatic retry (when telephone lines are not
functioning properly), and extensive diagnostic features.
An asynchronous modem and dial-up telephone line
are required. High-speed modems are recommended
to minimize transmission times.
The Hub initiates polling to obtain information from
the Satellites. For systems with many Satellites, or with
mobile Satellites, polling may be Store-initiated.
Polling may also be performed through the Internet.
Internet polling is part of the standard overnight processing,
following the existing conventions for Hub-initiated
and Store-initiated communications.
Virtually all of the CounterPoint applications are involved
in Multi-Site. When an item is added at one
site, it is automatically added at all sites. When a
customer's address is changed, that change is updated
everywhere. All appropriate database changes are updated
throughout the system.
CounterPoint Mail is transmitted to all sites. Point of Sale and Order
Entry sales and orders are transmitted from the Satellites
to the Hub. Purchase orders and transfers may be initiated
at one site and completed at another site. Timecards
information may be collected at the Satellites and forwarded
to the Hub for consolidated reporting and processing.
Multi-Site is a field-proven solution for multi-location
retailers and has been in use since 1988. Multi-Site
ensures successful installations, proper system controls,
data integrity, and satisfied users across multiple locations.
