Overview of the pricing and promotion process flow

In the WebSphere Commerce integration with Sterling Order Management, WebSphere Commerce provides pricing calculations and promotion information for orders. The two systems interact with each other by means of user exits that are supplied as part of this integration.

The following diagram and description explain these services and the pricing process flow.

Pricing and Promotion Flow
  1. If a shopper on the WebSphere Commerce Store Website is ordering items online, an implicit pricing request takes place as part of that order. This request employs the Pricing Engine within WebSphere Commerce. The Promotion Engine is also used if promotions, discounts, or coupons are being applied to the order.
  2. Pricing and promotion calculation results are returned to the shopper on the Store Website.
  3. If a Customer Service Representative (CSR) at the IBM Sterling Call Center, the IBM Sterling Store, or other Order Management channel, initiates a pricing request by performing an item search or viewing item information or initiates an order request:
    1. The SCWC_SDF_getItemPriceUE service and SCWC_SDF_getOrderPriceUE is invoked. Depending upon the request, pricing or the promotion services are called. The user exits are mapped to the WebSphere Commerce BODs (Business Object Documents) GetEntitledPrice, ProcessOrder.
    2. Pricing requests are handled by the WebSphere Commerce Pricing Engine. Order calculation requests are handled by both the Pricing and Promotion Engines. Depending upon the request, WebSphere Commerce performs all pricing calculations, and send appropriate output to the user exit.
    3. Sterling Order Management sends the appropriate pricing response to the IBM Sterling Call Center and IBM Sterling Store, or other Order Management channel.
  4. If a Customer Service Representative (CSR) at the IBM Sterling Call Center, the IBM Sterling Store, or other Order Management channel, initiates a coupon validation request:
    1. The SCWC_SDF_ValidateCouponUE service is invoked. Depending upon the request, promotion services are called. The user exits are mapped to the WebSphere Commerce BODs (Business Object Documents) GetPromotionDetails, and ValidatePromoCode.

      If a Pricing Rule Detail request is initiated, the SCWC_SDF_getPricingRuleDetailsUE service is invoked. This service is mapped to the WebSphere Commerce GetPromotion BOD. GetPromotion requests are handled by the WebSphere Commerce Promotion Engine. Depending upon the request, WebSphere Commerce sends the promotion details to the user exit. Then Sterling Order Management sends the appropriate promotion detail response to the IBM Sterling Call Center and IBM Sterling Store, or other Order Management channel.

    2. Coupon Validation requests are handled by the WebSphere Commerce Promotion Engine. Depending upon the request, WebSphere Commerce performs all the promotion calculations, and send appropriate output to the user exit.
    3. Sterling Order Management sends the appropriate coupon validation response to the IBM Sterling Call Center and IBM Sterling Store, or other Order Management channel.