MarketDirect StoreFront Enterprise Model: Managing Entities

Note: MDSF Enterprise (for entity management) is a licensed option in MarketDirect StoreFront. You can order as many entities as are required to meet the needs of your organization (and each entity can have as many sub-entities as are needed). To use it, you must obtain a license for the integration option MDSF Enterprise (if the option is licensed, the item will be activated on the License page). To ensure that you have this option licensed, see To ensure you are licensed for entities. For more information see Licensing.  

Overview of Enterprise Entity Management in MarketDirect StoreFront

The Entity Model in MarketDirect StoreFront gives license holders a single interface for managing complex organizational hierarchies (multi-level, multi-tier). An "entity" is a building block for defining an organization built out from a root "corporate" license holder. The system is flexible enough to accommodate any number of entities and sub-entities to match an organization's structure. Entities add new hierarchy levels beyond the existing model (Print Shop, company, group, users). This model better fits the needs and structure of the following types of organizations:

●         Enterprise and Subsidiary Organizations: These are multi-arm corporations with local branches that are under corporate control (i.e., they are not franchisees or independently owned and operated). The organizations typically have subsidiary branches (e.g., a North America branch, a Europe branch, an Asia branch). Without the entity model, each subsidiary branch would typically have its own instance of MarketDirect StoreFront, meaning that there was no provision for automated sharing or collaboration between groups when it came to sharing assets across branches. Thus, each branch (MDSF instance) would have its own product offerings, price sheets, reporting, accounts, etc. The entity model allows leveraging of a single MarketDirect StoreFront license across discrete business units or regional subdivisions.

Example: A large corporation based in New York City has three 5 subsidiary branches--USA, Canada, Brazil, Europe, Asia--that have both shared and unique Web-to-print needs. The MarketDirect StoreFront parent administrator (for the license-holding USA branch) would thus create 4 entities (one each for the international divisions). Administrators at each of the entities could in turn create sub-entities as needed for branches beneath them. The entity model lets the enterprise super administrator administer MarketDirect StoreFront from a single instance for consistency of pricing, product offerings, user database, reporting, etc. This is more efficient than using separate instances of MarketDirect StoreFront while providing the flexibility for each branch to administer non-shared (unique) assets.  

●         Managed Services Businesses: These are B2B organizations that service client organizations (e.g., printing, shipping). Without the entity model, each client organization would typically be set up as a "company" in MarketDirect StoreFront. The entity model offers a more flexible way to manage multiple parallel customers with unique Web-to-print needs vs. company-level management.

Example: ServiceProVida provides managed Web-to-print services to multiple discrete client companies, each with a unique set of needs. The entity model provides a way to silo the client companies from a single instance of MarketDirect StoreFront much more effectively than company-level management. For instance, it will create higher "walls" between client companies to ensure there is no intermingling of user data, product data, pricing data, etc. The branches can be built with as much or as little interconnectivity between them as needed. The MarketDirect StoreFront parent administrator (for the license-holding ServiceProVida) would thus create 4 entities (one each for the organizations the company services). Administrators at each of the entities could in turn create sub-entities as needed for branches beneath them.

●         "Marketplace" Sales: The marketplace sales concept in the entity model provides printers with an effective way to partner with content creators (such as photographers, fine artists, book authors, graphic design, marketing firms, publishers, etc.) they produce products for by giving them a branch or space on MarketDirect StoreFront site through which they can sell their products through their own storefront  (i.e., that you will print and fulfill). Each content creator can have a separate space on your site with limited administrator access and capabilities you define.  
Example: MarketPlace Printing wants to provide each of its content creation partners with its own site to drive business both to the partners and the printer (who produces their products). The entity model enables the printer to give each content provider its own space on the printer's MarketDirect StoreFront instance with limited administrative access and control. The MarketDirect StoreFront parent administrator (for the license-holder) would thus create an entity for each content creation partner. Administrators at each of the entities could in turn create sub-entities as needed for branches beneath them. The chart below illustrates how the entities and sub-entities might be organized.

●         Key Concepts:

●         Structure

●         You can have multiple levels of entities in the form of parent-child relationships.

●         Permissions and sharing

●         Inheritance passes down from parent (the top-level license-holder of MarketDirect StoreFront). The exception is Print Shops, which when created by a sub-entity can be shared up to the parent level.

●         Parent entities can only pass down permissions they themselves have.

●         Can inherit down to nth levels to accommodate very complex hierarchies with multiple levels of sub-entities.

●         Assets that can be shared: Print Shops, Products, Print Services, , Price Sheets, merchant accounts.

●         Assets shared with sub-entities cannot be modified but are view only. The asset creator/owner is the only one able to modify them.

●         Permissions: Each sub-entity is granted unique permissions to control its level of MarketDirect StoreFront.

To ensure you are licensed for entities

1.        Go to Administration > License.

2.        Scroll down to the Platform section and ensure that the MDSF Enterprise option is selected.

Note: For more information see Licensing.  

Managing Entities

Adding Entities

You can add an entity and define rules for how it is able to function.

To add an entity

1.        Go to Administration > Entities.

2.        On the Manage Entities page, click Add Entities.

3.        On the Add Entities page:

●         Name: Type a descriptive name for the entity you are adding.

●         Entity URL: Type the URL for the entity and then click Check Availability to determine whether that URL is already in use.

 Note: Please note that it can take up to 4 hours for newly registered branded URLs to become active.

4.        In the Contact Section:

●         Click Click to Edit.

●         On the Contact Information page:

●      Fill in the fields with the contact information for the entity you are adding.

 Note: Note that fields marked with an asterisk are required (they are also shaded in yellow).

●      Click Save.

5.        Configure the entity with the following fields:

●         Default Company Name: Select a company from the pull-down list (of available companies at this level) or select <Create New> and type a name for the entity's default company in the text box.

●         Default Storefront Name: Type a name for the entity's default storefront.

●         Default Print Shop Name: Type the name for the entity's default Print Shop.

●         User Name: Type a user name for the default administrator for the entity.

●         Password: Type a password for the administrator account for the entity.

●         Confirm Password: Type a password for the administrator account for the entity again.

6.        In the Rules section, use the fields below to define rules for how the entity can function:

●         Entity can create Print Shops: Select if you want this entity to be able to create its own Print Shops.

●         Print Shops (#): Specify the maximum number of Print Shops the entity can create.

Note: The Remaining Licenses read-only field shows the number of remaining Print Shop licenses available. So, if the parent has allocated 10 Print Shops and the sub-entity has used 2, then the maximum number of Print Shops available to the sub-entity is 8.

Note: Note that unlike companies and products created by sub-entities, Print Shops so created can be shared up with the parent organization. This enables administrators at the parent level to manage aspects of the sub-entity Print Shop. For more information, see Entity and Sub-Entity Print Shops Sharing Permissions.

●         Entity can add sub-Entities: Select if you want this entity to be able to create sub-entities beneath it.

Note: Note that if an entity is not permitted to add sub-entities, not only is that entity (E1) restricted but the parent of the entity (P1, the one setting the rules to begin with)  will also be unable to create sub-entities within the sub-entity (E1).

●         Entities (#): Specify the number of sub-entities the entity can create.

Note: The Remaining Licenses read-only field shows the number of remaining entity licenses available to the . So, if the parent allocated 10 sub-entities and 2 have been used, then the maximum number of entities available to a sub-entity is 8.

●         Entity can create Products: Select if you want this entity to be able to create its own products or edit the products it inherits from the parent entity.

7.        In the Price Sheet controls section, select one of the options to govern price management for the entity:

Note: Note that the option you select will inherit down, meaning that it will be able to be passed down to the children (sub-entities) of the entity. Thus, if you do not give the entity the ability to adjust prices, they in turn will not be able to give their sub-entities ("children") the ability to adjust their prices.

●         None: Select this option if you want all sub-entities in the entity to use the top-level price sheet (i.e., you do not want them to be able to adjust prices on the parent-level price sheet).

Note: You would use this option if you want to maintain control over pricing from the top down.

●         Allow Entity to Mark Up Pricing From Parent Entity: Select this option if you want the entity to be able to mark up (by amount or percentage) the base prices it inherits from the top level.  

Note: This can be useful, for instance, if you want a marketplace partner to be able to use cost-plus pricing to make a profit over the production cost on your base price sheet. It is also useful for letting your separate business units or branches set their own pricing based on what their local market will support over  the base price you have set (which serves as the minimum they need to cover the costs of production).

●         Allow Entity to Mark Down Pricing From Parent Entity: Select this option if you want the entity to be able to mark down (by amount or percentage) the base prices it inherits from the top level.

Note: This can be useful, for instance, if you want a unit or branch e to be able to lower prices (perhaps temporarily) for a sales or to match a competitor's pricing.  

●         Allow Entity to Mark Up and Mark Down Pricing From Parent Entity: Select this option if you want the entity to be able to mark up or down (by amount or percentage) the base prices it inherits from the top level.

●         Allow Entity to Override Pricing From Parent Entity: Select this option if you want the entity to be able to make any changes they wish to your base price sheet. The entity will be able to make any changes or overrides to the prices on the base price sheet you pass down to it.

8.        In the Manage Default StoreFront section, configure the following fields:

Note: Each sub-entity is assigned a unique default storefront. Entities and sub-entities will inherit SmartStores only, not classic storefronts.

●         Allow Entities to manage default storefront SmartStore Branding: Select this option if you want the entity to be able to modify the default storefront branding inherited from the top-level entity.

Note: If selected, the administrator at the entity level will then be able to select a layout, add a unique logo, add deep links to the logo, customize the HTML and CSS, change the promotional banner, and so on.

●         In the Default storefront featured products and categories controls section:

●         Don't Allow Entity to modify featured products and categories: Select this option if you want to prevent the entity from being able to make changes to the featured products and categories inherited from the default corporate level.

Note: If selected, the administrator will be able to view the featured products and categories but not change (modify or delete) them. The StoreFront Management page will display a message such as "Your default storefront branding is completely managed by the corporate office. The default storefront featured products and categories are partially managed by corporate."

This means that the administrator cannot change existing featured products and categories but can add new featured products and categories.

●         Allow Entity to manage featured products and categories: Select this option if you want to let the entity manage featured products and categories at its own level.

●         Allow Entity to add featured products and categories: Select this option if you want to let the entity add featured products to the featured products and categories inherited from the default corporate level. Featured products/categories added by the parent entity are retained.

9.        In the Order Number Formatting section, configure the following fields:

●         Order Number Prefix: Select an option for prefixing order numbers for orders placed through this entity from the pull-down list:

●         None: Select the default None if you do not want entity order numbers to have a unique prefix.  

●         Company Name: Select this option if you want to prefix order numbers placed through this entity with the company name.

●         Print Shop Name: Select this option if you want to prefix order numbers placed through this entity with the Print Shop name.

●         Order Date: Select this option if you want to prefix order numbers placed through this entity with the order date.

●         Custom Format: Select this option if you want to add a custom prefix to orders (for example, if the entity is located in Chicago, you might want to prefix all orders placed through it with CHI).

Note: For example, if the entity is located in Chicago, you might want to prefix all orders placed through it with CHI. Or if the entity is a branch of a corporation, PrintStarCo that operates in a particular region (such as in Canada), you might want to prefix all orders with PSC-Can).

●         Order Number Suffix: Select an option from the pull-down list:

●         None: Select the default None if you do not want entity order numbers to have a unique suffix.  

●         Company Name: Select this option if you want to suffix order numbers placed through this entity with the company name.

●         Print Shop Name: Select this option if you want to suffix order numbers placed through this entity with the Print Shop name.

●         Order Date: Select this option if you want to suffix order numbers placed through this entity with the order date.

●         Custom Format: Select this option if you want to add a custom suffix to orders.

Note: For example, if the entity is located in Chicago, you might want to suffix all orders placed through it with CHI. Or if the entity is a branch of a corporation, PrintStarCo that operates in a particular region (such as in Canada), you might want to suffix all orders with PSC-Can).

10.    Select a Base Price Sheet for the entity from the pull-down list.

Note: This is the price sheet that will serve as the default price sheet for the entity to set baseline pricing.

11.    Click Save.

Viewing Entities

1.        Go to Administration > Entities.

2.        Select the entity you want to view from the entity tree.

3.        The view window will to the right of the entity tree will let you see the entity settings.

Editing Entities

1.        Go to Administration > Entities.

2.        Select the entity you want to edit from the entity tree.

3.        Click Edit Entities.

4.        On the Edit Entities page, modify any of the fields as needed.

Note: For descriptions of the fields on the Edit Entities page, see the section Adding Entities.

Warning: Making changes to certain previously established rules (e.g., changing the Price Sheet Controls) can have negative consequences. Thus, the system will give you a warning and ask you to confirm your decision when you attempt to save the changes.

Warning: You cannot reduce the number of Print Shops on the Edit Entities page if those Print Shops are in use in the sub-entity. You as the impersonator or the sub-entity administrator will have to first remove the Print Shop at the sub-entity level (e.g., using sub-entity admin impersonation) and then reduce the number of Print Shops on the Edit Entities page.

Deleting Entities

1.        Go to Administration > Entities.

2.        Select the entity you want to delete from the entity tree.

3.        Click Delete Entities.

Warning: The system will give you the following warning to inform you that:

"Deleting the Entity will reassign any existing sub-entities up to the parent Entity. Check the box below [Delete all sub-entities contained within the Entity] to delete all sub-entities instead of reassigning them."  

The default action the system will take is to reassign the deleted sub-entity up to the parent Entity, which is a less destructive option unless you are certain that you want to remove the sub-entity and all of its assets.

Warning: Please be aware that once you select the Delete all sub-entities contained within the Entity option and click Delete, the sub-entity and all of its assets (custom print services, pricing, etc.) will be forever lost and unrecoverable.  

4.        Click Delete or Cancel.

Impersonating Sub-Entity Administrator

Parent administrators can impersonate any of the administrators beneath them in the hierarchy. Thus, the parent administrator (who is at the top level, the license-holder of the MarketDirect StoreFront instance) can impersonate any of the entity and sub-entity administrators in the system. Impersonating an administrator enables a higher-level administrator to execute all administrative functions for the sub-entity.  

To impersonate an entity administrator

1.        Go to Administration.

2.        Click Impersonate Sub-Entity Admin below the task bar at the top of the page.

3.        On the Select Sub-Entity To Impersonate page, select the sub-entity from the entity tree.

4.        Click Impersonate.

Note: The screen will indicate "Logged In As [sub-entity administrator user name (sub-entity name)]" in the line just below the task bar.

5.        Perform administrative tasks for the sub-entity as needed.

6.        When you are finished, click Logout As Sub-Entity Admin below the task bar at the top of the page.

Sharing at the Entity and Sub-Entity Levels

Sharing Print Shops at the Entity and Sub-Entity Level

Entity and Sub-Entity Print Shop Sharing Permissions

Note: Print Shops created at the sub-entity level are different from other elements (such as companies and products) in that they can be shared not only downward with any sub-entities beneath it but also back up with the parent level of the organization and globally to all entities defined in the system.

This enables administrators at the parent level of the organization to manage the Print Shops as needed. An entity or sub-entity that can create Print Shops (per the rules you establish in the previous section above) can control how their Print Shops are shared.

Note: Shared Print Shops are not visible to entity super administrators (i.e., parent entity administrators using impersonation) in the Operator View. If needed, entity administrators can see all shared Print Shops in the Order View. The best practice is for tasks such as assigning Print Shop permissions to be managed by users with accounts on the entity level (i.e., "super" administrators are not intended to perform the tasks of a working operator for an entity/sub-entity).  

To share an entity or sub-entity Print Shop with all or selected entities

1.        Go to Administration > Print Shops to open the Print Shop created at the entity or sub-entity level.

2.        Scroll down to the Sharing Permissions section.

3.        If you want to share the Print Shop globally with all entities in the system (i.e., all entities defined in the current instance of MarketDirect StoreFront), select Share to all Entities.

4.        If you want to share the Print Shop only with selected entities in the system, select Add Entities:

●         On the Add Entities window, select the entities and/or sub-entities with which you want to share the Print Shop.

●         Click Select.

5.        Click Save.

Note: All other Print Shop administration functionality is the same as for non-entity Print Shops. For more information on Print Shop management, see Add or Edit a Print Shop.

Sharing Products at the Entity and Sub-Entity Level

Note: Products shared with sub-entities cannot be modified. The top-level parent owns the products, and thus they are "locked" as indicated by a . Buyers can order them but administrators at the sub-entity level can only view them, not modify them.

Sub-entity administrators can, however, add new products and share them with other sub-entities in the branch following the steps in this section. For more information on how to create products, see Create Products. For example, say the France regional branch of a PrintStarCo has 12 locations and wants to create products exclusively for those locations' buyers. They can create products and share them with all sub-entities (locations) in the branch.

Note: Entity administrators can use the copy product feature to create a new ad hoc or SmartCanvas product. When copying an existing SmartCanvas product, admins will be asked whether they want to copy the template from the parent entity, which they can then modify as needed, or simply link to the template on the parent entity, which they will not be able to modify. After copying the product and assigning a new name to it, entity admins can set security / permissions and inventory settings to suit their needs before publishing it to the storefront.   

1.        Go to Administration > Products.

2.        On the Manage Products page product table, in the Modify Security column, click the modify security icon in the product row.

Or click the product and then click the Security tab.

3.        On the Modify Ownership & Permission page, scroll down to the Sharing Permissions section.

4.        If you want to share the product globally with all sub-entities in the branch, select Share to all Entities.

5.        If you want to share the product only with selected sub-entities in the branch, select Add Entities:

●         On the Add Entities window, select the entities and/or sub-entities with which you want to share the product.

●         Click Select.

6.        Click Save.

Sharing Print Services at the Entity and Sub-Entity Level

Note: Print services shared with sub-entities cannot be modified. The top-level parent owns the print services, and thus they are "locked" as indicated by a . Buyers can select them but administrators at the sub-entity level can only view them, not modify them.

Sub-entity administrators can, however, add new print services and print service categories and share them with other sub-entities in the branch following the steps below. (For more information on how to create print services, see Print Services.)

1.        Go to Administration > Print Services.

2.        On the Manage Print Services page, select a category from the Print Service Category pull-down list.

3.        Scroll down to the Sharing Permissions section.

4.        If you want to share the print service category globally with all sub-entities in the branch, select Share to all Entities.

5.        If you want to share the print service category only with selected sub-entities in the branch, select Add Entities:

●         On the Add Entities window, select the entities and/or sub-entities with which you want to share the print service.

●         Click Select.

6.        Click Save.

Sharing at the Entity and Sub-Entity Level

Note: shared with sub-entities cannot be modified. The top-level parent owns the , and thus they are "locked" as indicated by a . Buyers can select them but administrators at the sub-entity level can only view them, not modify them.

Sub-entity administrators can, however, add new and share them with other sub-entities in the branch following the steps below. (For more information on how to create , see Catalog-Add New .)

1.        Go to Administration > .

2.        On the Catalog page, scroll down to the and click Edit.

3.        Scroll down to the Sharing Permissions section.

4.        If you want to share the with all sub-entities in the branch, select Share to all Entities.

5.        If you want to share the only with selected sub-entities in the branch, select Add Entities:

●         On the Add Entities window, select the entities and/or sub-entities with which you want to share the .

●         Click Select.

6.        Click Save.

Price Sheets for Entities and Sub-Entities

If the parent entity has granted permission to adjust pricing (e.g., mark up and mark down pricing), the sub-entity administrator will be able to modify the default price sheets that are inherited (passed down) from the parent entity.

1.        Go to Administration > Pricing.

2.        On the Price Sheet Management page, select a priceable component (Print Services, , Impressions, Products, Shipping).

3.        The price sheet will indicate "Pricing From Parent Entity."

4.        If the entity was granted permission to mark up and mark down pricing on the Manage Entities page, the administrator will be presented with a pull-down list with the following options:

●         None: Makes no adjustment to the parent entity price.

●         Mark Up: Increases the parent price by a specified amount.

●         Markup As Percentage: Increases the parent price by a specified percentage.

●         Mark Down: Decreases the parent price by a specified amount.

●         Markdown As Percentage: Decreases the parent price by a specified percentage.

5.        If the entity was granted permission to override pricing from the parent entity on the Manage Entities page, the administrator will be able to assign any values in the Regular Price and Setup Price fields.

6.        Click Save.

Sharing Data Sources (Single Column Data Sets and Multi-Column Data Sets) at the Entity and Sub-Entity Level

Note: Data sources shared with sub-entities cannot be modified. The top-level parent owns the data sources, and thus they are "locked" as indicated by a . Buyers can select them but administrators at the sub-entity level can only view them, not modify them.

Sub-entity administrators can, however, add new data sources and share them with other sub-entities in the branch following the steps below. (For more information on how to create data sources, see Data Sources.)

1.        Go to Administration > Manage Data Source.

2.        Click the name of the data source to edit.

3.        Click Security.

4.        Scroll down to the Sharing Permissions section.

5.        If you want to share the with all sub-entities in the branch, select Share to all Entities.

6.        Click Save.

Third-Party Accounts for Entities and Sub-Entities

 All third-party accounts in MarketDirect StoreFront (including not only payment processing merchant accounts but tax, shipping calculation, and other accounts as well, such as CCH tax and AuctionInc shipping) can be shared with sub-entities. Accounts shared with sub-entities cannot be modified. The top-level parent owns the third-party accounts, and thus they are "locked" as indicated by a . Buyers can use them but administrators at the sub-entity level can only view them, not modify them.

Note: Any costs associated with the shared use of third-party accounts across multiple users/entities will be managed between the account provider and the account holder (merchant) not MarketDirect StoreFront.

Sub-entity administrators can, however, add new merchant accounts and share them with other sub-entities in the branch following the steps below. (For more information on how to create credit card merchant accounts, see Add or Edit a Merchant Account.)

To share a third-party account

1.        Go to Administration > [account page].

 Note: This could be for taxes, payment processing, shipping cost calculation, etc.

2.        On the third-party account page, scroll down to the Sharing Permissions section.

3.        If you want to share the account with all sub-entities in the branch, select Share to all Entities.

4.        If you want to share the account only with selected sub-entities in the branch, select Add Entities:

●         On the Add Entities window, select the entities and/or sub-entities with which you want to share the account.

●         Click Select.

5.        Click Save.

Reporting for Entities and Sub-Entities

Standard Reports

The following stock reports will support the initial implementation of the entity model in MarketDirect StoreFront v. 8.0:

●         72 Hour Outlook by company

●         72 Hour Outlook by printshop

●         Output utilization by printshop

●         Revenue By Company

●         Revenue By Printshop

●         Taxes collected for period

●         Transaction report

 Note: For more information on running reports, see Reports.

Dynamic Query Tool

Administrators can create queries that include entities as a variable.

 Note: For more information on using the Dynamic Query Tool, see Creating Query with the Dynamic Query Tool.

Custom Reports

Note: Any custom reports you are using will need to be updated to account for any entities/sub-entities you create and configure with the new Entity functionality introduced in MarketDirect StoreFront 8.0. For more information, contact EFI Professional Services for assistance with updating your custom reports.

See Also

●         User Authentication

●         Site-Level Active Directory Authentication

●         Login Bypass