For those that don’t use Pictage (or another all online lab), how does your order fulfillment process work?

Do you use a paper form? Another piece of software?

If you are using another piece of software, say a shopping cart on your website....

How do you receive the orders?
What’s your process to get those orders to the lab?


I am looking for the best way to streamline my order workflow. It really seems the bottle neck comes when getting the images to the lab. Finding and uploading the images is a huge hassle.

Photoreflect & All American Photo

http://pictureinfinity.photoreflect.com

That's our storefront

www.eostemplate.com (see my samples at www.springsimages.com)

I get the orders and fullfill them myself either through WHCC or lately on my Epson R1800.

So you get an order and then have to upload to WHCC and create an order using thier system?

Correct, I get an email with their order, then I either use the ROES system with WHCC or just print them myself.
I prefer to print them myself, I've had a few issues, not alot, but a few with WHCC and even though they are great on redoing them for me, I like to have the control and not have to wait 3 days every time.

I use Photoshelter. This is how I do it:

1) Upload high-rez images to Photoshelter for archiving, and for client galleries.

2) I have created a custom integration so the galleries on Photoshelter can be accessed from MY website www.EricHegwer.com in the Event section.

3) Clients and guests visit my website and browse, download low-rez watermarked copies (for MySpace and other websites), and place orders using their Credit Card.

4) I get an e-mail from Photoshelter whenever an order is placed. I have chosen to self-fulfil using WHCC (so I have total control) but I can also get it fulfilled from Photoshelter/EZ prints. I actually pay more to do it myself through WHCC, but the quality is FANTASTIC!

5) The money is automatically deposited to my account, and I take care of sending out the final prints to the customer.


Check out my interface here

I know I could outsource, but I am a control freak, and have decided to handle each and every step personally (the personal touch). I know exactly where each order is, how they look, and who the clients are. But, it is possible to use a fully automatic system where I never see the orders, too. I can ensure that everything that gets delivered is perfect this way. Save outsourcing for your house cleaner (like DJ does).

I have a Skooks Kart and then upload the orders to WHCC...skooks can also do it for me. It is very simple!

Currently I do basically the same exact thing. Although my online order system is not up. But I take my paper orders and then find and upload to the lab from that.

My biggest concern with this method is actually finding the images to upload.

It seems like even if you have a great archiving system you will still have to search for images. If you get an order for 100 images of a wedding you are still spending a decent amount of time "checking" images off an order form as you copy them into a directory.

My day job is a Software Engineer and I am building my own order system for my site. I just wanna see what everyone else does and whats the best flow to process the order after the client hits the done button.

I think I have a way to speed up this process but Im gonna save the reveal for when I actually have a working version for everyone to see.

I have a quick system for selecting a large number of images. I take the image numbers from the email I receive and copy them into Excel. I select the column of image names and choose format custom. Then I change the format to 000.jpg. It takes the numbers and puts them into 001.jpg, 015.jpg, etc. Then I save the files as tab text file in the appropriate folder. Then I open Breezebrowser and go to "Load Tags", choose the file I just made and all of the images are tagged. Sounds complicated, but it takes less than three minutes and call select 5, 20 or 150 files in that time.
Cory

I use ImageQuix but I would really like to switch to PickPic when my business allows.

That sounds like a great process.




PickPic ...Is that from Becker?

I so something very similar. I use Instaproofs, their order management interface is pretty cool - there is a button to export all the images in an order to a comma delimited search string that you can then cut and paste into Windows XP search and or Mac Finder. I usually just point the search at my folder for that client and "BOOM" I have all the files in the order selected. I paste them into an "orders" folder and open up ROES and place the order.

I do all my basic CC on the front end of my process, so orders are pretty straightforward.

I usually place the orders and drop ship directly to my client from my lab. I know DJ would say to outsource all this to Pictage, but it doesn't take me that long to run the orders this way. Actually some times I outsource to my wife to do it on the small/easy orders to submit.

Andrew

I had though about exporting comma delimited or an xml document for my system. While I use a PC I wanted my system to transport to Macs. I was not aware you could do a comma delimited search using Mac Finder that def makes things easy.

Like DJ I am all for the passive revenue stream but I think with a system like this once its in your workflow it shouldnt take very long at all and the cost saving will start to add up fast.


Thanks for the great tip Andrew!

while im sure becker would be proud to read that, it's not a becker product (although he is the one who turned me onto it). here is the link....

http://www.pickpic.com/

Finding images is a snap.

I use Aperture (but any program can do it) to custom label each picture upon import:
0001BrideandGroom010107.jpg
Where 0001 is the number generated by the camera. Someday I'll take more than 9999 pictures in 24 hours, but until then this works.
and 010107 is Jan 1, 2007.
Every client has their own folder
I can search for the client by name or date, or just browse their folder.


BTW - macs have a built-in program called Spotlight that looks in the iptc and metadata of image files. So if you label your picutres correctly, when you transplant you should have no problem. Also, Aperture can searche your Hard Drive for images too.

I use Photo Cart by Pictures Pro for my shopping cart. Then off to WHCC.

I was talking to PickPic a few days ago and they are about week or two away from launching. They also will have several pricing options based on features.
I want to see what they are going to offer. I was looking at eostemplates as well since it is cheap.

I use a Skooks Kart for smaller events and some proofing.
But I just switched back to DigiLabs from Pictage.
I upload colour balanced images, DigiLabs processes payment and sends me an e-mail requesting the high res image.
I then have an opportunityto do a final tweak or any retouching before sending back to DigiLabs. They then print and ship directly to the customer.
John

We're in the exact same boat, Adam. I'm designing my cart, modeled somewhat after Skooks. I'll handle the print fulfillment manually, but am looking at using Perl to pull the files specified in the order off the CD/DVD archive

I use Collages.net, and it works super slick for me! I upload the files using their tool which resizes the images and then uploads them (makes for a quicker upload), and then when an order is placed, I open the order in my Lab's system (Bay Photo ROES) and it goes and grabs all the images, magically!

I then can modify the order, and do whatever I need to do as far as specific cropping for the various sizes, and then the high res images get all uploaded, the order is shipped the the customer, and everybody is happy!

-Jeff

I've enjoyed Pictology.
They're good people too.
-Eddie

I know some people have had some issues with them, but I have SkooksKart and I am totally happy with them and have had not problems.

currently i'm using instaproofs and then having to manually fulfill the order myself. but i think once my website is up and running, i'd be looking to install the eostemplate or pickpic.