Comboizer
Last updated
Last updated
The Comboizer tool can assist you in implementing and managing combo subscriptions. The Comboizer can be used to convert a subscriber’s existing individual subscriptions to a combo subscription. Two different methods can be used to convert subscriptions:
Single subscription method. If the subscriber has a single subscription (for example, a hybrid subscription that is online during the week and route-delivered Saturday and Sunday), separate subscriptions are created under one combo. With this method, a publication and delivery schedule are specified.
Only subscriptions with that product and delivery schedule that match the primary subscription of the combo are selected—these are changed to combo subscriptions via a combo change transaction. New subscriptions are created for the other components of the combo.
Multiple subscription method. If the subscriber has multiple subscriptions that meet the criteria for a combo, they are married together into a combo subscription via combo change transactions.
The subscriber must have active subscriptions for all components of the combo in order to qualify for this method. Currently, running the Comboizer is the only way to combine existing subscriptions into a combo (this cannot be done in Customer Service).
The Comboizer is run for a specific combo and (for single subscriptions) a product and delivery schedule. Optionally, you can use an import file containing subscriber rate codes, and only subscriptions with those rate codes will be considered.
The tool can be run in update or non-update mode. If run in update mode, combo transactions (combo change and combo start) are created, and the subscription is rerated. Transfer out and transfer in transactions are also created to transfer the subscriber’s balance to the combo subscription. The rate code to assign to the combo subscription can also be specified in the import file, or you can have Circulation rating determine the rate.
Follow the procedure below to run the Comboizer tool, once you have security access.
Select Comboizer from the Tools menu in the Graphical Utilities module. The Comboizer Tool screen displays.
Click Add and enter the criteria for running the tool. The fields are described in the table below.
EXISTING COMBO TYPE
predefined
Indicate whether the Comboizer should create combo subscriptions from a single subscription or combine multiple subscriptions.
PRODUCT DELIVERY SCHEDULE
setup
If you are using the “single subscription” method (as specified in Existing Combo Type), select the publication and delivery schedule that combo subscriptions should be created for. Only subscriptions to this publication/delivery schedule combination will be considered.
COMBO
setup
Select the combo that subscriptions should be created for. In order to qualify for the combo, the subscriber must have a subscription to the combo’s primary product mix (product, delivery method, and delivery schedule). If using the “single subscription” method, only combos that include the specified publication can be selected.
EFFECTIVE DATE
date
Enter the date on which the combo subscriptions should be created. This will be the transaction date of the combo change and combo start transactions. The current publishing date defaults.
SOURCE REASON
setup
Select the source and reason code that should be used for the combo change transactions. Only valid combo change reason codes can be selected. The source and reason code will also be used to determine the rate for the combo subscription. Note that the expire date for the primary publication will be retained, if the reason code has Update Expire set to “n” in setup. There will be either a positive or negative discount created, depending on whether the combo rate is more expensive or less expensive than the original non-combo rate.
USE INPUT RATE FILE FILE NAME
yes/no open (30)
If only subscriptions with certain rate codes should be processed by the Comboizer, check User Input Rate File and enter the file name in the File Name field. If Use Input Rate File is unchecked, the Comboizer will select all matching subscriptions.
The file must be placed in the /pbs/exchange/[defaultdir] directory. The format contains two fields in quotes separated by a comma: the old rate code and the new rate code. If Circulation rating should determine the new rate, set the new rate code field to “*”.
An example of the file contents might be:
dmDOMOTOR,DM+GZdig-NORMAL
DMDSMOTOR,*
DMDSHD,DMGZRte
UPDATE
yes/no
Indicate whether combo subscriptions should be created by the tool. If this field is not checked, only a report will display. Newscycle recommends running the Comboizer first with Update unchecked and reviewing the Comboizer Tool report before running in update mode.
Click OK and then Continue to run the Comboizer.
If run in update mode, combo change and combo start transactions are created using the Effective Date entered as the transaction date. These transactions will be processed when Transaction Processing is run for the transaction date.
The Comboizer Tool report displays, listing the number of subscriptions selected and other details from the process.
Please note the following when running the Comboizer tool:
Transactions created by the Comboizer tool include: combo change (to change a non-combo subscription to a combo), and combo start and expire (for new combo subscriptions created when running in “single subscription” mode). If there is a balance on the subscription, the combo change transaction creates transfer out and transfer in transactions when it is processed.
When the subscription has a balance, the transfer out transactions will split the balance to keep all of the combo subscriptions with the same expire date, as with a regular combo change transaction. If using the “multiple subscriptions” method, each active subscription balance is split into the combo subscriptions. This results in two transfer out transactions but four transfer in transactions. In this scenario, Transaction Processing must be run twice: once to process the combo change, and once to process the remaining transfer transactions.
Subscribers with the following pending transactions will not be selected (they will, however, be listed on the Comboizer Tool report): stop, payment, delivery schedule change, billing change, move in, move out, temporary address, transfer, reroute or delivery reassignment, grace writeoff, placement, combo change.
You should not run Transaction Processing while the Comboizer is running in update mode.
When run with the “single subscription” method, if the delivery schedule that is being split is a hybrid delivery schedule, the Comboizer should be run before final Transaction Processing or after End Publishing Run, not during or between the two.
When run with the “single subscription” method, if a subscriber already has a second subscription that matches a subscription that would be created by the Comboizer, the Comboizer will still create a new subscription. For example, when running for a combo that is route-delivered and online, if the route-delivered subscription is primary and a subscriber already has both a route-delivered subscription and an online subscription, a second online subscription will be generated as part of the combo.
When changing an existing subscription to a combo subscription, auto renew information, delivery information, grace days, balances, and other subscription information is retained. However, the subscription is rerated.
Marketing terms and balance forward billing are not currently supported with combos.
Subscribers with multiple copies are skipped by the Comboizer.
Below are examples of how the Comboizer would process different types of subscriptions. In the first two examples, assume the combo “TribC” is used, which has a primary product mix of product Trib, delivery schedule DS, and delivery method “Route”. “TribC” also contains a product mix with product Trib, delivery schedule DS, and delivery method “Online.”
Trib subscribers who are route-delivered with a delivery schedule of “DS” are given access to the online version of the Trib. To create combo subscriptions reflecting this, the Comboizer is run with the following parameters:
Existing Combo Type = “Single Subscription”
Product = “Trib”
Delivery Schedule = “DS”
Combo = “TribC”
Use Rate Input File is unchecked
All route-delivered subscriptions for product Trib, delivery schedule “DS” are considered. If a subscription qualifies (e.g. it has no pending stops, payments etc.) the following transactions are created:
Combo change for the current route-delivered subscription, changing it to a combo.
Combo start to start a new online subscription, with an associated expire change.
For subscriptions with a balance, transfer out/in transactions are created to transfer the balance to the combo subscriptions.
Circulation rating is used to determine the rate of the new combo subscriptions.
Trib subscribers who are route-delivered but also have online access have two independent subscriptions to the Trib, one with a delivery method of “Route” and the other “Online”. These subscriptions are married together under combo “TribC” by running the Comboizer with the following parameters:
Existing Combo Type = “Multiple Subscriptions”
Product = “Trib”
Delivery Schedule = “DS”. Only “DS” subscribers are picked up. If other delivery schedules also have multiple subscriptions, combos should be set up for them, and the Comboizer run for each different combo.
Combo = “TribC”
Use Rate Input File is unchecked
Subscribers who have both a route-delivered and online subscription to the Trib with the delivery schedule “DS” are considered. If a subscription qualifies, the following transactions are created:
Combo change for both current subscriptions, changing them to combo subscriptions.
For subscriptions with a balance, transfer out/in transactions are created to transfer the balance to the combo subscriptions.
Circulation rating is used to determine the rate of the new combo subscriptions.
Subscribers who receive a route-delivered paper on Sunday and have access to the online version on other days of the week have a single hybrid subscription to the Trib with delivery schedule “Hybrid” and the rate code “DSHybrid”. To create combo subscriptions for these subscribers with the same rate, the Comboizer is run with the following parameters:
Existing Combo Type = “Single Subscription”
Product = “Trib”
Delivery Schedule = “Hybrid”
Combo = “TribH” (like “TribC” but primary product mix is for delivery schedule “Hybrid”)
Use Rate Input File is checked, and a file name is specified. The file contains the line: DSHybrid,DSHybrid
Subscribers who have a Trib subscription with delivery schedule “Hybrid” and the rate “DSHybrid” are considered. If a subscription qualifies the following transactions are created:
Combo change for the current subscription, changing it to a combo subscription with a delivery method of “Route.”
Combo start to start a new online subscription, with an associated expire change.
For subscriptions with a balance, transfer out/in transactions are created to transfer the balance to the combo subscriptions.
The combo subscriptions retain the “DSHybrid” rate.
