XCAdam89
02-08-2009, 09:38 AM
First of all, if this is against any rules, feel free to delete it.
A friend of mine called me up the other day needed some help with his dad's website. In a nutshell, he wants to be able to use a series of forms to gather and distribute information about orders. I feel this might be a little over my head, so I figured I'd throw it out to you guys for an opportunity to make a few bucks.
Here's the original e-mail I recieved:
This is what I want to do in a nutshell…
I get 1-3 solicitations to buy hardwood daily. I expect I’ll get 10 a day during the peak of the season… maybe more. They come via email, phone and fax. They are in all different formats. Here’s what I do:
1. I have to contact each one and get the information they failed to
give me (takes time).
2. I have to reformat their information and post it all online at
http://www.ipe-deck.com/Solicitations-Ipe-Greenheart-Cambera.htm.
Takes more time.
3. I then email to my list of suppliers that there are new
solicitations online ready for their bids.
4. I get emails over several days from these suppliers and have to
reformat their bids and email them to the Solicitor (lots more time).
I hope to automate this whole process so that every time an Ipe Solicitor fills out a *Solicitor Form*, it updates the web page automatically and also directly emails the Supplier their *Solicitor Form *(minus sensitive information). The Solicitor Form will contain a link to a *Supplier Form* (complete with Supplier’s information already pre-populating the Form fields). Supplier just puts in their numbers and the *Supplier Form* crunches totals, etc. Supplier hits “submit” and it will email the bid to the Solicitor and a copy to me and one to Supplier. Solicitor chooses the Supplier’s bid he wants and responds by filling in fields on that *Supplier Form* for credit card information, when he wants delivery, etc., and hits “submit”. Viola!
Let’s give an example: Solicitor John Smoot wants 7000 linear feet of Ipe 1x4 shipped to NY 10005 in 30 days. He needs his bids in NLT 3 days from now. He fills out the Front Page generated *Solicitor Form *with his contact information and the above Ipe information and hits “submit”. The form with Solicitation #: *Smoot10005Ipe* (note the zip code is in the number) and above Ipe items and deadlines is emailed to each of 4-6 Suppliers. A complete copy is emailed to the Solicitor and a complete copy is emailed to me. Supplier A receives his copy…
But Supplier A’s copy does not contain Solicitor John Smoot’s first name or contact information. It contains Solicitation #: *Smoot10005Ipe *and items to bid on… but Supplier A doesn’t even have to read it! He just clicks on the *Bid Link*. It triggers a *Supplier Form* from my website that has fields pre-populated with Supplier A’s contact information and the terms of the solicitation as filled in by John Smoot. He has before him everything he needs to bid… so he fills in *$1.90* in the field for /“price per linear foot”/ and maybe $250 in the shipping field, hits “calculate” and sees his totals appear… $13,300 + $250 = *$13,550*. Supplier A hits “submit” and a complete copy is sent to himself… but an adjusted copy _with my $1050 commission_ and _without Supplier A’s name and contact information_ is sent to Solicitor John Smoot and to me. Smoot’s copy (and my copy) shows *$2.05/LF* in the price column instead of $1.90 and the total of *$14,600* reflects my *$1050 *commission. It also spells out the terms: /“If you accept this bid, please fill in the blanks with your credit card information and hit “submit” which authorizes us to charge an initial payment of *$1050*. This will lock in the above price from this supplier for 30 days. Supplier will ship 5 business days from his receipt of your final payment./ /Should you fail to take delivery for any reason, your initial payment will be cheerfully refunded.” /
When Smoot hits “submit”, three people are emailed John Smoot’s *Acceptance of Supplier A’s Bid *form… me, Supplier A, and Smoot. I get the complete form. Smoot gets the complete form. Supplier A gets an adjusted form that shows his original numbers and what Smoot owes him ($13,550). It also now shows Smoot’s first name and contact information and maybe a cheery little statement like, */“You won the bid you lucky rascal! He’s waiting for your call with bated breath!” /*
Is this too complicated? I can loan you the 834 page book I have. It’s called _Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Bible_. On page 466 it says, */“Even more critically, FrontPage has several built-in methods of processing form results, including emailing the input to an email address, storing the input in a test file or HTML page, or sending it to a database. FrontPage also makes it easy to create a custom response page. The following sections examine how to use each of these options.”/*
Let me know what you think…"
If your interested and wanting to talk prices, PM me..it's the best place for my to explain in more detail.
A friend of mine called me up the other day needed some help with his dad's website. In a nutshell, he wants to be able to use a series of forms to gather and distribute information about orders. I feel this might be a little over my head, so I figured I'd throw it out to you guys for an opportunity to make a few bucks.
Here's the original e-mail I recieved:
This is what I want to do in a nutshell…
I get 1-3 solicitations to buy hardwood daily. I expect I’ll get 10 a day during the peak of the season… maybe more. They come via email, phone and fax. They are in all different formats. Here’s what I do:
1. I have to contact each one and get the information they failed to
give me (takes time).
2. I have to reformat their information and post it all online at
http://www.ipe-deck.com/Solicitations-Ipe-Greenheart-Cambera.htm.
Takes more time.
3. I then email to my list of suppliers that there are new
solicitations online ready for their bids.
4. I get emails over several days from these suppliers and have to
reformat their bids and email them to the Solicitor (lots more time).
I hope to automate this whole process so that every time an Ipe Solicitor fills out a *Solicitor Form*, it updates the web page automatically and also directly emails the Supplier their *Solicitor Form *(minus sensitive information). The Solicitor Form will contain a link to a *Supplier Form* (complete with Supplier’s information already pre-populating the Form fields). Supplier just puts in their numbers and the *Supplier Form* crunches totals, etc. Supplier hits “submit” and it will email the bid to the Solicitor and a copy to me and one to Supplier. Solicitor chooses the Supplier’s bid he wants and responds by filling in fields on that *Supplier Form* for credit card information, when he wants delivery, etc., and hits “submit”. Viola!
Let’s give an example: Solicitor John Smoot wants 7000 linear feet of Ipe 1x4 shipped to NY 10005 in 30 days. He needs his bids in NLT 3 days from now. He fills out the Front Page generated *Solicitor Form *with his contact information and the above Ipe information and hits “submit”. The form with Solicitation #: *Smoot10005Ipe* (note the zip code is in the number) and above Ipe items and deadlines is emailed to each of 4-6 Suppliers. A complete copy is emailed to the Solicitor and a complete copy is emailed to me. Supplier A receives his copy…
But Supplier A’s copy does not contain Solicitor John Smoot’s first name or contact information. It contains Solicitation #: *Smoot10005Ipe *and items to bid on… but Supplier A doesn’t even have to read it! He just clicks on the *Bid Link*. It triggers a *Supplier Form* from my website that has fields pre-populated with Supplier A’s contact information and the terms of the solicitation as filled in by John Smoot. He has before him everything he needs to bid… so he fills in *$1.90* in the field for /“price per linear foot”/ and maybe $250 in the shipping field, hits “calculate” and sees his totals appear… $13,300 + $250 = *$13,550*. Supplier A hits “submit” and a complete copy is sent to himself… but an adjusted copy _with my $1050 commission_ and _without Supplier A’s name and contact information_ is sent to Solicitor John Smoot and to me. Smoot’s copy (and my copy) shows *$2.05/LF* in the price column instead of $1.90 and the total of *$14,600* reflects my *$1050 *commission. It also spells out the terms: /“If you accept this bid, please fill in the blanks with your credit card information and hit “submit” which authorizes us to charge an initial payment of *$1050*. This will lock in the above price from this supplier for 30 days. Supplier will ship 5 business days from his receipt of your final payment./ /Should you fail to take delivery for any reason, your initial payment will be cheerfully refunded.” /
When Smoot hits “submit”, three people are emailed John Smoot’s *Acceptance of Supplier A’s Bid *form… me, Supplier A, and Smoot. I get the complete form. Smoot gets the complete form. Supplier A gets an adjusted form that shows his original numbers and what Smoot owes him ($13,550). It also now shows Smoot’s first name and contact information and maybe a cheery little statement like, */“You won the bid you lucky rascal! He’s waiting for your call with bated breath!” /*
Is this too complicated? I can loan you the 834 page book I have. It’s called _Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Bible_. On page 466 it says, */“Even more critically, FrontPage has several built-in methods of processing form results, including emailing the input to an email address, storing the input in a test file or HTML page, or sending it to a database. FrontPage also makes it easy to create a custom response page. The following sections examine how to use each of these options.”/*
Let me know what you think…"
If your interested and wanting to talk prices, PM me..it's the best place for my to explain in more detail.