The new AUR Direct platform automates seven key steps in the current Chargeback Plus process:

Search/ View		Host		Order		Confirm		Invoice		Claim
①	➜	②	➜	③	➜	④	➜	⑤	➜	⑥

Chargeback Plus suppliers are encouraged to make products available online, for retailers to easily search, compare and select additional local products they may want to range alongside their store’s current core ranging.

Through the new AUR Direct web-portal, orders can be placed directly. Retailers may also elect to have Chargeback Plus products hosted-down to their point-of-sale / back-office system (POS/BOS). All ‘Hosted’ Chargeback Plus products can then be ordered just like any other product – either directly through the store POS/BOS, or uploaded via a shelf-edge label scan.

The new AUR Direct system takes a single store order and automatically splits it into separate orders for each Chargeback Plus supplier. Orders are sent automatically, and order confirmations, modifications, and aligned line-level invoices flow electronically between the retailer and each supplier.

All quantities, values and actions are date-stamped and authored, and if necessary, a retailer can raise a claim on the supplier through the system.

There are benefits for retailers at each step of the process.

①	Search/ View	All Chargeback Plus products are available to view and compare online by category at your convenience.
⇩
②	Host	Host Chargeback Plus products into your point-of-sale with a single click .
⇩
③	Order	Order Chargeback Plus products via your RF units. All orders are routed to the correct supplier with full line-level detail and date/time recording.
⇩
④	Confirm	Receive electronic order acknowledgements or suggested modifications from suppliers.
⇩
⑤	Invoice	Receive weekly statements reflecting hosted electronic invoices. Auto-update dollar values and inventory directly to your systems. Avoid delays with processing and offshore costs.
⇩
⑥	Claim	Raise a claim electronically, with full transparency of order and line-level detail and timings. Ten day maximum, claim process.

Yes. Chargeback Plus is optional for both retailers and suppliers. AUR Direct is just an internet-enabled platform for retailers and suppliers on Chargeback Plus. This is available at no additional cost to retailers or suppliers.

2. How can retailers order through AUR DIRECT? Do Retailers need to place orders online? There are multiple options for Retailers to order product. Retailers have the ability to choose the easiest for their unique circumstances. Orders can be placed:

a) by the retailer, through a shelf-edge label scan
b) by a supplier – if authorised by the retailer – via the placement of a ‘turn-in order’ through the new web-portal AUR DIRECT allows retailers to place an order across multiple suppliers, the platform will automatically route orders correctly to the appropriate supplier.

  

3. Can AUR DIRECT show the best-selling products (eg. top ten products)?

Over time, this will be possible. An advantage of AUR DIRECT will be better availability of data on the trading performance of Chargeback Plus products. Eventually this will include best-selling products, but it is unlikely this will be available in a meaningful sense from the first days of operation. The new AUR DIRECT platform will need to accumulate trading data over time. All feedback from retailers on what data insights will be most valuable is welcomed and encouraged to be sent through to the AUR DIRECT Team.

4. Can AUR DIRECT show the same product from different Suppliers?/

Yes, this is an advantage of the new AUR DIRECT platform, subject to the depth of range offered by suppliers on the site. If a retailer is looking for a certain product or product category important to their local demographic and community, all listed options from all suppliers servicing the relevant store can be found. All products on the AUR DIRECT platform will be categorised with filters intended to enable retailers to locate the products they want quickly and easily.

5. Can a Supplier-representative still place an order in-store?

Yes. AUR DIRECT includes supplier ‘Turn In Order’ capability through the web portal. To facilitate this, the retailer must grant access to the supplier.

6. Is there a minimum order quantity by Supplier and how will this work?

Suppliers do have the ability to set a minimum order value per store per day across all lines from the same supplier. The retailer will be alerted if the total order for a supplier does not exceed the minimum threshold and can take whatever action the retailer decides.

7. How does the AUR DIRECT platform manage delivery time frames? AUR DIRECT does not attempt to manage delivery windows, in the way an end-consumer grocery eCommerce offer may allow customers to choose a specific delivery window. AUR DIRECT allows a supplier to provide descriptive delivery information to retailers through a supplier profile page. This may include content on latest order cut-off times for same day or next day dispatch, and anticipated delivery lead times by location. 8. Can Retailers see invoice detail through AUR DIRECT as well as in their back-office system? All order line-level detail is captured in the AUR DIRECT system from the time of order, and actual invoice detail is available. Retailers can also load electronic invoices across to their back-office system in the same format as warehouse Invoices. Invoices from AUR DIRECT are collated into the AUR statement for payment in the same way as they are currently received for Chargeback. 9. How will Retailers know whether to trust a Supplier on AUR DIRECT? AUR DIRECT is an upgrade to the current Chargeback Plus process. All Chargeback Plus suppliers are required to sign-up to trading terms & conditions. AUR reserves the right to suspend or remove suppliers not behaving appropriately.

10. What are the costs of using AUR DIRECT for Retailers?

There are no changes to retailers’ current Chargeback Plus trading terms or arrangements. AUR DIRECT is an upgrade for all retailers available at no additional cost.

The AUR DIRECT web-portal displays purchase prices on all products, recommended retail prices and the calculated Gross Profit percentages based on these two prices. The purchase price retailers see is a transparent price with no additional fees.

11. What are the costs of using AUR DIRECT for suppliers?

There are no changes to suppliers’ current Chargeback Plus trading terms or arrangements.

There are no changes to optional additional services made available to suppliers, over and above allowance, catalogue promotions and similar. AUR DIRECT reserves the right to offer suppliers further optional services aligned with ChargeBack, and rates for these services will be agreed with suppliers.

12. What if a Retailer has already negotiated a deal with a Supplier outside of AUR DIRECT?

There is no obligation on retailers or suppliers to trade through AUR DIRECT, but AUR has developed the AUR DIRECT platform to support retailer-specific pricing should retailers and suppliers want to access the benefits of the new platform for directly negotiated deals.

AUR DIRECT shows a purchase price and a recommended retail price for each product, and the purchase price may be adjusted by the supplier to be a retailer-specific purchase price to reflect a unique deal negotiated between the retailer and supplier.

13. Does AUR DIRECT still calculate a Suggested Retail Price and will this automatically update a Retailer’s Retail Price?

AUR DIRECT offers a product purchase price to retailers – either the supplier’s list price or the supplier’s retailer-specific deal price. The AUR DIRECT platform displays the supplier’s Recommended Retail Price (RRP) and will also show the associated Gross Profit Percentage (GP%) on the product. In the current build, AUR DIRECT does not calculate a Suggested Retail Prices (SRP) from the purchase price to deliver a specific pre-set margin for the retailer. The host file report within the retailer’s point-of-sale and back-office system will identify cost and GP changes to the retailer, allowing margins to be actively managed as per retailers’ current process for warehouse managed products. In all cases retailers remain free to determine actual retail prices offered in store (subject to any obligations not to exceed any maximum resale prices).

14. How frequently will prices update, and how much notice will Retailers get to review and update store pricing (if required)?

Suppliers can update pricing and offers through AUR DIRECT – downwards for periodic promotions, and potentially upwards for long-term price increases.  AUR DIRECT will align with existing practice of providing a lead time to host any price changes down to retailer’s systems, with a 14-day lead time required. Effective dates of those price changes will be in the host file, however it is dependent on a retailer’s point-of-sale and back-office system how these effective dates are managed, as per current process with warehouse products. For fresh products, invoice prices may change daily based on market conditions as per current business practices. AUR DIRECT will continue to host a nominal list price as managed by the supplier.

15. Will retailers have a credit limit for purchases made through AUR DIRECT?

Credit limits will be set individually by retailer and applied in the same manner they are currently applied for ChargeBack Plus.

16. Will AUR DIRECT facilitate promotions?

AUR DIRECT has rich promotions capability inherent in the SAP-Hybris platform. This will allow suppliers to offer periodic promotions on a dollar-off and percentage-off basis, and in a flexible manner. 

17. Will products on AUR DIRECT be featured on promotion in the catalogue?

Governance of product selection for promotions will not change AUR DIRECT. AUR will mirror in AUR DIRECT the promotions approach currently supported by PROMIS.

18. What technical capability is needed in stores?

All stores need is an up-to-date internet browser to access the AUR DIRECT web portal – eg. Chrome 58 onwards, Internet Explorer 10 onwards, Safari 10 onwards and Firefox 53 onwards.

For access to all integration features of AUR DIRECT, a retailer’s point-of-sale and back-office system (POS/BOS) must support version 7 file transfer (Host v7). Host v7 enables:

a) Chargeback Plus product hosting to a retailer’s POS/BOS (including price updates and 8-digit item codes);

b) a single store order from POS/BOS being split and routed to multiple suppliers;

c) electronic invoicing back to POS/BOS.

Retailers on the earlier Host v5 will have access to AUR DIRECT products through the web portal, but they will not be able to host Chargeback Plus products to POS/BOS. They will be able to place orders online but not from BOS, and they will be able to view invoices in the web portal (but not receive them back into POS/BOS).

For this reason, store upgrades to AUR DIRECT capability will be aligned with upgrades to Host v7 capability for all stores, where the store is not already Host v7 capable.

19. Who pays for POS/BOS upgrades?

Host v7 upgrades are available now for all point-of-sale systems. AUR will fund these upgrades; there will be no cost to retailers with a current software support agreement.

20. Can AUR DIRECT integrate into Retailer financial systems?

This is available through existing functionality within most POS/BOS systems. The electronic invoice supplied from AUR DIRECT will process through the POS/BOS and then into a linked accounting package. Retailers not currently using this functionality may have to purchase additional licensing from their POS/BOS provider. Many retailers already have this functionality.

21. Can retailers trade on AUR DIRECT now?

Yes. The technology is now available and has been tested with AUR IT Team as well as couple of pilot suppliers.

Key Contacts

22. How do I get further information?

For all questions regarding the new AUR Direct platform and Chargeback Plus please contact the AUR Direct Team.