Premiere Account Commerce System – FAQ

What’s different about this new SAP-based shopping cart and your previous Web ordering application?  Why are you changing your Web commerce capabilities?

Newport Corporation is implementing a global conversion to SAP software to improve our overall operational and service capabilities and efficiencies.  SAP’s Internet Sales Application (ISA) comes in two varieties: our Premiere Account Commerce System, and our ISA Commerce System.  The Premiere Account capability is more powerful and feature rich than our previous Web commerce offering, and we will continue to work on adding to its feature set. 

What are some of the key features of your Premiere Account Offering – how is it different from your “standard” ISA Commerce offering?

Currently with Premiere Account, you can create quotes, view invoices, submit orders, edit open orders, and track shipments.  The major difference between Premiere Account and ISA Commerce, is that Premiere Account offers more functionality and interaction with our SAP inventory and sales functions; it is oriented toward a “business to business” relationship, i.e., customers who frequently purchase from Newport Corporation, who have an established customer account and approved credit application on file, and may need to pay by either credit card or invoice (purchase order).   The Premiere Account system also applies rules associated with your established customer account – such as any tax exemptions on file, or account specific contract pricing.

The ISA commerce is a “business to consumer” oriented online ordering application, which is oriented to customers who order occasionally from Newport, and who will pay by credit-card only.  The ISA commerce application has order tracking capabilities, allows for saved shopping carts (as opposed to Quotes in Premiere Account) – and is a “quick and easy” purchasing environment, vs. the “fuller” functionality found in Premiere Account, oriented to frequent purchases.  Both systems allow for real-time visibility to inventory availability information in our back-end SAP inventory system.

Do I need a customer account established before I can use the Premiere Account System?

Yes.  You can call our Customer Care group to determine your customer account status, if you’re not sure, or do not have your account number handy by phoning us at 949-253-1461 or 800-222-6440.  If you do not have a credit application on file with us, go to www.newport.com, and complete the Credit Application form on our site (under the My Account menu), follow the instructions, and Newport Corporation will establish an account for you, subject to your meeting applicable criteria. 

I have an account with Newport, but do not have a Premiere Account system ID, how long does it take to get one?

If you’d like to set up an account on an urgent basis, please call our Customer Care group directly, and we’ll expedite your request through our IT Service Center.  Typically, it takes us one business day to set up an ID, or less, if you have an existing customer account with Newport Corporation.  You can complete an ID request form, by accessing the link: www.newport.com/premiereform

If I am set-up (registered)  as a “Premiere Account” user,  how will your Web site “know” that?

Our SAP-based commerce system registers you on the basis of your unique email address, as communications such as Order Confirmations, and communications concerning your online commerce activity are handled via email.  When you access the login page via our Web site (My Account menu… My Account Login), the system will automatically determine whether you a registered for the Premiere Account or ISA Commerce application, and will access the appropriate screen upon you completing your sign-on.  You can also login directly at: www.newport.com/premierelogin.

How do I add items to my shopping basket and submit an order? Do I get a confirmation and Order Number? Can I see the shipping charges?

It’s easy to order product in the Premiere Account system – orders can be created from previous orders, quotes, or from scratch.  You can start on our www.newport.comonline catalog, by finding a product and clicking the buy button – or by logging on to the Premiere Account system, and searching for products, or entering the item number.  You can also consult the online Help text by clicking on the link on the upper right of your screen.

To order, you first need to add items to your Shopping Basket.  Click on the button at the center top of your screen called “Shopping Basket” to view the basket.  Once you’ve added the items to it and quantities of each you wish to purchase, simply press the “Checkout” button at bottom to proceed to confirm and then submit your order.  You can also press the “To Quotation” button if you want to store the items in an online quote, and order them later.  You will see an Order Number on the screen as soon as you’ve submitted your confirmed order, and you will also receive a confirmation email, detailing the items and cost totals.  Please note that your shipping cost is not calculated until the order is invoiced.  We plan to implement an estimated shipping amount visible via the Order Confirmation screen in the future.

Shipping charges are visible by looking at the Invoice, as soon as it is generated.  If you have questions about the likely shipping amount, please call our Customer Care group at 949-253-1461 or 800-222-6440, or email them at sales@newport.com.

How do I access my past orders, transactions, or invoices vs. finding a product in the Premiere Account system?  How can I find tracking information?

On the left of the screen, after login, you’ll notice two tabs, “Products,” and “Transactions.”  You can browse the commerce system catalog and search by keyword and item number under the Products tab, and you can view Completed Orders, Open Orders, saved Quotations and Invoices under the Transactions tab.

On October 1, 2006 we converted to the SAP platform, and prior to this date, order history is maintained in our Legacy ERP system (EAX).  On www.newport.com, select the My Account menu, and click on the Order Status link.  On the page, you will be able to select the link, “Legacy System Order History.”  The EAX order status query screen will display – you will need to enter your destination (Ship to) zip code, and Order Number, to view the status of historical orders prior to 10/1/06.

I can’t find and order a product I see in your print catalog – what do I do? And why does it seem you have two versions of your Web catalog?

In the Premiere Account and ISA Commerce systems, the products you see displayed are limilted to *those that Newport Corporation* can sell via online, automated purchase to our customers.  By implementing SAP software (October 2006), we added a second version of our online catalog as part of that initial information technology platform transition, which for the short term included the display in our commerce system, of items sellable via online order.  Our website, www.newport.com, features the latest and most complete full listing of products, including those can not be ordered online.  These are usually products which require customization, and sometimes consultations with our engineering staff to correctly quote a price, review particular options needed, and define any services required to ship and install the products.  In the future we do plan to offer the online configuration / quoting of additional products and services.  If you do not find the product you are looking for on www.newport.com – please call our Customer Care group and ask about the product, by dialing 949-253-1461 or 800-222-6440.

I have a sales tax exemption for certain states, will your system deduct the tax correctly   from my online orders?

Yes – if the tax exemption is on file with Newport Corporation, and your customer account is set-up accordingly. 

Only the Premiere Account system has this capability—if you order via our ISA Commerce system (instead of Premiere Account), the tax will not be deducted from your order .  If you tax certificate is not on file with Newport Corporation, you will be billed for sales tax where applicable.  If necessary, you can arrange with our Customer Care group to provide a copy of the tax certificate after an online sale, and they will make the necessary adjustments to your invoice.

If I can’t complete a transaction, or see an error condition – what should I do?

Sometimes you can encounter program errors, network problems, or system issues during periods of system maintenance, or unscheduled system outages.  At Newport Corporation our policy is to schedule any required outages after business hours, Pacific Standard Time.  We also do our best to minimize any impacts to our system during normal business hours.  Should you encounter a problem, you can use the e-mail address, feedback@newport.com to report any issues.  We typically respond the same business day, or within 24 hours.  If it is an issue affecting a current order or transaction, we recommend you call our Customer Care team directly at 949-253-1461 or 800-222-6440.

Commonly used site links with the Premiere Account commerce system:

Premiere Account Sign-On (direct):

www.newport.com/premiere-login

Register as a Premiere Account user:

www.newport.com/premiereform