NMS2S Update: Product Mapping, Emails, & Standards

NMS2S has started rolling out into operators’ hands across the state. Inventories are migrated, accounts are logging in, and just like moving into a new apartment, licensees are beginning to roost.

New rooms. New naming conventions. Fresh expiration dates. Like a collection of posters slowly going up on the walls, people are making themselves just a little more comfortable, even if they’re still uncomfortable.

Under the Shirt, Over the Bra

While the rollout is only a few days in, initial impressions have been more neutral and positive than negative.

As with any new system, feeling it out can be both exciting and scary. You’re learning which buttons to press, where to move things, and how to get where you need to faster.

Move wrong, and you might get smacked. Don’t explore at all, and you might never get the chance to learn.

And like any reciprocal relationship, RTS is getting to know operators just as fast.

1-800-Mixalot

The RTS help line is live and active. Wait times may fluctuate, but responses have been prompt, even over email. Option 1 routes you to RTS for technical questions, while Option 2 takes you to RLD.

Early calls included people asking for general advice, just sharing an earful for whoever’s willing to listen, or resolving issues with their zebra printers (fix on the way).

But not every ticket is easy. During my call, neither option had an immediate solution, and the issue had to be escalated for further attention.

The problem? Email addresses used to log into NMS2S, and being limited to one.

Bye-Bye UBI

NMS2S no longer uses UBIs — Universal Business Identifiers — to determine where a user should be directed when logging in. It now uses email addresses.

Problem is, If one email address is associated with multiple licenses or accounts, that creates an issue. Under the current NMS2S login structure, the system appears to only allow that email address to authenticate into one account.

The immediate question was whether multiple licenses could be accessed under a single email address or whether every license would require its own unique email.

CCD staff indicated that each separate license needs a different email address associated with it.

If the same email is currently attached to multiple licenses, the suggested resolution is to create a unique email for each license and have the license contact email changed through Licensing.

Obviously, creating entirely new email accounts for every employee can become expensive and time-consuming. So what’s a workaround if you have one email tied to two or more licenses?

If you’re using Gmail, one alternative appears to be creating mirror or alias email addresses through your administrative settings. It’s free, and the emails go to your original email.

Map for Success

Once operators gain access to their NMS2S inventory, one of the first things they should do is double-check their product categories.

If something needs to be corrected, product categories can be updated under Product Actions. The harder question is what those products should actually be mapped to.

The rollout introduced new inventory classifications, including terms like volatile and non-volatile products. Those terms are not used consistently across this market, and there is still plenty of room for interpretation.

Maybe that is not entirely a bad thing.

This could be an opportunity for operators, manufacturers, retailers, and service providers to start defining what those classifications actually mean in practice.

Using RLD’s updated product types, we organized them into a spreadsheet and mapped each one to what we believe are the appropriate classes and subclasses.

But this is a workshop, not a final answer.

The classifications are open for debate, correction, and improvement. If you’re interested, feel free to download the document, take a look, and challenge the mapping. Feedback is welcome and appreciated.

It’s time to start setting some standards, why don’t you decide what that is?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tXTyuD8D41epZ3P0LkF7Lvk8i7MYCR0--q6PvoZwn5Y/edit?usp=sharing