Installation and setup

Want your business to profit from the plentymarkets app? Don’t lose any time! Start setting up the app on the appropriate hardware.

This page guides you through the installation process step-by-step and helps you complete the tasks that need to be done in advance. The settings described on this page go into effect when you begin using the app functions.

1. Choosing the right hardware

What do you want to use the app for? Which hardware you need depends on what you want to do with the app.

Do you want to see key performance indicators or track customer, item and order data? You only need a mobile Android or iOS device for these functions.

In addition, the plentymarkets app allows you to perform stock management tasks and to use the point of sale system plentymarkets POS. We recommend that you book a hardware package if you want to use these additional functions.

1.1. Case 1: Managing company data

If you only want to use the plentymarkets app to manage business data, i.e. if you don’t want to operate a POS system or manage stock, then you only need a mobile Android or iOS device. Table 1 lists the hardware requirements for the plentymarkets app, assuming you only want to access key figures and other business data.

Table 1. Managing business data with the plentymarkets app
Device type	Requirements
Android devices	OS version 4.2.2 or higher
iOS devices	Version 8 or higher

1.2. Case 2: Mobile inventory management system

If you want to use the plentymarkets app for managing the stock of your warehouse, we recommend the hardware listed in Table 2.

Table 2. Managing stock with the plentymarkets app
Hardware	Where to buy in Germany
M3 SM10 Mobile Computer (Android 5.1)	www.sundsits.de/M3SM10-Mobile-Computer-WiFi-und-LTE SundS ITS Beselerstr. 2-6 50354 Hürth, Germany info@sundsits.de Phone: +49(0)2233-7064010 Fax: +49(0)2233-7064011 www.sundsits.de
Honeywell Dolphin 75e (Android 4.4.4)	www.globos.de/produkte/honeywell-dolphin-75e-mobilecomputer GLOBOS Logistik- und Informationssysteme GmbH Ahrensburger Straße 1 30659 Hannover, Germany vertrieb@globos.de Phone: +49 (511) 76920-0 Fax: +49 (511) 76920-250 www.globos.de

1.3. Case 3: The plentymarkets mobile POS system

The point of sale system plentymarkets POS is an optional component of the plentymarkets app. However, please note that there are additional hardware requirements for using plentymarkets POS. Table 3 shows the hardware that plentymarkets POS supports. The table also shows the devices on which plentymarkets tests new releases before publication.

Table 3. Supported hardware for plentymarkets POS
Device type	General requirements	Tested devices
Operating systems	Android devices with OS version 4.2.2 and higher, ARM processor and device classes Small, Normal, Large and X-Large. You can find out the DPI of a mobile device e.g. here. iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod) with OS version 8 and higher → There are some limitations regarding the use of Bluetooth scanners on iOS devices. → If you want to use the plentymarkets mobile POS system in Austria, then you can only operate it on Android devices.	For every regular release Elo Touch Solutions I-Series 15I1 - E021201 Advantech UPOS-211 sundsits edition Honeywell Dolphin 75e (Android 4.4.4) M3 SM10 (Android 5.1) Samsung Galaxy Tab A 6 - SM-T580 Apple iPad Air 2 Regularly Samsung Galaxy Tab A - SM-T555 Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 - SM-T530 Apple iPad Mini Retina Selectively Samsung Galaxy S4 Apple iPhone 6 Apple iPad Mini
Receipt printer	ePos-Print API Printers with LAN or WLAN only	EPSON TM-M30 EPSON TM-T88V-i (QR code printing)
Scanner	Scanners with USB or Bluetooth only	Inateck BCST-10 (Bluetooth) Albasca USB hand scanner MK-1000 (untested but used by several customers)
Customer displays	In combination with receipt printer EPSON TM-M30 only	EPSON DM-D30
Card terminals	Requires a payment provider contract	Ingenico iPP480 with printer (operating mode ZVT, connection type TCP/IP) - requires the Ingenico ZVT plugin Verifone H5000 with printer (operating mode ZVT, connection type TCP/IP) - requires the Verifone ZVT plugin CCV VX 680 with printer (operating mode ZVT, connection type TCP/IP) - requires the Verifone ZVT plugin SumUp Air - requires the SumUp plugin *Note:* You need to activate access to location (geolocation positioning) on the mobile device on which the plentymarkets app is installed to use the SumUp Air with plentymarkets POS.

2. Downloading the app

The free plentymarkets app is available on Google Play and iTunes. Install the app on every mobile device that you want to use.

Is your company data safe on this device?

The plentymarkets app is safe in the sense that users can only log into the app with access data. But since the app can contain sensitive business data, we still recommend that you spend a few minutes thinking about security. Are your employees allowed to download the app on their own smartphones? Do your devices’ screens lock with a PIN or a password? Spend some time thinking about how your company will answer these sorts of questions.

3. Granting access to the app

The app will only work if you’ve booked a plentymarkets ERP system. In other words, users will log in with the same access data as they use for the plentymarkets system.

First, grant access to all the employees who should use the plentymarkets app. Decide which app functions each employee should be allowed to use.

3.1. Creating user accounts

Do all of your employees have a plentymarkets account? If not, log into your plentymarkets system and create the necessary accounts.

Your employees will log into the app with whichever user name and password you’ve created for them.

Admin or back end account?

Admin users automatically have the right to access all plentymarkets functions without limitation. Think twice before you create admin accounts because they will also have the right to create, manage and edit other user accounts.
If you want to choose which functions and menus a particular user is able to see, then create a back end account.

3.2. Defining rights

Should your employees be able to see all the functions in the app or just a few? Maybe your cashiers should have access to the mobile POS system but not to the inventory management functions.

In your plentymarkets system, you can decide which menus and key figures should be visible for each user account.

Defining app rights:

Go to Setup » Settings » User » Accounts.
Open a Backend user account.
Note: Admin users automatically have the right to access all functions. As such, it’s not possible to customise the rights for an admin.
Click on the Mobile tab.
Activate the functions and key figures that the user account should have access to in the app. Note Table 4.
Save () the settings.

Table 4. Defining app rights
Setting	Explanation
Visible functions	Which app functions should your employees see? Place check marks to specify which exact menus this back end user should see.
Incoming items	Should your employees be able to see and edit the purchase price while receiving goods? Place check marks to grant the rights. This area is not activated unless you’ve checked the Incoming items option under Visible functions.
POS functions	Which POS functions should your employees be able to use? Place check marks to specify which exact functions this back end user should work with. This area is not activated unless you’ve checked the POS option under Visible functions.
Visible key figures	Which key performance indicators should your employees see? Place check marks to specify which exact data this back end user should see.

3.3. Assigning an app PIN

Will your employees share devices? Constantly logging in and out can quickly waste a lot of time. In such situations, we recommend having employees use a PIN to switch from one account to another rather than having them log in and out with their user name and password. If all of your users have their own PIN, then they can quickly switch to a different user account in the plentymarkets app.

Assigning an app PIN:

Go to Setup » Settings » User » Accounts.
Open a user account.
Enter an app PIN for the user. Note Table 5.
Re-enter the app PIN.
Save () the settings.

Table 5. Assigning an app PIN
Setting	Explanation
New app PIN	You can enter a 4 to 12 digit PIN for employees who work with the plentymarkets app. If you save a PIN, it will be possible to quickly switch from one user account to another in the plentymarkets app. However, users can also log into the plentymarkets app with their password. *Tip:* Once the PIN has been saved, this field will contain 4 dots. These dots show that an app PIN has been saved for the user account. The actual PIN might consist of more numbers. When switching from one user account to another, it will be possible to select any user account that has a PIN. To remove the PIN, for example because the user no longer works with the app, delete the 4 dots and save the user account.
Repeat app PIN	Re-enter the PIN.

3.4. Simultaneous use

Your plentymarkets rate specifies how many users can log into plentymarkets at the same time. This limit applies to your plentymarkets back end and to the plentymarkets app.

You can do the following if you reach the user limit:

Ask users to log out manually.
Log out users in the session management menu.
Increase the user limit of your plentymarkets contract.

How many accounts can I create?

We only limit simultaneous use and not the number of user accounts you can create.

4. Logging in and finding your way around

4.1. Logging into the app

The plentymarkets app will only work if you’ve booked a plentymarkets ERP system. In other words, you’ll log in with the access data that you use for your plentymarkets system.

Logging into the app:

Log into your mobile device.
Tap on the plentymarkets app.
→ The login screen is displayed.
Enter the login details for your plentymarkets system. Note Table 6.
Tap Login.
→ The start screen is displayed.
→ You will remain logged in until you either log out or lock your user account. That means that you can open and close the app without having to log in again.

Table 6. Logging into the app
Setting	Explanation
Language	Do you want to use the app in English or German? Select a language from the drop-down list.
System (base URL)	What’s the URL for your plentymarkets system? Enter the domain without https:// or http://. If you don’t know the URL, then you can find this information under Setup » Settings » API » Data. The URL is listed in the Host field. Correct example\: your-store.co.uk Incorrect example\: \\https://your-store.co.uk Incorrect example\: your-store.co.uk/
User	Which user account do you want to log in with? Enter the user name for this account.
Password	Enter the password for this account.

4.2. Finding your way around the app

Have you logged into the plentymarkets app? Welcome! The start screen is the first menu you’ll see. Take a look at the header. Here you’ll see two important symbols:

The pencil icon () in the top right corner. Tap on this symbol to set up key performance indicators like revenue and sales figures on the start screen.
The menu icon () in the top left corner. Tap on this symbol to access the main menu. From here, you can view your item, customer and order data. You can use the app as an inventory management system. Or you can ring up customers in your brick and mortar store.

Have you opened the main menu? Look at the header again. Now you’ll see two additional symbols in the top right corner:

The cloud icon (). This symbol shows whether you’re currently using the app in online or offline mode. If you want to use the app in offline mode, then you’ll also need the plugin plentyBase ItemCachePOS.
The user icon (). This symbol shows who is currently logged in. Tap on this symbol to lock the screen, switch to a different user account or log out of the app altogether.
This symbol displays the initials of whoever is currently logged in. It is whatever colour was chosen for this user account in the plentymarkets back end.

Re-load the menu

Swipe down to refresh the screen.

5. Logging out, locking the screen or switching the account

5.1. Logging out of the app

Proceed as follows to log out of the plentymarkets app.

Logging out of the app:

Tap on the menu icon () in the top left corner of the app.
Tap on Logout.
→ The Logout window is displayed.
Decide whether you want to re-enter your access data the next time you log in. Note Table 7.

Table 7. Logging out of the app
Setting	Explanation
Log current user back in automatically	Use the toggle button to tell plentymarkets whether you want to re-enter your access data the next time you log in. Activated () = Next time the app is opened, the same user account is logged in automatically. No password is necessary to log in next time the app is started. Deactivated () = The user account is logged out completely and the login details are discarded. To log in again, the language, base URL and user details must be entered. *Note:* This setting is saved and applies to all users of the app.

Alternative approach

Alternatively, tap on the user icon and then on the logout icon . Note Table 7.

5.2. Locking and unlocking the screen

If you need to step away from the app for a moment, but you don’t want to log out altogether, then lock the screen so that no one can use the app without permission.

Locking the screen:

Tap on the menu icon () in the top left corner of the app.
Tap on the user icon () in the top right corner.
→ You will see a list of people who have an app PIN.
Tap on the lock icon () in the bottom left.
→ Access to the app is locked.
→ Your name is shown first in the list of users.

Unlocking the screen again:

Tap your user account.
Enter your PIN or your password.
→ Access to the app is unlocked.
Tip: You can change to a different user account even if access to the app is locked. Tap a different user account in the list to change users.

5.3. Switching to a different user account

Will your employees share devices? Constantly logging in and out can quickly waste a lot of time. Instead of having users log out, it will be faster if they use a PIN to switch from one account to another.

Switching to a different user account:

Tap on the menu icon () in the top left corner of the app.
Tap on the user icon () in the top right corner.
→ You will see a list of people who have an app PIN.
Tap on the desired user account.
If the new user is logging in for the first time, then he’ll need to enter his password. If he’s already logged in before, then he’ll be able to enter his PIN.
→ The user account is switched.

Once you switch users, the same area of the app opens. If the new user does not have rights for this area of the app, the main menu of the app opens instead.

Order details are saved

If you switch user accounts while ringing up a customer, then the newly logged in user will see the transaction that was started. The new user will be able to complete the transaction.

6. Customising the app

6.1. Working with templates

Do you want to control, e.g. which information is displayed first, second, third, etc and which font size is used to display information in the app?

You can create templates for several different app functions. For example, you can decide how your item and order data should be displayed in the app or what your mobile pick lists should look like.

6.1.1. Creating a new template

Creating a new template:

Log into the plentymarkets back end.
Go to Setup » plenty app.
Click on whichever app function you want to create a template for.
Click on New template ().
→ The New template window opens.
Enter a name for the template.
Save () the settings.
→ The template is created and opened for editing.

6.1.2. Filling the template with information

Scroll up and down through the newly created template. Do you see both of the headings? Each heading corresponds to a different view. For example, one area might control how information is displayed in a list of search results. And the other area might control the detailed view.

Filling the template with information:

Expand the settings () for each piece of information that should appear on the template.
Decide what this information should look like and where it should appear. Note Table 8.
Save () the settings.

Table 8. Filling the template with information

Setting

Explanation

Description

Enter a title for this piece of information. The title is displayed directly above its corresponding information. If you don’t enter any text into this field, then the information will be displayed without a title.
Example: If you expand the settings for the item ID and enter the title "My item ID", then the item ID 12345 will be displayed like this:

My item ID
12345

Row

Which row should the information be displayed in? Select a row number from the drop-down list. The smaller the number, the higher up this piece of information will be displayed.
Do not display = This piece of information will not be included in the template.

Row priority

Have you put several different pieces of information in the same Row? If so, then decide which one should be displayed first, second, third, etc.
In other words, first the Row option is taken into consideration. Then the Row priority option is considered.

Column

Should this information be displayed on the left, the right or should it take up the whole width of the screen?

Font

Font size

How small or large should the font be? Select a font size from the drop-down list.

Font style

How should the text be formatted? Click in the field and choose the desired formatting.

Additional options in the template

You’ll see additional options when you expand some pieces of information. For example, if you expand the item price, then you’ll be able to select the appropriate sales price from a drop-down list. Keep an eye out for the following additional options:

Item price » Price selection = Select the sales price from the drop-down list.
Barcode » Barcode selection = Select the barcode type from the drop-down list.
Item image » Image size = Select a size for displaying the item image.

6.2. Choosing a background image

Instead of using the default background, would you rather use a colour that matches your own corporate design? You can decide which image or colour is displayed.

Changing the background image:

Tap on the menu icon () in the top left corner of the app.
Tap on Settings.
Tap on Appearance.
Tap on a background image or a background colour.
→ The background will change.
Tap on the check mark () to confirm the change.

7. Connecting the app to plentyBase

plentyBase is a tool that makes it possible for your own computer to communicate with plentymarkets. In other words, plentyBase establishes an interface that allows you to use the printers that are connected to the computer in the plentymarkets back end and/or the plentymarkets app.

For example, you need to connect the app to plentyBase if you want to:

Receipt printer does not require plentyBase

The receipt printer is connected to the plentymarkets app via the printer’s IP address. As such, you do not need plentyBase to operate the receipt printer. This means that you only need plentyBase if you want to use other printers with plentymarkets POS.

Connecting the app to plentyBase:

Download the installation files for plentyBase onto your computer.
Install plentyBase onto your computer. Configure the settings as described in the plentyBase documentation.
Tip: Since you want to connect plentyBase to the app, select the option HTTP server.
Tip: Write down the HTTP port. You will need this information again shortly.
Start plentyBase on your computer.
Log into the plentymarkets app.
Tap on the menu icon () in the top left corner of the app.
Tap on Settings » plentyBase.
Configure the settings as described in the plentyBase documentation.
Tap on the check mark () in the upper right corner to confirm the change.

8. Updating the app

Are you looking forward to an upcoming feature? We’re happy to keep you in the loop about changes to the software! Each version of the app gets its own version number. You can see a record of changes in our changelog. Subscribe to the changelog and always stay up to date.

9. Uninstalling the app

If your internet connection is down, POS orders are saved on your device and uploaded to plentymarkets once connection returns. If you uninstall the app on your device before all orders were uploaded to plentymarkets, the orders saved on your device are deleted permanently and cannot be recovered by you or the plentymarkets support team. As such, check that no offline orders exist on the device before you uninstall the app.

10. Troubleshooting

I can’t log into the app. What am I doing wrong?

Make sure that you’ve correctly entered the base URL for your plentymarkets system. Enter the domain without https:// or http://. If you don’t know the URL, then you can find this information under Setup » Settings » API » Data. The URL is listed in the Host field. If the problem continues to exist, ask the app team for help in the forum.

Correct example\: your-store.co.uk
Incorrect example\: \\https://your-store.co.uk
Incorrect example\: your-store.co.uk/
I incorrectly entered my password several times in a row. Now my account has been blocked. What should I do?

Find someone who has administrator rights to the plentymarkets system. This person will need to open the menu Setup » Settings » User » Accounts. Then he or she will open your user account and click on the button Unblock login in the header. If the problem continues to exist, ask the app team for help in the forum.