How would you do this in KonaKart?

[Durnik]

To all,

I'm looking to prototype a storefront and searching for the right tool/product.  I've read all I can on KonaKart (the forums, the documentation, Etc), and I'd like some opinions on whether it's the right tool for this type of storefront.  Here's my high-level requirements and I'd appreciate any feedback on how to use KonaKart to solve them:

1) Products would be a 'subscription' service and not physical products.  While I see that I can sell non-physical items (e.g. the download products), the subscription based products I'm looking at still have limits and inventory issues behind them (e.g. can't oversell capacity)

2) While the subscription products would have optional items (e.g. upsell features), how would you handle a confirmed and active order for modifications (e.g. I bought the basic, now I want to add features I didn't select at the original order time)

3) Completed and active orders.  Would it be tremendously difficult to add a 'page' to a user panel such that when a current customer logs in, they can see all of their active subscriptions and any usage information therein (think current usage, totals, etc).

4) Could I use the 'grouping' feature to allow for a group of users to manage the same accounts (e.g. Fred can see all of Tom's orders and change/delete them since Tom's no longer part of the group)

I know, it's software so anything is possible, but any ideas would be appreciated to minimize the amount of cutom coding required

[trevor]

I think that you'd need to interface KK to a custom back end that can supply information such as currentUsagePerCustomer() etc. in order to display this information when a customer logs in. Adding the page is easy. The difficult bit is where to retrieve the information from. A simpler idea is for you to update the custom fields of a Customer object with this info every time a customer logs in. Once the required data is in the customer object, then it is very easy to display.

When a customer originally buys a product, you can display options so that he can configure it such as number of minutes of call time. Once he's bought the product, then you can use the up sell products to sell him top ups etc.

Regarding security, the way KK works at the moment is that in the application, when a user logs in he can view and edit only his own details. Through the role based security of the Admin app, an admin user can view and edit details of all users. From what I understand of your question, you'd like a normal customer using the store front application to be able to modify another customer's account if he's in the same group ?

[Durnik]

Thanks for the reply,

and yes, think of a 'group' or 'admin user' for an account that needs the ability to manage accounts for users that have moved on.  E.G. I order service "X", I then retire 6 months later and someone needs the ability to come in and assume my account and/or modify them as needed.  In the same vein, if a customer wants/needs an oversight account to assist in reconciling bills for multiple users.

Make sense?

[trevor]

We have a feature whereby an admin user can log into the application as another user without having to know the password of this other user. However, this isn't at the moment limited to a group of users. i.e. We don't store a relationship between the admin guy and the users he can manage.

Out of curiosity and to get a better understanding, what are these products?