SportsShooter.com - Using Photocart on-site for events

	Washington \| DC \| US \| Posted: 4:28 PM on 03.12.10
	->> That's assuming that you can actually get Tim on the phone. The only problem I've ever had with PhotoCart is with Tim...he's NEVER EVER returned a single voice mail that I've left him. N-E-V-E-R. In December I left him AT LEAST half a dozen voice mails and after ~2 weeks he sent me an email asking me what could he do for me. I'm sure I'm the exception, but that's as frustrating as it gets.

Robert Longhitano, Photographer

Philadelphia | PA | USA | Posted: 7:49 AM on 03.13.10

->> Rene,

Thanks for the links. MAMP looks like a "one stop"solution. for the PHP & SQL problem with the OSX web Server.

One thing though can you get away with the OSX built in FTP server? I know you recommended Rumpus but when you add $270 cost to PicturesPro I might want to look at a more streamline solution in the $700.00 range. Also the lack of a demo version scares me. If it turns out to be a bust, that a lot of money to throw away. Not to mention the lack or commutations that Delane mentioned.

Rene Mireles, Photographer

Holland | MI | USA | Posted: 11:11 AM on 03.14.10

->> Robert,

any FTP server will work, of if you are running both the system on a gigabit network for fast transfer like I do, I sometime just use drag and drop to the folder in the web folder, so I eliminate the FTP part, I just happened to have RUMPUS on my system so I used that when doing the tutorial,

Not sure on the phone support from TIM, I usually just email him or post my question or issue on the forum and found that within a day i get a response, there are a couple that are pretty good and helping others out.

Rene Mireles, Photographer

Holland | MI | USA | Posted: 11:13 AM on 03.14.10

->> Also the lack of a demo version scares me.

yeah I had this issue also, so I found a local photog who was already using it and he showed me the insides and out of the system which help me make the purchase.

I talked to Eric on the phone and kind of gave him a quick overview but if anyone wants to due a conf with shared screen to see the insides and out of the system I am willing to do so.

Just let me know and we can set up an hour sometime everyone is free to do it.

Robert Longhitano, Photographer

	Philadelphia \| PA \| USA \| Posted: 11:26 AM on 03.14.10
	->> Rene, Thanks. Yes I'm on a gigabit network and yes I'll be using the same Mac as the web server so I'll be dragging files to other folders on the same drive. I did notice the to online forum had a lot of info so that enough for me in the support dept. One more thing, when a customer places the order with Photo Cart via a Local server setup. How do my CS people know that a order was placed?

Michael Granse, Photographer

Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 11:39 AM on 03.14.10

->> In speaking of using Photocart onsite, are we talking about onsite ordering, onsite printing, or a combination of the two?

I use a stack of six Sony dye-sub printers onsite for ice hockey tournaments, and we have done this with Express Digital but I am always open to new ideas if something else works better. We do single images and composites on an 8x10 sheet onsite with larger sizes available to be shipped after the tournament. All of our orders go through a single CS person, and I have considered adding a few laptops for making some of the process "self serve" but I have always been concerned that this would create problems where a person would think that they had placed an order, but this order was either "eaten" by the system or was not entered correctly by the customer.

Just how foolproof are these "self service" ordering systems? At one point, we were considering automating some of the ordering as there were people at the end of the line who were getting frustrated and leaving. The biggest time bottleneck for us was waiting for a printer to be available, but after adding more printers to the process we are now able to crank out six 8x10 sheets every 80 seconds so this is really not a problem anymore.

Our system is working very well, but I am always on the lookout for a way to improve it. We have more than enough printers to create a few "Wal-Mart" style self serve print kiosks, (many of these use the same printer that we use) but my concern with this has always been the ease of use for the customer. The printers are ridiculously reliable, to the point that I can not remember the last time we sent something to one of them and it did not print correctly.

The obvious downside to our system is that we have six printers that weigh 50 pounds each. They are stackable, however, which is a VERY good thing.

Rene Mireles, Photographer

Holland | MI | USA | Posted: 1:27 PM on 03.14.10

->> One more thing, when a customer places the order with Photo Cart via a Local server setup. How do my CS people know that a order was placed?

Robert,

With the set up I use, I actually create a account for each viewing station, so when a order is placed they get a memo box were they place there name instead of having to fill in all the fields. The CS person who has the admin panel open is able to see the new order show up and from what workstation.

Also since photocart has a filename export feature for every order, we just do that filename export with every order and paste it in the Lightroom search page and those images pop right up for us to tweak and print.

Delane B. Rouse, Photographer, Photo Editor

	Washington \| DC \| US \| Posted: 12:10 AM on 03.15.10
	->> Robert...if you can't find someone local you can come to the studio one day and we can test the system anyway you want...I'm up for it. Just let me know... Delane

Eric Canha, Photographer

Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 12:19 AM on 03.15.10

->> Rene,

The value of a demo is seeing what kind of performance and work flows pan out. For example you use LR, others might too, but I don't, so will having to dig through folders rather than to have customer orders sitting in their order folder slow us down? No one can really answer that.... That's where the value of the demo kicks in..... You are running on a Mac, what happens when I have 24 stations running from a windows server?

Just wishing a demo existed..... Maybe I'll be having coffee with one of my friend and dig into the nuts and bolts of his install.

Return to --> Message Board Main Index