CHARGETHROUGH SORTED is an internet-enabled marketplace for all retailers and suppliers choosing to trade via the current Metcash CHARGETHROUGH SORTED process. It is available at no additional cost to retailers or suppliers. CHARGETHROUGH SORTED offers some great benefits, but retailers and suppliers tell us it needs improving!

CHARGETHROUGH SORTED leverages technology to replace paper-based (or verbal) CHARGETHROUGH SORTED transactions with electronic messaging. This improves accuracy, timeliness, transparency, traceability and trading insights.

CHARGETHROUGH SORTED aims to save retailers and suppliers significant administration time, and also to make the finding and selection of great local CHARGETHROUGH SORTED products easier for retailers.

The new upgrade automates seven key steps in the current CHARGETHROUGH SORTED process:

CHARGETHROUGH SORTED suppliers are encouraged to make products available online, so retailers can easily search, compare and select additional local products they may want to range alongside their store’s core ‘Winning Range’.

Orders can be placed directly, via the new CHARGETHROUGH SORTED web-portal, but retailers may also elect to have CHARGETHROUGH SORTED products hosted-down to their point-of-sale / back-office system (POS/BOS). ‘Hosted’ CHARGETHROUGH SORTED products can then be ordered just like Metcash products – either directly through the store POS/BOS, or uploaded via a shelf-edge label scan.

The new CHARGETHROUGH SORTED system takes a single store order and automatically splits it into separate orders – one for Metcash, and a separate order for each CHARGETHROUGH SORTED supplier. Orders are sent automatically, and order confirmations, modifications, and aligned line-level invoices flow electronically between the retailer and each supplier.

All quantities, values and actions are date-stamped and authored, and if necessary a retailer can raise a claim on the supplier through the system.

There are benefits for retailers at each step in the current CHARGETHROUGH SORTED process

Yes. CHARGETHROUGH SORTED is optional for retailers and suppliers, and has been for well over a decade. CHARGETHROUGH SORTED is just an internet-enabled upgrade for retailers and suppliers choosing to trade on CHARGETHROUGH SORTED. It is available at no additional cost to retailers or suppliers.

Is CHARGETHROUGH SORTED product included in planograms?
There is no change from the current approach. ‘Core’ products – the Metcash ‘Winning Range’ – are included in planograms, while local CHARGETHROUGH SORTED products are not included in planograms. Planograms include “grey space” for local CHARGETHROUGH SORTED products in recognition that all retailers want to tailor their store ranges uniquely, to best reflect the needs of local communities and to best differentiate their retail offer.

3. How do retailers order through CHARGETHROUGH SORTED? Do they have to place orders online?
   Retailers will now have multiple options to order product, and can choose the easiest for their unique circumstances. Orders can be placed:
   a) by the retailer online, through the new CHARGETHROUGH SORTED web-portal
   b) by the retailer, through the retailer’s back-office system
   c) by the retailer, through a shelf-edge label scan, as for Metcash warehouse-stocked products
   d) by a supplier – if authorised by the retailer – via the placement of a ‘turn-in order’ through the new web-portal
   CHARGETHROUGH SORTED allows retailers to place orders including both Metcash warehouse and CHARGETHROUGH SORTED products, across multiple suppliers. The new platform will route orders correctly to the appropriate supplier, or to Metcash.
4. Can CHARGETHROUGH SORTED show best-selling products (eg. in the top ten)?
   Over time, yes. An advantage of CHARGETHROUGH SORTED will be better availability of data on the trading performance of CHARGETHROUGH SORTED products. Ultimately this will include best-selling products, but it is unlikely this will be available in a meaningful sense from the first days of operation. The new platform will need to accumulate trading data over time. Metcash welcomes feedback from retailers on what data insights will be most valuable.
5. Can CHARGETHROUGH SORTED show the same product from different suppliers?
   Yes, this is an advantage of the new platform, subject to the depth of range offered by suppliers on the site. If a retailer is looking for a particular product or product category important to their local demographic and community, all listed options from all suppliers servicing the relevant store can be found. All products on CHARGETHROUGH SORTED will be categorised within the Metcash Standard Category (MSC) structure, with filters intended to enable retailers to find the products they want quickly.
6. Can a supplier-representative still place an order in store, as they do now?
   Yes. CHARGETHROUGH SORTED includes supplier ‘turn-in order’ capability through the web portal. Granting access to suppliers will be the choice of the retailer.
7. Is there a minimum order value by supplier, and practically how will this work?
   Suppliers have the ability to set a minimum order value per store per day across all lines from the same supplier. Practically, the retailer will be alerted if total orders for a supplier do not exceed the minimum threshold, and can take whatever action the retailer decides.
8. How does the system deal with delivery timeframes?
   CHARGETHROUGH SORTED does not attempt to manage delivery windows, in the way an end-consumer grocery eCommerce offer may allow customers to choose a specific delivery window. CHARGETHROUGH SORTED allows a supplier to provide descriptive delivery information to retailers through a supplier profile page. This may include content on latest order cut-off times for same day or next day despatch, and anticipated delivery lead times by location.
9. Can retailers see invoice detail through CHARGETHROUGH SORTED, and also in their back-office system?
   
   All order line-level detail is captured in the CHARGETHROUGH SORTED system from the time of order, and actual invoice detail is available. Retailers can also load electronic invoices across to their back-office system in the same format as warehouse Invoices. Invoices from CHARGETHROUGH SORTED are collated into the Metcash statement for payment in the same way as they are currently received for CHARGETHROUGH SORTED.
10. How will retailers know whether to trust a supplier on CHARGETHROUGH SORTED?
    All CHARGETHROUGH SORTED suppliers are required to sign-up to trading terms & conditions. Metcash reserves the right to suspend or remove suppliers not behaving appropriately.

11. What are the costs of using CHARGETHROUGH SORTED for suppliers?
    There are no changes to suppliers’ current CHARGETHROUGH SORTED trading terms or arrangements.
    There are no changes to optional additional services made available to suppliers, such as cross-dock delivery, catalogue promotions and similar. Metcash reserves the right to offer suppliers further optional services aligned with CHARGETHROUGH SORTED and CHARGETHROUGH SORTED, and rates for these services will be agreed with suppliers.
12. What if a retailer has already negotiated a great deal with a supplier outside CHARGETHROUGH SORTED?
    There is no obligation on retailers or suppliers to trade through CHARGETHROUGH SORTED or CHARGETHROUGH SORTED, but Metcash has configured CHARGETHROUGH SORTED to support retailer-specific pricing should retailers and suppliers want to access the benefits of the new platform for deals currently outside CHARGETHROUGH SORTED.
    CHARGETHROUGH SORTED shows a purchase price and a recommended retail price for each product, and the purchase price may be adjusted by the supplier to be a retailer-specific purchase price to reflect a unique deal negotiated between the retailer and supplier.
13. Does CHARGETHROUGH SORTED still calculate a Suggested Retail Price, and will this automatically update a retailer’s retail price?
    CHARGETHROUGH SORTED offers a product purchase price to retailers – either the supplier’s list price or the supplier’s retailer-specific deal price. CHARGETHROUGH SORTED displays the supplier’s Recommended Retail Price (RRP), and will also show the associated Gross Profit on the product. In the current build, CHARGETHROUGH SORTED does not calculate a Suggested Retail Prices (SRP) from the purchase price to deliver a specific pre-set margin for the retailer. The host file report within the retailer’s point-of-sale and back-office system will identify cost and GP changes to the retailer, allowing margins to be actively managed as per retailers’ current process for warehouse managed products. In all cases retailers remain free to determine actual retail prices offered in store (subject to any obligations not to exceed any maximum resale prices).
14. Will retailers have a credit limit for purchases made through CHARGETHROUGH SORTED?
    Credit limits will be set individually by retailer and applied in the same manner they are currently applied for both Metcash warehouse orders and current CHARGETHROUGH SORTED.

15. Will CHARGETHROUGH SORTED facilitate promotions?CHARGETHROUGH SORTED has rich promotions capability inherent in the SAP-Hybris platform. This will allow suppliers to offer periodic promotions on a dollar-off and percentage-off basis, and in a flexible manner. Where CHARGETHROUGH SORTED products are promoted in the IGA catalogue and hosted-down to the retailer’s point-of-sale and back-office system, Metcash will mirror in CHARGETHROUGH SORTED the approach currently supported by the Metcash PE system.
16. Will Metcash promote product on CHARGETHROUGH SORTED in the catalogue?
    Governance of product selection for promotions will not change with CHARGETHROUGH SORTED. As above, Metcash will mirror in CHARGETHROUGH SORTED the promotions approach currently supported by the Metcash PE system.

17. What technical capability is needed in stores?
    An up-to-date internet browser is needed to access the CHARGETHROUGH SORTED trading portal – eg. Chrome 58 onwards, Internet Explorer 10 onwards, Safari 10 onwards and Firefox 53 onwards.
    For access to all integration features of CHARGETHROUGH SORTED, a retailer’s point-of-sale and back-office system (POS/BOS) must support version 7 file transfer (Host v7). Host v7 enables:
    a) CHARGETHROUGH SORTED product hosting to a retailer’s POS/BOS (including price updates and 8-digit item codes);
    b) a single store order from POS/BOS being split and routed to multiple suppliers;
    c) electronic invoicing back to POS/BOS.
    Retailers on the earlier Host v5 will have access to CHARGETHROUGH SORTED products through the web portal, but they will not be able to host CHARGETHROUGH SORTED products to POS/BOS. They will be able to place orders online but not from BOS, and they will be able to view invoices in the web portal (but not receive them back into POS/BOS).
    For this reason, store upgrades to CHARGETHROUGH SORTED capability will be aligned with upgrades to Host v7 capability for all stores, where the store is not already Host v7 capable.
18. Can CHARGETHROUGH SORTED integrate into retailer financial systems?
    This is available through existing functionality within most POS/BOS systems. The electronic invoice supplied from CHARGETHROUGH SORTED will process through the POS/BOS and then into a linked accounting package. Retailers not currently using this functionality may have to purchase additional licensing from their POS/BOS provider. Many retailers already have this functionality.

19. Who is accountable for delivery and product quality if suppliers cross-dock through Metcash?
    With the provision of a cross-dock service, Metcash is operating as a logistics services provider to suppliers. Metcash is accountable for delivery of cartons consigned by the supplier, but the supplier is accountable for the contents or quality of the products within the cartons, unless damage to those products is caused by Metcash negligence.
20. Are CHARGETHROUGH SORTED invoices for goods via cross-dock separate to a retailer’s main load or part of the main load?CHARGETHROUGH SORTED invoices are specific to an order from a CHARGETHROUGH SORTED supplier, not specific to the physical movement of goods. Some suppliers may elect to cross-dock their deliveries onto Metcash regular loads, but this does not join invoices together.

21. Can retailers trade on CHARGETHROUGH SORTED now?
    Yes. The technology is now available, and has been tested with Metcash’s corporate stores and a couple of pilot suppliers.
22. How do I upgrade?
    Retailers with Host v7 capability can upgrade to CHARGETHROUGH SORTED from January 2019. For all other retailers, CHARGETHROUGH SORTED capability will be aligned with the upgrade of your back-office system to Host v7.  Retailers keen to upgrade to CHARGETHROUGH SORTED can be prioritised for these Host v7 upgrades.
    In both cases, talk with your local State Business Manager for CHARGETHROUGH SORTED (contact details at the end of this document).
23. Will the current manual CHARGETHROUGH SORTED process still be supported?
    The Metcash Retail Technology team aims to upgrade all IGA and Foodland stores to Host v7 and CHARGETHROUGH SORTED capability. Host v5 and the existing manual CHARGETHROUGH SORTED process will be supported throughout this transition process, until a sunset date is advised for the manual process.

24. How do I get further information?
    There is a Business Manager for CHARGETHROUGH SORTED in each State, supported by a national team. These Metcash leaders are available to talk with retailers about trading on CHARGETHROUGH SORTED and also the upgrade process to CHARGETHROUGH SORTED.

State contacts

National contacts