Q. What is a "relational database?"

Q. What do you mean when you say you have a "unified database?"

Q. You describe SFG's fulfillment system as being "real-time." Can you explain what that means?

Q. What are SFG's hours of operation?

Q. What do front-end operations and back-end operations include?

Q. How long does it take to in-convert?

Q. How are conversions handled?

Q. Does your continuity fulfillment system support negative option?

Q. If a customer sends a payment for a magazine subscription, when will that payment be posted to his/her account?

Q. Can I look at the number of catalog orders that were processed so far during the week?

Q. Within the industry, IBM computers are called the AS/400, AS/400e, iSeries and System i5. Are these systems the same?

Q. What is a "relational database"?

A. Simply put, a relational database is a collection of data arranged so that it can be easily accessed or re-assembled in a number of different ways without having to reorganize or change the storage characteristics of the data.

Q. What do you mean when you say you have a "unified database"?

A. This means that SFG stores each customer name and address in a way that makes it accessible across all product lines for which we provide fulfillment services. Publishers and/or direct marketers who publish one or more magazines/periodicals, and also sell products through a catalog and market continuity-type program, can benefit from seeing a unified view of all order activity for a customer under a single customer number.

Q. You describe SFG's fulfillment system as being "real-time." Can you explain what that means?

A. By "real-time," we mean SFG's fulfillment database reflects activity immediately. Some fulfillment systems in the industry are batch-oriented, meaning that data is collected and processed daily, but updates to the fulfillment data or master file are only available on a weekly basis.

Q. What are SFG's hours of operation?

A. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Front-end operating hours are Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m, Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Back-end operational hours are Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. All hours are based on Central time.

Q. What do front-end operations and back-end operations include?

A. Front-end operations include mail processing, data entry, mail customer service, e-mail customer service and telephone customer service/order lines. Back-end operations include the lettershop, pick and pack and warehouse operations.

Q. How long does it take to in-convert?

A. Because in-conversions can vary widely based on the number of programs to be converted, the previous fulfillment vendor and the ability of the client's staff to focus on the conversion, we request a minimum of 12 weeks for a conversion for most clients.

Q. How are conversions handled?

A. We follow these steps:

• Start the process as early as possible and establish lead time.
• Complete a detailed Business Requirements document as the starting point for establishing the details of all aspects of the work to be converted.
• Establish a timeline for managing the in-conversion process, including:
  • Action items
  • Due date
  • Person(s) responsible
• Establish technical contacts at SFG, client and current service bureau.
• Provide SFG with complete record layout(s) and documentation for incoming data.
• Establish critical reconciliation data points and allowable variances.
• Provide a complete test-out conversion file for one title.
• Include circulation and financial reports for reconciliation.
• Gain a complete understanding of the out-conversion data and verify the accompanying reports by reproducing the calculations of key data points.
• Complete the programming to effect the in conversion to our internal database format.
• Post in-conversion, reconcile original out-conversion reports to reports generated from SFG's fulfillment system and review with the client for approval.

Q. Does your continuity fulfillment system support negative option?

A. Yes. The system supports both negative option and ship-till-forbid continuities.

Q. If a customer sends a payment for a magazine subscription, when will that payment be posted to his/her account?

A. Payments are posted on the same day they are received. Whether the customer mails a payment or calls the customer service line, SFG processes and updates the customer's account on the day the payment is received.

Q. Can I look at the number of catalog orders that were processed so far during the week?

A. Yes. SFG offers a Web portal that has several real-time inquiries that allow you to view catalog orders in various ways -- processed, shipped, etc.

Q. Within the industry, IBM computers are called the AS/400, AS/400e, iSeries and System i5. Are these systems the same?

A. The AS/400 was the architectural successor to the mid-range IBM System/38. It was made available in late 1988. In the years since then, the hardware has been successively improved to take advantage of newer technologies. The System i5, or System i, was implemented in 1988 as the operating system with integrated DB2 database management. It is continually being improved and expanded, and is the system used at SFG today.