SimpleConsign

Implementation Process & Timeline for SimpleConsign

1. Welcome Call & Onboarding Path
   SimpleConsign begins with a guided kickoff, tailored to whether your store is new or migrating. A dedicated onboarding specialist welcomes you, discusses your business model, and assigns a customized onboarding track—New Store, Standard Data Migration, or ConsignPro Migration.

2. System Setup & Configuration (1–2 Weeks)
   You configure company/location settings, tax rules, payment processing (SimplePay, SimpleACH), user permissions, and basic workflows using their Quick Start Guide and Getting Started materials.

3. Data Migration (Varies)

   • New Stores: Skip migration.
   • Regular Migration: Specialist helps with CSV export/import.
   • ConsignPro Migration: Automated mapping and tailored guidance.
     Timeline depends on data complexity—often completed within 1–3 weeks.

4. Training & Pilot (1–2 Weeks)
   During this phase, your team tests features end-to-end—checkout, labeling, inventory transfers, consignor portal, payouts, reporting—while onboarding staff through a mix of group webinars, on-demand videos, and live support.

5. Go-Live & Full Adoption (Within 4–6 Weeks)
   After successful pilot and final data validation, you begin live operations. Support remains available post-launch to troubleshoot, adjust workflows, and refine setups.

Estimated Timeline: Roughly 4–6 weeks from kickoff to full deployment for average shops. Stores opting for self-guided setup (supported by Quick Start docs and support hours) may launch within 1–2 weeks.

Customization & Flexibility of SimpleConsign

• Tailored Onboarding Paths: Offers configuration without the need for custom coding. Whether migrating data or starting fresh, onboarding adjusts to your workflows (e.g., matching ConsignPro layouts).

• System Settings & Inventory Attributes: Easily configurable company or location settings, tax rates, inventory types/statuses, and feature enabling/disabling through admin setup tools.

• Reporting Flexibility: Includes prebuilt and fully customizable reports—filter by date, vendor, SKU, location, etc.—with permissions controls.

• Consignor & Vendor Controls: Customize vendor portals, permissions, drop-off scheduling logic, split configurations, payout methods (ACH or manual), and vendor pricing.

• Workflow Configuration: Settings pages allow you to define checkout workflows: barcode scanning behavior, receipt formats, split/discount triggers, and virtual terminal options.

• Integrator-Friendly: Official Shopify and QuickBooks Online integrations provide standardized data syncing, though no public API or Zapier connector is listed.

• Help-Driven Enhancements: Customer feedback channels actively inform future development—users have requested vendor label printing access and batch editing improvements, part of SimpleConsign's iterative customization roadmap.

• Professional Plan Add-ons
  Essential features like QuickBooks Online integration ($50/mo), Shopify integration (Professional plan only), and Consignor Label Printing ($125/mo) may incur extra monthly costs.

• Store Launch Program
  Offers the Professional plan at $99/month for the first $75K in revenue, with no additional fees—everything, including support, is bundled in.

• Implementation Services
  An external review site estimates that custom data migration, setup, and training can range from $500–$2,000 one-time. ITQlick states setup, customization, migration, and training may add to the $129/mo base cost.

• Long-Term Subscription
  Total cost of ownership grows over time: e.g., 10 years on the Professional plan (~$43K), plus add-ons.

• Live Group Training
  Free live sessions run Mondays–Fridays at 12 pm and 2 pm Eastern, with specific tracks for cashiers and managers (~1-hour each).

• Onboarding Paths
  Guided by role: New Store, Standard Data Migration, or ConsignPro Migration. Includes specialist assistance, setup support, and post-migration review.

• Help Center & Documentation
  Robust library with step-by-step guides covering POS setup, payments, integrations, inventory, reporting, support & release notes.

• YouTube Walkthroughs
  “SimpleConsign 101” playlist offers sequential short videos (~1–2 min each) covering core tasks and features.

• Support Availability
  Standard business hours: Mon–Fri 9 AM–5 PM CST, with emergency support evenings (5–8 PM CST) and weekends (10 AM–2 PM CST).

• Community & Pro Support
  Store Launch Program members receive access to a private entrepreneurial community and a 5-star customer success team.

• AWS-Based Security Infrastructure
  Data is hosted on Amazon Web Services, inheriting AWS’s secure architecture for PCI compliance, encryption at rest and in transit (AES-256/SSL), IAM, VPCs, DDoS protection, logging, and compliance certifications.

• Shared Responsibility Model
  SimpleConsign configures secure access (authentication, permissions) while AWS provides infrastructure-level security.

• Backup & Audit Practices
  Regular data backups are included in all plans. Underlying AWS services like CloudTrail and GuardDuty enable logging, auditing, and anomaly detection.

• Data Residency & Privacy Controls
  Stores choose where data is stored, manage encryption keys (including customer-provided keys via AWS KMS), and retain full control over access policies.

• Proactive Security Posture
  SimpleConsign’s development process aligns with AWS best practices, including DevSecOps, secrets management, patch management, and encryption.

SimpleConsign maintains transparent, ongoing updates through a “What’s New?” section within the app’s top navigation and a public Help Center Release Notes portal. Though there isn’t a fixed schedule, updates typically appear every few weeks to months, covering new features, enhancements, integrations, and bug fixes. Users stay informed in real time via the “What’s New?” banner within the software, which highlights recent changes. All updates roll out seamlessly through their cloud-based infrastructure, requiring no client-side installs.

SimpleConsign’s Privacy Policy (last updated 06/01/2024) clarifies that users retain ownership of all their data (inventory, consignor info, transactional records). Legacy EULA affirms ownership of user-generated content while reserving software rights. Data export is supported: migrating from another platform is free, and exports back to the user’s preferred format are performed via standard CSV downloads. The platform ensures data privacy, encryption, and gives users control over retention during and after service termination.

SimpleConsign offers self-serve billing controls that allow users to upgrade or downgrade their plan anytime from within the Manage Billing portal. Add-ons—such as Shopify, QuickBooks integration, and label printing—can be added or removed at will. When switching tiers, users are immediately notified of any prorated charges or refunds due. There are no long-term contracts or penalties; you simply pay for what you use. Cancelling or reducing subscription features is handled via the same dashboard with pro-rated billing adjustments.

• Subscription Model: SimpleConsign operates on a monthly SaaS subscription, not long-term contracts.

• Renewal: Plans auto-renew each month unless cancelled. There are no penalties or lock-in periods.

• Cancellation: Users can cancel anytime via the Manage Billing portal. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle, and prorated refunds may apply for mid-cycle downgrades or add-on removals.

• Scaling: Upgrades/downgrades are immediate, with charges or credits prorated. Add-ons (Shopify, QuickBooks, label printing) can be toggled on/off without extra fees beyond their monthly cost.

• Data Access Post-Cancellation: Users retain the ability to export data before termination (CSV format). After cancellation, access to the platform ceases, but data ownership remains with the user.

• No Setup or Termination Fees: There are no hidden charges for starting or ending service.

• AWS Security Framework: Hosted on Amazon Web Services, inheriting compliance certifications like ISO 27001, SOC 1/2/3, PCI DSS, and GDPR-ready infrastructure.

• Encryption: Data encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (SSL/TLS).

• Shared Responsibility Model: SimpleConsign manages application-level security (authentication, permissions), while AWS ensures infrastructure compliance.

• Privacy Policy: Aligns with GDPR principles—users own their data, control retention, and can request deletion or export.

• Backup & Disaster Recovery: Regular backups and AWS resilience features (multi-zone redundancy, DDoS protection).

• Access Controls: Role-based permissions and secure login protocols to prevent unauthorised access.