The creation of new projects is handled with the Project Wizard. To create a new project, the user should click on the NFC Card Storage link, from the Projects drop-down menu in the Main Navigation menu. The Project Wizard is a six-step utility in the system that allows the user to create and configure a new project, and add all the project’s beneficiary, vendor, product, and package data to the system. The six steps of the Project Wizard are as follows:

The following sections contain a detailed explanation of what each step of the wizard is.

The Project Setup page allows the user to provide the following information, preferences and configurations about the project: Basic Project Information, Beneficiary Security Options, Vendor Payment Threshold, and Reporting Currency Options. After entering the information required in this step, the user clicks Continue to proceed to the next step, selecting the Additional Info for various objects in the system.

A screenshot of the first step “Project Setup” of the Project Wizard.

Basic Project Information

This section allows users to provide general information about the project, namely: the Project Name, Name in Local Language, Date, Description, Contract, Country, and Project Status.

Project Name: this is the title of the project that will be used throughout the GeniusVoucher system's web portal. The Project Name will be used to indicate the project in the System's web portal interfaces as well as in the reports.

Name in Local Language: This is the project title that is used in the terminal device. This value can be different from the Project Name and can also be set in a language understandable to the beneficiaries and vendors.

Date: This is used to indicate the start and finish dates of the project. The project start and finish dates should be within the start and finish dates of the contract.

Description: This field can be used by the system users to provide a description of the project for their own use.

Contract: The contract code that the client signed with GeniusTags.

Country: The country where the project is being implemented.

Project Status: This can be either Active or Inactive. When a project is inactive, none of the project terminal device-related functions would work; meaning, that vendors won’t be able to process transactions, nor would they be able to make payment requests.

Beneficiary Verification Options

This section allows configuring the security options that are used when beneficiaries make purchases using their balance. The options are: Top-Up Expiry Date, Signature on Card Delivery; and Payment Security Options: Signature on Each Transaction, PIN Code on Each Transaction, and Picture Before Payment. The user can activate any of the security options by checking the checkboxes of the options they wish to activate.

Top-Up Expiry Date: If this option is chosen, the system would allow users to set an expiry date for each top-up operation. Having an expiration date for a top-up operation would restrict the usage of the beneficiary balance to the period for which their balance is valid. For more information about expiry dates, please refer to section ‎3.4.7 Perform Top-ups.

Signature on Card Delivery: Choosing this option would make the system request the beneficiary’s signature when the beneficiary receives their smart card from the project staffer (field officer). The beneficiary would provide their signature by signing on the terminal device’s screen.

Payment Security Options: The two options, Signature on Each Transaction and PIN Code on Each Transaction, are a security measure to provide additional verification for beneficiary payments. Choosing the first option requires the beneficiary to provide their signature on each payment. Activating the second option requires the beneficiary to enter their PIN code on each payment. The Picture Before Payment is a security measure as well, requiring the capture of a photograph prior to the finalization of the payment. The photograph could be for the beneficiary’s face, their ID document or any other document required for documentation purposes by the implementing organization.

Vendor Payment Threshold

GeniusVoucher allows processing vendor payments from within the system (for more information, please refer to sections ‎3.7.5 Make a Payment and ‎4.4 Request and Confirm Vendor Payments). The vendor payment threshold section allows setting conditions for vendor payments. By setting conditions, vendors won’t be able to submit a Payment Request until the payment conditions are satisfied. There are two conditions that can be set: Amount and Duration. Setting the Amount threshold allows a Vendor to request a payment only if their balance reaches is equal to or is larger than the specified payment threshold. Setting the Duration threshold allows a Vendor to request a payment only after the number of days set in the Duration had passed, since the last payment request.

Setting both thresholds allows payment requests if any of the conditions are met. Not setting any threshold allows Vendors to request payments any time they want. To activate thresholds and set values for them, the user should turn on Payment Thresholds by clicking the Activate button and then provide values for the Amount and Duration fields.

Currency

The GeniusVoucher system is a multi-currency platform. It allows reporting to be in one currency, and vendor payments to be in another. This helps facilitate the use of local currency in the distribution of items. This section allows setting the Reporting Currency and the Voucher Currency (the currency that is used in voucher redemption in exchange for Products as well as for top-ups). There are currently four supported currencies: USD, Syrian Pounds, Turkish Lira, and Points. Setting the currency to Points allows conducting transactions with a neutral currency. Other currencies can be added as desired. For that, contacting our support team is required (or specifying the desired currencies in the contract terms with GeniusTags).

The information that GeniusVoucher collects about various objects in the system can be extended as desired to serve the needs of the user. For more information on that, please refer to section ‎3.10 Additional Info. In this step, the system allows users to extend the information they provide about Beneficiaries, Packages, Vendors and Products.

A screenshot of the second step “Additional Info” of the Project Wizard.

There are several sections in the Additional Info interface, each section shows the list of Additional Info that can be used to extend a particular type of objects in the system. Thus, as shown in the screenshot above, there is a separate section for each of these object types: Beneficiaries, Packages, Vendors, and Products. After selecting what additional info to add to the system’s objects, the user can click the Continue button to proceed to the next step in the wizard, for adding top-up packages to the project.

This step allows adding top-up packages to the project being created. Top-up packages enable users to perform bulk top-ups for a group of beneficiaries, making the top-up operation easier and faster. For more information on packages and all the functions that relate to them, please refer to section ‎3.5 Packages. Packages can be added by clicking the New button. When the New button is clicked, the system shows the Add Package interface.

A screenshot of the third step “Top-up Packages” of the Project Wizard.

For each package, the user defines the following information:

Name: The name of the top-up package. The package will be used system-wide to indicate the top-up package being created.

Description: A description of the package, such as what it’s used for.

Value: The value of the package in the Voucher currency.

Validity Duration: The number of days for which the top-up performed using this package will be valid, starting from the date of the assignment of the package to the beneficiary. When the package expires, the beneficiary would not be able to use the balance associated with the package. Specifying a validity for a package is mandatory.

After adding a desired number of packages, the user can click Continue button to proceed to the next step in the wizard, for adding beneficiaries to the project.

Beneficiaries are the individuals to whom the top-up balances will be provisioned. For more information on beneficiaries and all the functions that relate to them, please refer to section ‎3.4 Beneficiaries. In this step, the system allows adding beneficiaries to the project being created. Beneficiaries can either be added individually (record by record) or they can be added using an Excel spreadsheet. Beneficiaries can also be added from another project that the client has on the system.

A screenshot of the fourth step “Beneficiaries” of the Project Wizard.

The following information is specified for each beneficiary that gets added to the system:

First Name, Last Name: The first and last name of the beneficiary.

Birth Date: The birth date of the beneficiary.

Beneficiary Number: A number that gets automatically generated and assigned to the beneficiary by the system. This number is a unique identifier that is used throughout the system to identify the beneficiary.

Id Number: This field can be used by the client to assign to the beneficiary their own identifier. This number could be an identifier generated by the client or it can be the national number of the beneficiary.

Gender: The beneficiary’s gender, male, female or not specified.

Name in Local Language: The name of the beneficiary in their local language. This value enables using the system by beneficiaries and vendors in their local language. The name in the local language is printed on the receipts and is used to show the beneficiary’s name on the terminal device.

Community: Each beneficiary is assigned to a community. The community is the beneficiary’s location/address that follows the standard addressing code issued by the United Nations for war-affected zones.

As can be seen in the screenshot above, the system shows the following information in the list view: Balance, Total Invoices, Total Top Up, Has Active Card, Active Card Id. These columns don't have any use at this point of the project's lifecycle.

After adding a desired number of beneficiaries, the user can click the Continue button to proceed to the next step in the wizard, for adding products to the project.

In this step, the system allows the user to add one or more products to the project. Products are the items that will be distributed to the beneficiaries by vendors in exchange of their allotted balance. For more information on products and all the functions that relate to them, please refer to section ‎3.8 Products. Products can either be added record by record, or they can be added using an Excel spreadsheet (bulk import). Products can also be added from another project that exists on the system.

A screenshot of the fifth step “Products” of the Project Wizard.

The following information is specified for each product that gets added to the system:

Name: Product name; it could be the product brand or type.

Category: The category of the product; this is a drop-down menu that allows the user to choose one of the categories defined by the user in the Categories component. For more information on Categories, please refer to section ‎3.8.4 Categories.

Description: The description of the project. The user can provide additional information about the product in this section.

Default Price: The default price of the product; this is the price that the product is typically sold at. The price can be changed later when assigned to a vendor. These prices are determined based on the contractual agreement between the client and the vendors.

Default Quantity: The default quantity of the product; like Default Price, this is the quantity the product is typically sold at. This can also be changed later when the product is assigned to a vendor. This value is defined solely for providing more convenience to the vendor and the beneficiary during purchase.

Unit: The unit of the product; this is a drop-down menu that allows the user to choose one of the units defined by the user in the Units component. For more information about Units, please refer to section ‎3.8.3 Units.

Name in Local Language: The name of the product in the local language.

Image: This is a picture of the product. This picture will be shown to the beneficiary on the terminal device when buying the product from a vendor.

Note: Assigning a Category and a Unit to each added product is mandatory. Therefore, the user should add categories and units before adding a new project.

After adding a desired number of products, the user can click the Continue button to proceed to the next step in the wizard, for adding vendors to the project.

In this step, the system allows the user to add one or more vendors to the project. Vendors are the entities that will sell the products to the beneficiaries and redeem voucher balances using the terminal devices. For more information on vendors and all the functions that relate to them, please refer to section ‎3.6 Vendors.

Vendors can either be added record by record, or they can be added using an Excel spreadsheet (bulk import). Vendors can also be added from another project that exists on the system.

A screenshot of the sixth step “Vendors” of the Project Wizard.

The following information is specified for each vendor that gets added to the system:

First Name: The vendor’s first name.

Last Name: The vendor’s last name.

Name in Local Language: The vendor’s full name in their local language. This name is shown on the terminal device.

Community: The area in which the vendor resides. The value of this column is determined based on a standard area coding built into the GeniusVoucher system.

Address: The exact address of the vendor.

After adding a desired number of vendors, the user completes the addition of the new project by clicking on the Finish button.