Today I have written to our 809 registered Tesco API developers telling them about an update that took place this lunchtime.
Dear API Developer
Just 7% of customers to go and we'll have 100% of them on our new 'project martini' Tesco grocery web service - and available to you through the Tesco Grocery API.
The API (and its documentation) has been substantially updated this lunchtime. You'll find the updated documentation in the Reference section of the TechForTesco forum.
Firstly, the API has been comprehensively updated to search for barcodes more accurately (both 8- and 13- digit), as well as various Tesco product numbers.
Secondly, the API now supports "Amend Order Mode", a comprehensive new addition that enables a customer to add or amend an existing order that is already checked out and is pending delivery. It’s power lies in the fact that, once the order is initially checked out, the customer can add products to it using your application without any further visits to the Tesco web site to checkout again before delivery. You can amend such an order right up to the eve of the order being delivered.
So take a look at the new features and fixes and think about how it will add to the great experience you could offer your customers in your own applications.
7% to go..!
Best regards
Nick Lansley
Head of R&D
Tesco.com
Thursday, 10 June 2010
3 comments:
As this blog grows in readership - and because it carries the Tesco brand - I have had to become more careful about the sort of comments that are acceptable. The good news is that I'm a champion of free speech so please be as praising or as critical as you wish! The only comments I DON'T allow through are:
1. Comments which criticise an individual other than myself, or are critical of an organisation other than Tesco. This is simply because they cannot defend themselves so is unfair and possibly libellous. Comments about some aspect of Tesco being better/worse than another equivalent organisation are allowed as long as you start by saying "in my personal opinion.." or "I think that...". ... followed by a "...because.." and some reasoned argument.
2. Comments which are totally unrelated to the context of the original article. If I have written about a mobile app and you start complaining about the price of potatoes then your comment isn't going stay for long!
3. Advertising / web links / spam.
4. Insulting / obscene messages.
Ok, rules done - now it's your go:
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Hi Nick,
ReplyDeleteMaybe you have explained this in an earlier post that I have missed, but why are new tesco.com users being put on the old server (Bob), rather than the new one?
This caused us a lot of confusion at Launch48 the other weekend where our brand new tesco.com accounts weren't working with the API, whilst accounts people had had for a while did.
Is the migration process quicker than new signups, otherwise this could take a while :)
Hi Philip
ReplyDeleteYes it's true that some newly registered customers are starting out on the old platform before being migrated to the new. This was a technical side-effect of the migration process - to refer to the original project names, new customers need to be 'BOBbed' before they get 'Martinied'.... be registered on the old grocery service before they got taken on to the new one.
The good news is that the final version of the new 'martini' platform, being implemented this week, will overcome the pre-BOBbing necessity and all new customers will be Martini straightaway.
I hope this made sense...
I had a look at Martini this morning for the first time. While it was loading I got half an order completed on the Asda site, and that included registration as I'd never used it before.
ReplyDeleteOkay, but seriously, even before the new platform the Tesco site (from BT5 Belfast postcode) has been running slow regardless of the time of day. I've placed orders at 5am and it still took forever for pages to load and this was pre-Martini, so I can't see that it's anything to do with it.
Okay, I realise this isn't YOUR problem but I just want someone to understand that it's hurting the user experience. The contact options on the website are limited to phone (yeah right...) and post.
The Asda options are limited for me, so I'd rather use Tesco, but even with liberal use of the Favourites, a comparable Tesco order would take over twice as long to complete. I didn't really check the new Tesco site much, does it have order templates? That'd be handy. One click for all the essentials.
Anyway, peace out! Just venting.