"The Lost Order"

The Rigi24 Book

Chapter Eight: "The Lost Order"

A Shop, Two Partners, and a Gift That Should Have Arrived on Time

9:12 a.m.

Archil opened the drawer of the desk for the third time.

Inside the drawer, he found a few pens, a bunch of keys, several crumpled invoices, and three sticky notes.

But what he was looking for was not there.

"Lasha!"

A voice came from the back of the store:

"What?"

"Where is that order book?"

"Which book?"

Archil closed his eyes for a few seconds.

"Lasha, we only have one order book!"

"So it's the one I put next to the cash register yesterday."

Archil looked at the cash register.

There was a green notebook there.

He picked it up and flipped through it.

"This is last month's order notebook!"

Lasha came out of the storeroom.

The man was about forty years old, tall and slightly stocky. He was wearing the store's brown apron and holding a cardboard box.

"So, did you pick up the new notebook?"

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"I've just been looking for orders since yesterday!"

Lasha put the box on the ground.

"Well, maybe we should buy a special notebook for finding notebooks."

Archil stared at him.

"It was very funny."

"Thank you. Ever since we became partners, my sense of humor has improved."

Their shop was located on one of the busy streets of Tbilisi.

Its name was "KhaneRang."

A small but tasteful shop with shelves full of decorative candles, vases, handmade dishes, picture frames, small lamps, and seasonal gifts.

Many customers saw their products through Instagram.

Some placed orders on WhatsApp.

Some people called on the phone.

Sometimes someone would come into the store in person and want the same product they had seen online just a few minutes earlier.

Sales were not bad.

Actually, the problem started right here.

Orders had increased, but their management method was almost the same as the one they used on the first day.

Notebook.

Paper.

Message.

And the memory of two partners who were both sure that their memory was better than the other's.

A gift for five o'clock.

Archil's phone rang.

The customer's name appeared on the screen:

Eliko

Archil answered:

"Hello Ms. Eliko, good morning."

A young woman's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hello. Excuse me, I wanted to ask about my order. It's being shipped today, right?"

Archil looked at Lasha.

"Certainly. Could you please provide the order number?"

Eliko paused.

"Order number? You didn't give me a number."

Archil cleared his throat.

"That's fine. Please tell me the name of the product."

"A set of blue glass candlesticks. Two candlesticks with a gift box."

Archil put his hand on the phone.

"Lasha, did we sell the blue candlestick set?"

Lasha said:

"Which blue?"

"Candlestick!"

"Turquoise or dark blue?"

Archil said calmly:

"Now is not the time for a color theory exam."

Lasha went towards the shelf.

Archil returned to the call.

"Yes, Ms. Eliko, I am checking."

Eliko said:

"Please make sure it arrives before five o'clock. It's my mother's birthday, and I want to give her the gift before the ceremony."

Archil became a bit more serious.

"I will definitely follow up."

The call ended.

Lasha said from beside the shelf:

"Archil..."

"What?"

"We don't have any order under the name Eliko at all."

Archil asked calmly:

"What do you mean we don't have it?"

"I mean it isn’t in the order notebook."

"Look at the messages."

"Which messages?"

Archil rested his head on the table.

"Instagram, WhatsApp, text messages... wherever possible!"

Lasha took out his phone.

A few seconds later he said:

"Wait. I found a message."

Archil lifted his head.

"Thank God."

Lasha continued:

"But it says here 'cream candlestick.'"

"What?!"

"The customer sent a photo of the cream model."

Archil asked worriedly:

"What's the name?"

Lasha looked at the screen.

"Nino."

Archil was silent for a few seconds.

Then he said:

"Lasha, our customer is Eliko."

Lasha lowered the phone.

"Ah."

Archil leaned back in his chair.

"We can't even find the wrong order correctly."

A call from Tamar

At 10:04 a.m., the phone rang at the NetCity office.

Mari was busy reviewing support requests.

Nika, unlike previous days, had opened one of the educational materials from Rigi24 right from the morning.

Of course, there was a small difference.

He was asking Mari a question every three minutes.

"Mari, I have a question."

"Go ahead and ask."

"It says here order management. What kind of order exactly?"

Mari smiled.

"Read a little further down."

Nika scrolled down the page.

"Ah, I see."

Thirty seconds passed.

"Mari..."

"Yes?"

"This section is about the products—"

"Nika!"

"What?"

"Read the next paragraph first."

Nika sighed.

"I think this site has a problem."

Mari turned back.

"What problem?"

"Every question I ask, the answer is two lines below."

Mari laughed.

"So you finally learned how to use the site."

At that moment, the phone rang.

The phone number was unfamiliar to Mari.

She answered.

"Hello, NetCity, how can I help you?"

A man said:

"Hello. I am Archil, the husband of Mrs. Tamar Gabunia. She said to call regarding your invoicing system."

Mari said:

"Yes, Ms. Tamar mentioned it yesterday. I would be happy to assist you."

Nika, upon hearing Tamar's name, quietly pulled his chair closer.

Mari first gathered the necessary information to register the request and continue the communication from Archil.

Then she asked:

"Please tell me, what do you need the invoicing tool for?"

Archil said:

"We have a home decor store. My partner and I register a lot of orders every day. We also use files and paper for invoices. Sometimes we forget which customer we issued an invoice for."

Mari asked:

"Do you have a physical store or is it online?"

"We have a physical store, but most new orders come from Instagram and WhatsApp."

"Do you have an online store as well?"

"No. We got a quote before, but the cost of designing and maintaining it was too high for us."

Mari took some notes.

"So apparently your problem is not just issuing invoices."

Archil laughed.

"Ms. Mari, if I want to talk about all the problems in our shop, I would need to schedule an appointment for tomorrow too!"

Nika quietly said to Mari:

"I think we should activate appointment scheduling for it as well."

Mari nodded her head with a smile.

Then she asked Archil:

"How do you currently register orders?"

"Whoever receives the message writes the information in the notebook."

"Then how do you check the payment and shipping status?"

Archil was silent for a few seconds.

"Well... the same notebook."

"And what if the notebook is not found?"

Archil looked at Lasha, who was still searching for Eliko's order.

"Then we will have a tough day."

Mari said:

"I think it would be better to have a short online meeting. You and your partner can explain your current method of working so we can see which features are suitable."

Archil said:

"Certainly. By the way, my partner is right here."

Three people and one problem

Half an hour later, Archil and Lasha were sitting behind the shop's laptop.

Mari had established the video call from the NetCity office.

Nika was sitting next to her, notebook at the ready.

Archil said:

"This is my partner, Lasha."

Lasha waved.

"Hello."

Mari said:

"Nice to meet you."

Nika also said:

"Hello. I am Nika."

Lasha asked:

"Are you the store builder responsible?"

Nika paused.

Then he looked at Mari.

Mari waited for an answer with a smile.

Nika said:

"I am currently responsible for good questions."

Lasha laughed.

"Then we have a lot of work to do together."

Mari said:

"Nika is learning different parts of the system and also helping in assessing customer needs."

Archil began to explain.

They had about three hundred different products.

Some products only had one item in stock.

Some were offered in different colors.

Sometimes a customer would send a photo of a product that had been sold months ago.

Some orders were gifts and had to be delivered on a specific date.

Lasha said:

"Our big problem is that the customer sends a photo from Instagram, we give the price, then they go to WhatsApp to provide the address. One of us checks the payment, the other prepares the package."

Archil continued:

"And sometimes we both think the other one has done the job."

Nika said:

"So there are two of you, but some tasks are done by no one."

Lasha laughed.

"Exactly!"

Archil said:

"We've had an order since this morning that we can't find."

Mari asked:

"Is it related to today's customer?"

"Yes. A set of blue candlesticks. The customer needs it before five o'clock."

Nika asked with interest:

"Has she paid for it?"

Archil said:

"She says she has paid. We still haven't been able to match the order with the payment information."

Mari said:

"So it's better to first find this order with your own information. The new system can't magically reconstruct messages and orders that have previously been scattered across various notebooks and messaging apps, accurately and completely."

Lasha said:

"So the software doesn't solve our problem today?"

Mari replied:

"You need to resolve today's issue by reviewing the existing information. The goal of implementing the system is to ensure that in future orders, the information is organized from the start, reducing the likelihood of such mistakes."

Archil nodded.

"That makes sense."

Nika wrote in his notebook:

*A good software does not replace people's responsibility.*

Then he looked at Mari.

Mari saw the note and smiled.

A free website or a real store?

Mari said:

"First, we need to distinguish between the two sections."

Archil asked:

"What sections?"

"One is the business introduction page or Core, and the other is the store builder."

Lasha said:

"We already have a store. Why should we have two sections?"

Nika stepped forward a bit.

"May I explain?"

Mari smiled.

"Go ahead."

Nika took a short breath.

"Core is like having a specific location for your store on the internet. People can see your name, address, contact number, working hours, images, and descriptions of your business."

Archil asked:

"So like a website?"

"Yes, a dedicated mini-website for introducing your business. You can publish articles about your activities and keep the information updated yourself."

Lasha said:

"How much does it cost?"

Nika replied with a smile:

"It's free."

Lasha raised an eyebrow.

"For a few days?"

"No. The Core basic section is free and permanent."

Archil asked:

"Then why should we also get the store builder?"

Nika paused for a moment this time.

He looked at Mari.

Mari said nothing.

Nika continued:

"Because the introduction page does not replace the complete order-taking system of the shop."

Mari nodded.

"Exactly."

She explained:

"Core is suitable for introducing businesses, services, images, articles, and public presence on Rigi24. But you want to display products neatly, receive online orders, and manage the order processing stages. For that, the store builder has been designed."

Archil said:

"So the customer no longer has to message us to ask for the price of each product?"

Mari replied:

"If you have entered the price and product information correctly, they can see it right there."

Lasha asked:

"What about the photos?"

"Photos, descriptions, and product information are also displayed in the store."

"Then do they place an order?"

"Yes, through the online store."

Archil looked at Lasha.

"So maybe customers will finally place their orders themselves instead of sending a picture of the product and asking for the price."

Lasha said:

"Of course, provided you enter the prices correctly."

Archil quickly replied:

"As long as you don't put sold products back up for sale!"

Mari laughed.

"You see? Here we have an important point. The system needs accurate information. You must define the responsibility for registering and updating products and orders among yourselves."

Nika said:

"So first we need to establish peace between the two partners, then we can set up the shop."

Lasha said with feigned seriousness:

"How much does this service cost?"

Nika said:

"Peace among partners? I think we should get separate prices!"

What exactly does the invoicing tool help with?

Archil returned to the main topic of the call.

"Well, what should we do about the invoices?"

Mari said:

"The invoicing tool is an independent module. You can register buyer information, goods or services, quantities, prices, and amounts, and prepare organized invoices."

Archil asked:

"So we don't have to copy the previous file every time and change the customer's name?"

"Yes, that's the goal, to make the invoicing process more organized."

Lasha said:

"Sometimes we issue the invoice, but then we forget whether we sent it to the customer or not."

Mari explained that keeping regular records of invoices and related statuses can make tracking them easier; however, actual payment confirmation must be based on valid information.

Archil said:

"So this is different from the store builder."

Nika replied:

"Yes. The store builder is for displaying products and managing online sales and orders. The invoicing tool is for issuing and tracking invoices."

Lasha asked:

"So if we want both, do we need to activate both?"

Mari said:

"These are separate and optional modules. Before activation, we will specify the features, contract terms, and costs of each so you know exactly what you are getting."

Archil asked:

"What if we only want the store for now?"

"You can start with that section if it suits your needs."

"And Core?"

Nika said happily:

"It's still free!"

Lasha looked at Archil.

"I think he really likes this part."

Nika said:

"Because I spent more time learning it than the others!"

The customer who was waiting

It was one ten.

At the Khanerang shop, Eliko called again.

Archil picked up the phone this time with concern.

"Hello, Ms. Eliko."

"Hello. Sorry, I just wanted to make sure the gift arrives by this evening."

Archil decided to tell the real situation instead of making an unsupported promise.

"Ms. Eliko, we are reviewing your order. Unfortunately, there was an error in recording the information. Please allow me to confirm the status within an hour at most."

Eliko became upset.

"But I ordered it a few days ago."

"That's right. The responsibility is on us."

A moment of silence ensued.

Then Eliko said:

"This gift is very important to my mother. A few years ago, she had a set similar to this one that broke during the move. When I saw its picture on your page, I thought I could bring back that memory for her."

Archil didn't say anything else.

Eliko continued:

"I just ask that if it's not available, please let me know quickly so I can look for something else."

"Sure. I'll let you know in an hour."

The call ended.

Archil looked at Lasha.

"We need to find it."

Lasha said:

"I am checking all the messages."

"Not just the messages. Also check the warehouse and the packages ready for shipment."

Lasha went towards the warehouse.

Archil opened the order book from previous days.

He flipped through a few pages.

There was no name of Eliko.

But on one of the pages, in the bottom corner, he saw a small note:

*Blue set — birthday gift — sent on Tuesday*

Underneath it, only two letters were written:

E. K.

Archil called out:

"Lasha!"

Lasha replied from the warehouse:

"What?"

"I found a note!"

"Does it have a name?"

"No. Just two letters."

Lasha asked:

"What does it say?"

"Okay."

There was a few seconds of silence.

Then Lasha said:

"Archil..."

"What?"

"I think I understand."

A package behind the shelf.

Lasha came out of the storage.

He had a small box in his hand with a piece of paper attached to it.

Archil stepped forward.

"Did you find it?"

Lasha said:

"Maybe."

It was written on the box:

*Dark Blue — Gift Packaging*

Archil asked:

"So why is it still here?"

Lasha sighed.

"Because I was waiting for the address."

"Who was supposed to get the address?"

"You."

Archil wanted to say something, but he paused.

Then he looked at his notebook.

On the day the order was placed, Eliko had initially messaged on Instagram. Then she had switched to WhatsApp to send the address.

Among the messages, Archil found an old conversation.

The contact name on WhatsApp was saved as "E. K."

She had sent the address.

Archil had seen the message.

But he had forgotten to enter the address in the order notes.

At the same time, Lasha had prepared the package, but since he didn't have the address, he had placed it on the shelf for incomplete orders.

Archil looked at the box.

"So the order wasn't lost."

Lasha said:

"No. We just didn't know where we had put it."

Archil laughed.

"This is a new definition of lost."

Lasha opened the box.

Inside it were two blue glass candlesticks.

They were intact.

But there was still one problem remaining.

Archil asked:

"What about the payment?"

Lasha said:

"We need to check."

This time, both checked the payment information without discussion and matched the amount related to the order with the customer's details.

The payment had been made.

Archil breathed a sigh of relief.

It was two twenty.

They still had time until the evening to deliver the gift.

The first correct decision.

Archil called Eliko.

"Ms. Eliko, we found the order."

The young woman's voice changed.

"Really?"

"Yes. The package is intact and ready. We also checked the payment confirmation. Now we are coordinating the delivery time with the courier."

Eliko said:

"Thank you very much. I was really worried."

Archil replied:

"You were right. I apologize for the delay in updating you on the status."

After the call ended, he turned to Lasha.

"This method doesn't work anymore."

Lasha nodded.

"I know."

"From tomorrow, orders must be recorded in a specific place."

"It's better from today."

Archil thought for a moment.

"That's right. From today."

He picked up a fresh sheet of paper and placed it on the table.

Until they set up the new system, they decided to record all open orders in a shared list and designate a person responsible for tracking each order.

Lasha said:

"So the green order notebook is finally retiring?"

Archil looked at the notebook.

"No. For now, we’ll set it aside as a keepsake."

Lasha said:

"Let me take a picture of it. Maybe one day it will be needed for the technology museum."

A school that didn't want its information to be scattered.

That afternoon, at the NetCity office, Mari prepared for an online meeting with Natia.

Natia was the deputy of the school that had called the day before about SkolaPlus.

Nika picked up his notebook.

Mari asked:

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Have you read about SkolaPlus?"

Nika paused.

"I read some sections."

"Which sections?"

"Attendance, homework, class management, and student records."

Mari smiled.

"That's good. Listen more today and take notes wherever you have questions."

"So, am I allowed to ask questions?"

"Yes, but this time don't interrupt the customer."

Nika placed his hand on his heart.

"I promise."

The video call was established.

Natia was sitting in the school deputy's office.

Next to her was a woman about fifty years old who introduced herself as "Ms. Maka," the educational officer of the school.

After greeting them, Natia said:

"We are looking for a system that integrates various school tasks. Right now, we use separate methods for attendance, homework, and management reports."

Mari asked:

"What is your biggest problem?"

Maka said:

"That information reaches people late."

Natia continued:

"Sometimes the teacher records the student's attendance in the notebook, but the principal is unaware of the situation until the end of the day. Sometimes parents ask about homework, and we have to ask several people."

Mari explained that SkolaPlus is an integrated school management system; not a collection of separate business programs.

In it, the principal, deputy, teachers, staff, and parents each have access to the relevant sections according to their roles and permissions.

Natia said:

"So we don't need a separate software for every task."

"Exactly. Of course, the way to set up and configure access must align with the school's structure."

Nika noted:

*One system, different roles.*

Maka asked:

"What if we hire a new teacher in the middle of the year?"

Mari said:

"You can define access related to the class and subject for them. Then, based on their permissions, they will review the necessary information and records to take over the work more easily."

Natia nodded.

"This is very important for us. Last year, a teacher was replaced in the middle of the year and spent a lot of time figuring out what assignments each class had."

Mari continued:

"Management of assignments, attendance, educational reports, communication with parents, and some disciplinary processes also fall within this structure."

Nika said calmly:

"Mari..."

Mari looked at him.

"What?"

"So SkolaPlus is really bigger than I thought."

Mari smiled.

"We haven't reached the medical section yet."

An important piece of information, not for everyone

Natia became a bit more serious.

"Actually, I wanted to ask about the medical section as well."

Maka explained:

"We have a student with a specific medical condition. The school doctor and management need to be aware of their situation. The teacher also needs to observe certain necessary considerations. However, we don't want the details of the medical file to be shared among all staff."

Mari said:

"This issue is very important. Medical information must remain confidential, and access should be determined according to individuals' responsibilities."

He explained that SkolaPlus has provisions for recording students' medical records and information.

Complete information should only be accessible to authorized individuals.

Conversely, if a teacher needs to know something to fulfill their responsibilities, only the necessary information relevant to their duty should be conveyed to them; not all the medical details of the student.

Natia said:

"Exactly. We don't want a student to feel like everyone knows about their private circumstances."

Nika looked at the screen.

For a moment, he remembered Saba.

The student whose absence for several days had caused a lot of worry without his mother's knowledge.

Now the issue had taken on a different shape.

This time, the matter was not just about recording information.

The issue was about who had the right to see which information.

Nika said softly:

"So the more complete the software is, the more important access settings become."

Mari nodded.

"Exactly."

Maka said:

"And we have another issue."

Natia explained:

"Next week, the cafeteria schedule will change. Some students have dietary restrictions. We want to ensure that the responsible staff adhere to these restrictions when serving food."

Mari said:

"SkolaPlus has features for managing the cafeteria and dietary restrictions. However, the information must be recorded accurately, and the school is responsible for properly executing the food delivery process."

Natia asked:

"So if a student shouldn't receive a certain food, can this restriction be managed in the system?"

Mari replied:

"Yes, this is one of the applications of the cafeteria section. Of course, the settings and usage must be examined carefully. For sensitive cases, the school should not rely solely on the software; the relevant authorities must carry out the necessary controls."

Maka sighed with relief.

"That's great. We're looking for that kind of order."

The meeting continued.

They talked about parent communication, educational records, class management, and transferring student academic files between schools covered by the system.

Nika asked fewer questions this time.

He listened more.

And almost every few minutes, he wrote a new note in his notebook.

Another module?!

It was four fifty.

Nika sat down on his chair and opened the notebook.

He had written a full page about the shop.

The next page was about the invoicing tool.

A few lines below, he had written Core.

Then the store builder.

Then SkolaPlus.

Then the various roles of school staff.

Mari asked:

"How is it?"

Nika said:

"I think my brain has doubled in size today."

"That's good."

"No, the problem is that my head is still the same size."

Mari laughed.

Giorgi passed by them.

"What did you learn today?"

Nika said:

"That a store can have a thousand problems, and a school has a thousand responsibilities."

Giorgi nodded.

"That's right."

Nika continued:

"And we have solutions for both. Of course, with different systems."

Giorgi said:

"That's good. You're making progress."

Nika looked at him.

"Just one question."

Giorgi paused.

"Go ahead."

"What exactly does the customer club module help the store with?"

Giorgi smiled.

"Why don't you ask Mari about this?"

Mari said:

"Because I've been telling him since morning to read the articles first."

Nika sighed.

"Okay. I'll read it."

He opened the browser.

He saw the title of one of the articles related to the customer club.

He read the first few lines.

Then he said quietly:

"So a customer who buys from the store once can have a reason to come back as well."

Mari said:

"Yes, if the business utilizes the features of the customer club and has designed a suitable program for its customers."

Nika asked:

"Is this part of the store builder?"

"No, it's a separate module."

Nika looked at the notebook.

Then he wrote a new title with his pen:

Customer Club — Optional

And added below it:

*A new customer is important; a returning customer is also important.*

Four fifty-eight.

At the Khanerang shop, Archil and Lasha were waiting for the delivery call.

At four fifty-eight, Archil's phone rang.

The number belonged to Eliko.

Archil answered with concern.

"Hello, Ms. Eliko."

"Hello. I just wanted to say thank you."

Archil paused for a moment.

"So, the package arrived?"

"Yes. I received it a few minutes ago."

Archil breathed a sigh of relief.

Eliko continued:

"It's beautifully packaged. It's exactly the color I wanted."

"I'm very happy."

"I hope my mother likes it too."

Archil smiled.

"I'm sure she'll be happy with your gift."

After the call ended, he looked at Lasha.

"It's here."

Lasha raised both his hands.

"We survived!"

Archil laughed.

"This time."

Lasha said:

"What about tomorrow?"

Archil looked at the green notebook.

Then at the phones that were on the desk.

And then to the store's laptop.

"Tomorrow we need to change our method."

Lasha asked:

"With the same Rigi24?"

Archil said:

"First, we want to examine it properly. But I think the way we've been going is no longer suitable for the number of our orders."

Lasha looked at the boxes behind the shelf.

"I only have one condition."

"What?"

"If we get the new system, I won't be responsible for finding the order book anymore."

Archil laughed.

"Deal."

An order that had not yet been registered.

That night, Nika was studying the store builder section at home.

For the first time, instead of just memorizing the names of the features, he was trying to understand what problem each one solved.

He wrote down three questions in his notebook:

"How does the customer find the product?"

"How is the order placed and tracked?"

"How can we encourage the customer to buy again?"

Then he reached a page that explained the connection between the store and other features of Rigi24.

Nika leaned back.

"So these are not completely separate from each other. Each has its own job, but they can help a business together."

His phone lit up.

It was a message from Mari:

"Don't forget to follow up on the school meeting tomorrow. Natia said she has a few more questions about transferring student records."

Nika replied:

"Sure. I'm reading the store builder tonight."

Mari wrote:

"Just don’t stay up all night!"

Nika smiled.

"Don't worry. There's still half left."

Then he closed the notebook.

But at that moment, another message arrived.

This time it was from Giorgi.

"Archil and Lasha have requested follow-up for the initial setup of the store. Tomorrow Mari will coordinate. Make sure to read the related articles thoroughly yourself."

Nika wrote:

"Sure."

He thought for a few seconds.

Then he sent another message:

"By the way Giorgi, a question..."

The response came immediately:

"No! Read the article first!"

Nika laughed loudly.

He put the phone down.

But at that very moment, in a school across Tbilisi, Natia was sitting at the deputy's desk reviewing the files of two students.

One of them was supposed to be transferred from another school.

The initial information had arrived, but while matching the documents, a strange issue had caught Natia's attention.

Among the transfer documents, two names and surnames were seen to be exactly the same.

Both belonged to students who were almost the same age.

But their records were different.

One had a regular academic record.

In another file, there were notes about the need for care and medical considerations.

Natia called her colleague.

"Maka, please come to the office early tomorrow morning. I think we need to carefully check the identity of these two files before registering the transfer."

Maka asked:

"Is there a problem?"

Natia replied:

"I still don't know. But I don't want one child's academic record or medical information to mistakenly be entered into another child's file."

She ended the call.

She closed the files.

And she wrote on a piece of paper:

Two identical names, two different files.