Epicor Software Corporation, a provider of enterprise business software solutions to the midmarket and Global 1000 companies, has announced its new Epicor Commerce solution. Through a comprehensive order management channel, Epicor Commerce enables companies to provide an intuitive, personalised and rich eCommerce experience to enhance their Web presence, provide efficiencies, and help drive new business.
Featuring standards-based Microsoft .NET technology and support for AJAX, Epicor Commerce provides broad functionality to support collaborative B2B and B2C activities, enabling companies to drive incremental sales from existing customers and also expand to leverage new, as-of-yet untapped sales channels. As one of the latest Epicor Extend solutions — next-generation applications designed to work across multiple product lines — Epicor Commerce is distinguished from other eCommerce offerings through its deep Web services-based integration to Epicor enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions such as Epicor 9, Vantage, and Vista, providing an eCommerce presence that goes well beyond a simple “storefront.”
The launch of Epicor Commerce is especially timely in today’s challenging business climate, as companies seek ways to trim costs while bolstering sales volume and maintaining customer service levels. “While many companies aspire to expand their business by supporting sales over the Web, smaller to mid-size companies often find it prohibitive to do so because they lack the resources to ‘fill in the gaps’ that often occur between an eCommerce system and their back office environments,” said James Norwood, vice president, product marketing for Epicor. “For example, a well developed eCommerce presence can dramatically increase order intake, causing many companies to struggle with bandwidth issues related to initiating order fulfillment, or when changes to product pricing require re-entry into the eCommerce system. Epicor Commerce gives companies a seamless, flexible, out-of-the box solution to launch and effectively maintain an additional order hub that complements and enhances their existing channels, yet isn’t a drain on limited IT resources. Companies can reduce the overall cost of sales, while broadening their visibility and appeal to customers on a global scale."
Organisations are ready to upgrade their eCommerce Technology
Epicor Commerce fills a growing need for eCommerce platforms as many companies look to overhaul their Web presence. According to a report by Forrester Research, “Demand for eCommerce solutions is very strong as many eCommerce organisations are planning to update their eCommerce technology in the near term. Eighteen percent of North American and 23% of European enterprises plan new or major upgrades of eCommerce-related platform technologies in the near future.[1] ”
One company that has already benefitted from Epicor Commerce is Savillex Corporation, a Minnetonka, Minn.-based manufacturer of high-quality fluoropolymer laboratory products. Serving thousands of customers in more than 60 countries worldwide, Savillex’s products are universally accepted in applications ranging from sample collection to analysis. Since deploying its new Web site based on Epicor Commerce in July 2009, the company has seen a more than 30% increase in online orders.
“The re-launch of our Web site with the Epicor Commerce solution has been extremely well-received by all,” said Jennie Paul, marketing communications manager, Savillex Corporation. “With Epicor Commerce, we were able to construct one site that enabled us to service our direct customers, distributors, manufacturing representatives and OEMs – a bonus from a cost and management perspective. Via the management console, we can assign role-based access privileges based on their unique log in or group, which determines what content, features and functionality each user can access. Users can view their order history and tracking and in some cases inventory levels; this ‘self-service’ aspect is not only more convenient and efficient for our customers, it has also greatly reduced our customer service call volumes,” she said.
Comprehensive eCommerce Capabilities
Epicor Commerce can manage anything from simple to more elaborate eCommerce Web site design requirements, while allowing for quick deployment and easy maintenance. The Epicor Commerce Management console provides companies with immediate ROI following implementation due to its ease of use and elimination of specialised programming. With Epicor Commerce, management of company eCommerce activities can be handled by anyone in the business — from IT to Sales to Marketing — to deploy Web site content, images, marketing promotions and programs. The resulting pages are search engine friendly and fully optimised for all major Internet search engines to drive traffic to the site.
Epicor Commerce provides automatic synchronisation of information on products, pricing, customers and inventory levels directly from Epicor ERP systems through standards-based Web services. Orders can be submitted and processed immediately, allowing customers to purchase goods with support for multiple payment options, including purchase orders, COD, credit card, or via their specific credit terms. The solution also features merchant account/gateway integration, and can provide advanced automated tax calculations via Epicor Tax Connect leveraging the industry leading on-demand tax service from Avalara.
Epicor Commerce provides a powerful new order hub, by making it available to customers online that improves order to shipment speed and accuracy for improved customer satisfaction. At the time of requesting a quote or placing an order, customers can select shipping methods and determine their freight costs. Once an order is placed, online tracking allows customers to see when their product was shipped and lets them track the shipment through the carrier. Dealers have online access to their order history and negotiated discounts.
The solution also comes standard with support for suggested selling, promotions and coupons, with additional advanced features available in the Epicor Commerce Advanced offering.
Available now, Epicor Commerce is SaaS-ready and offers flexible deployment options; including hosted environments where Epicor is responsible for all operations and/or maintenance, and on-premise behind the firewall on an internal Web server, or with an ISP.
[1] Forrester Research, Inc. “The Forrester Wave™: B2C eCommerce Platforms, Q1 2009” by Brian K. Walker (January 27, 2009)