Leading retailer’s eCommerce initiative represents milestone of EDL Consulting’s 20th implementation of Sterling Commerce eBusiness platform
CHICAGO--EDL Consulting, a national technology integrator specializing in multi-channel eCommerce announced today the successful launch of an online shopping solution for Room & Board, a national home furnishings retailer with nine stores across the United States. The objective of the eCommerce initiative is to enhance the online shopping experience for Room & Board customers, with a key focus on:
- Enabling customers to purchase products online easily.
- Integrating online shopping into current business process by providing a consistent and seamless shopping experience across multiple channels.
- Providing customers with a positive online shopping experience that differentiates Room & Board from other furniture retailers.
Room & Board Selects Proven eCommerce Partners
Room & Board worked closely on the initiative with Sterling Commerce, a provider of applications, integration and community solutions that help retailers shorten the order-to-cash cycle, synchronize supply and demand, and maintain appropriate levels of inventory, and EDL Consulting, a national technology integrator specializing in eCommerce. The launch of the enhanced Room & Board website in mid-August 2007 marked the milestone of EDL’s 20th implementation of a Sterling Commerce eCommerce solution.
According to EDL president Bill Loumpouridis, “Teaming with Sterling Commerce on 20 major implementations is a testament to eCommerce as a ‘must-have’ sales and marketing channel in today’s competitive marketplace. In recent years, we have seen a growing trend among retailers such as Room & Board seeking to optimize the shopping experience for growing numbers of online customers by deploying the latest innovations in eCommerce to differentiate their products from competitors, maintain brand recognition and customer loyalty.”
“The cross-channel experience has created today’s ‘spoiled consumer,’ and it raises the bar for every retailer,” adds Jim Bengier, global retail industry executive for Sterling Commerce. “Retailers like Room & Board who are implementing innovative solutions with partners such as EDL Consulting will be able to meet and exceed these customer needs in the future – setting a path for maintaining a loyal customer base and ensuring future purchases.”
Enhanced Site Delivers Customer Value from Day One
The Room & Board project included implementation of Sterling eStorefronts, which provides Web-based self-service storefronts for customers to purchase complex products and services. Additionally, functionality of a shopping cart and full eCommerce checkout needed to be integrated in real-time with the company’s enterprise systems. Sterling eStorefronts is part of a comprehensive suite of Sterling Multi-Channel Selling applications that enables companies to drive higher revenues, margins, and responsiveness by enabling their customers and partners to accurately find, configure, and order complex products and services through every available eBusiness touch-point.
According to John Schroeder, E-Commerce Business Manager at Room & Board, “We were very pleased with the public release of our online shopping site. By integrating the site with our existing inventory, distribution and business processes, we are able to enhance the overall customer experience.”
EDL Principal Rob Christensen added, “The project – which was scoped, designed, tested and deployed in seven months – was completed on-time and on-budget, thanks to the strong collaboration among team members from Room & Board, Sterling Commerce and EDL Consulting.”
About Room & Board:
Room & Board offers exclusive home furnishings that combine timeless design, exceptional quality and the finest natural materials at great value. For more than 25 years, the company has helped customers find furniture and accessories that reflect their personal style and the way they live. Room & Board has stores in Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Orange County and San Francisco, and provides personal design assistance online at Shop Room & Board from Home. For more information, visit www.roomandboard.com or call 800.486.6554.
About EDL Consulting:
EDL Consulting (www.edlconsulting.com) is a national technology services firm that enables manufacturers and distributors to optimize their direct and indirect sales channels to improve marketing and sales success. Focused on eCommerce, customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP) and business intelligence (BI) technologies, EDL solves complex systems integration issues to create state-of-the-art integrated technology solutions that improve business performance, making it easier for companies to conduct business with their customers.
