MAD Elevators: Elevate Experience with Custom E-commerce by Vestra Inet
A partnership between Europe-based DMG and the Canadian custom cab interior manufacturer Mainline Elevator, MAD Elevators brings modernization and unmatched technological innovation to elevator cabs across North America. Subsequently partnering with Elevator Cab Renovations Inc. and Vantage Elevation, the company has expanded its customer reach and technological prowess even further. The company’s base of operations is a massive 80,000 sq. ft. facility in Mississauga, Ontario, and their state-of-the-equipment and impeccable customer service create a seamless, reliable experience for their clientele.
- Online Product Configurator
- Real-time visual configuration updates
- Automated QR Code Generation
- Mobile Application With QR/Barcode Scanner For Easier Access
- Complete E-Commerce System With Price Margin Settings
- Compartmentalized Product Selection
A major manufacturer of elevator cabs and electrical panels, the company required an online system that could help configure the perfect product that meets the specifications of the client. This was made possible with the aid of an online product configurator, where various parameters of the cab such as back wall layout, edging, ceiling design, handrail, and more can be visualized in real-time. Once the designs have been finalized, the system also generates a PDF which can be shared with the clients or the manufacturers. A similar product configurator feature was also introduced for push buttons, offering greater versatility for the customers.
However, the company’s sales teams also required something more accessible when they are on the field. Hence, a configurator app was devised where the same visual configurations can be devised and displayed on short notice, facilitating the customers to better visualize the end product. This app is also capable of generating PDF copies and placing orders at the push of a button.
Furthermore, since the push button has several intricate components such as a pressel and a push block, MAD Elevators also required a feature that allows the clients to purchase these individual components or the entire push button as a single unit. This was achieved with a complete e-commerce system with dedicated price margin settings that laid out the cost of individual components as well as the entire push button.
Lastly, the company needed a system where the various parts of the cab, including the panel, could be replaced with ease. With the aid of an automated QR and barcode scanner on the app, technicians can now easily scan the QR code on electrical panels, push buttons, or even the smaller parts of the button to directly place an order on the website. This ensures that the best and most compatible parts replace the defunct ones.
Thus, MAD Elevators successfully shifted its presence online to reach more customers, boost sales, and improve maintenance and part replacement.
Online Ordering System
- Live inventory updates
- Custom price margins
- Quantity discounts
Development and implementation of these online ordering systems leads to seamless end-to-end order placement that significantly improves the ease of the process. Additionally, the elimination of human involvement in the ordering process reduces staffing costs, eradicates the risk of human errors, and makes the ordering systems available 24/7. Special calculator integration also drastically boosts the speed with which large, complex orders are placed and processed. The automation of this system helps reduce supply chain complexity while allowing multi-stage customizations with ease.
Product Configurator
- Real-time product view
- Automatic SKU generation
- Multiple-stage customization
- Quote generation integration
- Custom compatibility filters
Product configuration software is a smart tool that allows your customers to accurately configure products to the smallest detail before ordering them. We design custom product configuration systems to intelligently guide users in a step-by-step process, ending up with their desired product. Product modifications can be visualized in real time, enabling your customers to see the unit as each element or detail is added or deleted. This feature also enables your customers to preview the product before placing an order, giving you confidence that your customers get a positive post-purchase impression and will come to you for more business.
When we build product configurators, we account for compatibility filters and exceptions that apply automatically as your client customizes the product, ensuring incompatible or irrelevant elements are not displayed during configuration. This accounts for your unique assembly process so that your customers can be guided through the product assembly without live agent involvement.
Product configurator can be integrated with a custom quote generator feature so your customers can create a quote and adjust it at any time before placing the order. Once the product is fully configured, the system can automatically generate a unique SKU, ensuring your customer’s order details are secure and error-free and the product your client receives in the end is exactly what they ordered.
Search Filters
- Custom search filter management
- Automatic filter generation
- Faster data navigation
Clients with large catalogues and inventory sizes required search filters to improve accessibility and the speed with which product information was retrieved. Custom search filters were built and integrated into various client systems. Multiple attributes were used to organize products and resources. In certain situations, automatically updating filters were implemented where required. Additionally, clients with administrative access could add and modify custom parameters for filters.
In situations where complex inventory structures resulted in regular search being insufficient to find items, the implementation of these search filters significantly improved the user experience. Users could select parameters to narrow down search results for faster, more accurate searches. Custom filter management allowed user-defined parameters to be set to meet unique inventory hierarchies. The integration of these search filters saved time, eliminated irrelevant results, and improved satisfaction across the board.
QR Codes
- Technical support, installation, and troubleshooting
- Demonstrations of product capabilities
- Auto-generates QR Codes for configured product’s SKU
In the modern world, 95% of customers have a smartphone with a QR code scanner application. Utilizing this to the advantage of clients involved the designing of features to allow customers to reach special information upon scanning these codes. This could be applied to a variety of situations.
Compatibility Advisor
- Multi-system integration capabilities
- Stage-to-stage item selection
- Automatic filter generation
Compatibility advisors display relevant results to users. During inventory searches or product assembly, predetermined filter parameters display relevant content based on the previous selection. The parameters for filters are updated either automatically upon product addition, or manually based on situational requirements. These tools were designed for multiple applications including:
Interactive product assembly and component selection: Users building products using online tools would only see content relevant to their current selection. The predefined parameters eliminate the possibility of errors in the product assembly process due to automatic filtering of incompatible items as product building progresses from one stage to the next. This ensures accuracy during the process by eliminating human involvement from item recommendations.
Inventory management and catalogue: The implementation of such advisors significantly improves the organization of products within an inventory or catalogue for added accessibility while browsing. In special circumstances (eg: North American Steel) these filters assisted in the classification of assemblies and components based on their compatibility with each other.
User Accounts and Logins
- Dedicated login spaces
- Allow and prevent access
- Brings multiple systems together
User accounts grant controllable access to specific features within a system. Dedicated login spaces for various user types included multiple specialized features to meet specific requirements. Access control features permitted accounts with administrative access to limit users to specific information and resources within these spaces. Additionally, unique data such as resources, items, products, offers, and dedicated pricing information could be displayed within accounts.
E-commerce System
- CRM and ERP connection
- Quantity discount and special rate calculations
- Multiple shipping and merchant integrations
Currently, there are various commercially available software applications to facilitate e-commerce functionality such as Shopify. These have a fixed set of features that are meant to work with straightforward e-commerce operations. However, in more complicated scenarios, these lack features to meet the unique needs of individual businesses.
Complex e-commerce solutions were designed and tailored to meet specialized requirements such as customizable price margins, connectivity to product builder tools, quantity-based discount calculations and connection to CRM and ERP systems. Order placement features included support for QR codes or scanner guns. Additionally, special rate calculators and communication with multiple shipping carrier databases were designed. These features were implemented based on client needs in order to improve the specific capabilities of e-commerce systems unique to each client.
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