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CSI Media has used the following skills/services in the project.
The Cormar Carpet Company (Cormar) is a leading, British carpet manufacturer. Established in 1956, the family-run company now manufacture and deliver their carpets to over 3,000 carpet retailers across the UK.
The Challenge
Cormar required a new trade portal, a platform central to Cormar’s B2B operations where, primarily, carpet retailers place and manage orders. Their previous portal had reached its end-of-life - the system was not mobile nor tablet friendly, the functionality was dated, and the UI desperately required a refresh.
Given our experience in custom web portal development, CSI Media were appointed by Cormar to re-design and develop the new trade portal.
Our Solution
We commenced the project by conducting interactive workshops with Cormar’s internal team and a selection of Cormar’s trade customers. These workshops enabled us to capture the needs of different user groups, providing us with valuable insights that directed the system's architecture and functionality.
The new portal comprises of an internal mode where Cormar’s team manage trading-customer accounts, place orders on behalf of customers, and perform general account management tasks. Trade customers can check stock levels and place carpet orders, order samples for their premises, view proof of delivery, review and pay invoices.
Finally, a new feature was implemented, ‘Consumer Mode’, which allows retailers to switch to a ‘customer-friendly’ mode where in-store teams can present Cormar's carpet ranges to customers, and order samples to be delivered directly to their home address. The system is responsive across the latest tablet and mobile devices, making the Consumer Mode a handy sales aid for retailers.
Results
The new trade portal recorded a phenomenal 300% increase in transactions in the 24 months following launch. Furthermore, the system has facilitated the management of day-to-day tasks thus improving efficiency and, therefore, despite the vast increase in business, Cormar’s employment costs have remained consistent.
CSI Media
CSI Media is a software development agency with 24 years’ experience in designing custom solutions that meet complex business challenges. Send your brief or requirements to enquiries@csimedia.net and will help to guide you on the next steps.
