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By early 2005, healthcare.co.uk had become a fast-growing, profitable operation. The product set had developed into a mix of fast-moving and specialist healthcare items, with Deliver Net supplying a significant number of large nursing home groups and independent care homes. Whilst Deliver Net was using a hosted application for most of its business processes the business changed and customers demanded more services including on-line ordering. Furthermore, customer feedback highlighted a growing desire to order on-line from a widening catalogue of ever changing products. These proved technically and commercially difficult to implement. The existing information system created barriers to change and growth.
“At the beginning of last year we had to re-think our whole ICT (information and communication technology) strategy,” continued Nigel Lockett. “More importantly we needed to identify a more flexible solution to support our expanding business operations without imposing barriers to change.” Deliver Net embarked on a major project to improve its ICT services internally and to customers, while preserving the tenants of quality with low price.
As part of this process Dr Lockett’s position at Lancaster University brought him into contact with a variety of ICT technologies and suppliers. Keen to preserve the hosted model, a meeting with the directors of Watford-based IPS led to the adoption of a more modern and flexible system.
The i-Tr@der business system provides a complete operating environment for companies to trade and operate via the Internet. The software programs are permanently hosted on a remote server with all customer data automatically secured and backed-up on
a regular basis.
The fundamental design of i-Tr@der allows its users to simplify the use and investment in ICT, while allowing software functionality to underpin all business processes.
In this respect, i-Tr@der offers a complete trading environment from sales |
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and marketing, through order processing, stock control, order fulfilment, into back-office accounting to customer support.
After extensive testing, Deliver Net embarked on an eighteen-month project to completely replace the ICS system with i-Tr@der. The first phase, comprising the on-line catalogue, order capture, contact manager and e-mail was completed in May 2006. Purpose-built, electronic forms allow customers to directly order any of eight-hundred items for scheduled delivery.
The same electronic forms are used by Skipton staff to capture orders communicated by fax, e-mail or telephone.
“Getting everything right first time improves customer service and loyalty. More importantly it generates market credibility,” stated Nigel Lockett. |
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“The forms design mirrors familiar paper documents which, coupled with access to the on-line catalogue, offers an intuitive process that is very easy to use.”
Deliver Net will soon be providing on-line payment options using trade and credit cards for new and non-account customers. To attract new customers, the two companies are working together to link the on-line catalogue with popular search engines, such as Google and MSN.
Commenting on the work and success to-date, Nigel Lockett says, “Hosted solutions offer small businesses significant opportunities to improve existing processes and more importantly to innovate.
Our business is becoming the market leader but this can only be achieved with the right information systems and the right IT service provider. | |
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“With i-Tr@der, duplication and keyboarding errors have been significantly reduced. Performance is greatly improved as we are now processing 6,000 orders per month with fewer staff.”
For orders not captured via e-forms, i-Tr@der Contact Manager schedules outbound telephone calls, linked to the delivery schedule for each customer location. Call lists are assigned to named Skipton staff, updated automatically as and when individual orders are received. E-mails automatically trigger personalised and periodic reminder messages prior to the order cut-off date for that location.
“On-line forms ordering was implemented without training across all 440 care homes operated by Four Seasons Health Care,” commented Chris Ogle, i-Tr@der's Project Manager. |
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Hosted systems are the only real option for us to compete with much larger companies and win.”
Responding, Chris Ogle acknowledged that Internet-based hosting applications still occupy a small market share. “Over the last two years we have seen a marked change in attitude towards hosted solutions due to the widespread availability of broadband services, coupled with the increasing complexity of traditional computing methods. Over time, small businesses will recognise the many benefits of hosted solutions, including low cost of ownership, rapid implementation, automated system management, reliability, flexibility and easy of use. As a result, management can concentrate on running the business without worrying about the cost and capabilities of information technology.” | | |
