Technology has revolutionized the way businesses handle and conduct their day to day activities. Businesses today have understood the potential for optimization by introducing mechanization and automation.
Finally, a solution to minimize human error and maximize results. This could take the form of introducing machinery to a manufacturing process or software to create automatic and better responses.
91% of all organizations use some degree of automation across their range of processes. Understanding the scope for technological intervention is critical to adding the right components to your business.
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What is Automation?
Automation is a blanket term to describe areas where technology has minimized human input.
Basic automation takes simple, straightforward tasks and creates an automated system of response.
The logical trajectory of decision making is programmed once and edited as needed.
This helps move repetitive tasks outside the hands of employees and allows them time and space to deal with activities that require a human touch.
Additionally, the automation of repetitive tasks helps move them along faster. Businesses are now able to conclude time consuming, labour intensive tasks in a fraction of the time usually taken.
Automation has proven to boost sales productivity by 14.5% and reduced marketing costs by 12.2%.
More complex forms of automation include;
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Process Automation
Handles processes that can be automated to maintain uniformity and transparency. This can be undertaken by dedicated software or applications. Processes like invoice processing and workflow automation fall under this category.
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Integration Automation
Describes mimicking human tasks and repeating actions. This minimizes the need for human support within business activities. For example, introducing virtual agents to call centres or customer service.
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Artificial Intelligence Automation
The most complex of the three forms, AI automation involves building systems that are able to learn. They gather input and form decisions based on past precedent.
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The application of automation spreads wide and far across a number of industries.
Automation within the eCommerce sphere has helped create efficient and effective storefronts that borderline mimic the experience of a brick and mortar store.
Automation and eCommerce
The eCommerce space is hyper-competitive. The businesses competing for your customers are not limited to a geographical location.
Standards for virtual retail are now set by the globe, and have pushed a “customer is king” approach to sales.
While your product might be one of the best on the market, how you choose to present your business and its ease of use is what determines your customer retention.
Automation in eCommerce is presented at both the front and back end. The objective is to optimize processes reducing overall time and resources invested to conduct the same activity.
Automation In eCommerce
eCommerce automation describes a software module built to automate the execution of tasks, processes and campaigns within a business.
It offers businesses a platform to do more with what they have and perform more intelligently.
As businesses grow they require more diligence and investment to accommodate higher volumes and more complicated processes.
Previous systems become inadequate and can cause breakdowns within the workflow affecting revenue.
Companies investing in automation software solutions are able to scale upwards in a way investing in new hires would not be able to.
Examples of eCommerce Automation
- Fulfilment: when items are ready for pickup, an automatic email or text message is sent to the customer.
- Inventory: Out-of-stock status is automatically introduced when all products are sold.
- Customer Loyalty: Tag high-value customers on the basis of their purchase patterns and offer special discounts, personalized messaging and validation of their high-value status.
- Risk Assessment: High-risk orders are easy to flag e.g. bots attempting to purchase full inventory.
- Scheduling: Introducing time-based price changes, promotions or social media collaterals can be automated.
- Best Sellers: Segregating products based on volumes purchased and the likelihood of going out of stock.
With B2B customers, looking for solutions that cater to growth within this market segment can be challenging.
Enter the VAR eCommerce platform and business management solution, the answer your business has been looking for.
The VAR eCommerce Platform
The VARStreet eCommerce platform offers an interactive system to build your store the way you need to. With a multitude of templates and integrations, incorporating a software solution to optimise business activities has never been simpler.
When building an eCommerce platform maximizing visibility is key. The responsive design offers accessibility across all mobile devices and the ability to export your product catalog to popular virtual selling platforms like Amazon and Ebay. Other features to amplify business activities include;
- The ability to drive traffic to your platform with inbuilt SEO and advertising management features.
- Increase your sales within a sale by introducing cross-selling and up-selling product recommendations.
- Creating discounts and coupons exclusively used on your eCommerce website.
- Encourage the sale of more than one item with the creation of bundles.
- A flexible configuration setup to maximize the existing hardware and software available.
- A ratings and review option allows a more transparent interaction with customers.
- The analytics feature allows for report generation. This gives you a more accurate understanding of your audience, traffic and customers to make better marketing and business decisions.
Read more about the features offered by the VAR eCommerce platform.
When eCommerce platform developers are able to understand the dynamic spaces required for businesses to thrive and survive, they incorporate a growing number of features and integrations to keep your platform relevant.
A key optimization feature VAR eCommerce offers for B2B clients is “PunchOut” technology. This enables buyers to access a suppliers website through the buyers’ procurement application.
This directs B2B customers to an eCommerce platform customized based on their relationship with the business. You are now able to offer negotiated pricing, terms and inventory to your client based on their needs.
Once they are ready to checkout, they are redirected to the original procurement system for approval. The order is concluded when a purchase order is sent to the supplier through the PunchOut system to create a seemingly single and seamless platform to complete transactions.
Read more about VARStreet’s PunchOut Technology
The VAR Business Management Platform
Looking to optimize the backend of your business operations? Look no further than the VARStreets business management platform optimized for enterprise VARs (Value Added Resellers).
The eCommerce store is one of a plethora of software solutions offered within the suite. Other key components include;
- Catalog and Rich Content Management
- Sales Quoting
- Marketing
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
- Analytics
- Bundles and Configurations
- Sourcing and Procurement
The software suite is built to optimize reselling in the digital age. VARs, distributors, vendors and manufacturers are able to capitalize on the features to automate and reduce the possibility of errors within any business process.
Learn More about the Business Management Platform
The VARStreet Benefit
VARStreet offers a strong foundation of over 25,000 users with over 45 distributor connections and 5500 manufacturers (across the aggregated catalog) to maximize B2B visibility.
This platform is built to ensure smooth and optimized relationships between businesses and their suppliers.
The $10 billion in transactions a year prove introducing this B2B specific to your business could introduce nothing but increased sales and business efficiency.
Capitalize on the multitude of features to optimize business activities that seem time and resource consuming.
Minimizing human error is the goal of all businesses operating in the digital age.
Introducing a solution with flexibility and scalability enables replacement of human intervention without working about migration or training based downtime.
The simple to use platform allows any business to integrate and grow.
Conclusion
Moving to a digital platform or improving on an existing one may seem time-consuming and almost futile.
Introducing the right technology solution to your business could revolutionize turnover and your approach to building and running a virtual business.
The VARStreet suite of applications offers diverse functionality and scope of use; making it the perfect investment for businesses looking to optimize and grow.
Before settling on a software solution that meets you halfway, look to VARStreet for a comprehensive B2B solution from start to finish.
