Intershop Enfinity platform provides backbone for e-CRM, e-commerce solution

Intershop Communications Inc, the established provider of e-commerce platforms for global e-business, today announced a new strategic alliance with softlution AG, a developer of Web-based electronic customer relationship management (eCRM) products.

Combining Intershop`s Enfinity e-commerce platform with softlution`s eCRM solutions creates the first-ever, fully integrated, single-platform eBusiness and eCRM application. This new solution will be marketed as the softlution eCRM Suite.

With Intershop Enfinity, softlution`s eCRM Suite allows customers to more closely support direct selling efforts, manage the field sales force, optimise Web-based sales channels and leverage existing client contacts through direct e-mail, call centre and sales contact to better serve customers and increase sales. In addition, this combined solution manages all CRM functions including Sales Force Automation (SFA), Contact Centre, eMarketing and customer service.

"Softlution`s eCRM Suite is a great new product built directly on top of Enfinity technology," said Stephan Schambach, CEO of Intershop. "Softlution developed this product to seamlessly integrate two typically separate operations, allowing companies to operate better sales and service efforts by giving customers more direct and instant support during the online sales cycle.

Friedhelm Scharhag, softlution CEO, adds: "Never before have eBusiness and eCRM been so closely tied as in the new Intershop/softlution alliance."

The main technology behind this integrated eBusiness and eCRM solution is an intelligent connection of several servers, specifically the eCRM server, the transactivity server (eTS), and the catalogue server (eCS). To ensure maximum performance, eCRM and Enfinity transactions are processed on separate servers and the eCRM server can be located on an individual machine. This is possible because softlution has integrated the basic functionality of Enfinity in their eCRM server, resulting in reduced memory usage and other performance enhancements.

The exchange of data between those individual servers occurs via XML based interfaces (eRXI). Information between the eTS and eCRM servers is controlled by session observers. The session observers will notice any abandoned shopping process and trigger the "Active Call" function. In addition, all transaction processes can easily be modified and customised according to an organisation`s specific business processes.

According to market research, more than 80% of shopping processes are suspended before a purchase is completed. Two advanced call centre functions integrate sales cycle processes with call centre operations, allowing customers using softlution`s eCRM Suite to resolve customer issues immediately and effectively.

For example, if a potential customer has any questions while surfing an e-commerce Web site equipped with the softlution eCRM Suite, that customer simply clicks the new "Call Back Button" and enters the telephone number where he or she can be reached. A company sales representative can then dial the customer directly within minutes to address all questions immediately and in-person. In addition, the sales person has access to the customer`s order history and status and can even operate the customer`s browser to deliver more tailored assistance during the sales process.

In addition, this solution features an active shopping cart control, called "Active Call." If a customer aborts the shopping process after placing items in the shopping cart, the system alerts a sales representative, who will then call the customer. If there are any questions or technical problems, these are addressed immediately and the purchase process will often be completed.