eCommerce News
Frank Gehry vs. Frank Lloyd Wright – “Frank” talk about Cloud Architecture
Dec 15th
Bill Loumpouridis
Frank Gehry built a reputation for challenging our core beliefs around what buildings should look like and the role of design. His work is often described as “Deconstructivist,” which means he reduces his creations to be more of a reflection of the tension that binds atomic elements vs. the singular “harmonic” whole of a Frank Lloyd Wright conception.
Cloud Barbarians at the Gate
Sep 2nd
Bill Loumpouridis
Cloud computing is empowering small business innovators with business tools that can be implemented with extraordinary speed and cost effectiveness. These innovators are now crashing down the gates of their larger competitors with superior customer service, product innovation and business agility. More >
When Configurators Go Bad
Aug 16th
A while back I had an interesting experience. As one of the consultants at EDL Consulting who helps clients sells their products using a “configurator” I had the opportunity to be an end user. I had to order a new computer system for my home so I went to the website of a large computer vendor (which shall not be named). It was a typical inquiry-to-cash process for this company: pick your hardware, pick your software, add accessories, get credit card info, etc. More >
The Cloud Integration Challenge to Software Vendors
Jul 29th
Bill Loumpouridis
While our industry continues to froth over the potential of the cloud, for those of us deploying cloud applications elegantly, surmounting integration challenges continue to be the gauge of our success.
As summer kicks into gear EDL Consulting finds itself in the midst of several large-scale eCommerce initiatives, all of them with varying degrees of cloud-based components (for the purposes of this article, I am purposely using a watered-down definition of “cloud” to include managed services, hosting and platform-as-a-service). What strikes me about these projects as I listen to our clients and deployment teams is the increasing complexity of the integration landscape for deploying these solutions. More >
Google Apps Marketplace a Wake-up Call for Salesforce.com AppExchange
Jul 12th
Bill Loumpouridis
In order for this to happen, what is needed is an integrated application suite – ala NetSuite. An integrated suite of ERP, CRM and eCommerce, along with HR and Financials could change the software world order as we know it and seriously threaten Salesforce.com’s dominance of the cloud. During the first dot com era of the late 90’s, the mantra was “cannibalize yourself before your competitors do it for you”. I doubt they would anytime soon, but if one of the big 4 – Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, SAP – heed this advice things could get very interesting.
According to Google, “the Google Apps Marketplace offers products and services designed for Google users, including installable apps that integrate directly with Google Apps. Installable apps are easy-to-use because they include single sign-on, Google’s universal navigation, and some even include features that integrate with your domain’s data.” As it turns out, as long as your application recognizes Google credentials for single sign-on, you’re in. More >
Configurator Best Practices
Apr 30th
If your customers are willing to pay more to customize your products or services to their specifications then you’ve probably looked at product configurators. Configurators help bring more of those profitable orders that help you achieve your revenue goals. EDL’s experienced consultants know the problem spots related to getting product configurators up and running (and still produce a nice return on investment).
Here are some areas where EDL expertise really makes a difference in getting product configurators to work.
Top three ways you can prevent eCommerce projects from failing before they start
Feb 16th
In my career as an IT consultant implementing eCommerce solutions, I have seen many projects doomed even before they start. Here are the top three ways you can prevent your eCommerce project from failing so.
Know why you need eCommerce: One common reason eCommerce projects fail is that solutions are built without understanding fully why they are being built. Companies decide they need to be on the Internet because everybody else is. No thought or consideration is given to a) Do our customers really need it? b) What value will the eCommerce solution provide, over say, EDI that your customers may currently be using? c) Is there a specific subset of customers we need to target with eCommerce? The reason this is important is that it can dictate the type of solution you decide to go with. Maybe all you need is a simple order entry form and not a complex eCommerce solution.