Published on 27-Dec-2011
"Giving our resellers the ability to work with us via a robust e-commerce system lets us provide cutting-edge service and for them, in turn, to provide cutting-edge service to their own customers. We look forward to expanding and growing through use of the Sterling Configure, Price, Quote. Sterling Configure, Price, Quote will allow both Cranel Imaging and our resellers to operate more effectively, creating a powerful win-win situation." - Scott Slack, Vice President of Marketing, Cranel Imaging
Customer:
Cranel Imaging
Industry:
Wholesale Distribution & Services, Electronics
Deployment country:
United States
Solution:
Smarter Commerce
Overview
Cranel Imaging is the nation’s leading value-added distributor of document imaging, storage, and duplication products and services. Cranel Imaging complements the expertise of their value-added resellers with their specialty document imaging knowledge, a flexible business approach, and the ability to effectively represent the reseller’s needs to manufacturing organizations.
Business need:
Cranel wanted to differentiate themselves from their competitors, and meet the needs of its two other business units, Versitec and Adexis, by offering a functionality-rich, Web-based customer self-service solution for order placement and status.
Solution:
With Sterling Configure, Price, Quote, Cranel Imaging resellers are able to securely log on to Cranel Imaging Online to access information for thousands of products. The solution provides their resellers with guidance to the best products and related pricing.
Benefits:
• Provides Cranel Imaging’s resellers with a robust, self-service e-commerce portal to conduct business • Offers Cranel Imaging’s resellers the ability to provide cutting-edge services to their own customers • Allows both Cranel Imaging and their resellers to operate more efficiently • Cranel Imaging resellers can now conduct business virtually anytime of the day or night
Case Study
Customer background
Cranel Imaging is the nation’s leading value-added distributor of document imaging, storage, and duplication products and services. Cranel Imaging complements the expertise of their value-added resellers with their specialty document imaging knowledge, a flexible business approach, and the ability to effectively represent the reseller’s needs to manufacturing organizations. Cranel Imaging’s portfolio includes a full range of industry specific software applications, document scanners, imaging processing equipment, online storage, optical storage, CD and DVD storage, on demand publishing and duplication, and unsurpassed service through a variety of service providers including Versitec, the service division of Cranel, Inc.
Business challenge
Cranel Imaging needed to differentiate themselves from their competitors by offering a functionality-rich, Web-based customer self-service solution for order placement and status. Historically, the company had relied on face-to-face or phone-to-phone interactions and relationships to build and maintain their business.
Additionally, Cranel Imaging realized that they needed to offer their resellers a comprehensive online product catalog and order management system to facilitate orders more effectively. It also needed to be deployed in a short timeframe.
Solution
With Sterling Configure, Price, Quote, Cranel Imaging resellers are able to securely log on to Cranel Imaging Online to access information for thousands of products. The solution provides their resellers with guidance to the best products and related pricing. Cranel Imaging resellers also are able to configure complex product orders with increased efficiency, then place, track, and manage orders 24/7 throughout the purchasing process.
The newly implemented e-commerce site allows Cranel Imaging to further demonstrate how they are the easiest and most efficient value-added distributor to work with. Acting as an extension of their resellers, Cranel Imaging Online adds a new level of support for resellers in their daily business operations.
Products and services used
IBM products and services that were used in this case study.
Software:
Sterling Configure, Price, Quote
Legal Information
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