SAFE™ is a series of preconfigured, reusable and customisable eCommerce components that allows a merchant to deliver a production ready eCommerce solution very quickly. SAFE™ speeds up and simplifies the delivery of an IBM WebSphere Commerce based eCommerce solution. It also lowers the risk associated with launching a new eCommerce capability or replacing an existing eCommerce application:

“From day one the relationship between Salmon and Barratts to deliver our MC strategy has been immense. Through the six month period of development, through every single project that we’ve progressed including Reserve & Collect, Bazaarvoice product reviews, from the technical expertise, to project management, through to expert analysts their development and expertise has been paramount.”
Ken Platt, Head of eCommerce and Customer Services

Since we launched the new eCommerce infrastructure and websites, we’ve helped Barratts Priceless trade the websites and grow their revenues online. In fact Barratts.co.uk have been shortlisted as finalists for the Drapers Footwear Etailer of the Year Award 2010.

We’ve also helped them introduce new channels to their customers for instance their iPhone strategy and mobile strategy generally.

Here are links to more eCommerce customer stories, where SAFE™ has been implemented:

Press Release: Hawkshead, Craghoppers and Dare2b brands gain online advantage
Press Release: Kiddicare aims to triple online sales with SAFE™
Press Release: Scotts & Co. seeks new markets and growth opportunities with SAFE™

Hot on the heels of news related to our projects for Novae and Boots.com, we are pleased to be able to draw your attention to an announcement of a successful implementation of a new B2C eCommerce platform – this time supporting Stylo plc – the UK’s second largest independent shoe retailer.  The project – built with SAFE™ (Salmon’s Application Framework for eCommerce) supports Stylo’s multiple brands including, PriceLess, Barratts, Discount Shoe Store, Petitfeet, Big Shoe Boutique and Nineteen Twentyone.

Talking about the project, Ken Platt (E-Commerce Manager at Stylo) said,

SAFE™ was affordable, fast to implement and supported our multiple brands. Its “out of the box” functionality met all of our requirements, supporting our online needs as well as giving us complete control over our eCommerce environment.  We now have a scalable platform in place that meets our customers’ desires now and will cope with increasing levels of traffic and our changing business needs in the future.

As a result of the engagement with Salmon, Stylo will benefit from sophisticated functionality for marketing campaigns, as well as better merchandising, content and order management. Common business processes are re-used across the business and at each point of interaction (store, contact centre, web, etc). The technology behind the eCommerce platform is a single instance of IBM WebSphere Commerce Enterprise Edition.

SAFE™ (Salmon’s Application Framework for eCommerce), is a series of pre-configured, reusable and customisable eCommerce components combined with a mature project delivery methodology.  SAFE™ speeds and simplifies the delivery of very sophisticated eCommerce solutions, significantly lowering the risks traditionally associated with launching a new eCommerce capability, or replacing an existing eCommerce platform.

Salmon has integrated IBM WebSphere Commerce with CyberSource payment gateway, Mercado for optimised search and browse and Coremetrics for online analytics and marketing optimisation.  The eCommerce platform has also been integrated with Stylo’s back office systems including sales, despatch and catalogue requests, so that information can be horizontally shared across the business, resulting in the ability to provide a totally integrated experience for the customer.

The sites will be hosted by Rackspace whilst Salmon are responsible for supporting the databases and application software.

Two great news announcements were made this week and last.  Apologies for not getting these posted sooner.  (For all the Salmon news hot-off-the press go here, or better still subscribe to the RSS here).

Multi-Channel Health and Beauty revamp

First up, Boots.com announced its complete revamp.  Because of the nature of the project (was there a bigger eCommerce project in the UK in 2008 by the way?) Boots.com partnered with Salmon to benefit from our multi-channel and eCommerce expertise.

The new look site for Boots boasts a host of new features and functionality to improve the customer’s shopping experience; including improved navigation and a one-page checkout, as well as a ‘wish list’ facility and product ratings and reviews.

“Boots.com was initially launched more than six years ago. In this time, e-commerce has grown beyond all expectations and technology has come on at pace. In addition, our customers have told us that they would like to see more information and advice alongside our thousands of health and beauty products.”
Tim Stacey, Director, Boots.com

Boots.com is seizing the opportunity to update the technology which is used on the site, whilst at the same time introducing the richer content which customers have requested, following extensive customer research.

Tim Stacey further explained; “We know our customers want a quick, simple checkout, delivery options that suit them and to feel part of a community online. This is the first stage in an exciting period of development for Boots’ online presence and we are committed to delivering customers a multi-channel shopping experience. There are many more exciting developments planned over the next few months including the launch of a ‘buy online and collect in store’ service, further developments in health advice and information, and online communities for our customers.”

The site’s new platform will also greatly increase Boots.com’s advice and information capabilities. As well as the existing ‘Ask Boots’ advice portal in partnership with the British Medical Journal, the site will have inspiring video content with advice on everything from morning sickness to beauty videos showing how to get the latest looks.

The new ‘live pharmacist’ service means that users can email a health question to the site and have a pharmacist call them back with online pharmacy advice within 20 minutes. The service is available nightly, Monday to Saturday from 6pm to midnight.

The site’s product range has also been expanded, to include new, exclusive lines and gift ranges in time for Christmas. For example, the site’s popular Beauty Boutique will now feature online exclusives from brands such as Bliss, Korres and Caudalie.

Online Underwriting for Motor Fleet line-of-business

The second announcement reflects our delight helping Novae launch its Motor Fleet line-of-business on SAFI (The Salmon Application Framework for Insurance), extending the web-based platform implemented originally back in 2004, to cater for a range of new productsto be marketed quickly and efficiently.  (You can read the announcement we made when we first started working with Novae here and get a complete case study here).

Steve Fookes, IT Director Novae said; “The introduction of Novae’s Motor Fleet Underwriting Service is an opportunity to strengthen our market position. We needed a completely integrated IT infrastructure that could be aligned across the business which was cost effective and would support ongoing growth.”

Designed as a series of fully reusable and customisable components that allow insurance companies to quickly leverage a truly open IT architecture; SAFI provides Novae greater visibility of the insured, policies and claims throughout the life cycle; encompassing such activities as quotations, placement of orders, policy production, financial management, document generation, management information and regulatory requirements.

For those not in the know (I am assuming everyone isn’t an expert in online insurance underwriting, thankfully Salmon are) this is a big deal.  The web-based system we have developed ensures that paper-based inefficiencies are a thing of the past and help Novae provide a high level of customer service to its brokers (such as providing online quotes and offering “acceptance” immediately, together with instant documentation).  Motor Fleet Underwriting is a complex business, and as part of the project Salmon has interfaced with third party systems likes the Motor Insurance Database, however, Salmon was still able to ensure Novae hit the go-live deadline and enabled Novae to commence trading on schedule.

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What a great end to the working week….And as if it couldn’t get any better I think we might just be able to squeeze another customer announcement out on Monday!  Successful enterprise projects…..just like buses.  Three coming along at once.  But then I am used to that here.

Today we announced the growing adoption and success of the Salmon Application Framework for eCommerce (SAFE) TM.

SAFE is a fully developed, tested and pre-configured solution comprising reusable components and a mature methodology, significantly lowering the costs and reducing the risks typically associated to implementing IBM WebSphere Commerce.

A recent SAFE project completed by Salmon for Hawkshead, one of the UK’s largest suppliers of men and ladies leisure clothing, saw 100% of the merchant’s requirements being met with little or no customisation required to support catalogue and content management, marketing, B2C selling and order management. The solution was developed in just 35 days.

You can read the full press release here.