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 RiskWrite, 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; RiskWrite 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.
