Case Studies
Web Application - Plastics Manufacturer
Developed a dynamic e-commerce website with custom content management.
Description
Problem
The client had an existing website, built using an off-the-shelf package, that was no longer meeting business needs. The client wanted to upgrade to a custom web application in order to satisfy a list of specific requirements, including:
- Unlimited number of product categories and subcategories
- Products allowed to belong to more than one category or subcategory
- Minimal number of navigational mouse clicks
- Custom shopping cart, using client's artwork
- Fast image downloads
- Simple interface to allow customer to modify the data and imagery in house
- Integrate data with existing back office accounting system
In addition, the client wanted his in-house graphic designers to design the page layouts and to manage the imagery for the site.
Solution
BCA designed a solution that seamlessly "plugs in" to the client's current work flow and utilizes their existing back-office accounting system. The solution includes a custom content management database application which displays inventory (from the back-office system) and allows staff to organize the display of products with great flexibility over the available off-the-shelf options. The client can create an unlimited hierarchy of categories and subcategories and assign products to any number of groupings. This allows the display of information to be closely correlated with the different types of site users.
Since the client has graphic designers on staff, the solution provided a method for these designers to develop the page layout as well as manage regular updates of product photos, ad campaigns, and special promotions.
BCA designed the user interface to utilize expanding tree data structures that simplify display of the complicated data relationships. The application also provides easy-to-use data entry forms so that the client's staff is able to modify the catalog data quickly and accurately.
After launching the new site, the company's hit rate increased dramatically to an average of 250,000 hits per month, 3.9 pages per hit. Web ordering quadrupled. (See testimonial.)
Client George Patton Associates, Inc.
Year Completed 2002