VESA has recently commissioned a major overhaul of its website (http://www.vesa.co.za) to enable it to keep up to date with the latest developments in technology which in turn allows it to better protect the interests of the consumer purchasing a vehicle security product.
The intention of this redevelopment has been to move the site on from being a simple catalogue site giving some static information on VESA and its members to being a dynamic interactive site which can be queried to provide for the specific needs of the user at that time. This is done by enabling the website to meet the following six critical requirements of a truly e-commerce enabled site:
A communication device
An immediate, secure and virtually free communication tool is established between all the players in the vehicle security industry, manufacturers, installers, buyers and the insurance industry.
A sales assistant
An opportunity is created to have an open store 24 h a day in which the buyer can do his research, find an installer convenient to him, order the product and book an appointment.
Operations management
The perception is that most online business is retail based. This is, however, not true, as the majority of transactions take place from business to business. The tools and interfaces provided by the website allow for placement of orders by installers. These are transmitted to the supplier for fulfilment. Any additional communications which may then be required can be carried out via the website. In addition, as all orders are stored in a database extensive reports can be retrieved to provide analysis of sales and trends.
The ever changing catalogue
Prices and products are changing constantly which more often than not results in boxes full of outdated catalogues and price lists and the cost of printing replacements. By using online catalogues they can be updated with a minimum of delay at negligible cost.
As an additional application installation and maintenance manuals may be placed online to allow installers access to the latest information.
Really hot news
The latest information pertaining to the industry, such as press releases or new specifications, can be disseminated quickly and easily to exactly the correct audience via simple tools which require no knowledge of web page authoring programs or any other specialised computer programming skills.
Security
Extensive use of passwords which can be set to allow different levels of access, provides for secure entry to the appropriate parts of the site. This is the online equivalent of allowing customers access to the front of the shop whilst staff and suppliers may have access to the back office and management yet more secure areas.
This website (http://www.vesa.co.za) will provide a portal to the entire vehicle security industry as well as other related industries and will radically change the way that this industry carries out its business. With the AcuityMedia Web Commerce Survey projecting growth in online spending from R4 billion in 1999 to R37 billion in 2003, this exciting leap in technology places VESA and the vehicle security industry as the forefront of the next wave of commerce as we enter the new millennium.
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