Escalate Automates Retail ‘Special Order,’ Speeds In-Store Order Configuration
Allows stores to increase special order revenue without customer service hassles
REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.— July 19, 2004 — Escalate, Inc., the multi-channel commerce software company, today announced the availability of Escalate Configurator, a new product that lets retailers automate all processes associated with in-store special orders. Based on technology already available from Escalate for online ordering, Configurator gives store clerks the ability to select the customer’s desired product attributes through online catalogs. It also automatically creates the custom stock keeping units (SKUs) and special orders on the fly.
“Special orders are an age-old irritant for retailers: customers fill out custom order forms with their preferences, which are then faxed to the manufacturer for fulfillment and shipping,” said Michael Ker, CEO of Escalate. “It’s a very manual, expensive process that doesn’t provide for good customer service. When customers call to check on their order, the retailer has to call the manufacturer to get status information. Some store clerks even tell their customers to order direct from the manufacturer just to avoid the headaches of placement and follow up. With Escalate Configurator the entire process is now automated and retailers can dramatically increase the number of custom orders, keep track of those orders and eliminate errors.”
Escalate Configurator allows store associates to easily generate SKUs and custom orders. It automates and consolidates the retailer’s vendor catalogs, and automatically sorts through options available for made-to-order products, which are selected by the customer and entered through an intuitive interface by the store associate. For example, if a customer buys a couch she would identify such attributes as sofa model, size, color, fabric, and whether the fabric should be treated with ScotchguardTM. Once Configurator creates the order, Escalate Order Management processes the payment and calculates tax and shipping. It consolidates and a stream of custom orders and converts them into purchase orders (PO). From there, Escalate Fulfillment transfers POs to vendors for manufacturing and drop ship delivery – all automatically. Throughout the entire cycle, order status information is readily available for customer service.
Escalate Configurator facilitates mass customization while reducing errors and communications overhead, including the extensive follow-up demanded by customers to make sure longer lead time orders have been fulfilled and shipped. The system allows retailers to increase the number of products and options available for special order without overwhelming store associates with manual paperwork and follow up.
Pricing & Availability
Escalate Configurator is available as an add-on module for existing users of Escalate applications, while the Special Order package is available for new customers. Pricing is based on order volume and complexity of special orders. To find out more about Escalate Configurator, please visit www.escalate.com , or call 650-769-3496.
About Escalate
Escalate® delivers complete multi-channel commerce solutions for the retail industry. Escalate solutions provide a seamless shopping experience, while making it simple to manage orders and customer service across sales channels and to ship orders from any location. Escalate`s multi-channel commerce solutions are designed to be quick to implement, allowing you to realize benefits next quarter. By seamlessly managing orders and customer service across channels, you increase the satisfaction of your best customers and reduce overhead expenses. Using Escalate, you can also profit from fulfillment practices such as vendor drop ship that dramatically lower inventory costs.
Escalate solutions are built using our multi-channel commerce, order management, and fulfillment applications. All applications are available as a subscription service or licensed software. Clients include premier retailers and retail product manufacturers such as Eddie Bauer Home, The Home Depot Canada, Williams-Sonoma, Neiman Marcus Direct, FTD.com, Fred Meyer Jewelers and InFocus. Escalate is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California.
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