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Do new technologies and classic cars contradict one another? Perhaps when taken literally, but when they're teamed up in an Internet shop, it can make searching their whole stock for replacement parts a lot easier for fans of those four-wheeled classics. Even limited-series engine parts can be ordered quickly and easily. All it takes is a couple of clicks to request those hard-to-find valves, leads and gaskets for high-revving internal combustion motors from the e-Shop. Alternatively, you can have custom made products ordered with the help of the product configurator available over the Internet. This true example from a medium-sized German business, should make it clear that eBusiness solutions can be especially profitable for companies occupying a certain niche. PROMATIS provided the technical support for the project.
Vintage car buffs can really sing the blues when it comes to finding specific replacement parts. Searching for matching parts for limited production engines can often end up being a long exercise in futility. Legislators don't make the life of classic car fans any easier by prohibiting leaded gas, for example. Replacement engine parts need to be found in order to stay in line with the law and to keep those old beauties on the road. This is where the gap in the market existed, which the Märkische Werk, Halver (MWH - see box) has filled using modern technology. An online shop with the product configurator should reduce the effort demanded by such a search, offer corresponding customer service, simplify production, and thereby reduce delivery time.
The job of setting up the online shop was taken up by workers from Junior Systems, an independent area of responsibility in MWH. For the pilot project, the eStore contained only the junior company's product range and delivered in-depth empirical values for the entire company over electronic sales channels. Additions to the system provider's entire product range were planned for later. "Project eStore" was initiated in April 2000 together with the eBusiness experts, who were already trusted back in early 1998 to set up database-supported ERP system, PROMATIS.
Defining Data and Function Models
Before beginning technical conversion, the system's demands were identified and PROMATIS's overall rough concept for e-shops was appropriately fitted to them. It took a couple of meetings to put together a catalog listing all the foreseen system requirements. "Especially important to us, was to take advantage of synergy effects associated with connecting the eStore to in-house applications. That way, we can be sure that orders coming into the e-shop immediately trigger events that continue their processing," explains Lore Sülwald, Junior System Project Leader, about one of the most important project guidelines. Data and function modeling was used to implement concept details with special attention to security aspects. The questions that now needed to be answered were: What will an anonymous Internet user get to see, and which data do online visitors with passwords have access to? "That's why we differentiated between new customers and regular customers, who have access to their complete order history including all diagrams. Our goal is to provide our regular customers with more transparency and more services," said Lore Sülwald explaining the concept. Potential new customers deserve the chance to explore the eStore themselves. Therefore, unregistered shop visitors will be given access to a relatively large area including the valve configurator.
eStore Setup
The security concept for registered users is based on degrees of freedom. The staff at Junior System managed to establish 16 different degrees of freedom that determine who sees which data. These were then joined with the Oracle database and the production system. The concept was then implemented step by step using the development tool Oracle Portal. With its menu navigation, this tool comes in handy for successive setups. The eStore took shape quickly thanks to the building block system of tools and instructions.
From Prototype to eStore
The project team held weekly meetings, in which new, more advanced prototypes were constantly being introduced. A ready-to-run model was already completed in September 2000, because the lack of a test model forced developers to work directly on the final shop model. You can examine the finished product at www.estore.mwh.de. Junior Systems now operates their specialty production and limited production series engine parts services over this Internet address. By entering the address, you'll be welcomed in the globally-active valve manufacturer's 'salesroom'. And then things really get going!
How are Internet Shop Orders Processed?
The shopper has two options for searching and ordering. They can either make a selection from the standard assortment using a MWH ID number, or run a search using criteria such as the model or the engine manufacturer. As a second option, the online shoppers have a custom-tailored valve produced by using the "Valve specs." button. This is where Junior System's Internet-based product configurator comes into play. It starts by displaying a valve separated in five different sections. When a customer clicks a valve attribute, they are presented with an overview of possible variations. Here they select the variation corresponding to their desired product, or the one most similar. After setting the right properties, key geometric features, such as head and shaft diameter need to be specified using the Dimensions button. Search parameters are rounded off by selecting the shaft end and engine load level. If the specifications are invalid or illogical, a message is immediately sent to the shopper. If a valve was properly defined, price lists and delivery times will be available. However, registration is required to request this information. Shoppers who then fill out the registration form with the required information, will receive a password within moments and can use this password for all future visits. When they've finished selecting products, the order lands in the shopping cart. If needed, this is where positions can be given individual remarks, which are included in the order process in the form of queries.
Automatic Workflow Process
After submitting the shopping cart, a workflow process is triggered and the system takes care of the whole process automatically. If it turns out that an employee needs to get manually involved in the search, notification will appear on his monitor. They will only assist in the part of the search that corresponds to their expertise and authorization level. If a part with the same or very similar measurements has already been manufactured, the system sends notification. The employee can then extract the appropriate contract number from existing documents and thereby search for any helpful diagrams or documents that may already be on hand. If there are, they will be presented on-screen as masks or Word documents. It's this practice that decreases the time needed to quote prices and determine availability, and lets inquiries be answered around the clock. The information collected by the system also eases individual custom production. Special orders that are the same or similar are pooled together and can be manufactured as a limited series. This saves money and time because production machines only have to be reset once.
In addition, with eStore, their distribution range grew dramatically. Now, vintage car buffs from around the world can make replacement part orders. An English language version makes it truly internationally accessible. If this sales channel lives up to its expectations, the e-shop will be put into action in other business areas.
User Portrait Märkisches Werk, Halver
The Märkisches Werk GmbH is located in Halver and produces cylinder header components for two-stroke and four-stroke motors. Their motors power sea going vessels, tugboats, barges, diesel locomotives, and stationary electrical generators. The company from Sauerland, Germany, distributes more than a 1000 different valves and other parts such as gaskets and leads around the globe. Junior Systems' business strategy revolves around the development, production and distribution of engine parts. The crux of their production program is limited-series and custom manufactured engine parts for classic cars. About 180 employees work at Märkisches Werk.
Junior System Business Unit
Junior System is an independent MWH business unit, made up of trainees under professional leadership. This trainee program took shape in the 1970's and serves to bring new life into MWH, as with the eStore project. From the start, trainees are encouraged to take over the responsibility for the Junior company. MWH was one of the first companies to offer such a program. |
