Case study: Specialist packaging supplier needs low-risk e-commerce solution

The Business
AirPack Systems is a Hampshire-based specialist supplier of air pocket packaging materials with a background in the print and design industries. It successfully markets it's packaging materials and equipment into several special market sectors, mainly to volume users.

The Problem
The company wanted a low-cost mechanism for marketing to smaller-volume customers who would not benefit from trade account facilities and therefore should pay by credit card and purchase via an e-commerce web site. The need was to ensure the e-commerce functionality fitted within the schemes for the existing web site design and marketing collateral whilst being low-risk for an at the time untested market.

The Solution
Alpha Systems Consultants developed an e-commerce back-end for the existing web site which maintains a database of registered customers and allows them and "click-by" customers to purchase small-volume product for two particular market sectors. At the same time company management can easily extract customer data for later use within their own CRM system. The e-commerce sysem allows payment and order fulfillment to be tracked and the customer to be kept informed about order progress.