 |
Exotique Living
Stock Control and Content Management Application
|
Client Introduction
 Exotique Living is a start-up furniture retailer selling fine imported products from around the world. The store also provides interior and landscape design services through its team of talented designers.
Project Overview
Exotique Living initially approached Switch I.T. to develop a small promotional web site. Initial consultation however highlighted the opportunity to streamline many of the cumbersome paper-based internal processes involved in the day to day running of the store. The result, a complete I.T. strategy that would allow the promotion and day to day running of the business to be combined in a single, intuitive application.
The final application delivered to Exotique Living served three main functions:
- Stock Control
The application allowed Exotique Living staff to maintain their entire range of over 1000 products in a simple, intuitive manner. Products can be browsed by category and searched for by keyword, description and range of other meta data. The system also directly integrated with the existing MYOB and point of sale system, allowing the entire store to be run from a single application.
- Web Site Content Management
By utlising in-house developed .NET web services, clicking on a single 'Synchronise Website' button allows the website to be automatically updated, including new products and product images, landscape and interior design case studies, and other web site content. This synchronisation process runs in the background, ensuring the application can still be used to run the store.
- Catalogue Generation
To avoid the costly process of continually manually updating catalogues for Exotique Living's tradespeople and resellers, the application also dynamically generates a printable brochure of the entire product range, including print-quality 300 dpi images in PDF format.
Following it's implementation, the Stock Control and Content Management application was a complete success. Exotique Living staff members were quick to adopt the new system without any training required. The new system has streamlined the business process dramatically allowing more time for staff to focus on serving customers and improving the business.
Technologies
|
|
| Development Environment |
C#, .NET Web Services |
| Database |
SQL Server 2000, Access 2000 |
| OS |
Windows 2000 |
|
|
|
|
|
The system stores 300 dpi versions of all product images. .NET Web Services are used to dynamically create different versions for the web site and brochures.
An intuitive, tabbed interface is used to maintain all product information.
Staff can add interior and landscape design case studies, including multiple images via the application before synchronising with the website.
|
|
|
