client back in action
website www.backinaction.co.uk
sector retail
Back in Action
We've been working with Back in Action for many years now. During that time the company has become the UK's largest retailer of orthopaedic furniture, dedicated to beating back pain and educating customers in ways to improve their health, both at home and in the workplace. As Back in Action has grown, so has our relationship with them.
The original brief was to develop a new website and online shop that reflected the friendly, relaxed atmosphere of their fearsomely good high-street stores.
Sales rocketed as the online shop took off and the website brought ever more customers into the High Street stores. Overwhelmed (figuratively and almost literally) by the response to the new site, Back in Action asked us to turn our talents to behind-the-scenes order fulfillment. We designed and implemented an Order Processing System that's as easy and useful as one of Back in Action's famous seating assessments - no mean feat.
Since then we have continuously improved the online shop and Order Processing System as well as being involved in a number of additional projects. Among other things we have developed software that improves communication with customers, enhances internal communication and provides management information.
Creation of the Online Shop
The Brief
If Back in Action were going to do an online shop, they wanted it to live up to the experience provided by their High Street stores. It had to be friendly, relaxed and easy to use; the purchase process needed to mirror that enjoyed by walk-in customers. They also told us to sit up straight and stop slouching.
The online shop
Fulfilling that brief was no easy task, but we think we’ve done it. The online shop carries all of Back in Action's products and, rather than simply listing the features, also includes extra content such as information and usage guides. We're very proud of this functionality, particularly our 'walk-through' boxes that replicate the questions an in-store assistant would ask. Back in Action love it, as some of their products are complex and a significant investment; the ability to add extra content means that customers are informed, more products are sold and search engines send more people their way.
The shop is extremely search-engine friendly; the way products and information are presented brings people in, helps them buy and ensures that they return. Essential in a world where customers' purchasing decisions usually start with a Google search.
In particular, the online shop has the following features:
- a huge selection of products and variants – all of the different colour and style options are easily browseable
- an easy to use basket and checkout system – one-click functionality wherever possible
- the ability to bypass online payment – for those of us still a little wary of internet shopping (a member of staff rings customers back for credit card details)
- the option to create an Account – to streamline future purchases...
- …and the option NOT to open an account – for those that hate trying to remember passwords
- a bespoke payment system – using the latest in payment encryption
- a highly flexible 'special offers' function – available discounts are automatically added to the basket during promotions or for specific combinations of products
- a charitable donation scheme – enabling affiliates and charities to receive a percentage of any sales they direct to the site
- feeds to price aggregation websites – ensuring Back in Action's products appear when people use comparison sites, such as Google products
- all written in a format that the search-engines love – after all, high visibility on Google leads to lots of lovely sales
Creation of the Order Processing System
The Brief
Due to the success of their SAV-designed online shop, Back in Action needed a way of handling the volume of orders that were coming their way. It had to ensure that no mistakes were made, save time, eliminate non-value added tasks and reduce costs.
Most challengingly, the Order Processing System had to be comprehensive enough that all orders could go through it without the need for work-arounds, and flexible enough that Back in Action’s superb service would not be compromised.
The Order Processing System
This implementation of our Order Processing System was designed to make life as simple and stress-free as possible for the delicious people that work at Back in Action. Wherever possible we implemented software that would back them up, allowing them to spend more time doing what they do best.
Vitally, the Order Processing System accepts orders from all of Back in Action’s sales channels; it is fully integrated with the website, it is used at point of sale in the high street stores and it processes the details of orders received by telephone and post.
This involved:
- integration with the online shop – the Order Processing System and the online shop work from the same database, ensuring that they are always in sync
- integrated accounts - customers only need one account; it can be accessed in any one of the sales channels or by anyone who needs access for processing an order
- sales capture – all sales are automatically captured by the Order Processing System, whether they are made online, in the high-street stores, by telephone or from a postal order
- real-time stock management – all stock is tracked to the high street stores and warehouses. The Order Processing System will order stock automatically and can even predict growth and seasonal variation in sales
- product fulfilment from stock - the software finds the necessary products in the warehouses and instructs the warehouse to pick and ship the products once full payment has been taken
- product fulfilment from suppliers - the software flags up a product that is 'out of stock' or 'not a stock item' and orders it from the supplier, tracking its progress via fulfilment and delivery companies to the customer
- real-time delivery path analysis - the software will even work out the quickest way to get products to the customer, ensuring fast, efficient delivery and a high level of customer satisfaction
- strong security - the system holds its confidential customer data and commercially sensitive information in an encrypted format and access rights can be individually assigned and controlled using a high-security staff accounts system
Further projects
Customer enquiry system
To ensure that customers who shopped online had access to the same quality of advice as their counterparts in-store and to provide a communication channel for after-sales care, SAV developed a fully integrated 'contact us' system.
This allows customers to start a dialogue with a member of staff on their own encrypted page of the website. Staff members have access to the opposite end of the dialogue and can manage multiple customer enquiries simultaneously, from the same screen.
The system also serves as the conduit for Back in Action’s e-mail consultancy service.
Internal communication
As Back in Action grew, internal communication became more challenging. SAV developed two solutions to this problem: a message board and a task management system. These solutions allow broadcast of information and individual task assignment.
The message board allows communication to a group of staff or the whole company. The person posting the message can choose the distribution list; those on it will be ticked off as they read the message and those not in it will not even see the message. Messages for each individual are displayed together when they log in and replies can be posted, generating a discussion.
Tasks, by contrast, are applied to individuals with all of the usual bells and whistles, such as due dates, priorities and status. Each staff member has a view of tasks that have been allocated to them and tasks they have allocated. Tasks can be linked to orders, providing a quick and simple way to reference the issue that the task is referring to.
Management information and reporting
Back in Action's leaders have access to comprehensive sales, accounting and efficiency management information, allowing them to identify trends and plan accordingly. Website usage and customer behaviour is also logged and analysed, meaning that the presentation and success of products can constantly be reviewed and changed where necessary.
These reports are automatically sent by e-mail and/or text message and are available on request. Reports viewed online can be sliced and diced in any number of ways with filters and categorisation and the results are presented in tabular and graphical format and there is the option to download them for further analysis.
Sales Applets
To drive sales of key products, we developed Flash Applets such as the 'Tripp Trapp Creator'. This allows customers to design their perfect Tripp Trapp chair from a multitude of choices. The emphasis on fun and interactivity has proved enormously successful with Tripp Trapp's young target audience.
Site visitors can even email their favourite combination of colours and set-up to a friend. We've noticed that many parents with young families use this to back up the ever important Christmas list, sending Grandpa and Grandma little Jimmy's request for 'the blue one with the cool cushion'.
The Tripp Trapp Creator has boosted sales of the product by an extraordinary factor, and is regularly praised by customers.
E-documents
If the customer has an e-mail address, all documents that need to be send by Back in Action, such as invoices, are e-mailed rather than printed. This saves cost, avoids swamping customers with paper and also allows Back in Action to track messages to ensure that they have been read. It's also good for the planet - we try to do our bit.
Development of Image and Identity
The site design mirrors different aspects of the Back in Action company ethos and sales experience.
- clear, light, bold design
- easy to navigate
- clear images and helpful product descriptions
- constant reassurance of expert support at every stage
- warm and friendly tone of copy
The minimalist style, clean lines and bright colours are a reflection of Back in Action's shops and their beautifully designed product range.
No hard sell, no clutter and clear information on demand. It all reflects Back in Action's faith in their product. This has contributed to a rapid expansion of the business and a high level of consumer trust in the Back in Action brand.
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