About Cablesys
Since 1997, Cablesys has been providing custom cable solutions to Datacom and Telecom industries. Combining in-house manufacturing and engineering resources, Cablesys provides high performance cable assemblies at prices that are impossible to beat.
Opportunity
Cablesys hired PLAVEB to reengineer their website with advanced shopping and inventory capabilities. Key challenges for system development included custom orders using multiple parameters, automated inventory/order synchronization, and intuitive search with multiple criteria.
With a wide range of cable manufacturing capabilities, Cablesys had unique requirements for the website and web based system. Cablesys was looking for a partner who could accommodate their unique business needs and transform their vision into a usable, scalable, and customizable web-based inventory management system. The online system had to accommodate their manual functional requirements and follow the current order processing system. A vast range of product combinations should allow the end-user to search and filter the products intuitively. All of these functionalities should be managed by an intuitive content management system.
Testimonial
It is difficult to find a company that is reliable and PLAVEB has gained my trust through the three months I have been working with them. Their response rate is so fast, something you don’t find easily when it comes to outsourcing projects. We are not the easiest company to work with because our project is so different yet so specific; however, PLAVEB’s team was always patient and knowledgeable in helping us overcome many challenges. I would recommend PLAVEB to anyone who looks for quality services at a great price!
Ruby Yu (Web/Graphic Designer, Cablesys)
Challenges
- Create an intuitive product management system that is easy to use and understood by the Administrator.
- The ability to add multiple values to attributes of a particular product.
- Create a custom build-to-order product management section that allows endless permutations for a product and price.
- Automated web inventory and web order import/export features and synchronization with native software.
- Dynamic, rule-based SKU management and synchronization.
- Inventory synchronization scheduling.
Execution
PLAVEB created a custom, state of the art web based system that allows Cablesys to manage their online inventory in consensus with local inventory and the orders other means than website. The web-based system is backed up with a robust product, inventory, order, and content management system. The administrator can easily maintain the online inventory in addition to order processing. Automated inventory synchronization allows Cablesys to synchronize the product quantity and orders. The order processing department automatically gets order alerts and payment is captured automatically at a designated time. PLAVEB provided a completely customizable product management system that allows the system administrator to add new attributes and their values along with price escalation based on selected combinations of the attributes and values. A dynamic SKU generator creates a product SKU based on the selected attributes and their values.
Automated synchronization has some challenges, considering the security aspects and hosting server limitations. PLAVEB has supported all setup and hosting bumps during the deployment process.
Results
With quick turnaround, exceptional custom shopping cart knowledge, and structured execution, PLAVEB was able to complete the project on time without compromising any of the technical aspects of the system. The outcome was an intuitive, scalablem, and robust shopping cart with a product, inventory and content management system that surpassed the expectations of Cablesys and its customers.
The whole process makes it very efficient for the Cablesys team to process orders and update the inventory without compromising their traditional manual system. Customers of Cablesys are finding the system intuitive and easy to use. With complete control of the inventory, products, and the copy of the site, Cablesys makes it easier for their clients to interact with the company.
Additions to the system are ongoing. Due to the unique nature of the business and specific requirements, Cablesys keeps adding new functions to the system. PLAVEB accommodates all their needs with complete client satisfaction.
Technical Details
PLAVEB used Microsoft technologies to create this custom web based system. The application is coded in ASP.net and runs on a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 database and hosted on Windows Server 2003 with IIS 6. PLAVEB has implemented built-in Error Notification System that sends the error messages to the developer without having end-user to know about it. Automated synchronization using native windows services was challenging in some aspects but was executed well.