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That's how you create an e-commerce solution that boosts sales and reduces customer service costs

Actona
Ny e-handelsløsning til Actona

Who is Actona?

Actona is a global furniture wholesaler with 1,400 employees and an annual turnover of 1.9 billion DKK. The company's products are sold through retailers and e-tailers in more than 90 countries worldwide.

The challenge

How do you create an e-commerce solution that helps both customers and sellers?

In recent years, Actona has felt pressure to make life easier and more efficient for salespersons and distributors.

Therefore, they approached us with the desire to develop an e-commerce platform that could digitize sales as well as significant parts of the company's manual processes.

Produktudvalget på Actonas webshop
Actonas produktudvalg på mobil
Mobilvisning af login på Actonas webshop

The solution

One digital platform for many needs

We have developed a digital platform that meets Actona's significant ambitions.

The platform consists of several individual elements that complement each other and collectively streamline internal processes, enhance user experience with Actona, and boost sales. We can categorize the platform into four main elements:

  1. Website for presenting Actona as a company and the complete product range

  2. B2B webshop for sales to Actona's retailers. The webshop requires login and is personalized for each retailer, allowing control over prices, assortments, and much more.

  3. Offer-generator for the sales department makes it simple and efficient to create digital offers.

  4. PDF-generator makes it easy to generate product PDFs from item lists, product cards, and the shopping cart - throughout the entire solution.


The solution is much more than just a webshop. It's a comprehensive e-commerce platform that streamlines work for both Actona's sales department and retailers. The elements strengthen Actona's activities across the customer journey - from inspiration on the website to the final sale. The entire system is built in Dynamicweb to ensure optimal coherence.

"We sold the first container on the webshop just a few days after launch. Honestly, we hadn't expected that, even though customers called our new design 'love at first sight'."


Helle Bjerre Drost, Marketing Manager in Actona

Case Actona og Co3

The Process

Focus on users from the beginning

The primary users of the solution are Actona Company's sales organization and the retailers worldwide. Hence, we focused the development process precisely on their needs by creating user stories that describe how various features can deliver value to each user. 

The work gave us crucial insights into the needs Actona should address on the new platform. This way, we replaced gut feelings with data to create the most value for the money.

The process was divided into three main phases:

  1. Prototype development: Based on user stories, and in close collaboration with Acona, we developed a prototype of the solution. We utilized our best practice templates to create the best starting point for the subsequent process.

  2. Integration with NAV and Perfion PIM: We established integration between the core business systems (NAV and Perfion PIM), thus creating the data foundation for the solution.

  3. Development and testing: Our robust technical framework provided us with a solid foundation to develop the technology behind the e-commerce solution.
twoday

10 years of experience made it possible to take a shortcut to success

Over the past ten years, we've assisted numerous interior and furniture companies in achieving success with e-commerce.

This has provided us with unique insights into what works (and what doesn't) in terms of strategy, design, and technology within the interior and furniture industry.

We've compiled that knowledge into a six-month development program, enabling interior and furniture companies to take a shortcut to success in e-commerce.

The program is called Espresso M, and it formed the basis of our work with Actona. It provided them with ten years of experience in six months.

Actona log ind på webshop
Tilbudsgenerator i Actonas nye e-handelsløsning

The result

Improved user experience boosts sales

The result is a digital platform with a wide array of tools that help Actona streamline work and sell more.

The new platform enables Actona's sales organization to:

  • assemble offers for retailers with a few clicks, saving time and providing quicker service.
  • log in on behalf of a retailer and offer purchasing advice or compile an order proposal with the retailer's own prices and product names, making sales as seamless as possible.
  • search and filter products based on more than 100 parameters, enabling sellers to quickly find the best products for a given retailer.
  • download price lists, product sheets, and product catalogs as PDF files, eliminating the expense of graphic production.

 

The new platform enables Actona's retailers to:

  • view their own assortment with their own prices and product names, preventing confusion or errors in placing orders.
  • order products directly from stock or order entire containers.
  • view open orders and search through historical orders, reducing the need to contact Actona's customer service.
  • pick products for campaigns and receive them as a printer-friendly PDF to bring along to product selection meetings (paper still works).
  • download images and data for all products that they can import into their own webshop or catalog production.

Customer

Actona Company

Industry

Interior and furniture

Solution

B2B e-commerce platform

Platform

CMS and e-commerce platform: Dynamicweb
PIM: Perfion
Integration with NAV and Perfion PIM
ERP: NAV

Product variants

16.000

Services

Digital strategy, B2B e-commerce, PIM, Corporate website, Design, Technical implementation