Product Configurator for Uniforms
Nav-to-Net™ Configurator creates customized customer experiences
Sometimes giving customers free rein in your e-Commerce store can diminish the positive experience and results you hope to provide. Depending on your business and industry, too much freedom and choice can lead to confusion and being overwhelmed, making the shopping process longer and more complicated than needed. A guided selling wizard will aid your customers as they navigate through situations that require clear rules and regulations. One such example is uniforms. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how a Microsoft Dynamics NAV integrated product configurator portal can be the ideal solution. Whether it be uniforms for students or staff, school or work, a rules-based configurator is well suited to a webstore where consistency with defined rules and regulations are important.
A product configurator can be used for customized products where you pick and choose features and specifications to make your ideal item, for example, a custom-made teddy bear. We outline some practical applications for a configurator here. But a configurator is also a good fit for your business if you sell items that make up a whole, such as uniforms. The sale of the products needs to be aligned with customer needs as well as the guidelines already in place. Different positions and ranks can call for different uniforms and helping the customer through this process would enhance their experience. Nav-to-Net™ Configurator can streamline the process and educate customers, whether they are first time buyers or simply need the occasional update regarding new items and regulations.
Configurator Features and Benefits Outlined
Logical Layout – Configurator presents everything logically and in the way, a customer should approach the buying process to ensure that nothing is missed. The hierarchy of Page, Step, Question, and Option is set up right within NAV, making it easy to manage the sequence, content details, theme, and layout in each individual layer of the configurator.
Improved Customer Experience – Imagine needing the appropriate uniform blouse. A customer would have to look through the entire category which can be tedious, especially if there is no way to filter the products (link to parametric search). Once the item is found, the whole process needs to be repeated with the trousers, school blazer, and then add the other necessary accessories. The all-in-one environment of a configurator in NAV minimizes clicking. There is no need to go back and forth between categories and browse for items, taking much more time than needed.
Integration with NAV Items and Attributes – Nav-to-Net™ Configurator shows item attributes so customers can pick their perfect match. For example, if the uniform comes in various shades of brown, they can pick the most flattering one for them and in the appropriate size. Having items and attributes integrated with your configurator, the details of the order are handled quickly and securely. In addition, availability is also integrated so customers will be able to see if the item they want is out of stock.
Exclusions in Configurator – This feature shows customers what is or isn’t available given a selection of certain options. Exclusions really define the “guided selling wizard” aspect of a product configurator. Customers will be able to see what you want them to see. For example, there is no need to show skirts and dresses and blouses when purchasing a boy’s uniform. This feature allows you to plan for any number of situations, define the shopping journey, and educate customers. Another example of exclusions is if only a certain rank and position get special badges, you can prevent uniform violations and make sure customers are aware of the rules. In a way, exclusions act almost like the filters in a parametric search. Instead of showing every single school blazer in every variation possible, only ones shown are those that are accepted at the school of choice. Customers will not have to go through the hassle of double-checking item details or ordering the wrong thing when you set these exclusions in place in Configurator.
Increasing Your Bottom Line – Add-ons, cross-sells, and upsells are presented in the best possible situation with a product configurator. These are items that are required/optional and often sold alongside such like ties, badges, belts, and other school uniform accessories. Because a product configurator provides context, customers are shown available options in a way that is welcome rather than intrusive. They act as helpful reminders instead of blatant aggressive sales tactics.
Showing Customers Alternatives – A product configurator can be as simple or as expansive as you like. Your customers won’t be limited to picking only one uniform; you can continue the journey. In this example, that can mean picking a gym uniform, winter uniforms alongside summer uniforms, team jerseys, school memorabilia, or school branded supplies. A product configurator is truly flexible and can adapt to any tangent. A customer journey can be predefined with a configurator but that does not mean it’s rigid.
Flexible Configurator Suits Multiple Customer Needs
The online shopping process can be detailed and complex but because it’s in its own configurator “bubble”, the step by step process makes it easy and increases overall customer satisfaction. For many e-Commerce environments and business models, an integrated product configurator makes a lot of sense. Whether customers are purchasing for one or for a group, Nav-to-Net™ Configurator adds it all up and shows you the details in the shopping cart so you can confirm the order(s). Integrated with your NAV data in real-time like any other aspect of your Nav-to-Net™ webshop, Configurator will always present customers with correct pricing and product information.
Are you ready to add a product configurator to your NAV webshop? Talk to us today!
Capitalize on your Microsoft Dynamics NAV investment for B2B e-Commerce: Watch a quick 4-min demo video
You may also want to read these Whitepapers:
E-Commerce Integration Is Not Always Built Equally
5 Reasons Dynamics NAV Should be the Master Copy of Your eCommerce
Request a demo on Nav-to-Net™ today to see what an integrated e-Commerce solution can do for you.