This month marks the end of an era and the kick-off of a new one as Project Shakespeare, which has been continuously running for over three years, comes to a successful close.
Some time ago, we identified the need for a B2B online ordering portal to provide our trade partners with an improved and more efficient way of ordering their favourite Colart products.
How the B2B Portal Came To Life
We had processes that were archaic. Customers would send their orders via fax, as a photo of their notes on paper, calling our customer service team while they were taking stock in store, or just waiting for the Colart sales rep to visit so they could do it for them.
It was time for the Last of the Mohicans to transition into the 21st century. But this was easier said than done with a portfolio of over 11.000 SKUs, 8 language variants, and 11 local sites to be built.
An Evolution and the Future
April marks the closing milestone in the project as we see the last local language site of the B2B ordering portal go online.
With this final site launch, all our customers will have access to the B2B online portal to browse our product catalogue, review stock levels with accuracy, and upload their orders through several available options.
Although this is the end of this journey, it is also the beginning of a new one.
With the project transitioning into "business-as-usual", the ownership of the commercial utilisation of the portal is passed on to the local markets. These teams will determine the next steps in the continuous development of the platform. Potential enhancements for future development may include:
- Improving the speed and navigation of the portal,
- Access to The Bank,
- Account profile access to review open invoices, marketing content and bespoke promotions
- UI/UX review and redesign of website
- Enable customer access to PIM
Our People Are Our Successes
But before we move into the next phase of the B2B portal by delivering these new features and improvements towards an even better customer experience, it is also important to look back and acknowledge what a small team of dedicated colleagues have achieved through hard work, drive and determination.
View the B2B Timeline detailing the site rollout over the past three years, plus read what our customers think of our B2B portal in the testimonials we have captured below.
Congratulations, and a big thank you to the project delivery team for getting us here! And, of course, not forgetting the collaboration from all local teams in the regions for their ongoing promotion, support and enthusiasm.
congratulations to the delivery squad. Years of hard work paying off. Thank you for getting us this far and looking forward to what lies ahead!
This is a fantastic achievement. By providing a platform for B2B, you have empowered businesses to connect, engage, and thrive in an increasingly digital marketplace.Well done to everyone involved.