Collaboration Across Teams Using Web2Print to Improve User Experience

Commercial Group is a £61m business services company with strong environmental and social sustainability credentials. It’s experienced outstanding growth in recent years despite challenging circumstances in some of its core markets. This ongoing success is rooted in Commercial’s customer-focused business model and its collaborative stance towards suppliers.

Commercial and Vpress have been long-term partners, originally using Coreprint with the ‘Buyer’ site. When Vpress developed their new ‘Aspire’ site, launched in 2016, Commercial immediately saw an opportunity to improve customers’ user experience with a fresher interface, new functionality and features especially for mobile devices. ‘Aspire’ works on a multi-level basis that covers budget controls to cost centres, MI as well as an intuitive system for the Print Buyer to use from any browser or platform.

Ensuring a Smooth Transition

Migrating from one platform to another was a large project that needed buy in from Commercial’s staff as well as customers to ensure a smooth transition ‘Aspire’ is available for users using IE9 or equivalent and above, while making sure that ‘Buyer’ is available to those using older browsers such as IE6 or equivalent. Together, we put a plan in place to make sure that Commercial’s customers did not experience any interruption during the transfer and ensure that the implementation team was fully briefed to assist their customers with any questions.

Vpress and Commercial devised a two-step process to manage this transition smoothly. The team at Vpress were able to move all of the data between platforms including templates within a short period of time. This meant that Commercial could inform and roll the new ‘Aspire’ Storefront to their customers rapidly. Training was also organised for the Implementation Team so that they would be able to answer any questions that came about while customers were getting used to the new interface.

The enthusiasm from all departments such as Sales, Development and Customer Services meant that more training sessions were needed. Attendees consisted of colleagues from different departments and resulted in teams not only broadening their understanding of Coreprint, but also of each other’s roles and priorities. The end result saw a greater cohesion between all teams. The training structure ensured that all Departments had the skillset to support both internal and external Customers as needed.

The switchover was completed before the deadline and under budget which was a great result for Commercial and Vpress.

Working Together for Results

Being able to offer an updated and modern looking Storefront that was fully customisable with added features and continued development, was a great way for Commercial to continue to grow with their customers. Because of the move to ‘Aspire’, they are able to offer flexibility to their customers and adapt with them, meeting their requirements head on. More information about Commercial’s approach to online ordering is available here.