At Holz-Handwerk in Nuremberg, imos AG from Herford presented the latest enhancements of their imos 11.0 software solution, which focuses on the requirements of customized furniture manufacturers. With modern eBusiness-solutions and new operating concepts, the process from sales, work preparation to production, is more efficient than ever.
The software solutions from imos AG claim to depict, the order and production process as a seamless process from the online-sale up to the delivery of the furniture. The software company from Herford offers tailor-made solutions for different company sizes and business models.
For years imos AG has supplied professional eCommerce solutions that connect to the imos CAD/CAM modules, with a primary focus to optimize the business process between enterprises (B2B). To complement this, a cloud-based software solution was presented at Holz-Handwerk, that aims to integrate the final customer into the sales process (B2C). Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Prekwinkel explained the concept: “Terms such as eBusiness and eCommerce are getting common. For more and more people the internet is the first and most important address to inform, when it comes to purchasing decisions. With our new software solution, our users can benefit from this trend and enlarge their competitive advantages.”
And that’s how it works: On the furniture manufacturers website, an online-configurator is integrated; the end user selects the desired furniture and modifies the properties like material, color and design aspects. As a result the product is impressively presented in 3D, and by means of the augmented reality technology and the camera function of the tablet or smart phone can be projected in the real environment. This way the end user gets a realistic impression of the selected furniture in his home environment.
After the customer has configured the product, they insert it into the shop, validates the price, payment and delivery terms and finally can order the product. The payment can be made either by credit card or through established online payment systems. The furniture manufacturer can import the order into their imos CAD/CAM system and start production. Following the general trend, the sales solution can be fully operated on the tablet. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Prekwinkel: “According to a recent Forsa poll every eighth German owns a tablet, and much more have a smart phone. The intuitive and ergonomic operation with your fingers is fun and has become a trend. Therefore, we offer our products now also for mobile devices. ”
The new CAD-planning features help designers apply changes quickly and easily, but also provide active support during the sales process. Individual elements of a planning situation, for example in a kitchenette, can easily be added or removed and lead to modification of position and dimensions of the adjacent products. With the new functionalities, the customer’s wishes can easily be addressed in the sales process, and the planning will be adjusted accordingly.