ProSys Information Systems Employs CNET Channel DataSource™ to Go-to-Market Quickly with BizXchange™ProSys Information Systems was founded in April, 1997 by Michelle Clery and Bruce Keenan. The company, based in Norcross, Georgia, is a leading reseller of personal computer products and provides a range of high-end IT services such as consulting, network design, implementation, and support. In 2002, the management at ProSys decided to launch a B2B venture. The goal was to develop a Web site that would offer IT and consumer electronics products from leading distributors to corporate customers, and would provide both national and international service and delivery options. Additionally, ProSys wanted a flexible solution that would enable its customers to reduce the costs of purchasing computer systems. What was needed was an e-commerce site that would help the company's customers develop a standardized computing platform and purchase all the components for it. "We were in a position where we needed to come up with e-procurement capabilities, and we needed to do it quickly," says Chase Champagne, Director of Software Development at ProSys. "We wanted to be able to provide detailed information on our products, and we needed the ability to continually add more products and features to our Web site. We were working with one company, which was providing us with product data. But we weren't satisfied with their solution," he says. "The bottom line is that, when customers come to our site to look for products, the quality needs to be there. We need to be able to show the product and all its features so our customers can make good decisions about the products they're purchasing from us." During the process of developing its B2B e-commerce site, BizXchange, ProSys discovered CNET Channel. "We were in a real time crunch, trying to get this system going," says Champagne. "We learned about CNET Channel, and realized that using DataSource would mean we could get going right away, and that we could do so without having to dedicate a staff to keeping up with all the new products offered by manufacturers." Content Quality Matters MostEarly on, ProSys recognized the need for quality content and presentation, and that led them to the decision to switch from another catalog service to DataSource. "With the competitor's product, we might have been able to deliver our B2B site on time, but it would have been ugly. With DataSource, we delivered on time and the site presented very well to our users," says Champagne. While ProSys staff members were building BizXchange, they began using another CNET Channel solution - ChannelOnline - to build quotes for customers. Available over the Web as an affordable subscription service, ChannelOnline addresses the unique business needs of small to mid-size VARs. Champagne says that CNET Channel provided strong support during the implementation phase of the project. "Whenever we needed help, they were there." BizXchange, is a Web-based e-procurement tool that features a customized online catalog. Companies that purchase products through BizXchange are able to automate their procurement processes without expending capital on expensive software and hardware infrastructure. The site offers attributes supported by CNET Channel's DataSource, including product searches, shopping cart capabilities, order entry, order status, tracking information, and standard reporting capabilities. For the BizXchange site, ProSys has partnered with seven different distributors and is able to offer its customers a single source for all of the peripherals required for their needs. ProSys maintains excellent relations with hardware manufacturers and acts as a liaison between the manufacturers and BizXchange customers to help them negotiate pricing. BizXchange specializes in procuring hard-to-find products, and uses DataSource to source product from many different suppliers to ensure that its corporate customers always have the products they require. BizXchange currently takes advantage of 1.25 million SKUs, and 1,000 custom-built SKUs, all maintained and delivered by DataSource. "No doubt about it, DataSource is a key component of our success," he adds. "When users come to our site, they are shopping for a product. They want to be able to read detailed information, be able to compare products, and see pictures. The bottom line is that our site faces our customers, and the quality needs to be there. With DataSource, we are assured of that quality." Next on the Agenda: Going Global!ProSys has big plans in store for BizXchange. "At the time we took on DataSource, we never even considered going global," says Champagne. "But now that we're growing and venturing into globalization, we're very happy to know that CNET Channel has that global capability and experience and that DataSource works in multiple languages. It means that we will be saved from having to worry about tasks we otherwise would have had to contend with, and that gives us great peace of mind." About Prosys Information SystemsProSys Information Systems was founded in April 1997 by Michelle Clery and Bruce Keenan to provide its customers a flexible reseller of personal computer products and to incorporate a national presence. ProSys is a woman-owned minority business with offices in Atlanta, Miami, Boca Raton, Tallahassee, Birmingham, Raleigh, Nashville and Memphis. A strong believer in partnering with its customers to ensure mutual success, ProSys offers unique business solutions to customer needs and treats the customer's customer as their own. The company offers customized solutions, makes personnel available 24 hours a day, and stocks some products locally for immediate delivery. For more information about ProSys Information Systems, call (888) 337-2626 in the United States or visit www.prosysis.com
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