Hybris 4.1 suite for multichannel commerce needs

Hybris has released Hybris 4.1 Multichannel Suite, a multichannel commerce solution that now includes mobile commerce, product content management (PCM) functionality and order management.

The commerce software also offers cross-channel fulfilment functionality and improved search and navigation capabilities with its right integration with Endeca.

It offers support for cloud-based deployments and scenarios with the highest requirements in terms of transactions and size of data volume.

Hybris claimed that it is no longer good enough to just provide a standalone online store or print catalogue, and then have them operate in silos alongside high-street stores and telephone sales.

The company said all these need to be properly integrated and managed.

Content and context need to flow across all sales channels in a uniform and consistent way, recognising and following the customer on his or her journey across channels and providing him or her with the right information and incentives to enable a purchase decision.

Analysts are advising retailers, distributors and manufacturers to put great emphasis on defining a PCM strategy and to implement an integrated cross-channel sales and marketing application infrastructure in order to respond to new customer behaviour and maximise sales opportunities.

In Hybris 4.1, Hybris PCM enables enterprises to manage the typical structured attributes found in a traditional PIM system and also any sales-and-marketing-related content.

Traditional product information can now be managed together with channel-specific content such as web content or print and mobile media, user-generated content and any digital assets such as videos and images - using on application and one interface.

Productivity features such as workflow management, data quality validation and flexible and visual import and export tools can be used across all content types and editorial processes.

Mobile commerce functionality is provided in 4.1 through a package of mobile services, ranging from mobile website, device detection and optimisation to location-based services.

The solution also allows retailers to generate, print and send out barcodes and QR codes, for use by mobile devices such as Iphones, for promotions, vouchers and deeplinks.

With a mobile API to integrate easily with native mobile applications and a pre-integrated solution for SMS providers, companies can provide their customers with a variety of mobile services such as notifications or promotions (for example, send text to 1234 and get voucher or deeplink to promotion landing page).

The web content management system provides businesses with the flexibility to give their brands better online presence, enabling additional information and content to be efficiently administered and published across all channels.

Users can select from a range of page templates and content components to update or create entirely new pages.

The web content management feature in 4.1 is said to make it easy to create and manage content for multichannel, especially e-commerce and mobile commerce scenarios.

Order management and cross-channel fulfilment has significant improvements in 4.1 that provide a centralised hub to integrate order processes from different channels, allowing users to implement a true 360-deg cross-channel strategy.

It offers open interfaces to integrate connectors to warehouses, financial systems, payment vendors and fraud service providers to guarantee coverage of the complete ordering process.

To facilitate fulfilment it allows rules-based order splitting and grouping into consignment.

In addition, it offers functions for business-to-business-specific order processes such as order replenishment.

Endeca integration provides 4.1 with the search and navigation enhancements such as dynamic merchandising, guided navigation, dynamic landing pages, search engine marketing, social commerce, closed-loop analytics, rich internet applications, and personalisation.

This offers powerful and easy-to-use capabilities that guide customers to the right products.

As a result, improvements can be made on the implementation and management of new and innovative website capabilities, resulting in faster time to high-performing sites and higher conversion rates and sales.

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