What's New in Elastic Path 6

Site Navigation: Search & Browse
Feature Description/Advantage Benefit
Forgiving in-site search with fuzzy logic Accommodates spelling errors, alternate spellings, pluralizations etc. in search terms (or suggests likely alternatives). Sensitivity is adjustable. Not new but greatly enhanced in v6 Increase customer satisfaction and conversion by ensuring customers find what they search for even if their search includes spelling errors
Storefront & Merchandising
Feature Description/Advantage Benefit
Multi-Store Manager Run multiple independent or related storefronts on a single Elastic Path implementation/infrastructure. Each store can have its own unique look, product mix, pricing, promotions etc. Multiple stores can be managed from one instance of the Commerce Manager application. Increase traffic, affinity and sales by operating multiple stores each customized for specific products, brands, customer segments, geographies etc. Creation and management of multiple stores is fast, easy and economical, leveraging your existing infrastructure, store configuration (e.g. catalogs), customizations & skills.
Gift Certificates Purchase and redeem electronic gift certificates. Increase sales and be introduced to new customers by offering gift certificates
Customer Service, Ordering and Fulfillment
Feature Description/Advantage Benefit
Full-featured desktop administration and customer support application Desktop application provides far superior usability, functionality and response time compared to the web-based applications typically provided for store administrators and customer service representatives. Improve staff efficiency and customer satisfaction through faster operation, decreased error rates, decreased call length, reduced frustration and improved job satisfaction
Full call center order management functionality Allow customer service representatives to create and edit orders from within the Commerce Manager (store management) application. CSR edits include add/remove items, change order quantities, apply discounts, change shipping etc. New orders are created by opening an instance of the storefront under the customer's ID in a browser within the CM. This allows CSRs to use the full search and navigation features of the storefront and to view product cross-sell and up-sell suggestions. Credit card charges are adjusted automatically during refunds and exchanges Expand sales channels, increase product consulting & active merchandising opportunities, improve customer support and satisfaction Increase CSR productivity, reduce support costs and make customers happy through shorter calls with fewer errors or mis­understandings All orders are tracked and managed identically regardless of how they are placed
Back-Orders Accept orders for out-of-stock items Retain customers and sales that might otherwise be lost to competitors. Price can be reduced temporarily to compensate for delay
Pre-Orders Accept orders for items that are not yet available Build excitement, capture sales and gauge demand (project sales) for upcoming products
CSRs separate an Order into Multiple Shipments Separate the contents of a cart into multiple separate shipments Increase customer satisfaction and reduce checkout reluctance by shipping in-stock items immediately even if other items in the cart are out-of-stock or pre-ordered. Enable shipping of specific items to different addresses as gifts
Exchanges, Returns and Refunds Create a return request and process the return when the item is returned to the warehouse. For exchanges, create a new order and shipment for replacement items. For returns, refunds can be issued directly to the credit card Increase CSR efficiency and customer satisfaction by enabling CSRs to process product exchanges and returns quickly. All returns are fully tracked by Elastic Path’s fulfillment auditing
Warehouse Picking Process & Picklists Process for packing individual shipments. Automatically creates picklist (for warehouse picker) and associated packing slip (to be included in shipment) for each order. Order status is updated as it goes through the picking/packing process and payment is captured upon completion, thereby releasing the shipment Increase warehouse efficiency, reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction by ensuring each order is fulfilled accurately
New Secure Payment Options Out-of-the-box integration with Paypal Express, Google Checkout and Visa/Mastercard Secure Code Increase sales by providing the most payment options, allowing customers to use whatever option they trust most. Other payment providers can be integrated easily
Security & Tracking
Feature Description/Advantage Benefit
Role-Based Security Granular control over CSR roles and permissions within the Commerce Manager Increase customer satisfaction and trust through enhanced security and accuracy. Reduce unauthorized changes (both deliberate and accidental) by tailoring access rights based on each CSR’s requirements, trust & experience
Fulfillment Auditing Automatic, tamper-proof auditing of the entire order fulfillment process in the Commerce Manager Know the facts to resolve discrepancies or disputes quickly and accurately with a complete audit trail over the entire lifetime of an order within Elastic Path including returns and exchanges
Product Integration and Customization
Feature Description/Advantage Benefit
Written in Java using the RCP Framework Widely used language and platform offer rich functional capabilities and strong development tools Readily available skills, better functional possibilities and faster/more efficient development compared to common alternatives such as AJAX
Paypal Express Integration Paypal-specific API provides additional functions required by Paypal Express Fast, easy deployment of Paypal payment processing
Google Checkout Integration Google-specific API provides additional functions required by Google Checkout Fast, easy deployment of Google Checkout payment processing
Visa/ Mastercard Secure Code Verification Enhanced security through additional verification step Reduces risk of credit card fraud; increases customer confidence and security. Already mandatory in Europe