Ten-25
Merchanter
As referenced in PBM’s January edition, Ten-25’s cloud ERP system for merchants — formerly called UT400 — will now be known as Merchanter. MD Ian Oldrey explained: “UT400 was originally our internal name for the system. It was the start of a new generation of cloud-based software, replacing our previous flagship product UniTrade 360, but we didn’t really give it a customer-friendly name at the start.”
With “more and more” merchants signing up for it, Ian said: “We wanted a name that reflected the purpose of the software. It is 100% designed for merchants, with a huge range of features, functions and measures for optimising stock and streamlining trading processes. It allows a great deal of customisation and flexibility for those merchants that need it, but can also be a pretty straightforward, almost off-the-shelf solution for start-ups and simpler trading outfits.”
“The name had to fit the whole spectrum, which was no easy task!”
UT400 will continue to be used as a reference code for the specific generation of software, and will still be used in some user documentation and for client login, Ian is quick to reassure customers that this is not a new system; simply a rebrand of an existing one. He said: “We have exciting plans to make Merchanter even more accessible to merchants just starting out, and are investigating an app version for simpler operations. But the core system remains the same — customers still get all the benefits and features of what they know as UT400. It’s just going to have a different name from now on.”
For more information on the features and benefits of Merchanter, and for an online demo, go to: https://www.ten-25.co.uk/ut400-online-demo
Peak AI
Dynamic recommendations
CMOStores.com has worked with Peak AI to help improve the ecommerce experience for its customers, encourage additional online purchases and to improve both the ‘click-to-transaction’ rate and revenues.
Ben Hodson, Marketing Director of the online building supplies specialist, said: “We’re an award-winning and forward-thinking e-commerce business that’s committed to embracing automation and innovation in the builder’s merchants sector.
“We wanted to make the process of searching for the right products much simpler, while also reminding users of associated products they might have forgotten to add to their basket.”
Peak implemented an artificial intelligence-powered solution to help the firm gain a clearer understanding of its customers’ behaviour, with the AI system analysing daily transactional and identifying the most relevant product recommendations for customers based on their past purchasing habits.
Over a fifth of all transactions on the firm’s six specialist sites have involved an interaction with Peak’s AI System, proving that customers are using and benefiting from the new technology. Overall website session values were said to have increased by 11.2% compared to the previous non-AI approach, with total revenue rising by 5%. Furthermore, Peak’s recommendations were clicked on by 60% more customers, and had a 25% higher click-to-transaction rate.
For a full overview of Peak’s AI solution, click here: https://peak.ai/
BMF
ETIM Trailblazers
Travis Perkins and the H&B buying group have joined the BMF’s initiative to develop consistent product data across the sector, helping it to fast track the implementation of the ETIM model of data classification and simplify the transfer of product information between manufacturer and merchant.
ETIM is a system of classifying technical product data that ensures all users employ the same terms to describe the same attributes and values. It is widely used in Europe and has already been adopted by the electrical products sector in the UK. The BMF is implementing the model in the UK for building, HVAC and plumbing products.
Rob Barbour, Travis Perkins’ Data and Insights Director, said: “We are really excited at the prospect of working with our peers to improve standards across the industry to ensure we have clear, accurate and trustworthy data shared between suppliers, merchants and customers, which in turn will minimise errors and drive down costs, and so significantly improve our supply chain efficiency.”
For more information on the BMF’s ETIM initiative, head to: https://professionalbuildersmerchant.co.uk/news/etim-standards-to-drive-merchant-digitalisation/
