Enhancing the customer experience in the age of the empowered customer
Commerce is becoming more and more complex. For businesses this means managing a web of channels and interaction points -- traditional Internet, mobile, physical, social and more -- to successfully and profitably exchange goods and services. For customers – including other businesses – it means gaining control. According to an IBM study of 400 supply chain executives (US), it’s no longer enough to build supply chains that are efficient, demand-driven or even transparent, they must also be smart.
Organisations must become smarter about commerce, navigating complexity, while concealing it from customers to create a positive and seamless experience across all channels and interaction points.
IBM Software along with the IBM Smarter Commerce initiative helps you synchronise procurement, marketing, selling and service processes based on customer needs.
IBM Software commerce solution provides:
Selling Solutions
Deliver a seamless, customer-centric buying experience for products and services across all available channels.
Order Management
Enable companies to manage the order lifecycle and orchestrate complex order fulfillment processes across a dynamic business network.
Supply Chain Management
Provide planning and execution solutions to enable companies to anticipate, control and react to demand and supply volatility within the supply chain.
Decision Optimisation
Make better decisions by applying advanced analytics to automatically prescribe actions or strategies.
Ceramic tile manufacturer and distributor, Dal-Tile (US), adopted a Smarter Commerce solution built with IBM Software that delivers end-to-end functionality that allows them to view, maintain and update orders at the store level. The solution has helped Dal-Tile improve profitability, add flexibility for future growth and reduce lost sales and out-of-stocks.
Staples (US) wanted to improve its customers’ online experiences. A Smarter Commerce solution from IBM is helping the office supply retailer execute precision marketing. The solution includes personalised ad spots that can increase customers’ market basket sizes and provide a higher conversion rate from shopper to buyer. This helps retailers drive greater revenue and customer retention.
Discover the IBM Software products that can help you win in the age of the empowered customer
Related capabilities
- Smarter Commerce
Redefining commerce in the age of the customer.
- Smart Cloud (US)
Rethink IT. Reinvent business.
- Enterprise Market Management
Engage buyers in highly relevant, interactive dialogues across digital, social and traditional marketing channels.
- Connectivity and Integration
Increase access and improve visibility across the entire supply chain.
Related solutions
At IBM, we believe that the process of commerce, the exchanging products and services with consumers or companies, is changing rapidly as customers adopt new ways to do business with you. To be successful, companies need to transform commerce through a unified approach to marketing, selling and fulfillment processes across all available channels:
- Differentiate your business by creating a compelling cross-channel experience
- Build loyalty by making it easy for customers to do business with you
- Personalise the buying experience across all human, digital, social and mobile modes of interaction
- Improve the customer experience with accurate delivery dates and by offering alternative fulfillment options
Featured products

WebSphere Commerce
Offer a seamless customer buying experience across digital and physical channels

Sterling Order Management
Coordinate order fulfillment from all channels and across the extended enterprise

Sterling Configure, Price, Quote
Enable your sales team and channel partners to accurately configure, price, quote, and order products, services, and bundles.

Sterling Transportation Management System
Automate your transportation processes across carriers, shippers and customers

ILOG CPLEX Optimisation Studio
Optimisation model development toolkit for mathematical programming and constraint programming.

ILOG ODM Enterprise
Enterprise-class software platform for building optimisation-based custom planning and scheduling decision support applications

ILOG Inventory and Product Flow Analyst
Set and maintain the best inventory flow and levels for inventory distribution.

ILOG LogicNet Plus XE
Manage business growth through ongoing strategic planning and production sourcing optimisation.
All products - Social Collaboration
- IBM Notes and Domino family - Overview
- Lotus Protector for Mail Security | Trials and Demos (US)
- IBM Security AppScan family
Identity and accesss mangement
- IBM Security Access Manager
- IBM Security Access Manager for Cloud and Mobile
- IBM Security Identity and Access Assurance
- IBM Security Identity and Access Manager
- IBM Security Identity Manager
- IBM Security Identity Manager - Overview
- IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager
- Tivoli Directory Integrator
- Tivoli Directory Server
- Tivoli Federated Identity Manager
- IBM Security Content Analysis Software Development Kit
- IBM Security Host Protection
- IBM Security Network Active Bypass
- IBM Security Network Intrusion Prevention System
- IBM Security Network Protection
- IBM Security Server Protection
- IBM Security Virtual Server Protection for VMware
- IBM Security zSecure suite
- Proventia Management SiteProtector System
Security intelligence and compliance analytics
- IBM QRadar Security Intelligence Platform - Overview
- Tivoli Security Information and Event Manager
Demos
Related links
Commerce communities help you stay connected with your colleagues.
Commerce communities are some of the best ways to enhance your personal and professional development, increase efficiencies in your organisation, and position yourself as a thought leader in your field of interest. Commerce communities bring together thousands of like-minded professionals from around the globe. Get connected with your colleagues and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social networks to stay up on the latest IBM news and information that’s important to you.
Consolidated view of real-time Commerce social activity:
Read and comment on our blogs:
Follow us on Twitter:
Like us on Facebook:
Subscribe to our YouTube channel:
Interact with other professionals on LinkedIn:
- ILOG Optimisation & Supply Chain Solutions User Community
- IBM Supply Chain Leadership Program
- WebSphere Commerce
- WebSphere Commerce Developers
- WebSphere Commerce and Portal Technologists
- WebSphere Commerce Experts
- WebSphere Commerce Professionals
Communities, forums and user groups:
Contact IBM
Considering a purchase?
- Email IBM
- Request a quote
- Or call us at: 0800 426 431
Priority code: 101K803W
Take a smarter approach to commerce
Peter Wharton, IBM Commerce Product Marketing Manager
Delivering an ideal customer experience is easier said then done. You have to consider all the factors, from multi-channel selling and service to order and supply chain management to technologies that can automate and optimise your processes across the commerce lifecycle.
Commerce resources
Why Now’s the Time to Launch Your eCommerce Initiative (AU)
A white paper by the Altimeter Group that serves as a starting point, checklist, and reference guide to buyers launching or reinvigorating existing e-commerce efforts.
Integrated Cross-Channel Retailing Video Demo (AU)
A video demo discussing game-changing solutions that enable cross-channel order offer/capture, sourcing, distribution and fulfillment (including returns).
Offer distinct buying experiences for your different brands and markets (link resides outside of ibm.com)
A video demo discussing how the Extended Sites capability enables companies to create multiple, unique sites to serve different brands, regions or targeted groups of customers.
True Value Customer success story (link resides outside of ibm.com)
A video discussing how IBM Sterling Business Integration Suite and Supply Chain Visibility has provided early results that include 20% reduction in lead times and record service levels.
How well does your company take orders? (AU)
A white paper by AMR Research. Order management was one of the first automated processes. Most companies do it poorly, though, which impacts working capital performance, according to AMR Research studies.
Commerce success stories
INDEVAL saves Mexican banks 240 million USD in 18 months (US)
Dal-Tile Corporation improves its end-to-end-customer lifecycle process with the help of Sterling Order Management (US)
True Value optimises their inbound supply processes with Sterling Supply Chain Visibility (US)
FCI boosts its e-commerce results with the help of Sterling Configure, Price, Quote (US)
Sargento Foods Inc. steered towards increased savings and improved productivity with Sterling Transportation Management System (US)
1-800-Flowers.com: Creating an e-commerce platform for the future (US)