Introduction and Overview to the new SAP Web Channel Experience Management

[ingo_woesner]

Dear community members,

we are dealing with a “New Kind of Customer” who is socially networked, well informed and empowered through ability to interact directly with other customers. This is a transformational trend that is dramatically changing the way organizations need to approach customer relationships. There is a need to look beyond traditional vendor-determined relationship management to a community-driven engagement management – both before someone becomes your customer and afterwards too. This is both an opportunity and a threat for companies. Ability to rapidly transform will be key to success.

The primary goal of a webshop is to turn the Internet into a profitable sales and interaction channel that delivers convenience and satisfaction to business partners and end consumers. SAP Web Channel Experience Management helps achieve this goal by providing a common platform that supports multi-channel customer self-service interactions across E-Commerce, E-Marketing, and E-Service.

Consumers and businesses get access to easy and powerful online self-services. With the line blurring in terms of user experience between the a B2B and B2C segments, both consumers as well as business customers get an innovative, intuitive and rich user interface allowing the casual user to purchase and get support online, and the business customers to manage their ongoing relationship with the vendor, with more sophisticated options. The consumerization of B2B experiences translates into a common intuitive user interface for consumers and business customers accommodating both B2B and B2C processes.

Figure 1: A Single E-Commerce, E-Marketing & E-Service Platform, For Everyone

Web Channel Managers (business users not only IT stakeholders) leverage a single administration tool (Web Channel Builder) to easily and flexibly setup, manage and extend their online channel to achieve an optimal online presence. This allows to continuously roll out website updates into production without IT involvement.

SAP Web Channel Experience Management delivers comprehensive processes for e-commerce, e-marketing, e-service, and Web analytics. It presents a common user interface for viewing catalogs, shopping, checking out, paying, tracking orders, returning goods, requesting service, and making complaints. You can also implement self-service rewards mechanisms to boost customer retention rates. Flexible and scalable by design, the application incorporates Web 2.0 technologies for smooth integration with other Web content such as Web Content Management Systems.

Figure 2: Web Channel Homepage featuring contextualized content

Both business customers and consumers expect access to easy-to-use and powerful online self-service functionality. SAP Web Channel Experience Management provides innovative user interfaces leveraging Web 2.0 technologies such as Ajax delivering highly interactive shopping experiences and providing a consistently rich, personalized user experience that helps drive conversions and customer loyalty growth, and supports traffic to the lower-cost online channel.

Casual users can make purchases and request support online, and their experience is consistent across all points of contact. Business partners can manage their ongoing relationship through additional, more sophisticated options – all handily accessible in one place.

Summary:

• Interactive, Innovative & Rich User Experiences
• Consistent Customer Experiences Across All Customer Touch Points
• Comprehensive E-Commerce, E-Marketing and E-Service – on a Single Platform
• Robust, highly scalable and easily customizable Web Channel Platform
• Intuitive for Business Users to Setup, Manage and Extend Web Sites

Please also check the new Solution Brief about SAP Web Channel Experience Management.

There are many blogs available to explain the capabilities of SAP Web Channel Experience Management in further detail. Please see the WCEM blog INDEX for an overview. Please visit our WCEM WIKI as the Central Info Hub as well.

Best regards,

Dr. Ingo Woesner

Product Manager

SAP Web Channel Experience Management - Rollout

Suite Development Strategic Innovation

SAP AG