Collaboration
Whether it is a Buyer and Seller discussing details of a purchasing
agreement, or a Customer Service Representative assisting a customer in placing
an order, e-commerce collaboration is necessary to maintain the communication
flow between parties. Traditionally, exchange of information has been achieved
through phone or fax. WebSphere Commerce supports e-commerce collaboration functionality by offering two Web-based features
within the WebSphere Commerce Accelerator:
Collaborative workspaces provides a collaborative
interface using Lotus QuickPlace to support business discussions, such as
negotiating contract terms and conditions between a Buyer and a Seller (or
Account Representative for the Seller) and amongst the business users within
the Seller's organization. Collaborative workspaces support asynchronous
communication. Collaborative workspaces can be created by any role other
than the Buyer, by using the WebSphere Commerce Accelerator and the
WebSphere Commerce default QuickPlace template. Only an Account
Representative or Account Manager with QuickPlace Manager access to a
collaborative workspace can add Buyers to the workspace. To use collaborative workspaces,
member data must be on an LDAP server with WebSphere Commerce, not a
relational database. You must also install and configure QuickPlace
on a separate
server from the machine where you have WebSphere Commerce and LDAP. For installation instructions, refer to the
WebSphere Commerce Additional Software guide. The details about the collaborative
workspaces and workspace member information are managed through the
WebSphere Commerce system. Any discussion threads, postings, or file attachments used
for collaboration are stored on the QuickPlace server.
- The Customer care feature provides real-time
customer service support by way of a
synchronous text interface using the Lotus Sametime server. A customer may
enter the site, and click a link on the store
page to connect to a Customer Service Representative (CSR) so that the
two parties can communicate or chat over the Internet. A CSR accesses the
customer care interface through the WebSphere Commerce Accelerator. In
addition, the CSR can
view the store page where the customer needs assistance, and retrieve shopping cart and profile information. This interface also allows
the CSR to chat with other CSRs. To use Sametime, this must first be
installed and configured with WebSphere Commerce. For instructions, refer to
the WebSphere Commerce Additional Software guide.
WebSphere Commerce also provides two sample stores that demonstrate
collaboration functionality. The ToolTech sample store illustrates collaborative
workspaces and customer care, and the NewFashion sample store shows the customer care
feature.