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 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, a Site Administration must ensure that member data is on an LDAP server with WebSphere Commerce, not a relational database. The Site Administration 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. To facilitate more efficient communication with your customers, customer care supports the use of predefined lists of URLs, and topics. After creating these lists, they are available during conversations so that CSRs have accessible lists of the most commonly referenced store pages, and answers to the most commonly asked questions. Customer care also supports multiple queues so that customers looking for help can be routed to the most appropriate queue, monitored by CSRs qualified to answer their questions. You can also configure custom messages for your waiting customers. This interface also allows the CSR to chat with other CSRs. To use Sametime, a Site Administrator must first install Sametime and configured it for use with WebSphere Commerce. For instructions, refer to the WebSphere Commerce Additional Software Guide.
Notes:
- To allow a CSR to use customer care, after you have installed and configured Sametime, you must create the CSR in the WebSphere Commerce system if the user does not already exist with CSR authority, and then register the CSR in the Sametime server. See Registering a CSR to use customer care for detailed steps. If the SameTime server is configured to use the same LDAP server as WebSphere Commerce, you do not need to register the CSR.
- To use the collaboration functions, your store must be set up for them. To enable collaboration in a store based on a sample, see Configuring flows. To enable customer care in a store not based on a sample, see the WebSphere Commerce Store Development Guide.
WebSphere Commerce also provides two sample stores that demonstrate collaboration functionality. The ToolTech sample store illustrates both collaborative workspaces and customer care, and the FashionFlow sample store shows the customer care feature. For more information on the sample stores, refer to the WebSphere Commerce Sample Store Guide.