Just weeks after taking the decision to go on-line, Ducati, maker of dream machines for serious bikers, is up and running on the web, thanks to an alliance between business advisors Ernst & Young and world leaders in internet technology, Microsoft.
Together these companies have developed eCommerce Rapid Start, based on Microsoft Windows DNA, and they used this to help Ducati go live in record time.
Ernst & Young partner and European head of eCommerce Brendan Mullany explained : "eCommers Rapid Start provides a complete framework for companies wanting to move into eCommerce, and wanting to do it right now! It covers all the management, fiscal, legal and technology aspects but without dragging the process out. As you might expect, for Ducati speed was one of the main attractions".
Ducati`s 200 stores in 45 countries are now connected through DesmoNet, its extranet. This means they can control goods in inventory, order new products and co-ordinate sales and marketing activities across the whole estate. Customers can also access the company`s new virtual store.
Carlo Simongini, Ducati`s sale sand marketing director wants to use the virtual store to keep fans around the world up to date with the very latest news from the firm.
Ducati`s president and chief executive officer Federico Minoli said : "We wanted primarily to be in touch with our fans. That was done in the past in a cumbersome way - just writing letters or publishing magazines - which is very slow and very expensive "
"Ducati is not only motorcycles. We are in the business of providing fun for our customers through everything that goes on top - you can think about apparel, you can think about leathers, you can think about customers wanting to travel with our team to the superbike championships. DesmoNet allows us to bring all these elements into a virtual store and then into the real store."
"In order to really understand and develop the possibilities that we had, we hired top-notch consultants Ernst & Young, and they applied some top-notch technology from Microsoft. I think that the triangle - Ducati, Ernst & Young and Microsoft - was a wining one because we were able to transfer to them our passion and they were able to transfer their technology."
Grant Brewer, South African head of eCommerce services explains, "Applying a RapidStart approach to client in South Africa is help them establish eCommerce strategies faster, and the integrated project management approach, including linking with our international specialists, often proves more successful than separate departmental project teams. It combines different disciplines to achieve successful web enablement for clients "
Chris Atkinson, Director, Application Developers Customer Unit, Microsoft EMEA said : "Using the strengths of the Windows DNA architecture, Ernst & Young`s eCommerce RapidStart removes much of the time, complexity and cost of developing a leading-edge eCommerce service. Following its success at Ducati, we are sure that may organisations will adopt eCommerce RapidStart for their on-line services."
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