BMW SA has clinched its first online sale thanks to BOSS (BMW Online Sales System), developed with Lotus technology at its core.
Lotus Domino has enabled the company to maximise the return on its investment in its legacy backend systems, by linking them to the World Wide Web.
Attie Wilcocks, system support manager: sales and marketing at BMW SA, says this is the first authentic online vehicle sale to take place in SA. According to him, simply brokering a deal does not constitute a true online sale: "It is generally accepted that for a sale to be entirely Internet-based, two transactions have to be facilitated online: application and payment."
Developing an online ordering application was straightforward, while the payment process posed more of a challenge. "We had to ensure we provided the best possible service to our clients," comments Wilcocks.
The system is geared to allow the full configuration of a car online and allow customers to request further information. After customising their choice, the user is then automatically linked to the banking page of his or her preference, where a preferred dealer can also be specified. At this point the transaction is processed and payment takes place. Money is transferred directly from the customer`s bank account to the dealer`s account with a guarantee that it cannot be reversed. Says Wilcocks: "This is what we believe constitutes a complete online sale."
Given the success Lotus achieved with BMW South Africa`s vehicle "defleeting" and auctioning system, Vendue, Wilcocks says the vendor was an obvious choice.
Lesego Tlhabanelo, marketing manager at Lotus Development SA, says with Domino, BMW is able to protect current investments and still make new choices based on business needs.
"To make this system work BMW required an integrator that would link its FOCUS, Vendue, motor plan and retail finance system as well as the customer database to the Internet."
Adds Wilcocks: "The information and functionality that we had residing on our backend systems and all the data on our SQL and Oracle servers was linked to the Web, through the functionality offered by Domino."
Domino`s built-in connection services provide live access to BMW`s existing relational databases, transaction systems and ERP applications. Says Tlhabanelo: "Another plus with Domino is that it allows the use of third-party Web-development tools in conjunction with Domino`s integrated development environment."
Wilcocks is quick to point out that BOSS exists to enhance traditional sales channels, not replace them. "Most people still prefer to go to a dealership, take a car for a test drive, look at the upholstery. That is also why we regard this site as especially appealing to returning BMW buyers."
The first local BMW to be sold online was purchased from Graaf Reinet. The entire transaction cycle was completed within a month, from order to delivery. "The customer went onto the site, configured the car to her liking, placed her order at the end of February and took delivery of the car at the end of March," says Wilcocks. "This is the kind of service that that we like to offer BMW clients."
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