Leveraging existing tools; building your future base
Posted by admin on September 21st, 2006“For any new technology to take root, it must successfully leverage existing legacy”. Thats a big statement. Take that in, I’ll wait. We at IBG understand this and our software is the result to show for it.
The wine industry has always been steeped in tradition, and tradition is usually hard to let go off. This extends to the software that wineries and wine companies use too. There are a lot of legacy systems out there - AMS, FileMaker Pro, MS Access (I hope not), etc. No doubt that these systems were state-of-the-art when they were first introduced and they proved their worth by being efficient and reliable tools for the trade. But a lot has changed since then. Those tools have been left behind by better newer technologies that are receptive to changes, malleable to business needs and extensible to non-core functionality. This is the new generation of software - an evolutionary step almost synonymous to the homo sapien evolving an opposable thumb.
But then, that’s all and good, you say, how do you reckon I move a million customers and their purchase history (tasting room and other sources) to these new technologies? Do you know how much its going to cost me to transition? No thanks, I’m good with my monolith software and my 21 inch 1000 pound CRT monitor.
Really, well, I’m sorry to hear you say that, especially since IBG greatly reduces the cost of transition. We’ve developed our software from the ground up, keeping in mind that wineries should be able to migrate easily and effortlessly from their existing legacy systems. Providing ‘backward compability’, meeting existing business needs and coupling them with the latest software advancements, we’re leveraging your existing tools with our next-generation software.
Here are some of the cases you must consider:
- Data - By far, this is the most important aspect of your existing business. Customer data, purchase history data, marketing data, etc. are all integral and this is where our software excels. We provide simple, yet versatile importers to migrate all our data into our system. We’ve successfully imported data from AMS, FileMaker Pro, Wine Direct, etc. Imagine a BYOB - only thats its a BYOD (Bring Your Own Data for the uninitiated)
- Wine Clubs - For some wineries, this the most lucrative aspect of their business. That’s why we constructed one of the most advanced club processing tools in the industry. I’ve seen a lot of wineries process their clubs through Wine Direct, but I ask them, if you’re making the jump to the Direct Consumer channel, why not migrate your Club Processing channel too? After all, a system that integrates all core aspects of your business is going to succeed and cost you less than having yourself spread thin between three or four different systems.
- Marketing - Online marketing companies - I’m sorry, but I find their core business of shot-in-the-dark marketing strategies ineffective and over-valued. How does IBG help? We’re not replicating the shot-in-the-dark strategy, we’re helping you communicate with your customers and contacts. We’re helping you talk to them on a personal level, develop a relationship through communication, and not have them feel like they’re just dollar signs for you. By consolidating all your data under one roof, you have access to better metrics for targeted communication with your customer base.
- Point of Sale - Coming pretty soon to an IBG account near you - full integration with a POS system. So the next time Mr. Bob comes to the cashier desk at your tasting room, you casually ask how he enjoyed that Pinot Noir that he bought from your online store last month? Instant credibility and personal connection — you’ve just created a dedicated repeat customer.
- Allocation Offerings - Now, I must admit that we’re a late entry into this high-stakes game. But lateness doesn’t constitute weakness. This is probably the fastest development area of our software and we’re helping many wineries migrate from their existing (albeit manual) processes. We’ve translated the (mostly manual) traditional processes involved in the complete life-cycle of the allocation offering season. We’ve married the power of marketing, ability for repeat offerings, and the importance of a historical relationship with the customers into one usable tool.
I agree that IBG has the advantage of many core tools in its software suite, but I feel the crucial importance is the compatibility with your existing software, the ease of leveraging them while you make the transition and then turning into power users of the tool to maximize your business.
Pras Sarkar
Lead Project Engineer
pras at inertiabev dot com
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