The direct-to-customer software marketplace is a mature industry whose current trends will mark its direction for the next few years. Though sales of DTC systems software slowed dramatically in 2001, the second half of 2002 saw more activity in terms of companies preparing requirements, systems demonstrations, and purchase agreements being signed. Companies that are considering upgrading or replacing their software need to decide whether to continue their own development or acquire a commercial system. The idea that direct-commerce firms can develop their own systems more cheaply than vendors and with more functionality than off-the-shelf programs is often a misperception.
The best-practice approach to selecting systems is as follows:
- Appoint a selection team representing all user departments.
- Plan strategically to determine the application growth and function that your operation is going to need.
- Develop and specify your requirements.
- Consider commercial packages versus internal systems development objectively to determine which approach will serve your company best.
- Conduct multi-year studies of return on investment.
- Select the system based on functions, financial viability, and how the vendor intends to enhance the application in the future.
Curt Barry is president of F. Curtis Barry & Company, a consultancy specializing in e-commerce and direct marketing operations and systems. He can be reached at 1897 Billingsgate Circle, Suite 102, Richmond, VA 23233; by phone at (804) 740-8743; or by e-mail at [email protected].
PC SERVER SYSTEMS
CoLinear Systems Inc.
4343 Shallowford Road, Suite H-7
Marietta, GA 30062
Contact: Trish Lane, Account Executive
(800) 265-4632; Fax: (770) 643-0265
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.colinear.com
2003 enhancements: Additional telephony integration; customer self-service Web portal; merchandise planning module; light manufacturing
CoLinear users: National Allergy Supply, Wine of the Month Club, Crafts Americana Group
Dydacomp Development Corp.
11-D Commerce Way
Totowa, NJ 07512
Contact: Robert Coon, VP, Sales and Marketing
(800) 858-3666; Fax: (973) 237-9043
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.dydacomp.com
2003 enhancements: Advanced inventory features; enhanced point-of-sale functions; new integrated invoice/gift card/shipping labels
Dydacomp users: Fairytale Brownies, R.C. Bigelow Inc., Sportswave, Sportamerica, Scooterworks
Morgan CustomSoft Inc.
P.O. Box 441162
Marietta, GA 31060
Contact: Mark Morgan, President
(770) 422-1300; Fax: (866) 619-7698
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.mcsiworld.com
2003 enhancements: Enhanced POS; Internet credit card processing; Web wireless warehouse management
Morgan CustomSoft users: ICM Corporation, ABDI International, Serv-U, Harrison — Hoge Industries
Morse Data Corporation
83 Washington St., Suite 404
Dover, NH 03820
Contact: Dan Cannon, VP, Sales
(603) 742-2500; Fax: (603) 742-8178
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.morsedata.com
2003 enhancements: Enhancements to order entry, POS, and accounts payable
Morse Data users: BCI Eclipse, Spirituality.com, Proliteracy Worldwide, U. of California
Rigden Inc. (not listed in chart)
3090 Sterling Circle, Suite 200
Boulder, CO 80301
Contact: James Jobson
(303) 442-8190, ext. 108; Fax: (303) 442-8686
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.rigden.com
2003 enhancements: Call for enhancements
Rigden users: Call for user list
UNIX SYSTEMS
Avexxis Corp.
30 Avon Meadow Lane
Avon, CT 06001
Contact: Larry Rocheleau, Manager of Business Development
(888) AVEXXIS; Fax: (860) 677-2176
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.avexxis.com
2003 enhancements: Standard, corporate, and enterprise; executive dashboard; enhanced POS; new e-commerce module; enhanced reporting
Avexxis users: Vermont Teddy Bear, Federated Department Stores, The Wisconsin Cheeseman
Data Management Associates Inc.
4000 Executive Park Drive, Suite 101
Cincinnati, OH 45241
Contact: Larry Maher, VP, Sales and Marketing
(800) 660-1275; Fax: (513) 563-7301
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.dmasales.com
2003 enhancements: Browser-based system; additional WMS interface; upgrade multi-location retail POS; latest developments available online
Data Management users: Sporty’s Pilot Shop, Lady Grace Stores, PetSolutions.com; Gardens Alive!
Datamann Inc.
P.O. Box 1930
1994 Hartford Avenue
Wilder, VT 05088
Contact: Andrew G. Warner, John E. Mann
(800) 451-4263; Fax: (802) 296-3623
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.datamann.com
2003 enhancements: File expansion to 130 weeks’ demand; order/dept./class/group upsell; PO template/return to vendor/clone/normal/blanket
Datamann users: Available upon request
Page Digital Inc.
6450 S. Revere Parkway
Englewood, CO 80111
Contact: Bonnie Hendry, Marketing Manager
(800) 569-1122; Fax: (303) 754-4995
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.pagedigital.com
2003 enhancements: Java-based GUI order entry and customer service module; Microsoft Server 2000/NT and HP 9000 version; Linux version Q4 2003
Page Digital users: IBM, Lands’ End Corporate Sales, FAO Schwarz, Michael’s Stores, Hershey
Sigma Micro
6720 Parkdale Place
Indianapolis, IN 46254
Contact: Al Langsenkamp, Chairman
(800) 227-4462; Fax: (317) 631-6585
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.sigma-micro.com
2003 enhancements: Call for enhancements
Sigma Micro users: Sears, Roebuck & Co, L’Oreal, Johnston & Murphy, Lands’ End International
Terno & Associates Inc.
755 Boardman-Canfield Road, Suite N2
Boardman, OH 44512
Contact: Jeff Moliterno, President
(330) 629-7004; Fax: (330) 629-7585
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.terno.com
2003 enhancements: Enhanced Web and continuity functions; improved GUI screens; call or go online for latest developments
Terno users: Chinaberry, Cuddledown of Maine, Into The Wind, Venus Swimwear, Wendell August Forge
PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE SYSTEMS/OPEN PLATFORMS
Assist Cornerstone
57 West 200 South, Fifth Floor
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Contact: Sean Skamnes, VP, Sales and Marketing
(800) 732-0136; Fax: (801) 355-7720
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.assistcornerstone.com
2003 enhancements: Enhanced analytics and forecasting; reverse logistics; CRM portal; Web-based reporting; Web licensing
Assist Cornerstone users: Alta Resources, Atkins Dietary Products, Mid America Direct
CommercialWare
24 Prime Park Way, Cochituate Place
Natick, MA 01760
Contact: John Coskie, VP, Marketing and Sales
(508) 655-7500; Fax: (508) 647-9495
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.commercialware.com
2003 enhancements: Rebranding of products to CW/Direct, CW/Integrate, etc.; POS/backoffice/headquarters module; e-mail repository module
CommercialWare users: Target Direct, Disney Direct, J. Jill, Abercrombie & Fitch, The U.S. Mint, Ritz Camera
Computer Solutions Inc.
6187 NW 167th Street, Suite H-33
Miami Lakes, FL 33317
Contact: Ernie Smith, Vice President
(305) 558-7000; Fax: (305) 557-0003
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.orderpower.com
2003 enhancements: Direct500, a Windows-based software solution for mail order and catalog companies, created with Best Software
Computer Solution users: REI, U.S. Navy, Walter Drake, Gannett Direct Marketing, Price Costco
Ecometry Corporation
1615 South Congress Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33445-6368
Contact: Charlene Smith, Supervisor, Inside Sales
(561) 265-2700; Fax: (561) 454-4803
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.ecometry.com
2003 enhancements: Voice integration; standard XML interfaces; inventory forecasting; new client interfaces; advanced warehouse automation
Ecometry users: Coldwater Creek, Nordstrom.com, Hickory Farms, Time-Life, Hammacher Schlemmer
Island Pacific
19800 MacArthur Boulevard, 12th Floor
Irvine, CA 92612
Contact: Jim Phillips
(949) 476-2212; Fax: (949) 476-0177
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.islandpacific.com
2003 enhancements: Call for enhancements
Island Pacific users: Smith & Hawken, Signet, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Figgins
Natural Solutions
8003 Castleway Drive, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46250
Contact: Tyce McIntosh, VP, Marketing
(317) 596-1215; Fax: (317) 596-1225
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.naturalsol.com
2003 enhancements: Light manufacturing module; expanded functionality within fulfillment; enterprise data query module
Natural Solutions users: Barton Cotton, Zoyto Inc., Corporate Services
Yantra Corporation
One Park West
Tewksbury, MA 01876
Contact: Joseph Vukson, Manager, Corporate Communications
(978) 513-6180; Fax: (978) 513-6006
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.yantra.com
2003 enhancements: Yantra will continue to advance its product suite in line with its vision for synchronized fulfillment management.
Yantra users: Best Buy, Hallmark, Target, Motorola, School Specialty Inc.
| Company System Name | Date Started | Total Installations | Computer Platform | Operating Software | Programming Language | Database Software | Total Staff | Price for 15 Users | Price for 50 Users | Price for 100 Users | Annual Maintenance Fee | Warehouse Management System Interfaces | Integrated E-Commerce Module | Compatible Web Tools Used | Manifesting System Interfaces | Integrated Accounting Interfaces | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assist Cornerstone Assist Commerce Suite |
1987 | 57 | IBM iSeries | OS/400, Linux | RPG400, Java | DB2/400 | 38 | Call for pricing | 15%-18% of license | Yes, have interfaces | Yes | Assist Webstore, WebSphere, Commerce Server 2000, Open APIs | Varsity, Clippership, FedEx Powership | Integrated module, open APIs | |||
| Avexxis Corp. Avexxis |
1986 | 27 | Intel or Unix servers | Windows NT or 2000, or various Unix platforms | Informix | IBM Universe RDBMS | 16 | $40,000 | $150,000 | $250,000-$300,000 | Variable, client-defined | No | Yes | IBM Redback, AW Webstore, MS VBScript and Jscript, APIs | Clippership, Aristo, UPS, Worldship | Own module | |
| CoLinear Systems Response |
1984 | 500+ | Intel/Windowscompatible | Windows | Visual Dataflex Visual Basic | MS SQL, Oracle | 8 | <$20,000 | <$35,000 | Call for pricing | Basic $500/year; standard 18% of license | Majure Data Systems | Web connectivity kit | APIs for generic integration | UPS Worldship, FedEx, Pitney Bowes, Kewill/APSS, StarShip, Clippership, Tan Data | Great Plains | |
| CommercialWare Retail.Dot.Commerce |
1975 | 60 | IBM iSeries | OS/400, Data Mart runs on NT | RPG400, Java | DB2/400, Data Mart runs on SQL | 70 | Call for pricing | 18% of license | PkMS, EXE, LogPro, Catalyst, JDA, SVI, Manugistics, Dove Tree Man Man | Yes | WebSphere, Site Server, Blue Martini, BroadVision, Commerce Server 2000, Interworld, ATG Dynamo | Tracer, Tandata, Pfastship, Aristo, Maxiship | Own AR/AP, Lawson, PeopleSoft, Oracle, Great Plains | |||
| Computer Solutions Inc. Order Power! |
1979 | 95 | iSeries AS/400 | OS/400 | RPG-ILE, Net.Data, Visual Basic, C | DB2/400 | 30 | $90,000 | $150,000 | $275,000 | 18% of base price | Yes, have interfaces | Yes | Net.Data, IBM HTTP server | LogisticsPro, Evcor, Tan Data, Pitney Bowes, Aristo, Powership, Kewill, Clippership | Own module | |
| Data Management Associates MACH 2K |
1979 | 40 | PC servers and RS/6000 | Windows 2000, Unix and AIX | IBM U2 Database Basic | IBM U2 RDBMS | 15 | $70,000 | $140,000 | $240,000 | 15% of license fee | PCC Lightning Pick System | Yes | NetFusion | UPS Worldship, FedEx Powership, Kewill, Aristo, NeoPost | Own module | |
| Datamann Mail Order Software Plus (MOSP) |
1975 | 50+ | Unix, RS/6000 | AIX | Acu-Cobol | NA | 25 | $60,000 | $140,000 | $250,000 | 18% of license fee | Included in base | Yes | IIS, Apache, iPlanet | All major carriers | ABS | |
| Dydacomp Mail Order Manager MOM V4.3 |
1983 | 5,000+ | PC, PC networks | Windows 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP | Visual FoxPro | NA | 45 | $14,525 | $33,850 | $58,600 | $399 base + $139 per station | Not at this time | Yes | USPS, UPS, & others using Universal Shipping Interface | Own AR & AP, Quickbooks, Peachtree, MAS90, Business Works, Soloman, Great Plains | ||
| Ecometry Corporation Ecometry Commerce Suite |
1988 | 345 | UNIX and Windows | HP-UX, Windows 2000 | Java, C++, Visual Basic, COBOL | SQL 2000, Oracle | 250 | $50,000 | $130,000 | $250,000 | 18% of license fee | PkMS, IRMS, OPTUM | Yes | CGI, COM, XML | FedEx, Airborne, UPS, RPS, USPS, CTC, Neopost | GTS, Multiview, PeopleSoft, Oracle, Great Plains | |
| Island Pacific | 1977 | 14 | AS/400, PC | OS/400, NT | LANSA 4GL case tool | DB2/400 | 150 | Call for pricing | 11% of license fee | No | Yes | IBM WebSphere, Commerce Suite | Pfastship | Own module | |||
| Morgan CustomSoft Solution |
1983 | 35 | Pentium 3- and 4-class servers | Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP | Visual DataFlex V8.3 | For client-server MS-SQL, DB2, Oracle, Pervasive SQL | 7 | $40,000 | $90,000 | $155,000 | 15% of license fee | No | Yes | Can use any Web tools | UPS Worldship, FedEx, Powership, Pitney Bowes, Shiptec | Own AR, AP, GL | |
| Morse Data Corp. In Order |
1975 | 52 | Terminal servers, client/server networks | Windows 2000 server, Windows XP/Me/98 | Power Builder, XML | SQL Server | 15 | $35,500 | $94,000 | $175,000 | 18% of license fee | No | Yes | Visual InterDev | FedEx Powership, UPS Worldwide, Clippership | Own AR, AP, GL, Great Plains | |
| Natural Solutions Natural Order |
1992 | 21 | Open platform | Microsoft NT | Sybase Powerbuilder | MS-SQL | 20 | $88,000 | $138,000 | $188,000 | 20% of license fee | No | Yes | IIS, Com | UPS Maxi-ship, UPS Online Pro, Aristo, Neopost | Own module | |
| Page Digital synaro Advantage |
1980 | 88 | RS/6000, HP 9000, Windows NT, 2000 server, Linux | AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Windows NT, 2000 server | Java, C, Basic | synaro Cache and/or Oracle 9i | 75 | Call for pricing | Tiered pricing | IRMS, IBM, LE Proprietary Systems | Yes | IBM WebSphere, BEA Weblogic | UPS Online, FedEx Server, Kewill | Own module, PeopleSoft, Oracle, Lawson | |||
| Sigma Micro Controller+/eController |
1982 | 143 | IBM pSeries, Intel, HP9000 | AIX, Linux, HP-UX, Windows 2000 | Cobol, Visual Basic, C/ASP | ODBC, SQL | 61 | $100,000 | $150,000 | $225,000 | Tiered pricing | Retek | Yes | MS Site Server, Guidance Solutions | Kewill, Clippership, Aristo, UPS Worldship, FedEx, Pitney Bowes, Neopost | ABS, PeopleSoft | |
| Terno & Associates TernoVelocity |
1992 | 85 | Unix, HP, IBM | Unix, Linux, Windows NT, 2000 & XP | Universe Basic Visual Basic | Infomix Universe RDBMS | 18 | $55,000 | $110,000 | $195,000 | 12% of license fee or hourly | Yes | Yes | APIs, Redback, MS Site Server | Clippership, Aristo, UPS, FedEx, Airborne, USPS, Malvern | Own module | |
| Yantra Yantra 5x-Distributed Order Management |
1995 | 30+ | SUN, HP, IBM, Windows 2000 | Unix, Solaris, HP-UX, IBM-AIX, Windows 2000 | Java (J2EE Standards) | Oracle, MS-SQL | 200 | Call for pricing | 18% of license fee | Yes, Yantra, Manhattan, EXE, Optum | Yes | IBM, BEA, BroadVision, Blue Martini | FedEx Airborne, DHL, UPS | No, APIs | |||
| Key: Installations may reflect total number of users on lifetime sales. Pricing includes hardware, software, peripherals, and third-party hardware and software, but not file conversion. “Interfaces to other vendors” reflect connectivity to other commercially available systems. | |||||||||||||||||
| Note: Companies listed here are limited to those that provide a wide range of integrated functions across the categories of call center, warehousing, inventory management, merchandising, marketing, and the Internet. | |||||||||||||||||