Classic to CIMcloud: What, Why & How

Overview

This article provides an overview of the new CIMcloud platform: What it is, Why we created it, and How a classic customer migrates to the new platform. 

What?

Customer Interaction Management 

We have worked intensively to create a new and best-in-class platform and experience for our customers, the CIMcloud platform.  CIMcloud provides eCommerce capabilities for your customers and CRM functionalities for your employees.  This new platform has been a transformational shift for our customers in terms of functionality, usability and ongoing support.

Why?

True SaaS Platform

Our classic websites are stand alone applications that use various and dated versions of our legacy software.  The new CIMcloud platform offers a standardized SaaS product offering where each customer is on a single, core versioned application sharing the same code base.  This means you will have ongoing access to the latest releases and no longer have to worry about being left behind, while we are able to better support and update your website into the future.

New Features – Classic vs. CIMcloud

Here are some of the new features and improvements you can expect when migrating to the new CIMcloud platform.  While this can be dependent on when your classic website was built (see section titled “True SaaS Platform” above), all the features below are included out of the box on CIMcloud.

Documentation and Self Service

New CIMcloud Help Center contains hundreds of articles and videos that allow our customers to self service

Worker Portal

New, overhauled Worker Portal replaces the classic WebDriver

• Modern and mobile friendly user interface
• Unique logins with access configuration for your employees
• Individual Work Spaces for CRM, content management, website configuration, and help (self service)
  • CRM Workspace (NEW)
    • CRM style tools allow your reps and managers to manage their customers, view aggregate history data synced from your ERP (orders, shipments, invoices, payments, etc.), track online website activities, and create quotes, orders, and invoice payments on the customer’s behalf.
  • Product Workspace
    • Allow your Implementers and Operators to view the product data synced from your ERP system and manage supplemental “rich catalog” data to enhance your customer’s experience in searching and buying products.
  • Content Workspace
    • Allow your Implementers and Operators to manage web pages, slide shows, images and files, and navigation links.
  • Settings Workspace (NEW)
    • Allow your website admin(s) to manage the website.  Toggle and set features and site options that were previously only available to CIMcloud employees.  You can also customize the user experience of your website by overriding default settings for subsets of your customers (user profile settings).  From functionality settings to website design and 3rd party integration credentials, the CIMcloud platform gives you control over your website.
  • Help Workspace
    • This provides access to getting started, self-service onboarding, and self-service implementation guides and content.

Front End Customer Site Updates

Design/Templates

• Customer facing site(s) are completely mobile friendly for use on desktop down to mobile phone
• Updated, modern standard templates for B2B portal, Public Product Catalog, and Public Shopping Cart
• Updated templates for ADA compliance (WCAG 2.0 AA standards)
• Option to add and manage additional customer sites using a single CIMcloud application 
• Updated integration with Google API services for improved analytics 

Product Catalog

• New parent-child configurations (add row view, and apparel matrix)
• Ability to show product catalog in customer specific views of largest spend, frequently ordered, etc.
• Ability to display product account history showing order and invoice statistics, number of times viewed, etc.
• Quick view on category/search results page allows viewing and ordering without leaving current page

Ordering and Checkout

• New Bulk Add To Cart option allows customers to easily create a shopping cart via direct SKU entry, CSV upload, and ordering from a previous sales order, invoice, or favorites list
• Focus template during checkout process removes distractions that keep customers from placing order
• New payment page design with speed optimizations for better user experience 
• Saved credit cards vaults the customer’s credit card in your gateway so repeat customers do not have to re-enter credit card information 

History and Informational Pages (Sales orders, Shipments, Invoices, Payments, etc.)

• Pay Invoices with ERP Sync to Sage 100 now included in base product
• Updated data tables allows more filtering and sorting options with ability to create saved searches 

How?

The Migration Process

1. Schedule your migration 
2. CIMcloud Deploys your new site – our Product Deployment Team deploys our standard product & ERP integration
3. CIMcloud Migrates your data and ERP integration – your website data and ERP integration is migrated to your CIMcloud website
4. Complete Self-Guided Onboarding – In App checklists and our new Help Center will guide you through onboarding. Support is available from our onboarding and implementation team.
5. Go Live when you are ready

For an in-depth look at the entire migration process, see The Classic-to-Current Migration Process (From Reserving Your Spot to Going Live)