Summer 2008

An e-commerce management solution called Intoscape that is said to break new ground on multiple fronts has been launched on the open market by its developer, Total Commerce Management.

At its core is its ability to handle the related functions of competitor monitoring, pricing and content and procurement optimisation on an automated basis. For instance, it can trawl the web for information on product sourcing and pricing, and present the information in a consistent, integrated way. It will also integrate this information with existing or new enterprise software.

The company says it also handles supply-chain management, though the term has a rather specific meaning here. As the launch announcement puts it: 'Intoscape is the first software solution to be able to synchronise data on available inventory from multiple distribution supply sources across many different vertical markets and consolidate information into a single database scheme.'

The company says a big attraction is that the system allows retailers to review small niche distributors offering lower-cost products but smaller ranges side by side with broad-line distributors offering a wider choice but often smaller margins.

 

There is a strong front-end component to the product. The company says Intoscape will automatically build and present content to any determined point of sale, including web sites and any direct sales CRM interface used by sales and customer service people.

The company's key reference site is IT247.com, an online computer and electronics retailer, which was originally run by TCM's founders. The business provided the test bed and raison d'etre of the original product, which it still uses today.

According to founder Steve Willock, now the head of TCM: 'Intoscape bridges the gap between the aspirations of e-commerce businesses for more insight and control and their practical capabilities, offering them a huge performance breakthrough.'